‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 15 spoilers: Danny Pino on working with Mariska Hargitay this year

This is a different season of “Law & Order: SVU” than most. Are there still cases that need to be resolved? Definitely, but the difference between this year and what we have seen on the show in the past is that Olivia Benson is not longer acting on some of these cases from a distance. Instead, she’s taking them on from a much more emotional place, given the fallout from the difficult torture that we saw her go through in the premiere. Whether you loved that episode or hated it (there seems to be no middle ground at all there), the basic truth seems to be that it will create a huge impact on Mariska Hargitay’s character the rest of the way this year.

For more evidence on that, just take a look at what Mariska’s frequent on-screen partner Danny Pino had to say to TVLine about his scenes with the actress this year, and how Amaro is going to try and help Benson (difficult a task as that may be):

“Amaro is confused as to how to deal with it. He’s feeling his way, because he’s not a psychologist, and you’ll see that throughout: ‘When can I ask her if she’s OK?’ There’s an underlying volatility to the whole season… This is something she’s working through, but we’re also working through it, because we have a stake in her, and it’s a very personal one.”

What makes this dynamic all the more interesting is that you cannot predict a moment where Benson is affected; it’s not a story thread like a guest arc or a “ripped from the headlines” episode, and emotions can change on a dime depending on what sort of trouble Benson runs up against. Pino is not the only person that is going to have to take extra care in tough situations.

Photo: NBC