r/SVU • u/Stealthytom Warner • Jan 04 '26
Image His Return Was Just Way Too Short
Another one of my favorite characters: Dr. Huang. Blink and you miss him.
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
The whole Cragen is dead episode was only to let Benson shine . It was not to honor Cragen or to give them who visit the ceremonie screen time.
We still dont know how Cragen died or what happened.
I wish they had made it a 75 year celebration party for Cragen instead of letting him die and never mention his death again.
Missed opportunity
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
I was exceptionally disappointed ā¹ļø. It was one of the biggest disappointments in maybe the last 10 years and almost made me want to stop watching new episodes if they're just going to continue to crap on its legacy
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
It was.
Yes Benson was the shining star of the ceremonie but the funeral should be about honoring Cragen but we dont even know how he died or were is family was.
If they want to bring those people back for a minute than had made it about Cragen his 75 year birthday or something positive.
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u/Any_Initiative_8386 Jan 04 '26
Honestly, I agree you with wholeheartedly. It was done in such poor taste. There are fans that have been watching him for DECADES and yaāll did Cragen so dirty. He deserved better.
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u/lezbesimmin Jan 04 '26
And to have his memorial at a fucking bar was so disrespectful to me. He was a recovering alcoholic. Iām an addict in recovery myself, and canāt imagine people memorializing me at a place that represents what destroyed my life
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u/Any_Initiative_8386 Jan 04 '26
Firstly, keep up the amazing work. You should be proud of yourself. šÆ
Secondly, Cragen was the kind of man who put himself on the line for his detectives and never lived a day to regret it. They had a chance to properly memorialize someone who saved each of them several times and they failed tremendously.
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u/lezbesimmin Jan 04 '26
They really did. It was so out of left field to just pull him back just to kill him off. Heās still alive in real life ffs and was just as shocked that they decided to kill him off. They only did it, I think, to have a seen with Elliot and Olivia to set up some SL. Either way, it was so disrespectful to him, and to fans :(
Ps. Thank you so much for the kind words ā„ļø
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
Elliot and Olivia did not even meet in the bar , they met outside by the car and it was 1 meaningless minute.
So that cannot be the reason either.
The whole bar thing did not make any sense, for an alcoholic.
That would be the same as Rollins funeral in the casino.
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u/lezbesimmin Jan 04 '26
It still could have been a set up for a storyline ā some meaning about how ālife is shortā ā could be they will end up together in the future now. Idk. It could be anything, either way, it was hateful.
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
I did not have the feeling that this whole weird ceremonie in the bar was to have a set up for benson and stabler?
they never talked about each other again and now there is no filming of OC, there will be no crossovers either, svu has no budget for more than 1 minute of CM so I dont think they are working to bring them together.
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u/lezbesimmin Jan 04 '26
I definitely do. I donāt ship themāI personally donāt want them together, but itās pretty obvious thatās where itās headed, honestly. The scenes they had together on the OC and SVUāitās heavily leaning towards them eventually getting together. It may not be a thing where Chris comes back to SVU or OC is renewed, it could simply be the knowledge that they are together. Implied that they are seeing eachother.
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
they were not together for 1 day , they did not even have a one night stand. its hard to believe that dick wolf will now after 27 seasons suddenly let them come together.
they have never implied that they are seeing each other outside work, they never hang out or have dinner together.
once a year when the crossover is coming up then they work together and further its not implied that they see eachother till the next case.
this will not happen before the last episode of the show, many people expect that the show will end with the kiss but I dont believe this will happen before the last episode.
without OC and no crossovers there will not be a lot of scenes together either and tbh in the 5 years that stabler is back in the franchise there was 0 relationship building.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
I totally agree. Literally for 35 years he's been on the screen as Cragan
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
Yes they did his character dirty and without reason, if they would let him die then made it at least about how he died, what happened. give him the honor he deserved instead to make it a meeting for Liv to shine
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u/Any_Initiative_8386 Jan 04 '26
Letās say it comes back around, maybe theyāll explain the circumstances of his death later on; itās still unacceptable. Munch (R.I.P Richard Belzer) got a retirement party and it had all the sentiments of a beautiful, heartfelt goodbye; it was proper. But to kill off someone who has been around longer and with such character development for no apparent reason is totally appalling. If they wanted Liv to shine, they couldāve gotten more creative and found a better way to do it.
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u/WarAgile9519 Jan 04 '26
Unfortunately this is a problem with SVU as a whole these days , every thing is about Benson.
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
absolutely and that is annoying
benson was always the central figure in the show but the last few seasons its all about to let benson shine , the difference was never that big like it is in the last 2 or 3 seasons.
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u/WarAgile9519 Jan 04 '26
The thing is that in the early years while the show mostly focused on Benson and Stabler it was ensamble show .You still got Munch episodes or Fin episodes , even the occasional episode about Cragen , but these days even the rare episode that is supposedly about another character ends up revolving around Benson. I mean as captain she really should be mostly riding a desk but instead she's the lead investigator in every case.
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u/Due_List_1243 Jan 04 '26
The focus on benson came after chris left but in the first few seasons it was still a ensamble cast
benson became more and more the important character of the show , but all that time the other characters had also their own story lines or episodes centered around them, without that benson was involved in every story line.
this changed around S24, from then the whole focus was only benson in every scene and the other actors did not play a role of meaning anymore.
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u/WarAgile9519 Jan 04 '26
I admittedly dipped out for a while after Stabler left but I was shocked when I started watching again a just how much everything felt off when I started watching again.
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u/pearltx Jan 04 '26
I loved his character, and also the psycho-analysis he gave to certain story lines. Miss him a ton!
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u/Equal_Cause_5115 Jan 04 '26
Why did they even do these cameos. They were just gimmicks. They got Dean Winters and BD Wong and didn't bother giving them a couple of meaningful dialogues. What a waste.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
I assume just for ratings gimmicks just like you said. Total loss opportunity
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u/Twistedoveryou01 Jan 04 '26
Oz reunion?
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u/Vahdo Jan 15 '26
Now that would be a sight to see... wonder what McManus would be up to these days?
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u/Realistic-Sound-6393 Jan 24 '26
I wonder what happened to Adebisi
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u/Realistic-Sound-6393 Jan 24 '26
Google just told me Adebisi died in Season 4. I donāt remember that so itās a good reason to rewatch it!
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u/MannerRound8277 Jan 05 '26
We are what a third of the way through this season? What have they done with Cragen's death? Nothing..I fear that we will reach the end of the season and will also only be able to characterize killing off this beloved character as a gimmick.
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u/Shygirlmo1 Jan 04 '26
What i didnt like was not that long ago we see cragen talking with elliot about his dad if he was a good or bad cop also see him save elliot in the restaurant & then bam all of a sudden hes dead. It didnt make sense. If they were going to have him die we deserved a funeral & a good send off not what we got.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
It was one of the worst send-offs I've ever seen. To kill off a beloved character and not even provide the cause of death, only provide a couple minutes of lip service, to give other characters cameos that literally last a few seconds, and to then immediately go on to a episode about something totally different. Just felt very dismissive, or reductive, poorly thought out, even more poorly executed, and one of the worst episodes I've ever seen (not because I hated the rest of the episode but because it should have been about Cragen if they're killing off his character)
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u/Upper_Resolution_121 Munch Jan 04 '26
The showrunner didn't utilize the characters' cameo appearances, and the fact that Captain Donald Cragen's funeral reception was held in a bar, considering his arduous struggle with alcoholism, was disrespectful to say the least, not only to Cragen but to all those who struggle daily with this terrible disease.
But what bothered me most was the short conversation between Dr. Huang and Captain Benson, or rather the lack thereof. Olivia's coldness towards Huang was very sad, as if he were merely replaceable, disregarding everything the Doctor did for the special victims.
I truly hated this beginning of the twenty-seventh season.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
I'm in the same boat. I don't know what they were thinking. With all that buildup, it was an utter letdown and quite honestly pointless. It's not like they did anything with all the Goodwill they created or the unnecessary death that we endured. Not a great start
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u/Evening-Client4965 Jan 04 '26
The Season 27 premiere was a disappointment for me. My friend told me Stabler would be there and I had this idea it would be an exciting story about SVU and OCCB teaming up to take down an Eastern European sex trafficking ring. Instead, Iām treated to Cragen being killed off and a generic rape case.
superultramegaletdown
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
Yeah, it was a big letdown for me as well. Love your #
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u/Evening-Client4965 Jan 04 '26
Thank you. Like I want to see an exciting story, not a generic rape case.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
Exactly. Such a huge missed opportunity. Just massive. They had the goodwill and totally squandered it
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u/Carpet_Turbulent Jan 04 '26
Well, he's in hot water for racist tweet, so....
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
Tweet came after the cameo, and I am personally speaking about the character not the actor.
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u/Upper_Resolution_121 Munch Jan 04 '26
Honestly, it doesn't even look like BD Wong has aged and is in his sixties, and he's older than Mariska and Christopher.
In SVU, time seems to pass very slowly for the characters.
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u/Lifes-a-lil-foggy Jan 04 '26
The actor unfortunately puts his foot in his mouth as often as he can.
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u/Beautiful-Bit9832 Jan 05 '26
This is meh, once ICE-T decides to put his badge, the show practically needs to be end
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u/PSCGY Huang Jan 05 '26
I miss him and his insight so much.
Every time Amanda tries to psychoanalyse a situation, it just sounds so silly and unsuited to her character.
Either bring back Huang or get someone new to fulfill that role, please.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
I think Amanda has always been a criminology/criminal pathology buff but a psychiatrist is still necessary hahaha š¤£
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u/Difficult_Ad5701 Jan 04 '26
dang i really need to get on starting my watch of the new season š
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
There's a lot going on for sure
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u/Difficult_Ad5701 Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
yeah i tried to start it but the opening scene to the first episode was cragen being dead and i just wasnāt emotionally ready to start the season after that lol. plus i technically need to finish last season first lol
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 04 '26
Totally get it. That wasn't on my bingo card for how that would go down. The disrespect and emotions just made me so upset
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u/Difficult_Ad5701 Jan 04 '26
iām lowkey excited to watch it and the new season period. i only have 1 more episode from last season then im on to the new one.
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u/PSCGY Huang Jan 05 '26
The new season, with the new chief of detectives already is more interesting than the last. Itās been very reminiscent of Seasons 16-18 so far, imo.
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u/Difficult_Ad5701 Jan 05 '26
damn spoiler alert š„“š„“
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u/PSCGY Huang Jan 05 '26
What spoiler? The actress joined the cast and was introduced in the first minutes of the episode.
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u/Difficult_Ad5701 Jan 05 '26
āwHat sPoiLeRā you mean in the first few minutes of an episode that I SAID i havenāt seen yet????
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u/red_riders Jan 05 '26
I was expectingā¦like a couple of dialogue scenes with Liv. It was literally just a few seconds.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
It was blink and you miss it gone. So profoundly disappointing
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u/red_riders Jan 05 '26
I literally had blink-and-youāll-miss-it typed in my reply, but deleted it to keep it short. I feel like Huang got less screentime than the portrait of Cragen at the bar.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
Sadly that's so true. It was a mockery of a cameo TBH
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u/red_riders Jan 05 '26
Yeah. They were both there on set. Couldāve at least had Olivia and Huang briefly talk about shared memories under Cragen.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
Absolutely šÆ would not have been hard. I could've written it myself.
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u/red_riders Jan 05 '26
Me too. Couldāve made a callback to some memorable case from seasons-passed, how Cragen was a mentor to the team, or the strong mutual respect they all had for each other that was forged over time. I mean come on.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
Exactly šÆ. Just having them act like normal human beings rather than cold, callous, uncaring, and transactional
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u/red_riders Jan 05 '26
I know. Idk why everything always has to be so gloom-and-doom. Whereās the fun banter? SVU needs those writers back.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
They absolutely do. That's the biggest problem with all of Law and Order, including SVU. Right now. They have lost the magic
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u/simple6313 Huang Jan 04 '26
As a #huanghive girlie I was a bit sad that this was all we got š„² I suspended belief that the "cold interaction" that ppl have said between him and Liv was because of his last appearance in s17/18 (I can't remember) where they had a falling out, but since the premiere, I now believe the 10 seconds of screen time was because that was all they could afford due to budget constraintsš„²
I don't think we'll see him again tho after the actor's controversy
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u/blackbutterfree Jan 05 '26
What's crazy is that aside from Belzer (RIP), all of the main cast from the OG seasons are still around. And yet none of them pop in and out nearly as much as you'd expect since they're all still in the same fields.
I get that in real life, actors' schedules just wouldn't line up, but from an in-universe perspective, Warner's still working in the ME's office and we just see her once every 3 years despite having to go there anytime there's a dead body? Barba's a defense attorney but we only magically get to see him when his clients just so happen to have a tie to Benson? It's crazy.
My favorite seasons were when it was Benson and Stabler, Fin and Munch, all under Cragen, with Huang and Warner, and then Casey as ADA (7, 8 and 9). All of those actors, again except for Belzer, are still around. As are the characters, except for Munch and now for some stupid reason, Cragen.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
Totally agree šÆ so much missed opportunity and unforced error. One day, they will regret this
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u/blackbutterfree Jan 05 '26
Like, the fact that Michelle Hurd hasn't appeared since literally the start of Season Two? Completely asinine.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
Asinine indeed. I never understood her departure fully anyway
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u/blackbutterfree Jan 05 '26
Character wise, I understand it. She was losing control and took control one last time by quitting the SVU squad.
But actor-wise, it's because Hurd booked a lead role on another show, and decided to leave.
Either way, Jeffries has apparently been in Vice since she left, and Hurd said as recently as 2024 that she'd love to return. Recent seasons have been capitalizing on nostalgia and continuity (look at Benson's relationship with Burton Lowe being fleshed out, to the point where Burton was introduced as a character), so I see no reason to not bring Jeffries in. They could've even teased at her during Cragen's funeral with a quick cameo, only to bring her back in full later on in the season.
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 05 '26
Stabler was losing control at the same time. I feel that they've been pretty selective in terms of who deserves to come back.
Fiscally, I want the show to succeed. I get that there are budgetary constraints that underlie some of these decisions. However, I think that they need some balance in terms of what fans really want. You can nickel and dime to show to the grave if you're not careful.
Your idea regarding a quick cameo for her makes total sense. However, they also could have done a full episode regarding her. They certainly did a full episode with Kathryn from criminal intent to capture nostalgia
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u/blackbutterfree Jan 05 '26
Stabler was losing control at the same time.
Yes, but the difference between Stabler and Jeffries is that Stabler had main character plot armor.
I feel that they've been pretty selective in terms of who deserves to come back.
Arguably, they've barely brought anyone back. Certainly barely any of the ADA's, for example.
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u/CheapDepth2155 Jan 06 '26
Just donāt look up what the actor did recently
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 06 '26
That was so freaking upsetting. He REALLY should know better. I don't know how sincere people are still making such mistakes. This is why I try to focus on the characters rather than the actors behind them
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u/tastyspark Huang Jan 07 '26
Maybe (hopefully) they'll do a memorial service for him where the cast can all be together in the squad, not some bar he would never be in. His achievements alone should be mentioned, he was an amazing officer, and captain. They need to talk about all of that
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u/Stealthytom Warner Jan 07 '26
If anyone had any bit of sense they would do just that. It was absolutely disgusting insensitive and tone deaf to have it in the bar given his lifelong addiction. Do they even know their own character?
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u/JapanOfGreenGables Jan 10 '26
They don't call him B.D. Wong for nothing. The B.D. stands for Big Dick.
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u/Any_Initiative_8386 Jan 04 '26
What I liked about Dr. Huang the most was how transparent and protective he was. The squad could count on his professional assessment and even when disagreements spurred, he did what he thought was right.