Law & Order: SVU season 18: Should Mariska Hargitay’s Benson have new rival?

The further we go along into Law & Order: SVU season 18, the more we start to think about the endgame. To go along with that, the more we start to get nervous about precisely what the show has in store for the characters. Last season, we saw the death of Dodds in the midst of one of the most intense two-parters the show’s ever done, anchored by a harrowing performance from Brad Garrett. When you look back over the series’ entire history, that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of everything that they’ve done.

So what could the show throw in the direction of Mariska Hargitay’s Benson next? It’s always difficult with this show in particular to talk about trials or tribulations that we want to see, most because the majority of Law & Order: SVU adversaries are some of the most despicable characters on television. You want to see them be arrested and put to justice, but it’s hard to say you want them to exist. You don’t. The reality here is that this is still a television show, and in order for the series to have compelling drama, you need despicable people out there for Benson and the rest of the SVU to take down.

In the context of SVU season 18, we’re thinking that one of the best ways to end this season would be introducing a more intellectual threat to Benson and the entire SVU — such as a rigid defense attorney who manages to be constantly one step ahead of Barba, and who the SVU team can’t find a way to counter. This is someone who could have no remorse over representing someone as terrible or a killer or a rapist, and it could drive Benson and company even further to try to take them down. All signs point to a two-hour finale, so you can introduce this character either in this finale or the one that airs before. Put the team in the wringer, and make them question if they can defeat them.

Why go with more of an intellectual opponent this season? The simple answer is that we already had a violent stand-off at the end of last season, and we’ve also had some of those this season already. (Just take a look at what Carisi went through earlier this year.) You want to keep your viewers on their toes, and with Chicago Justice on the air right now, we do think that we’re in an era where intense courtroom battles are just as interesting as anything in the field.

What do you want to see in terms of a threat at the end of SVU season 18 — do you want to see something more centered around the courtroom, or a case that puts Benson or someone else through hell in the field? Share in the comments. (Photo: NBC.)