Romantic relationships are not the focus of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but that does not mean fans are not interested in seeing Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) move through her complicated love life. The long-running crime procedural operates on a case-of-the-week format in which the detectives pursue justice. Every episode features a new mystery to unravel, and while there are always cases to solve, Benson’s personal life, along with her colleagues’, has always been a topic of conversation on the back burner. SVU has been on the air for over 25 years, cultivating many different stories through the years.
Throughout SVU’s run, the lives of the detectives and lawyers are fleshed out by incorporating families and love interests into the show. While Benson’s love life has actually not been a huge part of the show over the course of its long run, her love interests have been intriguing for viewers when they do come up. Through the course of the series, Benson has had seven love interests, and there are some clear frontrunners to be the best. While the majority of viewers are invested in her former partner, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), others have come into play as well.
7
Nick Ganzer (Played By Tom McCarthy)
Appears In Season 1, Episode 19 “Contact”
Season 1 of SVU makes it clear Olivia Benson has a personal life without delving too much into it. The season introduces a couple of casual hook-ups for her. One of those flirtations is Nick Ganzer. Ganzer is a reporter who crosses paths with her multiple times in the episode and whom she agrees to meet for drinks. After inviting him back to her apartment, Olivia is rightly creeped out by his constant references to her current case that he has been reporting on — even more when he attempts to roleplay as the suspect with her as the victim.
The red flags sent by Ganzer mean Olivia asks him to leave, but she makes the mistake of leaving her files on the ongoing case where he can access them. He uses her notes on the suspect to embellish his next story, which almost lands her in hot water with Cragen until he understands what happened. Ganzer is a great way for the show to demonstrate the boundaries Olivia has in her life and how aware she is of what could turn someone into one of her suspects. From that point on, she strives to keep her personal life separate.
Olivia also makes sure to embarrass Gazer in front of his colleagues by comparing him to the suspect in a cold case, and the show essentially moves on from him.
6
Andy Eckerson (Played By Craig Bierko)
Appears In Season 5, Episode 11 “Escape”
It can be surmised that Olivia likely has a few relationships that fans do not know about from her 20+ years on television. The episodes of SVU only allow the audience snapshots into the lives of the main characters, after all. Her relationship with Andy Eckerson is one that takes place off-screen. When Federal Marshall Eckerson appears in season 5 of SVU, Eliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) is the one who reveals that Eckerson used to be a New York police officer and that he used to date Olivia.
As Olivia and Eckerson cooperate on a case, it becomes clear why their romantic relationship didn’t last. They are constantly at odds as he uses anger and violence to intimidate suspects and witnesses alike. Olivia has always been a more sympathetic detective who tries to keep an open mind. She outright tells Eckerson that they did not last because he was too reckless. While she might have initially found their relationship exciting, the flame burned out when she realized the way he invited danger to himself on the job could get him killed. Olivia has enough danger in her life.
5
Kurt Moss (Played By Bill Pullman)
Appears In Season 9, Episode 16 “Closet”
Olivia does not have much luck when it comes to dating those in the press. When her job requires keeping the details of open cases quiet, it’s understandable that it would be hard to date someone whose job it is to get details to the public. Kurt Moss is not just a member of the press; he is an editor at The Ledger. After Olivia keeps her relationship with him a secret for months, it’s only discovered when she is under investigation by Internal Affairs as a potential department leak.
While we do not get to see a lot of them together, what we do know is that their relationship was going well before Olivia was accused of leaking information to The Ledger. Moss even wanted her to move in with him. The investigation must have soured the relationship, despite Moss being willing to talk to the Internal Affairs officers on Olivia’s behalf. After the single episode in which he appears, Olivia and Moss are no longer together.
4
David Haden (Played By Harry Connick Jr.)
Appears In Season 13 In Multiple Episodes
David Haden and Olivia Benson find common ground because they both work to bring justice to victims of crime. While Olivia is a detective, Haden is an attorney. He joins SVU in season 13 as one of the assistant district attorneys but only appears in four episodes of the series. Haden and Olivia took their relationship slowly, despite clicking fairly quickly. It’s hard to establish much of their relationship with so few appearances by him, though it did seem that Olivia was excited by their relationship and the new turn in her life.
It’s not until the two of them see a case differently that they realize they might have more differences than they initially believed. In episode 17 of season 13, one of Olivia’s old cases was reopened, and discord built as Haden investigated it. Following the legal battle, the two went their separate ways.
3
Brian Cassidy (Played By Dean Winters)
Appears In Seasons 1, 14, And 15 In Multiple Episodes
Brian Cassidy is one of the original members of the SVU team. His stint does not extend beyond the first season as, unlike Olivia, he does not have the stomach to do the SVU cases day in and day out. Before the first season is over, he transfers to the narcotics division under the suggestion of Captain Cragen (Dann Florek). During that first season of the show, however, Cassidy and Olivia have a one-night stand that they see very differently. Cassidy has real feelings for Olivia, while Olivia is simply looking to have a casual hook-up.
Cassidy’s feelings are evident to both Munch (Richard Belzer) and Stabler, but Olivia does her best to let him down easily. At the time, Cassidy is a little too immature for Olivia. Then, he’s transferred, and being away from SVU for several years sees him grow up and Olivia ready for a relationship. The two detectives reunite and date in season 14 of SVU. Though they go through rough times (Cassidy accused of assault and Olivia being kidnapped), they are there for one another. They even move in together, which is a big step for Olivia in a relationship.
While Cassidy and Benson are very well-matched at the point they reunite in the series, they ultimately break up because they are headed in different directions in their life. Olivia is on her way to captaining the SVU and Cassidy is ready to retire from the force. The differing paths put them at odds.
2
Elliot Stabler (Played By Christopher Meloni)
Appears In Seasons 1-12, 22-24, 26
Technically, Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson have not been in a romantic relationship yet. They have, however, been partnered on the force, pretended to be in a relationship while working undercover, and maintained a friendship for more than 20 years. They have also both talked about the potential for more. Stabler and Benson understand one another better than anyone else in the series. After over a decade of partnership, they are more than willing to be upfront with one another about hard situations. Olivia calls Stabler out on the possibility that he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
They also have a rich history that the characters do not have with anyone else in the franchise. Olivia has admitted to Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) that she loves Stabler, but does not always trust him after he left SVU without a word to her. Stabler has also admitted to Olivia how much he cares for her. Stabler even attempted to kiss Olivia, and it’s been alluded that she is the one that got away in Organized Crime. The two, however, maintain a friendship after Olivia explains that she is afraid to change their dynamic.
As the show gradually builds on their friendship, it seems like it is not a matter of if Olivia and Stabler will become romantic, but when.
1
Ed Tucker (Played By Robert John Burke)
Appears In Seasons 3-5, 8-12, 14-18, 21
Like Stabler and Cassidy, Tucker is also a police officer. Tucker, however, actually works in Internal Affairs. He is actually the officer who questions Olivia in season 9 about her relationship with the press. Over time, and his many guest spots in the series, the two built a friendship, and later, a romance.
The two characters begin dating in season 17 of SVU. Once they do, it’s clear that Tucker is being built up to be Olivia’s best romance. Tucker provides Olivia with a safe port in the storm. Her life is full of chaos and violence, and he treats her with both respect and compassion and provides a sense of safety. Tucker also gets along with Olivia’s son, which is a big plus. It’s seemingly rare to see Olivia introduce her son to her love interests. Of course, since we do not always see those storylines, it is possible others meet off-screen.
Tucker and Olivia’s relationship hits a wall because of the same reason her relationship with Cassidy finds its end. Tucker is ready to retire from the police force. He talks to Olivia about the idea of retiring at the same time, and that is when their relationship begins to fall apart. Despite how much they care about one another, Tucker understands why he and Olivia have to break up. He understands that her job is a big part of who she is and that she is not ready to retire yet, so he is willing to let her go.
The relationship is the most amicable of the ones shown on screen. If Olivia and Tucker had not been at different points in their careers, it’s possible Tucker could have been the endgame relationship for Olivia on Law & Order: SVU.
- Release Date
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September 20, 1999
- Showrunner
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Michael S. Chernuchin, David Graziano
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Mariska Hargitay
Olivia Benson
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Ice-T
Odafin ‘Fin’ Tutuola
