After graduating from college, Michael worked as a bartender while living in Paris for a year and a half with his grandmother. After all, they're each other's' only living relative. For the first time in seven years, Olivia's (Mariska Hargitay) estranged half-brother Simon Marsden (guest star Michael Weston) appeared on the show. When Olivia started talking about the case she was working on, Serena expressed her concern about Olivia working in the Special Victims Unit. Both are eventually taken into custody while they sort everything out. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. The life he led, more likely it was just his time," she replied. But despite the horror and calamity that define her personal and professional life, Benson remains committed to justice. He attacks the parents of the attorney who helped him beat the charges, killing her father and raping her mother. She's 110 percent there all the time, constantly trying to make it better and that's been enjoyable over the years, our arc of the relationship," he said. Stabler retires off-screen during the season 13 premiere, "Scorched Earth." He is eventually exonerated of all charges and tries to rebuild his life. Benson blames herself for his fate, and is haunted by the idea that her voicemail might have been the last thing Marsden ever heard. Tucker said he didn't remember Rachel Wilson (Holly Robinson Peete), not because he was covering up for his partner, the offender, but because of the cancer. Liv wonders. Though this experience is traumatic, it doesn't derail Benson from being the open-hearted detective she is and that's exactly why fans love her. News of their relationship so enraged a drunken Serena that she attempted to stab her daughter with a broken bottle:"She was halfway through a bottle of vodka and she dropped it. Re-watch previous seasons on Peacock now. Offers may be subject to change without notice. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Benson and Stablerembody the pure emotions people feel when they hear about the sort of horrific crimes at the heart of SVU:Stabler is righteous anger, while Benson, because of her experiences, is empathy. Michael Weston The two dated for a few months, but their secret was shattered after the IA investigated one of Benson's cases. "Philadelphia" She went to the morgue, where she had to identify a body - Simon's body. That might have seemed like the last of Brian, but he returned to SVUin Season 14dating Benson. In the season 12 finale, "Smoked," Stabler is forced to shoot a young woman who opens fire in the SVU's squad room. Rather than letting her shoot herself, Lewis picks up the gun and taunts Benson. Benson prefers to keep her love life hidden from the SVU, but halfway through Season 9, we learn she's in a relationship with journalist Kurt Moss (Bill Pullman). NBC The latest episode of Law & Order: SVU opens with a flashback to Captain Olivia (Liv) Benson and Elliot Stabler's reunion, as well as a montage of Olivia's spiraling worries for her friend and former partner's mental state following the death of . Simon runs into legal trouble again after he is bullied into taking out some weed he had after being pulled over by police officers. She's a rush to act with. There, he said, he would sift through debris watching personal items and human remains go by on a conveyor built. In Season 17, Olivia begins seeing Internal Affairs Captain Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke). When the detectives discover that a group of escorts have been targeting wealthy men in order to drug and rob them ( la J. "That sounds like how I would picture hell," Benson told him. As a teenager, Michael dreamed to become a professional baseball player. During the trial, Benson lies about her attack on Lewis. He asks what she wants from him and Olivia lies, saying she thought he was someone else. Well, pretty soon I won't be myself anymore," he said. Benson's life has been a hard one. Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays, 10 p.m. on NBC. During this time, Benson learns that Simon had died without hearing her final message to him. Serena was emotionally and physically abusive, in part because of her own trauma: Benson is the product of a rape. (SVU: "Dearly Beloved"). Since Law & Order: SVU is now in its 21st season, Olivia Benson will have been portrayed by Mariska Hargitay for a longer period of time than James Arness portrayed Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke (his record was 20), or Kelsey Grammer played Dr. Frasier Crane (20 between Cheers and Frasier). Benson puts the gun to Lewis' head, but decides not to kill him until he taunts her. Benson clearly deserves the title; fans watched as she climbed the workplace ladder and tackled any case that came her way for many years. He was eventually cleared of any involvement. (SVU: "Child's Welfare"), After completing the court's orders, Simon and Tracy married at some point, but things eventually fell apart between them, likely due to the strain brought on by their forced separation, and Tracy took their children and left. Benson's empathy for the victims she works with frequently leads her to make decisions that other officers wouldn't make. Given Benson's obsessive dedication to seeking justice for victims of sexual abuse, it was only a matter of time before she found a nemesis. Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays, 10 p.m. on NBC. In 2014, when he was still a baby, Noah was discovered by Olivia along with Detective Amanda Rollins in the home of child pornographers. The detectives finally catch a break when another man is found overdosing, but doesn't die. However, she still agreed to meet him for lunch so Simon could meet Noah. (SVU: "Screwed"), Simon eventually moves to New York, starts dating another woman named Tracy Harrison, and has a daughter with her named Olivia after her paternal aunt. They welcomed a son in November 2015, and the couple have been hands-on parents to him. He meets with Olivia to tell her the news, but she is shocked at this rash and impulsive act. The world of network television doesn't tend towards subtlety. He moves in with her and her son Ty and he and Tracy eventually get engaged. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Fortunately, our characters have always had this special kind of bond, that's why Warren thought it was important to help Benson through the process of her brother having OD'd.". He tells Benson that he is now clean and wants to get to know her adoptive son Noah. Some fans were not exactly thrilled with Simon coming back just so he could be killed. 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[Mariska Hargitay] as usual played that scene brilliantly & she had me crying like a baby," one fan wrote. Walking through the city with Noah, Benson runs into her brother, Simon, who she hasn't seen in many years. But when the work day is done,. The decision to bring him back came from executive producers Warren Leight and Julie Martin, who thought it tied into the main case in "Murdered at a Bad Address.". Serena was an alcoholic who emotionally and physically abused Olivia. Before Olivia Benson got Noah, there was Calvin, the first young man the HBIC had legal guardianship over on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. They exchanged vows in 2010 after four years of dating, as reported by The Star. He goes on another spree of rape and murder, kidnapping a woman and using her as leverage to get Benson to admit she lied on the witness stand. Simon continues to plead his innocence despite no one believing him, but Olivia's partner, Stabler, eventually discovers that the lead investigator, Captain Julia Millfield, is Carrie's older sister, and Simon reveals his past with her. Throughout the series, the audience learns that Hollister used his job as a salesman to college cafeterias to prey upon young women. He was born Michael Rubinstein on October 25, 1973, in New York City. Julia confesses to framing and trying to kill Simon while the FBI was listening. "Maybe you noticed I'm starting to have memory lapses.". Like her other fling with a journalist, their connection is short-lived. Deceased Partnered together for 12 years, Benson and Stabler shared a bond unlike anything else on television. History Serena was raped by Joseph Hollister, conceiving Olivia. Simon was born and raised in New Jersey, to Joseph Hollister and Sharon Marsden. The NBC App is the best place to catch up on the most recent season of your favorite shows, watch live TV, and stream movies. Shortly afterward, Marsden dies of a heroin overdose. - November 2, 2019 12:40 am EDT, This week's episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit featured a traumatic moment for Captain Olivia Benson. Benson broke down in tears. and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.). KidnapperAssailantDrug addictAlleged child abuserAlleged rapist For one, Warner confirmed that Simon had been clean for quite a while and died because he got his hands on the wrong stuff. The worst, though, was this one simple sentence from Benson when Warner asked if they were close. Julia reveals that she also framed him for rape, then describes how Simon tried to rape Carrie. Distractify is a registered trademark. Thats my thinking anyway. Copyright 2023 PopCulture.com. But she agreed to meet him for lunch, and to bring Noah (Ryan Buggle) along. Didnt have to worry about where he was or mentioning him occasionally, etcespecially if the actor isnt around/avail for occasional appearances? Serena was raped by Joseph Hollister, conceiving Olivia. Lewis then takes Olivia to an empty home and ties her to a bed. Benson called Stabler for a favor to pick up her son, Noah, who had been staying with his half brother's family outside of New York City after two hooded figures attacked his mom outside of. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Sometimes it's like brother-sister, and sometimes there's a lot of sexual chemistry. She was one of the major inspirations for her daughter's joining that particular unit. In a 2007 interview with TV Guide, Mariska Hargitay shared why she thinks the two characters are so drawn to each other, in spite of their polarized reactions to the crimes they confront. While most SVU storylines would end there, William Lewis could not let Benson go. This was a breaking point for his mother, who took Simon away and changed their last names to distance themselves from Joseph. As Tunie noted on Squadroom, there was no mention of her absence in the show. After the group took some drugs and passed out, Edward said that he woke up to find Simon already dead. All police procedurals involve humanity's dark side, of course, but the "especially heinous" nature of sex crimes makes SVU all the more intense. But when Olivia discovers that the group is working out of the Hotel Moulin, the same hotel in which her brother Simon Marsden was found dead, she becomes convinced that the women were somehow involved in his death, too. Their relationship remains strained until Serena dies in season two's "Taken," having fallen down a flight of subway stairs. Did you like working with the Obama administration?' Along the way, Olivia Benson did something she's never had to do in her entire time on the force. The next day, Carrie's father confronted Simon and told him to leave Carrie alone, because Carrie falsely claimed that he raped her. And then later, well, spoiler alert: He died.. Benson called Simon and said he blew his chanceand then got a call that he accidentally overdosed. Does anyone have tissues? "And then to have Benson, who was estranged from her brother, her only living relative, and then when he dies, she finds out how much she loves him too. I wonder if this was as hard to act as it was to watch. But an injured arm while playing baseball cut that dream short. Despite their rocky start, however, Amaro and Benson grow to have a mutual respect for each other and work well together. She's now single and seems quite content, but who knows what the future holds? Maybe so there was a closure on Simon? Though Benson emerges from her rough childhood with remarkable tenacity, her decision to pursue sex crimes springs directly from how haunted she is by her own origins. "While there's still time, I need to make this right.". It's so wonder audiences adore Benson, who embodies SVU more than any other character. Benson had a younger half-brother named Simon Marsden ( Michael Weston ). Olivia made it clear that she feels some of the guilt, but Rollins tried to ease her burden. Following a party crasher's suicide note video leveled rape allegations and a police cover up, Benson and the squad went into investigation mode. Family Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. From Fin getting engaged to Baker, to Rollins having to care for her dad, we've gotten to know many 1 PP characters a little more intimately. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Mariska Hargitay's Law & Order: SVU character finally became captain, but from there it's been a rough go. All Rights Reserved. Her incredible tenure on the fictional force has made her the longest-running prime-time live-action character in the history of television, surpassing her fellow law enforcement officer Marshall Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke and Cheers and Frasier's Frasier Crane for the honor. "It was a very emotional scene, but what I found amusing is that there was no explanation for my absence for the past two and a half years. In the episode, the team is on the hunt for an escort ring suspected of drugging and robbing various wealthy men. Benson shares the truth of her conception with few beyond her trusted colleagues. Olivia's Season 13 relationship was with Executive ADA David Haden (Harry Connick Jr.). Law & Order: SVUSeason 24 returns to NBCthis fall. Most of the episode centered on the assault of a young girl, and the perpetrator turned out to be the real criminal behind a 16-year-old double murder. While trying to get out of the car, she ripped her dress. He settled down and had a family before falling into alcoholism and eventually committing suicide. WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Law & Order: SVU, Season 22, Episode 13, "Trick-Rolled At The Moulin," which premiered Thursday on NBC. However, Simon does not turn up, and Benson angrily leaves him a message saying that she never wants to see him again. And it will be interesting to see how Benson copes with the guilt in the phone call. Benson has put in the work to earn the title ten times over: She is by far the longest-running character in the Law & Order franchise. After the retirement of Sergeant John Munch and Captain Donald Cragen, she is promoted tosergeant. The situation gets complicated quickly, and she breaks up with Kurt by the end of the same episode we learned they were together. They eventually depart after Darius is found not guilty. "I've always just enjoyed acting with her. As honorably as I can possible be to myself and others," he said. Swift has never been shy about making her . he asked her. Simon initially has trouble believing it, but once he is eventually convinced, they start talking and bond. Last Appearance Occupation She was raised by her mother, an alcoholic English professor named Serena. "It's such an emotional episode and we were setting one person free and hopefully putting another serial rapist who had gotten away with it all this time," Denis Hamill, who wrote the episode, explained on the Squadroom podcast, reports E! When we last met Simon, he reappeared out of nowhere and desperately wanted to reconnect with Olivia. Amazing how important these characters become when a show speaks of things others don't touch (or botch)," another wrote. Benson is relatively tight-lipped about her childhood, but occasionally shares snippets of truth while comforting victims. Ellis and Olivia both call him out on this and try to work out a deal so they don't go to prison. Warning: Spoilers for "Murdered at a Bad Address" follow! Enter serial rapist William Lewis. "It's an existential question, obviously, but at the same time those are the private things the actor figures out for himself.". Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. First, a brief recap of the back-to-back episodes: An intoxicated Serena went after Olivia and Olivia kicked her into a wall, knocking her unconscious. Sadly, Simon never arrived at lunch. The only time Serena was seen was in the episode "Payback". The actor is the son of actor John Rubinstein and actress Judy West, as stated in his IDMB profile. traumatic moment for Captain Olivia Benson, At the start of "Murdered at a Bad Address,", 'Law & Order: SVU' Writer Explains Bensons Emotional Loss After Character Death in Latest Episode, Beloved Children's Show Being Turned Into Movie, Seth Meyers Prepares Viewers for Possible Writers Strike This Week, Ryan Seacrest Weighs in on Mark Consuelos First Week as 'Live With Kelly and Mark' Co-Host, Don Lemon's 'CNN This Morning' Co-Hosts Enjoy Joyous Night out Following His Ouster, 'Law & Order: SVU': Benson Learns Information That Could Ruin Her Career, Tyra Banks Ripped by 'America's Next Top Model' Winner, Scott Disick's Reported Reaction to Ex-Girlfriend Sofia Richie's Wedding, 'Young Sheldon' Avoids Major 'Big Bang Theory' Plot Detail. Olivia retained the services of then-law student Simone Bryce to avoid jail. Contents 1 Background 2 On SVU 3 Trivia 4 Appearances Background Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! The episode was written by a new scribe for the series, Denis Hamill, who explained the idea to reintroduce and kill of Simon came from executive producers Warren Leight and Julie Martin. He worked as a salesman who sold food to school cafeterias, and used the job to prey on female college students, one of whom was Benson's mother Serena . Michael Weston as Simon. Never romantically . Benson's father is a man named Joseph Hollister, who raped Benson's mother, Serena, resulting in Benson's birth. The average lifespan of an SVU detective is four years, and here are two cops who have been in it so long that they're basically isolated from the rest of the world. In Season 5, Olivia has a mostly off-screen relationship with Federal Marshal Andy Eckerson (Craig Berko). When Simon heard his DNA was found on Donna's rape kit, he jumped bail. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. (E! "That's why," recounted Bauer, "they work so well together.". Benson received the overdose news from her trusted friend, Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie). He is, as you might have already surmised, a deeply twisted individual. SVU fans begin to see Olivia grow as a partner with David on many romantic levels. "It is what it is. Marsden is ultimately found to be innocent, victim of an attempted framing by a police officer who believed he raped her younger sister. Lewis makes it obvious that he is going to assault Benson and kill her when he's finished. When Detective Olivia Benson ran her DNA through a kinship analysis, she discovers that she has a half-brother. The actor shares three children with his former wife Christine sons James Parker and Travis Carter; and daughter Agatha Marie. ", Michael Weston at Dolby Theatre on April 7, 2016 in Hollywood, California. Benson's promotion is one of the more happily intense SVU . Although she was hesitant at first, she agreed to getting lunch with him, only to be disappointed yet again when he stood her up. When Olivia finds a video on Pipers phone that includes footage of her brothers dead body, Edward and the rest of the escort ring are charged with criminally negligent homicide, and Olivia finally learns the real reason why her brother stood her up for lunch back in Season 21. A prime example of this came in the season nine episode "Undercover," in which Benson poses as a convict in a women's prison in order to catch a sexual abuser serving as a corrections officer. Go behind-the-scenes, stay on top of breaking news, hang with the stars, and much more. Benson, in an effort to save the case, gathered several of Johnny's victims and gave an impassioned speech about why that needed to not be afraid to take stand up to the man who hurt them who. However, Simon is forbidden from seeing them, unsupervised, for a total of three years, with the chance of regaining custody afterwards. After going years without seeing her estranged half-brother Simon Marsden, he came back into her life only to meet a shocking end. When Simon was a teenager, he was arrested and convicted twice in 1988 and 1989 for joyriding and once for shoplifting women's underwear for his then-girlfriend in 1990. It was a really nice kind of matching scene; it had a nice symmetry.". Law & Order: SVU brought back Benson's troublesome brother only to take him away againfor a final time.