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Mariska Hargitay, Brooke Shields on the Law and Order: SVU Twist That's "Excruciating" for Benson to Navigate

Everything could change for Lt. Olivia Benson on NBC's long-running drama

By Chris Harnick Oct 12, 2017 2:00 AMTags
Watch: Mariska Hargitay & Brooke Shields Talk "SVU" Season 19

Can Olivia Benson ever find happiness? Not while Brooke Shields is on Law & Order: SVU, it seems. Warning, Law & Order: SVU spoilers follow.

"I'm Sheila Porter. Noah's grandmother," Shields said in character when she made her Law & Order: SVU debut on the Wednesday, Oct. 11 episode. Yes, Ellie Porter, Noah's birth mother, lied about her parents. Her mother is alive and well—and on Olivia Benson's doorstep.

Brooke Shields made her Law & Order: SVU debut as Sheila Porter, Noah's biological grandmother, on the Wednesday, Oct. 11 episode and it seems like she's ready to rip apart Benson's (Mariska Hargitay) family.

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Mariska Hargitay's Law and Order: SVU Hair Through the Years
NBC

"The character of Shelia Porter and I have this insanely, intense, complex storyline that is excruciating to navigate and so human with everyone having a valid point of view," Hargitay told E! News during a recent visit to the SVU set. "It just explores so much and I'm very excited. And it's definitely unknown territory."

In the episode, Hargitay's Benson got the news from her adoption attorney, Trevor Langan, played by her real-life husband Peter Hermann. The two had a bit of a blame game going back and forth, but one thing is clear: Ellie Porter lied, Sheila Porter is alive and she wants to vacate Benson's adoption.

"You've got these two women, whose axis on which their whole world right now is turning is Noah and it's how they navigate that, how they challenge it and what they represent to the other one," Shields said.

Click play on the video above to hear more from Shields and Hargitay about the journey these two women go on while battling for Noah.

"It's interesting and quite a ride," Hargitay said.

Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)