Law & Order: SVU is one of the longest-running crime drama series on television. With a whopping 22 seasons on the air, there have been many memorable storylines and crimes that fans can’t forget. Some storylines had fans on the edge of their seats with anticipation, while the saddest SVU episodes had fans ugly crying. The show centers around sexual crimes and special victims, meaning there have been some episodes that are hard to get through. The show gives fans a riveting look into a brutal reality while also making them invested in the stories of its main characters. In the show’s time, fans can easily recall storylines that left them in heartbreak.
“Stolen” (Season 3, Episode 3)
The third season episode “Stolen” is one of the saddest SVU episodes, as it focuses on a kidnapped baby from a grocery store. What really shook the viewers here was that this wasn’t just about one kidnapped baby, but was about a scheme where the criminals were kidnapping and selling babies for adoption.
The case also tied into a 12-year-old case involving Captain Cragen. A mother was murdered and it turns out her son was one of the stolen children, leading to a custody battle between the birth parents and the father who raised the child and already lost his wife.
“Remorse” (Season 1, Episode 20)
Detective Munch was the lead investigator in the Law & Order: SVU episode “Remorse” where he was investigating the rape of a famous television journalist. Jennifer Esposito guest starred as the victim, Sarah, who discusses the assault on TV. After Munch finds one of the rapists, he refuses to back down until both criminals are brought to justice. However, Much ends up shaken to the core when someone kills Sarah via a bomb in her apartment. When someone then kills one of the rapists with a bomb as well, it turns out that the murders have nothing to do with the rape, making this one of the more nihilistic and saddest SVU episodes.
“Dolls” (Season 4, Episode 7)
“Dolls” was a fourth-season episode and one of the saddest SVU episodes that season. The death itself was horrifying, with a five-year-old girl found dead. Benson and Tutuola then head out on a hunt to find the serial kidnapper before he can kill again. The entire idea of a killer murdering young children is sad enough, but then the killer is lost himself. He was abused as a child and is kidnapping children that he believes have unfit mothers, believing he is protecting the children. David Harbour of Stranger Things guest stars as the kidnapper.
“911” (Season 7, Episode 3)
Olivia has been one of the most beloved characters on the show since it premiered, so when something rocks her to the core, it will almost always go down as one of the saddest SVU episodes. In “911,” Olivia is at the police station when a little girl calls 911 and says she is trapped in the room. Olivia then learns that the little girl is a child pornography victim and she is the only person who can keep the girl calm while the police frantically try to find her. In the end, they save the girl and she meets Olivia, but this was an episode that had fans stressed to the end.
“Shattered” (Season 12, Episode 24)
The 12th season episode “Shattered” was a difficult case for Stabler and Benson. An eight-year-old is kidnapped and the police soon learn that the boy’s mother has lost custody and has tried to pay to have the boy kidnapped and brought to her before. Sadly, the boy dies when the police try to stop the kidnapper. When the woman sees that her son died in the kidnapping, and the boy’s father shows up and blames her, she steals a police officer’s gun and takes everyone hostage, refusing to believe her son is dead. Between the grieving mother and the death of the son, this is one of the saddest SVU episodes that have a horrifying Law & Order: SVU plot twist at the end.
“Baby Killer” (Season 2, Episode 5)
The squad faced their most morally difficult case yet in season 2. The case in “Baby Killer” centered around a shooting at a local school that left a young girl dead. The squad and the audience weren’t expecting the prime suspect to be a young seven-year-old boy, Elias (Nicolas Martí Salgado). As the investigation went on, the squad battled with their morals as to whether or not the child should be tried as an adult for his crime.
It was heartbreaking as the squad learned the truth behind the victim’s accidental death. Elias planned to shoot a local drug gang member, who was after him. While Elias gets pardoned by the court and the victim’s family, he’s later killed by a 12-year-old.
“Uncle” (Season 8, Episode 4)
“Uncle” was a season 8 episode that gave fans more insight into Munch’s family, and it was one of the saddest SVU episodes. The squad investigates the rape and murder of a mother and daughter and a homeless man becomes their main suspect. However, the homeless man turns out to be Munch’s uncle, Andrew (Jerry Lewis). Andrew had a mental breakdown when he arrived in New York months prior, leaving him homeless and unaware of who he is. As Andrew is no longer a suspect, the squad begins to focus on someone else, but they have insufficient evidence to convict. Fans felt remorse as Munch’s uncle takes justice into his own hands and goes too far. Realizing his grave mistake, Andrew instead takes the option to go to a psychiatric hospital to seek treatment for his illness. Fans felt sad for Munch and his predicament.
“Legacy” (Season 2, Episode 4)
The season 2 episode was a hard storyline to see play out on screen and had fans feeling Munch’s inner turmoil. What was harder was that the case is based on a real-life case. In “Legacy,” a young 7-year-old girl lays comatose in the hospital and the squad suspects the little girl to have been abused. As the case goes on, it takes a big impact on Munch. As it turns out, the girl’s mother abused her daughter for attention, leaving her daughter in a coma. Fans felt even more emotional once Munch tells Benson a story from his teen years. Coming home from school, Munch would often see a little girl with bruises sitting on her stoop. One day the girl disappeared and Munch discovered that her mother killed her. Munch felt guilt over not helping the little girl.
“Honor” (Season 2, Episode 2)
“Honor” had a brutal and heartwrenching storyline that was hard to stomach without tearing up. A young woman is found beaten, stabbed, and raped in the park. The squad learns the young woman was a journalism student and the daughter of an Afghan diplomat. The case gets more complex as the squad uncovers that her father disapproved of her turning her back on tradition and having a boyfriend. Audiences were heartbroken to learn that the victim’s own brother murdered her in an honor killing. At the end of the episode, the squad finds the victim’s mother murdered for helping seek justice for her daughter.
“Return Of The Prodigal Son” (Season 22, Episode 9)
Fans were buzzing after learning that the famed character, Elliot Stabler, would be returning to the Law & Order franchise. Stabler made his return in the SVU episode, “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” The episode had fans on the edge of their seats and tearing up at the Benson and Stabler reunion. Stabler is in town with Kathy for Olivia’s big reward dinner, but Kathy is attacked and left in critical condition, leaving Stabler and the squad to find the culprit. Fans shed tears as Benson and Stabler opened the flood gates about their unresolved emotions the day he left. To make matters even more tragic, Kathy succumbed to her injuries and passed away, easily one of the saddest SVU episode’s moments.
“Swing” (Season 10, Episode 3)
Stabler hasn’t always been the best father during his time in the SVU and his morals as a detective and father are put to the test in “Swing.” Stabler answers a B&E and finds the culprit to be his daughter, Kathleen. The storyline was incredibly emotional as Stabler struggles with learning that Kathleen has bipolar.
Unsure of how to cope, Stabler, visits his mother who has the same condition, and rehashes old wounds. Stabler also battles with his job as a detective and arrests his daughter for her crime. It was heartwrenching to watch Stabler’s internal battle between being a father and a detective.
“Pornstar’s Requiem” (Season 16, Episode 5)
“Pornstar’s Requiem” brought to light the misconstrued opinions society has on people in the adult entertainment industry. A college student’s side job as a porn actress is discovered by her classmates. Tragically, Evie (Hannah Marks) not only faces ridicule at school but is also raped by her classmates. What had fans more gutted was when the case went to trial. Evie’s decision to be a porn actress is chastised by everyone and used against her. Kicked out of school and with no support, Evie is further ruined when her assailants are found not guilty. It was heartbreaking to see Evie’s story and she returned to her work, all the while challenging viewers’ biases, stating it was the only place where people respected her for saying “No.”
“Burned” (Season 8, Episode 11)
Stabler and Benson are at their wits’ end when a woman accuses her ex-husband of raping her. Valerie’s (Michael Michele) ex has no record of abuse or past crimes and Valerie refuses to allow her daughter to be a witness. As her ex is released, Benson and Stable butt heads on the he-said-she-said of the situation, but Benson is convinced that Valerie is in danger. The real tear-jerker moment is when Valerie is attacked and set on fire by her ex. Benson and Stabler visit her at the burn unit for information. As they leave, they hear her loud and gut-wrenching screams of pain, ensuring this went down as one of the saddest SVU episodes.
“Murdered At A Bad Address” (Season 21, Episode 6)
Not only was the main storyline upsetting but also the small storyline that occurred with Benson. The assault of a teenage girl in the projects leads the squad to unearth evidence from an old case. Carlos Hernandez (Guillermo Diaz) was wrongfully imprisoned for the double murder of his sister and mother. Fans saw the emotional struggle of Carlos being accused of the murder, but also the tear-jerking moment when his charges are dropped and he finally gets to walk a free man. Fans can recall the emotional scene when his cuffs are removed, yet he still walked like an inmate. The episode also had the storyline of Benson’s brother, Simon. Benson sends him a voicemail to not contact her after he doesn’t show up for lunch. Benson later breaks down, as Simon is found dead and her only family is now gone.
“The Undiscovered Country” (Season 19, Episode 13)
The case of an infant gone missing was the hardest case Barba ever had to face and ultimately left him to make a hard decision. The missing infant has mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome effect, leaving the squad and parents to fight over a right-to-die case. Barba becomes heavily invested in the case and the morals surrounding it. The mother wants her child to die peacefully, but unable to make the tough decision, Barba decides to do it for her. Barba goes to trial but fights his case and in the end, Barba decides to resign from his career altogether, stating that the world has become too heinous to stomach, and was unfair after one of the saddest SVU episodes in history.
