Mariska Hargitay Once Shared the ‘Law & Order SVU’ Episode More Terrifying Than ‘Surrender Benson’
Law & Order SVU put Mariska Hargitay’s character through a harrowing ordeal in the difficult episode ‘Surrender Benson’. But years later, Hargitay would film another SVU episode that might’ve had even more dread.
Mariska Hargitay felt this villain might’ve been more terrifying than William Lewis
Hargitay has been very open about the challenges she faced shooting “Surrender Benson.” The memorable SVU episode saw Hargitay’s Olivia Benson being held captive by the episode’s villain William Lewis. Although it was done in a very controlled setting, Hargitay was still left shaken by the experience.
“It was, without a doubt, the most difficult episode I ever shot in 15 years, and it was unlike anything I’ve ever done,” Hargitay once told Today. “I have to tell you, after 15 years, to be nervous and scared and excited to go to work — it’s a pretty great thing.”
But a few years later, Hargitay’s Olivia Benson would find herself under similar circumstances in “Townhouse Incident.” The episode would see Olivia Benson held captive again by criminal Joe Utley. Hargitay would feel even more apprehensive doing this episode than doing “Surrender Benson.”
“To be honest, I probably approached it with a bit more dread than the Lewis episode, because I knew what I felt like after that one,” Hargitay once told The Hollywood Reporter. “At the same time, I was excited to dig in deeper, and do it differently, to hit different notes and depths. My friends who are marathoners tell me the same thing: right after they finish, they say never again, but then a few days later, they’re signing up for the next one.”
She also felt that the episode’s antagonist was more unpredictable than William Lewis.
“At the same time, Joe Utley has a very different approach than William Lewis,” she said. “Lewis was calculated, in control, and Joe is very much out of control. That can’t help but affect Benson’s response. She’s more in the position of hostage negotiator this time, and she has other players in the situation to deal with.”
Mariska Hargitay explained what made her ‘Law & Order SVU’ hostage crisis different with Joe Utley
Hargitay being held hostage was familiar territory for the character and fans. But she asserted that there were a few changes in Hargitay’s character that made this situation unique. Olivia Benson was a mom in “Townhouse Incident”, after having legally adopted her son Noah. Hargitay felt this added an extra layer of urgency to Olivia Benson’s situation.
“Everything she says, every reaction she has is new and carries more weight,” Hargitay said. “Everything matters more, everything matters differently. As an actor, it’s always great to know that the stakes have gone up. It always feels like an invitation to dig deeper, to dig differently, to dig into even more uncomfortable places.”
Olivia Benson developed a lot as a person from the time “Surrender Benson” aired, moving up the ranks in her profession. Hargitay and the SVU team were curious to see how the character might handle being held captive after her growth. This helped “Townhouse Incident” further distinguish itself from “Surrender Benson.”
“The detectives who actually do this job out in the real world don’t have control over how many times they encounter this kind of danger,” Hargitay said. “But we thought it would be interesting to have the chance to explore how Benson would approach a hostage situation at this point in her arc. Here’s this person who’s constantly having to prove her strength — to higher ups, to herself — and her guard is down for one moment, and she’s in a very bad situation. That’s a really compelling thing for a character to have to metabolize.”
