<p id=”par-1_33″><em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/law-and-order-svu/”>Law & Order SVU</a> </em>has managed to maintain its quality <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/law-order-svu-turns-25-see-cast-then-now.html/”>throughout the series’ 25-season run</a>. But there was one season, Hargitay quipped, that they decided not to put all of their efforts in.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-mariska-hargitay-joked-that-she-was-too-exhausted-going-into-this-season-to-give-it-her-all”>Mariska Hargitay joked that she was too exhausted going into this season to give it her all</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” fetchpriority=”high” width=”1200″ height=”800″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Mariska Hargitay on the set of ‘Law & Order organized Crime’ as her character Olivia Benson.” class=”wp-image-3619127″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=150&h=100 150w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=640&h=427 640w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=768&h=512 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=1024&h=683 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=525&h=350 525w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=254&h=169 254w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=200&h=133 200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=761&h=507 761w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mariska-Hargitay-Law-Order-1.jpg?w=90&h=60 90w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Mariska Hargitay | Will Hart/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-2_71″>Hargitay has been a part of <em>SVU </em>since its inception. She’s been around long enough to see many of the changes made throughout the show, watching many cast members come and go. One of the reasons why Hargitay agreed to stick around was due to the show’s quality. She felt each season brought something fresh to the table, which inspired her to stick around <em>SVU </em>for as long as she could.</p>
<p id=”par-3_34″>“I’m in it for the long haul,” Hargitay once said according to <a href=”https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/law-order-svu-names-michael-chernuchin-showrunner-1007843/”>The Hollywood Reporter</a>. “I said, ‘You keep writing like this, I’ll stay for 25 years.’ Why would I leave? I’m so grateful.”</p>
<p id=”par-4_137″>At the time, Hargitay felt the series reached a new high in season 16. The season focused on a few intriguing plot points that carried over from its previous season, such as Hargitay’s <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/law-order-svu-mariska-hargitay-reveals-adoption-story-show-turned-down.html/”>Olivia Benson adopting a child</a>. But it also left Hargitay and the team exhausted, so much so that Hargitay quipped they wouldn’t try too hard in season 17.<br><br>“The joke with [then-showrunner] Warren Leight and I was season 16 was good, and we said season 17, we’re going to phone it in,” Hargitay said. “That was our schtick on set, because we were so exhausted. And then season 17, we killed it. And then season 18 … we had a wobbly year. But season 19, I was like, ‘I’m sorry, did anyone see the show?’ [New showrunner Michael] Chernuchin, every single episode, he outdoes himself.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-mariska-hargitay-couldn-t-bring-herself-to-watch-the-500-th-episode-of-law-amp-order-svu”>Mariska Hargitay couldn’t bring herself to watch the 500<sup>th</sup> episode of ‘Law & Order SVU’</h2>
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<iframe title=”Law & Order: SVU – Mariska Hargitay’s Fan Q&A (Digital Exclusive)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/qHTKyTq-xpI?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-5_57″><em>SVU </em>hit a milestone not too long ago during its 23<sup>rd</sup> season. In 2021, the series saw itself <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/law-order-svu-characters-return-500th-episode.html/”>celebrating 500 episodes</a>. Seeing as it was such a special occasion, the episode marked the return of a few familiar faceslike Danny Pino. The episode would also reference old cases that would have an impact on the current storyline.</p>
<p id=”par-6_18″>Although Hargitay had been a part of <em>SVU </em>for its entirely, she had particular trouble watching this episode.</p>
<p id=”par-7_69″>“They sent me the link so many times and I was actually too nervous to watch it,” she once said on <em><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0vppamET6A&ab_channel=LiveKellyandMark”>Live with Kelly and Ryan</a></em>. “Obviously I’ve been doing this show for so long and Olivia Benson is in me but I think that the idea of the 500th episode was so much pressure or something on me. And I was so nervous coming to work this day.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_21″>She asserted that <em>SVU </em>had varying levels of difficulty, but the 500<sup>th</sup> episode really had Hargitay reflect on the show’s success.</p>
<p id=”par-9_27″>“Some episodes aren’t quite as difficult but for me, this was sort of like this moment to take in what we’ve made, what we’ve created,” she said.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-1-showrunner-felt-only-mariska-hargitay-can-decide-to-end-law-amp-order-svu”>1 showrunner felt only Mariska Hargitay can decide to end ‘Law & Order SVU’</h2>
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<iframe title=”Law & Order: SVU – Mariska Hargitay Interviews | Behind The Scenes | on USA Network” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/9jDA-TTbhD0?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-10_55″>According to one show-runner, the decision to end <em>SVU </em>may rest solely on Hargitay’s shoulders. Michael Chernuchin was already familiar with the franchise, having been a staff writer for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/dick-wolf-felt-like-law-order-mercedes-breaking-bad-ferrari.html/”>Dick Wolf’s original <em>Law & Order</em></a>. He was recruited in 2017 to lead the series, and gave his opinion on the idea of <em>SVU </em>ever ending.</p>
<p id=”par-11_45″>“I don’t see any reason why this show will end,” Chernuchin once told <a href=”https://www.tvguide.com/news/law-order-svu-may-never-end/”>TV Guide</a>. “[We’re going to continue] until Mariska says, ‘let’s end it,’ because we’re dealing with things that are on the front page in the papers every day. Now, more than ever.”</p>