Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 2
A season of tonal shift and new leadership.
It marked Neal Baer's first year as producer, bringing a shift in tone and an increased emphasis on trial scenes with the addition of an Assistant District Attorney for sex crimes to the cast.
Quick Facts
- Season number
- 2
- Starring
- Christopher Meloni
- Mariska Hargitay
- Richard Belzer
- Michelle Hurd
- Dann Florek
- Stephanie March
- Ice-T
- Episodes
- 21
- Network
- NBC
- First aired
- 20 October 2000
- Last aired
- 11 May 2001
Facts from the source article.
Production
David J. Burke and Neal Baer served as chief executive producers, replacing Robert Palm; Baer took over in the season finale. Baer, a former pediatrician, left ER to work for Dick Wolf's first Law & Order spin-off. He said he was drawn to the show by Mariska, who had appeared on ER. Mariska Hargitay felt Baer gave the show direction it previously lacked, stating there had been no consistency or leadership. Jonathan Greene credited Baer with improving the show's quality significantly. Richard Belzer attributed the show's improvement that year directly to Baer's leadership. The second episode, "Honor," was based on a script Jonathan Greene had written earlier. It exposed the squad to misogynistic honor killings used to punish women for adultery, airing one year before the 9/11 attacks and examining Taliban rules.
Cast changes and returning characters
The second season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit saw several cast changes. Michelle Hurd, who played Detective Monique Jeffries, left the show early in the season to join the Showtime series Leap Years. She called the new role a rare opportunity but expressed disappointment that the show didn't have faith to keep her. Her character departed in the episode "Asunder," but Jeffries appeared again in "Runaway," which aired out of order. To fix this, new scenes were filmed to present "Runaway" as a flashback, explaining that Jeffries had transferred to Vice and returned to help with a case. Ice-T replaced Hurd as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola. Stephanie March joined as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot. Tamara Tunie began a recurring role as Medical Examiner Melinda Warner, replacing Leslie Hendrix's character. Near the end of the season, BD Wong started portraying FBI Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. George Huang, replacing Dr. Emil Skoda.
Cast
In "Honor," Marshall Manesh played an Afghan diplomat and Anil Kumar his son, both following Sharia law and condoning honor killings; Susham Bedi played the diplomat's wife. Tracy Pollan reprised her role as Harper Anderson from Season 1 in the episode "Closure." The fifth episode, "Baby Killer," featured Nicolas Martí Salgado as a seven-year-old who shoots a classmate, and Carlos Leon as a gang leader. In "Noncompliance," Kevin Breznahan played a schizophrenic whose mother, played by Kathleen Chalfant, wished him to remain off medication. Nestor Serrano guest-starred in "Asunder" as a police officer accused of spousal rape, with Amy Carlson as his wife. Eric Roberts appeared in "Victims" as a vigilante ex-cop who killed sex offenders spreading HIV. In "Paranoia," Khandi Alexander played a police officer working for internal affairs. Andrea Bowen played a key witness in "Countdown." In "Runaway," Kelly Karbacz played a missing teenage girl, and Sean Nelson played an informant. Showrunner Neal Baer called "Runaway" the only episode broadcast just once on the network because it was stinky, though producers included a scene from it in Season 1 DVD extras.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 2?
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 2 stars Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Richard Belzer, Michelle Hurd, Dann Florek, Stephanie March and Ice-T.
How many episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 2 are there?
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 2 has 21 episodes.
More in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Seasons
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