The news thatLaw & Order: SVU’s most conflicting defense attorney is returning after three years comes with a caveat. The long-running police procedural has featured many assistant district attorneys over the years, with many ofLaw & Order: SVU’s saddest episodesinvolving cases where the detectives knew who did it, but the defense attorneys were able to get a not guilty verdict over some technicalities. Despite that, one particular defense lawyer inLaw & Order: SVU’s recent years has become controversial because of a personal decision.
In rare cases, former district attorneys switch sides, working as part of the defense instead.One such person was Rita Calhoun (Elizabeth Marvel), who was initially a prosecutor but became a defense attorney who made controversial decisions.Calhoun has not been seen in three yearsbut will be returning to theLaw & Orderfranchise in 2024. However, she will not be oppositeBenson’sLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 team, as she usually has been.
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Elizabeth Marvel Returns As Rita Calhoun But Not In Law & Order: SVU Season 26
The DA Turned Defense Attorney Will Appear On The Original Law & Order Instead
Marvel, fresh off her stint onPresumed Innocent, willguest star onLaw & Orderseason 24 as Rita Calhoun. The episode will also include a crossover appearance from Mariska Hargitay. Not much is known about her appearance, butCalhoun could be defending a murder suspect who is also accused of committing sexual assault against their victim. Thus, Calhoun may cross paths with Benson again despite not being slated to appear onLaw & Order: SVU.
It will be interesting to see how the intersection between SVU and the Homicide Unit in this case affects the dynamic between Calhoun and Benson.
This twist marks the first time that Calhoun has appeared on another show in the franchise rather thanLaw & Order: SVU. She has been on the Mariska Hargitay-led installment more than a dozen times, most often defending Manhattan SVU’s perpetrator of the week. Thus, it will be interesting to see how the intersection between SVU and the Homicide Unit in the upcomingLaw & Orderseason 24 case affects the dynamic between Calhoun and Benson.
Calhoun defended Benson after she was accused of assaulting William Lewis during a terrifying ordeal in which he had kidnapped her.
Calhoun’s Law & Order Franchise Return Can Offer A Necessary Update On Her Fate
Calhoun’s Career Move Might Not Have Worked Out The Way She Wanted
Marvel’s last appearance was especially controversial, asCalhoun defended an AG-running judge who was a serial rapist and an abuser of powerdespite fully knowing that he was guilty. When Benson confronted her about it, Calhoun said she was doing what she had to get ahead in her career. Most notably, she told Benson:“lie back and pretend you’re enjoying it,“effectively arguing that they have to do things they don’t want to do for their own benefit. In a show that deals with consent and sexual assault, that was unnerving to hear.
Calhoun hasn’t been on-screen in three years, so her guest appearance onLaw & Orderseason 24will answer whether throwing out her morals to defend a high-profile rapist can reveal how that worked out for her. Although she will not appear onLaw & Order: SVU, her upcoming return to the Dick Wolf franchise will provide some closure. Perhaps more subtly, it will also send a powerful message about Calhoun’s choices over the past few years.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Cast
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
