Law & Order: SVU
These are their Stories
The Original Cast in 1999
The Current Cast in 2020
It's hard to deny the staying power of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. From it's first season in 1999, fans were introduced t one of TV's most iconic duos: Detective Olivia Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler. Fans quickly learned to rely on Ice-T's Detective Fin Tutuola and Detective John Munch as comic relief in the midst of a series tackling tough topics, perhaps before its time.
While many viewers wandered away from the franchise after Detective Elliot Stabler's abrupt departure at the end of season 12, die-hard fans found their way back to the series in the following seasons. New characters including Detectives Nick Amaro and Amanda Rollins quickly became new fan favorites.
By the show's 21st season, fans saw the full progression of Mariska Hargitay's character Detective Olivia Benson, who rose through the ranks to Captain by the first episode.
Other added characters include Benson's adopted son Noah and Detective Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, who's career took him in quite a different progression: from Detective to Assistant District Attorney.