Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 8
Season 8 introduces a temporary partner for Stabler.
Early episodes shifted focus due to the introduction of a new partner for Detective Stabler.
Quick Facts
- Season number
- 8
- Starring
- Christopher Meloni
- Mariska Hargitay
- Richard Belzer
- Diane Neal
- Ice-T
- BD Wong
- Tamara Tunie
- Dann Florek
- Episodes
- 22
- Network
- NBC
- First aired
- 19 September 2006
- Last aired
- 22 May 2007
Facts from the source article.
Production
Filming for the eighth season began while Mariska Hargitay was in the final stages of her pregnancy. To conceal Benson's abdomen, the episodes "Informed" and "Scheherazade" employed desks, folders, and headshots. Eriq LaSalle, who had worked with Neal Baer and Mariska Hargitay on ER, directed the episode "Burned" and described it as a compelling story with edgy performances. For the episode "Responsible", Neal Baer drew on an article about advances in research on alcohol's effects on teenage brains. Judith McCreary wrote "Confrontation" after a Google search led her to a story about women raped multiple times by the same man, prompting her to wonder if his biological clock was ticking. Diane Neal joked that some writers might be on federal Internet predator lists due to their research on pedophilia. McCreary also wrote the season finale "Screwed", which brought up illegal activities by the detectives in court; she wanted to explore consequences for actions the cops had not yet paid for, noting that Benson had committed a felony.
Cast changes and returning characters
Connie Nielsen was cast as Detective Dani Beck, Stabler's temporary partner, during a six-episode absence by Mariska Hargitay. Dick Wolf expressed enthusiasm about Nielsen's talent, beauty, and stature. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges made his second SVU appearance in "Screwed", which concluded the seventh season episode "Venom". Neal Baer saw this as a chance to make Adam Beach's character, Detective Chester Lake, a longer-term addition, as Bridges' character causes major problems for Ice-T's character Fin, leading SVU to bring in Lake for help. Three episodes in the second half of the season featured Michael Weston as Simon Marsden, Olivia's half brother, a storyline Hargitay called probably the biggest thing ever to happen to Olivia. Mary Stuart Masterson appeared in her recurring role as Dr. Rebecca Hendrix in the episode introducing Marsden.
Cast
Marcia Gay Harden reprised her role as Special Agent Dana Lewis in the season premiere "Informed", earning an Emmy nomination. Kristen Bush, who shaved her head for her role opposite Harden, noted the tenuous connection between the shaved head and her character. Leslie Caron won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in the third episode "Recall", playing Lorraine Delmas, a rape victim whose statute of limitations has expired but whose testimony helps admit newer evidence after her rapist strikes again; her scene was spoken predominantly in French. Jerry Lewis guest starred in the fourth episode "Uncle" as Andrew Munch, uncle of Detective John Munch; Neal Baer highlighted the depth and heart Lewis brought to the role, offering insight into misdiagnosed depression in older people. In "Confrontation", Elanor Hutchins played Elizabeth Hassenback, a woman raped and later murdered; Elisabeth Hasselbeck of The View objected to the similar name and called for a boycott. Vincent Spano began playing FBI Agent Dean Porter in "Infiltrated", the case agent for Benson's undercover work. Diane Neal had a scene with her husband Marcus Fitzgerald, who played an ADA, in "Underbelly". Margo Martindale played foster parent Rita Gabler in "Cage"; Neal Baer later praised her performance, recalling that she put Elle Fanning in a cage and told her to set Connie Nielsen on fire.
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