Some people prefer the original. Some people (a limited group, I must say) prefer CI (though it gets the worst reviews of the three). Some people just seem to hate Mariska, for whatever reason.
But I love this show more than anything, and Mariska, I think, is probably the high point of the show. After all, what would the show be without Olivia Benson?
The cases suck you in through their sheer momentum - rape, child abuse - things most people find sickening, which is why it's so amazing that this show even exists. And the plots are excellent at that.
And then you have the characters. L & O is famous for not giving you much depth into their characters - SVU is easily the one with the most character development. You've got John Munch, who's gone through numerous wives, is in love with the ideal of love even though he's never found it, used to work Baltimore homicide, and is a complete smart ass in love with conspiracies. Elliot Stabler is a former marine with 4 kids and a 20-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. Fin - well, Fin's the most private of the four main detectives, which works for him.
And then you have Olivia. The only female member of the squad, her history is part of what drew me to the show. Her mother was raped by her father, and Serena Benson had Olivia through that horrible crime. A drunk, she wasn't the best of mothers, but you can tell that Liv still loved her. But it's a past that still haunts her.
All of the actors and actresses do a fantastic job at conveying the emotions of these people. I'm still bemoaning the loss of Stephanie March as Alex Cabot, and really hope that I'll stop hating Casey (Diane Neal) Novak for replacing her sometime soon.
But lord knows, I will keep watching this show for as long as I can.
But I love this show more than anything, and Mariska, I think, is probably the high point of the show. After all, what would the show be without Olivia Benson?
The cases suck you in through their sheer momentum - rape, child abuse - things most people find sickening, which is why it's so amazing that this show even exists. And the plots are excellent at that.
And then you have the characters. L & O is famous for not giving you much depth into their characters - SVU is easily the one with the most character development. You've got John Munch, who's gone through numerous wives, is in love with the ideal of love even though he's never found it, used to work Baltimore homicide, and is a complete smart ass in love with conspiracies. Elliot Stabler is a former marine with 4 kids and a 20-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. Fin - well, Fin's the most private of the four main detectives, which works for him.
And then you have Olivia. The only female member of the squad, her history is part of what drew me to the show. Her mother was raped by her father, and Serena Benson had Olivia through that horrible crime. A drunk, she wasn't the best of mothers, but you can tell that Liv still loved her. But it's a past that still haunts her.
All of the actors and actresses do a fantastic job at conveying the emotions of these people. I'm still bemoaning the loss of Stephanie March as Alex Cabot, and really hope that I'll stop hating Casey (Diane Neal) Novak for replacing her sometime soon.
But lord knows, I will keep watching this show for as long as I can.