Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

WARNING: Scenes of explicit violence, drug use, suicide, sex, and/or abuse occur regularly. Not intended for children or sensitive viewers.

Overview

Often jokingly called “SUV,” Special Victims Unit is about the sexually oriented crimes in New York. And while it has Detective Munch (aka the center of the universe), it also had Alex Cabot and Olivia Benson, who had more chemistry than anyone else in the entire L&O universe.

Which is why they totally played it up and queer baited us.

They knew that a large number of viewers watched for the looks and smiles between Benson and Cabot.

Look, Stephanie March (who played Alex) said this of the Alex/Olivia dynamic:

I’m not saying we’re not…I’m not saying we’re not in love.

And executive Producer Neal Baer was well aware of it.

But was there ever payoff? Would there ever be payoff? Of course not.

All of that said, the show started to improve on it’s representation overall around that time, and has since become a pretty decent show. If you don’t mind a lot of sex crimes.

Notable Queer-Centric Episodes

Season 4, Episode 21 “Fallacy” – A trans-woman kills her attempted rapist and goes to prison. Men’s prison. She is beaten and raped on her first night.
Season 10, Episode 14 “Transitions” – A teen trans-woman, Hailey, is accused of attacking her father. She didn’t, and after the trial she returns home and her father lets her start hormone blockers.
Season 20, Episode 23 “Assumptions” – A lesbian Muslim lies about at assault and rape.