NBCCan Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson ever be happy on Law and Order: SVU? She's been pretty darn close this season while caring for little Noah, the foster child she's planning to adopt in the Law and Order: SVU season 16 finale. But this is Law and Order: SVU. Things never go as planned. Noah's birth father, Johnny Drake (Charles Halford), returns and tries to reclaim his parental rights in "Surrendering Noah." Yes, the same Johnny D. who was involved in a sex trafficking ring and is being charged with rape, kidnapping and assault. As if that weren't enough to stress out viewers, we know this: Not everybody makes it out of the finale alive.
"Juicier than that? That's already insanely juicy!" Mariska told us when asked for a finale tease aside from the deadly ending. "What will be very compelling going into next season is how the shooting and those deaths (yes, there's more than one) change the course of every life involved."
Gulp.
Did you ever imagine, 17 years later, you'd still be doing this with millions tuning in?
To be honest, never. In hindsight, now that I know how much the show has resonated with people and how true many of the stories ring, it makes sense. But I can't tell you how grateful and proud I am. I think it's actually like a long relationship: sometimes you wake up and you're like, wow, this is so nice, everything feels so familiar, this is so nice. And then some days you're like, wow, there's so much new stuff to explore, and I barely even know you yet, and there's so much more to come, and other days you're like SEVENTEEN YEARS, we've been together for SEVENTEEN YEARS? OH MY GOD. HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE POSSIBLY MANAGE TO STAY TOGETHER FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS?! But I think all those things average out to feeling really grateful.
The penultimate episode teased Lt. Benson, is that the route you want to see the character go?
It's great that Warren [Leight] and the writers have given Olivia so many opportunities for growth—changing partners, becoming a sergeant, and the one that tops them all, becoming a mother. That's what this is for me: another chance to grow and stretch. I really like how the character has become so much more thoughtful, more empathic and nuanced, and I can't wait to see where I get to take her next. And life is about embracing change, isn't it?
So who would make the best second in command?
Fin [Ice T] has the most experience but is happy where he is. Amaro [Danny Pino] wants it, but he's not popular with the brass. Olivia would much prefer someone in the squad step up, but who?
Actually, I think sometimes the best person is the one you least expect. That always makes the most interesting dynamic. Or maybe it's just the person who wants it the most, that's who ends up stepping up to the plate. Then there's always the possibility that it's the person who wants it the least. The person who says, "Wait, what? Me? Absolutely not." And then they come through and shine in the position. Which is my extended way of saying, "Your guess is as good as mine."
I've heard you have deemed this the best finale ever—What makes it the best finale, in your opinion?
Is it wrong that I say that every year? But I'll be honest, I put my producer's hat on and sat down to watch this episode and give notes, and forty-two minutes later, I was trying to peel myself off the floor after gasping and crying my way through the episode. So many threads from the last four years get woven together, so you have these big, thoroughly earned payoffs. There's Olivia's journey as a survivor who can relate to young girls; her journey as a mother who won't let Ellie Porter's last wish for her son Noah go unanswered; her journey as this kind of warrior who won't let Ellie's rapist, Johnny D, get anywhere near her son—even if he is the biological father. And the relationships are all there, with her partner Amaro, with Barba and their mutual respect, the long hard relationship with Tucker, and with Trevor Langan [Mariska's real-life husband Peter Hermann]—there isn't a loose thread anywhere. My hat is off (as it always is) to Warren and the writers. All those small moments that call back to things we shot two or three seasons ago, characters that came in for one scene so many episodes ago who now play a major part in the story, all of it, that's just not easy to do. I watched it and felt all the emotions of so many years come together in this one brilliant piece.
How would you describe the finale in emojis?
What's ahead for Benson? Will she come out on the other side of the finale with a positive outlook, or…
This season has been all about family, and these complex dynamics in the stories resonate more with Benson now that she has a child to care for. The growth she has gained from that, and the backstory she continues to carry, mean that there's always going to be a give and take to her outlook. The parent-child dynamic is multi-layered for her, relationships and her devotion to the job are multi-layered for her...The writers have crafted these small, very human moments that hint at her growth. So it's never going to be as simple as a positive or negative outlook, but it's always going to be human. That's the kind of finely tuned writing that keeps me coming for more.
Have you created a bond with the young actor who plays baby Noah? It certainly seems you have. What's it like? He's a very different costar than you previously play off of.
Sometimes I wish I was as uncomplicated as he is: Having a bad day? Here's some milk! All better! He's such a good kid. And it's funny, here's Olivia having these life-changing moments, and there's Noah, just going along, the way kids do, looking at all the cool things around him, taking in the world. It's an innocence we haven't had much of previously on the show. He happens to be a big fan of the boom mic, which has made for some funny moments.
How has Benson changed since Noah entered her life?
In so many ways. The child proofing alone... I think kids can bring out new dimensions in us, and it's the same for her. She also sees more dimensions in others now. Everyone is someone's child, mother, father, brother, sister—a loved one. I think somehow Sergeant Olivia Benson has more empathy than Detective Benson did. And I think that more nuanced empathy is a gift from Noah. It also makes her a better cop, better mother, friend, Sergeant, Lieutenant...whatever.
Law and Order: SVU wraps season 16 on Wednesday, May 20 at 9 p.m. on NBC. Season 17 will debut this fall.
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