Law and Order: SVU has been one of the most popular shows on television since it's premiere in 1999. It's an American crime drama that's based on a fictionalized version of the NYPD, and it's seen a lot of critical success.
It's even won multiple Golden Globe and Emmy awards.
The show stars Christopher Meloni as Detective Stabler and Mariska Hargitay as Detective Benson.
But despite the show's success, that doesn't mean it strays away from being controversial. There's been many critics of the show over the years who have called the show out for being "copaganda".
On top of those things, the episodes can sometimes be too dark and gory.
Here are some of the more controversial Law and Order: SVU episodes.
8 That Time Law and Order Took On Gaming
For a show that's been around decades, it's no surprise Law and Order: SVU has taken on as many topics as it has. This includes gaming, which has been the focus of some episodes.
The episode 2007 'Avatar' is centered around a missing female gamer. The detectives have no idea where to go with a lack of leads, but the gamer's obsession with gaming prompts them to investigate a gamer she knew.
This episode came out during a time when gaming was hot and exploding into mainstream culture, so there's no doubt the writers were playing with fire.
Detective Stabler and Detective Benson did a great job chasing down the suspect in this episode, but sometimes they aren't the most reliable detectives.
7 This Law & Order: SVU Episode Had A Controversial Ending
In the season 16 episode "Pornstar's Requiem", Law and Order: SVU tackles two controversial items in adult films and s*xual a*use.
It all starts when a broke college student decides to act in adult films. She does it both for money and enjoyment. A couple of guys she goes to school with find out about it and invite her to a party.
In the end, the film star gets some justice. The two guys get a light sentence, which is somewhat controversial. It might even be the reason the episode has lower ratings than most of the others from the show.
6 This Law & Order: SVU Episode Foreshadowed The #MeToo Movement
Airing all the way back in 2000, "Remorse" is an interesting episode that was ahead of its time. It was about a famous reporter that went live on air about being s*xually assaulted.
Detective Munch, played by Richard Beltzer, ends up being the star detective of this episode.
In a huge way, this episode foreshadowed the #MeToo movement. The episode was about a celebrity using her platform to spread her story.
The #MeToo movement happened in 2017, so this episode was 17 years ahead of its time. Here are some more little-known facts about Law and Order.
5 Benson Went Undercover In This Episode
Benson and Stabler find themselves in a rough situation when they have to investigate a r*pe crime. Benson ends up going undercover in a prison when they trace their leads to a female correctional facility.
In the end, going undercover was the right move. Benson finds her guy and solves the whole puzzle almost on her own.
If you're interested in Detective Benson, check out how much the actress that plays her makes.
4 This Controversial Episode Got High Ratings On IMDb
Episodes involving children as the victim are easily devastating and controversial.
This episode, airing all the way back in season 7, revolved around a long 911 phone call by an abducted little girl. The phone call served an outlet for the police to locate the girl. They try to trace the call, but it works to no avail.
In the end, they find the girl buried alive, but arrive just in time to revive her.
This particular episode happens to cover the topic of child abduction, so you could definitely put it under the controversial category.
You could also put it in the critically acclaimed category, as it got 9.3 stars out of 10 on IMDb.
3 This Law & Order: SVU Episode Featured A Very Dark Guilty Party
Once again, this episode contains the usage of kids as the main victims. What makes this episode different from other ones involving kids, though, is that the main suspect of the shooting also happens to be a child.
The detectives trace the gun used in the crime to another shooting that occurred a few weeks prior. They find themselves wrapped up in an intricate dr*g-dealing plot.
The 7-year-old boy named Elias turned out to be a member of the dr*g ring, used by one of his older family members.
2 This Is The Darkest Law and Order: SVU Episode
This episode might not be the most outright controversial, but it is easily one of the darkest Law and Order: SVU episodes ever made.
The season 4 episode is titled "Dolls". This episode goes places most shows wouldn't dream of going.
It's centered around the haunting demise of a five-year-old girl. To add to the intensity of the episode, the detectives believe the suspect is some who targets kids. The chase to track him down becomes important.
The main synopsis of the episode is dark and controversial in its own right. But what makes it particularly controversial beyond the central theme is that the mother of the five-year-old is a dr*g addict.
And while that's extremely dark and controversial, this next SVU episode takes the title of most controversial by far.
1 This Is The Most Controversial Law and Order: SVU Episode
The episode "Ridicule" from season 3 is hands down the most controversial Law and Order: SVU episode ever aired.
It might even be the most controversial episode of any show ever. And therefore, we can't really get into the details of what actually happens. You'll have to check it out for yourself.
