# Why are the Law and Order SVU detectives such judgmental jerks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066 "2014-12-23T23:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/41 "2014-12-30T06:49:25Z")
> **["Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Ballerina (TV Episode 2009) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1248628/)** > > Ballerina: Directed by Peter Leto. With Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer, Ice-T. Detectives suspect that a murder suspect was thrown out of a window to his death, and their investigation focuses on the suspect's wife, her nephew... I guess it was the intention of this episode to make the audience uncomfortable, but man I can’t believe in real life Burnett’s character wouldn’t go down for something. Short synopsis is at the end she reveals her adult nephew who lived with her and her murdered husband, who she raised from a small child as a son basically, she had been in a sexual relationship with him since he was a child(ick) and basically manipulated him into murdering her husband. So while they haul the nephew off who is obviously not of sound mind due to the warped abuse, she smiles and gloats how she got rid of both of them while the detectives look slightly disgusted. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/42 "2014-12-30T09:35:50Z")
My personal theory, from what I’ve read, and what episodes I’d seen, way back when, was that the main detectives were basically just shellshocked, but that they—or their department management—were _badly_ negligent in “pulling them off the line” for transfer to a less-traumatizing assignment, like the Classy Gentleman Cat Burglar & Art Forgery Unit, before they finally snap and have to go out on a medical retirement. (I have to admit, mostly because the thought of Det. Stabler chasing after Lupin IV for stealing the Guggenheim Museum—the _entire_ museum—warms the cockles of my twisted heart.) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/43 "2014-12-30T10:03:23Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > My personal theory, from what I’ve read, and what episodes I’d seen, way back when, was that the main detectives were basically just shellshocked, but that they—or their department management—were _badly_ negligent in “pulling them off the line” for transfer to a less-traumatizing assignment, like the Classy Gentleman Cat Burglar & Art Forgery Unit, before they finally snap and have to go out on a medical retirement. _Law & Order: to Catch a Thief_. I really want to watch this now. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/44 "2014-12-30T13:40:26Z")
> [@Darth\_Sensitive](#): > > To be fair, it’s pretty easy to catch older seasons in syndication all over the dial at all hours of the day it seems while catching new episodes of SVU requires being on NBC on only one hour a week. This is very true. To judge by my wife’s TV habits, I do not believe there is a single hour in the day when some iteration of Law and Order is not being shown on some channel somewhere! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/45 "2014-12-30T14:26:57Z")
**Ranchoth** , thank you for planting that image in my brain. > [@MrAtoz](#): > > This is very true. To judge by my wife’s TV habits, I do not believe there is a single hour in the day when some iteration of Law and Order is not being shown on some channel somewhere! 🙂 And when there isn’t, there is one of the CSI variants. Speaking of which, of course, somewhat late in the game the network has announced: _CSI - Cyber_ If you thought the current versions were unrealistic portrayals, based on their precedent I predict this one oughta be a true festival of nerds jumping up and down and throwing things at their TVs screaming _ **“IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY!!!”** _ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/46 "2014-12-30T17:23:43Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > This is very true. To judge by my wife’s TV habits, I do not believe there is a single hour in the day when some iteration of Law and Order is not being shown on some channel somewhere! 🙂 Well, USA Network shows SVU about 22 hours a day, so that covers just about everything. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/47 "2014-12-30T17:52:23Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > It’s wonderfully surreal. “You thought we were going to show you an episode about entitled high school football players and how their sexist attitudes leads to rape? Gotcha! Turns out the victim actually took part in the art of underground kangaroo boxing! Now it’s up to Stabler to go undercover and take down the kangaroos once and for all!” I think my favorite is the episode where a moron twentysomething guy rapes his girlfriend’s 16 or 17 year old sister because of his “sexsomnia” and then that case is instantly dropped because the girlfriend is kidnapped by an old man who is obsessed with her Second Life character. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/48 "2014-12-30T18:04:50Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I think my favorite is the episode where a moron twentysomething guy rapes his girlfriend’s 16 or 17 year old sister because of his “sexsomnia” and then that case is instantly dropped because the girlfriend is kidnapped by an old man who is obsessed with her Second Life character. My favorite episode is the one where Tracy Pollan stalks her rapist. That one is actually pretty good, though. I’m not sure what my favorite bad episode is. I need some time to think about that. I do like the one for sheer badness where John Stamos is a “reproductive abuser.” Gather 'round for the Afterschool Special, kids. Then, there’s any episode where the “perp” is a schizophrenic, and someone says the obligatory “As a rule, schizophrenics aren’t violent, but no one told this guy.” ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/49 "2014-12-30T20:47:51Z")
I think my favorite good episode is the Shannyn Sossamon He Said/She Said one. It’s nice and twisty. But there are so many good bad ones. It’s almost half the fun of watching the show. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/50 "2014-12-30T22:09:53Z")
There are just painful ones too. Like the one with Martin Short as a psychic. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/51 "2014-12-31T02:28:45Z")
I think my favorite was the one where someone actually got shot in the SVU squad room. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I think my favorite good episode is the Shannyn Sossamon He Said/She Said one. It’s nice and twisty. I know some people who know the actor who played the accused rapist in that episode. I always thought if I met him I might ask if he was ever told the outcome of the trial. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/52 "2014-12-31T15:04:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I know some people who know the actor who played the accused rapist in that episode. I always thought if I met him I might ask if he was ever told the outcome of the trial. There was no outcome. After the episode faded to black, NBC encouraged viewers to vote on what they think happened on their website. 60% thought the professor was not guilty 20% thought he was guilty 20% were undecided ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/53 "2014-12-31T15:11:35Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I think my favorite is the episode where a moron twentysomething guy rapes his girlfriend’s 16 or 17 year old sister because of his “sexsomnia” and then that case is instantly dropped because the girlfriend is kidnapped by an old man who is obsessed with her Second Life character. When you put it that way, it just sounds ridiculous. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/54 "2014-12-31T15:15:56Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > When you put it that way, it just sounds ridiculous. 😛 [“Turn the sun on!”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FljQ2HEJkP4) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/55 "2014-12-31T18:21:58Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > There was no outcome. Yeah, I know. I was just curious if, behind the scenes, the actors were told anything more about how to play their characters. It might reveal some of what the producer/director/writers had intended. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/56 "2014-12-31T18:46:18Z")
Why would people bother to call to say they were undecided? If the undecideds hadn’t bothered to call, the percentages would have been different. Instead of 60-20-20, it would have been more like 66-NG; 33-G; 0-U (it depends on what the actual numbers are). Personally, I hope he gets fired (y’know, if this were a real story). Even if he admits to consensual sex, if it’s with a student who is _his_ student, on most campuses, that’s grounds for termination, even of a tenured professor. I didn’t know about the vote at the time, but I would’ve voted guilty. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/57 "2014-12-31T19:18:01Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Why would people bother to call to say they were undecided? If the undecideds hadn’t bothered to call, the percentages would have been different. Instead of 60-20-20, it would have been more like 66-NG; 33-G; 0-U (it depends on what the actual numbers are). I’m pretty sure it was an online poll and the options were Guilty / Not Guilty / Undecided. > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I didn’t know about the vote at the time, but I would’ve voted guilty. Not me. The story he told seemed a lot more reasonable than the story she told. Plus, IIRC, her friends told the detectives that she had made up stories like that for attention before. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/58 "2014-12-31T20:27:00Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Why would people bother to call to say they were undecided? If the undecideds hadn’t bothered to call, the percentages would have been different. Instead of 60-20-20, it would have been more like 66-NG; 33-G; 0-U (it depends on what the actual numbers are). If the original numbers were actually 60-20-20, and we leave out the 20%those who said they were undecided, we would get 75 NG and 25 G. Having not seen the episode I couldn’t tell you what the actual answer should be! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/59 "2015-01-02T02:10:15Z")
Moved on to seasons 13-15 (Netflix updated their available eps). No more Stabler! or BD Wong or Tamara Tunie. ☹ Good news. I was able to suss out the perp within the first ten minutes _and_ the motive! (“Plain” girl roommate to the rape victim, who out of jealousy arranged a rape by fabricating a fake dating profile and sending out emails, telling a judge that this was all part of a rape fantasy). I need to stop watching this… ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066/60 "2015-01-02T06:42:24Z")
I think it might have been one of the Original Recipe episodes, but my favorite ever is the woman who reports that someone is going to kill her – and they can’t find any evidence and have to move on. Of course she ends up dead – Just the way she says “He’s going to kill me” with this desperate but resigned feeling because there’s nothing she can do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-law-and-order-svu-detectives-such-judgmental-jerks/708066.md?page=4)