The Best Episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

#1 Fan Favorite
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9.3/10(2939 votes)
#1 - 911
S7:E310/4/2005
Benson is on her way out for the evening when a call comes in from a little girl who says she's all alone. While trying to draw the girl out, Benson is drawn deeper into the little girl's life, and although the other officers begin to suspect the whole thing may be some sick joke, Benson is convinced that the little girl is the real deal. By talking to Maria, Benson is able to ferret enough information from her so that they have a place to start, but Maria's captor has an affinity for electronics and has done everything he can to make sure that no one can find the little girl he bought and paid for.
Director:Ted Kotcheff
Writer:Patrick Harbinson
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Director:Ted Kotcheff
Writer:Patrick Harbinson
9.0/10(2366 votes)
#2 - Authority
S9:E174/29/2008
An engineer plays a series of mind games with Benson and Stabler.
Director:David Platt
Writers:Neal Baer, Amanda Green
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Director:David Platt
Writers:Neal Baer, Amanda Green
9.0/10(1844 votes)
#3 - Undercover
S9:E154/15/2008
After a woman was found raped in a garden, Benson and Stabler realize that the case goes much deeper because of the victim's mother, drugs, and the realization that a corrections officer is involved. Benson decides to go undercover at the same prison where the mother is, putting herself on the other side of the fence.
Director:David Platt
Writer:Mark Goffman
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Director:David Platt
Writer:Mark Goffman
9.0/10(1579 votes)
#4 - Loss
S5:E410/14/2003
A female undercover agent for the DEA is raped and murdered, leading to a complicated investigation and the arrest of a suspect highly connected with a Colombian drug cartel. This is the toughest case of Cabot's career as she is faced with death threats on herself and her family along with pressure to yield the case to federal authorities.
Director:Constantine Makris
Writers:Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters
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Director:Constantine Makris
Writers:Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters
9.0/10(1505 votes)
#5 - Heartfelt Passages (2)
S17:E235/25/2016
When the investigation of Corrections Officer Gary Munson deepens, he and his union take drastic actions that threaten the lives of ADA Barba and the SVU squad.
Director:Alex Chapple
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
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Director:Alex Chapple
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
8.9/10(1884 votes)
#6 - Raw
S7:E611/1/2005
After a six-year-old boy dies in a school shooting, detectives trace the gun used back to a white supremacist's gun shop. Munch and Tutuola both face hatred and prejudice from the major suspects in the case, but their investigation soon takes them from the man who pulled the trigger back to the gun shop owner, who makes no bones about his hatred of anyone who isn't white.
Director:Jonathan Kaplan
Writer:Dawn DeNoon
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Director:Jonathan Kaplan
Writer:Dawn DeNoon

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8.9/10(1845 votes)
#7 - Conscience
S6:E611/9/2004
The detectives and the district attorney get played first by the teenage murderer of a young boy, and then by the victim's father, who uses his professional expertise to escape punishment for avenging his son's death.
Director:David Platt
Writers:Roger Wolfson, Robert Nathan
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Director:David Platt
Writers:Roger Wolfson, Robert Nathan
8.9/10(1844 votes)
#8 - Behave
S12:E39/29/2010
A woman who has been raped multiple times is afraid to leave her house. The issue of unopened rape kits will see Detective Olivia Benson travel from New York City to Los Angeles.
Director:Helen Shaver
Writer:Jonathan Greene
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Director:Helen Shaver
Writer:Jonathan Greene
8.9/10(1612 votes)
#9 - Dreams Deferred
S14:E912/5/2012
A man goes on a killing spree, but he has links to a prostitute that Benson encountered in an earlier investigation, so the FBI contacts SVU for information.
Director:Michael Smith
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
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Director:Michael Smith
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
8.8/10(1773 votes)
#10 - Surrender Benson
S15:E19/25/2013
The SVU squad searches for Detective Benson and her abductor.
Director:Michael Smith
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
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Director:Michael Smith
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
8.8/10(1690 votes)
#11 - Scavenger
S6:E410/19/2004
The entire squad races against the clock to solve the puzzles and uncover the clues scattered throughout the city by a serial killer who is taunting them to find him and the next victims on his list.
Director:Daniel Sackheim
Writers:Lisa Marie Petersen, Dawn DeNoon
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Director:Daniel Sackheim
Writers:Lisa Marie Petersen, Dawn DeNoon
8.8/10(1665 votes)
#12 - Zebras
S10:E226/2/2009
A murder in Central Park that involves a tourist puts the SVU on high alert, but when the suspect they've brought in for questioning escapes, Munch has to reach out to an ex-wife in an effort to prevent another killing that's closer to home.
Director:Peter Leto
Writers:Daniel Truly, Amanda Green
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Director:Peter Leto
Writers:Daniel Truly, Amanda Green
8.8/10(1510 votes)
#13 - Shadow
S11:E121/13/2010
When a rich and powerful couple with political connections is found murdered in their bedroom, Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler decide to speak to the deceased couple's daughter, Anne, for more information. After hearing Anne's account of a nefarious man who has been following her, the detectives soon discover that Anne's supposed stalker is none other than Detective Ash Ramsey of the Special Frauds division. Convinced that Anne killed her parents for their money, Ramsey becomes suspicious of Anne's business manager and is led to believe that he helped her steal money from the foundation she runs. When blackmail and embezzlement come into play, the detectives find that their lives may be at risk over a girl with some serious parent issues.
Director:Amy Redford
Writer:Amanda Green
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Director:Amy Redford
Writer:Amanda Green
8.7/10(1757 votes)
#14 - Alternate
S9:E19/25/2007
Benson and Stabler investigate a suspected child abuse case only to learn that the woman who reported it is the real case.
Director:David Platt
Writers:Neal Baer, Dawn DeNoon
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Director:David Platt
Writers:Neal Baer, Dawn DeNoon
8.7/10(1610 votes)
#15 - Swing
S10:E310/14/2008
Stabler is shocked when his daughter, Kathleen, becomes the suspect in an investigation to catch a trespasser. He seeks his estranged mother's help in dealing with his daughter's case.
Director:David Platt
Writer:Amanda Green
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Director:David Platt
Writer:Amanda Green
8.7/10(1579 votes)
#16 - Born Psychopath
S14:E194/3/2013
The SVU detectives investigate after a school nurse notices multiple injuries on a young girl; Detective Amaro tries to bond with his recently discovered son.
Director:Alex Chapple
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
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Director:Alex Chapple
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
8.7/10(1516 votes)
#17 - Screwed
S8:E225/22/2007
Darius Parker, goes on trial for the rape and murder of a woman and her 14-month old child. The case brings Fin under fire from the media and even has Munch and Stabler at odds. Novak prosecutes the trial that brings Stabler and Tutuola, among others, to the stand. Many previous stories are brought into the trial.
Director:Arthur W. Forney
Writer:Judith McCreary
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Director:Arthur W. Forney
Writer:Judith McCreary
8.7/10(1485 votes)
#18 - Dominance
S4:E204/4/2003
A quadruple homicide with sexual overtones is just the start of an intense rampage of a serial killer that brings a homicide detective into the mix. As the entire squad races against time to prevent further victims, the evidence uncovers a horrible situation of incest and abuse.
Director:Steve Shill
Writers:Jonathan Greene, Robert F. Campbell
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Director:Steve Shill
Writers:Jonathan Greene, Robert F. Campbell
8.7/10(1477 votes)
#19 - Fault
S7:E194/4/2006
A manhunt ensues when Victor Paul Gitano, a recently released sex offender, kidnaps two children after killing the rest of their family. Benson and Stabler pursue Gitano only to find their own relationship challenged as both experience opportunities where they put their personal relationship ahead of their job. After having her throat slashed, Benson requests for a new partner when she hears what Stabler has to say about their relationship and their job.
Director:Paul McCrane
Writers:Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters
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Director:Paul McCrane
Writers:Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters
8.7/10(1350 votes)
#20 - Liberties
S10:E215/19/2009
A favor for a judge who is hearing a harassment case sends Stabler and Benson to interview a death-row serial killer in order to determine the fate of his son.
Director:Juan José Campanella
Writer:Dawn DeNoon
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Director:Juan José Campanella
Writer:Dawn DeNoon
8.7/10(1337 votes)
#21 - Her Negotiation
S14:E245/22/2013
The detectives uncover a shocking theory as they work to learn the identity of a man Rollins arrested for exposing himself in the park.
Director:Norberto Barba
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
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Director:Norberto Barba
Writers:Warren Leight, Julie Martin
8.7/10(1207 votes)
#22 - Alta Kockers
S20:E1011/22/2018
The investigation into a promising new author's death leads to a decades-old secret kept between two reclusive brothers.
Director:Alex Chapple
Writer:Michael S. Chernuchin
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Director:Alex Chapple
Writer:Michael S. Chernuchin
8.7/10(1193 votes)
#23 - Countdown
S2:E152/23/2001
The detectives become a little edgy after working around the clock to find an abducted girl when clues point to a serial murderer and rapist who kills his victims on the third day. After trapping the killer, they are prepared to give him the death penalty until they find out that one of his victims was never found and he offers her location as a plea bargain.
Director:Steve Shill
Writers:Lisa Marie Petersen, Dawn DeNoon
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Director:Steve Shill
Writers:Lisa Marie Petersen, Dawn DeNoon
8.7/10(1155 votes)
#24 - Manhunt
S2:E184/20/2001
The details of a kidnapping are similar to a series of rapes and murders that may link the crime to a serial killer.
Director:Stephen Wertimer
Writer:Jeff Eckerle
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Director:Stephen Wertimer
Writer:Jeff Eckerle
8.7/10(1076 votes)
#25 - Poison
S5:E245/11/2004
A young girl is in a coma after ingesting detergent and her mother is suspected of poisoning her. A biased judge makes the case hard to prosecute which leads to an investigation into his past.
Director:David Platt
Writers:Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters
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Director:David Platt
Writers:Michele Fazekas, Tara Butters