15 Most Disturbing 'Law & Order: SVU' Episodes, Ranked (2024)

Content Warning: the following article contains references to acts of sexual violence, suicide, and human trafficking. Reader discretion is advised.

One of the many spinoffs of the long-running police procedural Law & Order, premiered in 1999 and has 25 seasons and over 500 episodes behind it, with more on the way, making it the longest-running television show in US history. The show focuses on the Special Victims Unit, which, as the opening says, investigates sexual crimes that are “especially heinous” and sometimes “ripped from the headlines,” mirroring real-life cases.

Mariska Hargitay stars as Captain Olivia Benson and also now serves as executive producer, and for the first 12 seasons, Christopher Meloni costarred as her partner, Elliot Stabler, and later returned in another spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime. Just by its nature, SVU often features dark, disturbing episodes, each one troubling in its own right. But some stand out more than others and leave an impression long after the end credits have rolled, especially when they're based on a true story.

Law & Order: SVU

Debut Date

September 20, 1999

Number of Seasons

25

Genre

Crime Drama

Language

English

Studio

NBC, Wolf Entertainment

15 "Conscience"

Season 6, Episode 16 (2005)

“Conscience” follows the disappearance and eventual murder of a five-year-old boy named Henry. While eyes initially turn to a local registered sex offender, it soon comes out that it was actually the boy’s thirteen-year-old neighbor, Jake (Jordan Garrett). He explains that he killed Henry in a panic because Henry witnessed him fall on and accidentally kill a neighborhood cat and that he was going to tell, and that he was scared he’d be sent back to his previous behavioral camp where he was abused. Henry’s father is initially lenient on Jake and wants the SVU team to go easy on the boy, that is until it comes out that Jake was never abused in the camp, and that he himself was the abuser. He’s revealed to be a sociopath who killed Henry simply because he could. In retaliation, Henry’s father Dr. Brett Morton (Kyle MacLachlan) shoots Jake outside of the courtroom with an officer’s gun, so that he’ll never be able to hurt someone again.

We rarely see a child as the villain in SVU, as unfortunately, more often than not, they tend to be the victim in the more gruesome and hard-to-watch cases. But “Conscience” flips the switch, and plays with your mind. At first, you feel remorse for Jake, as you believe his story, and that his actions truly were accidental. But then he shows his true side and everything changes. He’s so scary all of a sudden, despite his young age. The twist of Henry’s father pulling a gun on him is one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the show’s run. – Samantha Graves

14 "Signature"

Season 9, Episode 12 (2008)

The SVU detectives are searching for a serial killer targeting women in “Signature” and turn to an FBI agent for help, played by guest star Erika Christensen. In the end, it turns out that the agent shot the killer herself, then shot herself when she was found out.

A serial killer is pretty common fare for police procedural TV shows, but “Signature” has plenty of twists and turns, making it especially gripping even for the most seasoned fans. Most unsettling of all was the glimpse at the killer’s lair, complete with a TV playing the torture and agonizing screams of one of his victims.

13 "Born Psychopath"

Season 14, Episode 19 (2013)

See Also

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In “Born Psychopath,” one of the creepiest SVU episodes, the team investigates when a school nurse finds multiple injuries on a young girl. The suspect turns out to be her 10-year-old brother, Henry, who has antisocial traits, and their mother is struggling to manage his violent outbursts.

SVU typically features stories about adults harming children, but “Born Psychopath” is a rare case of children lacking empathy and being capable of extreme violence. Henry’s behavior only gets worse as the episode goes on, resulting in him being sent to juvenile detention. He was released as an 18-year-old in the Season 22 episode “Post-Graduate Psychopath.”

12 "Slaves"

Season 1, Episode 22 (2000)

A woman alerts a street vendor that she’s being held captive and gives him the name of her aunt in “Slaves,” and a lawyer, played by guest star Andrew McCarthy, is thought to be keeping her as a sex slave. When her aunt is found dead, he is also suspected of murder.

“Slaves” shows just how horrible some people can be — the immigrant, Ilena, was also tortured and held captive in various places in the apartment, including a closet and, most alarming, a wooden box under the bed. McCarthy, best known for ‘80s teen Brat Pack movies like Pretty in Pink and Mannequin, delivers a fantastic but unsettling performance as her captor.

11 "Demons"

Season 7, Episode 1 (2005)

After a teenage girl is raped, all eyes point to newly released sex offender Ray Schenkel (Robert Patrick). In order to get close to Schenkel and learn if he is responsible for the crime, Stabler decides to go undercover as a sex offender himself. His plan ends up working a little too well and Schenkel takes a strong liking to Stabler, so much so that he decides to kidnap a young girl for them. Schenkel drives them to an old warehouse and tries to force Stabler to attack the girl. Stabler eventually drops the undercover act and reveals that he’s a cop after saving the girl and getting her out unharmed (though likely very traumatized), but the episode is still extremely tough to watch.

A lot of fans have a problem with “Demons” because of how the detectives basically goad Schenkel into offending again. And as we learn, it wasn’t even a sure thing that he was the one who did it, it was just a hunch because he was recently released from a twenty-year sentence. But it’s also tough to stomach watching Stabler go undercover as a sex offender. We see how much these cases affect the detectives in every episode, so for him to have to try to step into the shoes of the attacker and pretend he’s one of them is sickening. Not to mention, Schenkel tries to get him to harm the girl, and even though he never would have done it, it’s still a terrifying moment as you realize just how deep Stabler has gone undercover. – Samantha Graves

10 "Fault"

Season 7, Episode 19 (2006)

“Fault” is an episode of SVU that will forever stay with audiences, because of how much it changed the series and specifically Benson and Stabler’s partnership. A recently released sex offender named Victor Gitano (Lou Diamond Phillips) becomes the target of the SVU detectives when a family is killed and the two young children are kidnapped. They track him to a train station, where Benson spots him in the crowd, meanwhile, Stabler finds one of the kids. It seems as though the case is set. But then Gitano pulls a knife on Benson and slashes her throat before running away with the kids. Stabler, torn between chasing after Gitano and the children, and checking on his fallen partner, ultimately decides to check on Benson. Her injury isn’t fatal, thankfully, and she urges him to go find the kids, but by the time Stabler makes it up the stairs, Fin informs him that Gitano killed the young boy and took off with the girl.

While Benson and Stabler ultimately take down Gitano and save the little girl, their partnership is irreparable. Stabler can’t handle the fact that he chose Benson over the job, and isn’t able to face what that means on a deeper level. This leads to the pair parting ways for a little while, with Benson moving to computer crimes, and Stabler getting a new partner. Not to mention, it’s just an extremely tough episode to watch altogether due to the unfair and preventable fate of the young boy. It’s bleak and dark, and one of those SVU episodes you tend to only watch once. – Samantha Graves

9 "Taboo"

Season 7, Episode 14 (2006)

See Also

15 Best 'Law & Order: SVU' Episodes, Ranked According to IMDb

In one of the darkest SVU episodes, “Taboo,” a baby boy is found abandoned in the garbage, and a search for the person responsible leads to a wealthy college student whose lawyer father is quick to defend her. She claims she was raped by an unknown man and wasn’t aware she was pregnant until the baby was born, but detectives question her story when evidence ties her to a second abandoned newborn.

The abandoned baby makes for a tragic start to “Taboo,” and the revelation that the same woman may have done it more than once even more so. But what cements this episode as one of the most disturbing is the fact that the father of both babies is the girl’s own father.

8 "Resilience"

Season 4, Episode 10 (2002)

“Resilience” begins as a straightforward case, not unlike . A fifteen-year-old girl named Jackie Landricks (Rachael Bella) is revealed to have been raped, and the rape kit indicates that it was by more than one attacker. Things go back and forth for a while as Jackie claims she was blindfolded and didn’t see her attacker. But after the detectives visit the Landrick's home, they uncover some dark family secrets. Jackie’s father, Tom Landricks, is infertile yet obsessed with having children and a large family, so he begins paying men to impregnate his wife. But after a difficult pregnancy his wife, Angie, was forced to have a hysterectomy, making her infertile as well. So now Tom uses Jackie as a personal baby vessel.

It’s one of the most revolting episodes of SVU, which is saying a lot considering these cases can get pretty gruesome at times. But at no point does it seem like the episode is going to go where it does because it just seems like the same sort of case we see in most other episodes at first. But then the twist comes along, and it’s stomach-churning in how gross it is, and it’s relentless too. Every single detail that is revealed is gutting and it’s tough to sit through. – Samantha Graves

7 "Undercover"

Season 9, Episode 15 (2008)

Olivia Benson is the heart and soul of Law and Order: SVU, there’s no doubt about it. She gives her all to every case and every victim, and has gotten herself in some sticky situations in the process. One of the most difficult to watch was back in Season 9. After a teenage girl is found raped in a community garden, the detectives first look at the girl’s uncle, only for it to be revealed that her mother is an inmate in a women’s prison, and that the prison guard who works there is the actual culprit of the girl’s attack. What’s worse? The rape kit goes missing, leaving the detectives with no proof that one of the guards is brutalizing the women in the facility. So Benson decides to take it upon herself to go undercover in the prison and catch the officer herself.

It’s not uncommon for the SVU detectives to go undercover in the show, but often there is some sort of safety measure in place. There’s none of that here, the most protection available to Benson is Fin being undercover as one of the guards, which proves to be a lifesaver for Benson as he interrupts an attempted rape attempt. At the end of the episode, Benson shares a candid moment with Dr. Warner (Tamara Tunie) who asks Benson if she was raped, to which Benson replies it’s the closest she’s ever come. It’s not something you want to hear from anyone, but it’s especially hard to hear from your main character who gives everything to help victims. – Samantha Graves

6 "Psycho/Therapist"

Season 15, Episode 10 (2014)

In “Psycho/Therapist,” serial rapist William Lewis is put on trial and chooses to defend himself, meaning Benson has to face him after his attack on her. Concerns about Benson being re-traumatized prove to be justified when that’s exactly what happens and she ends up taking a step backward in her recovery.

SVU often shows the ways victims can be rattled on the stand, but in this case, it’s Benson, who’s normally in control. It’s difficult to watch Benson struggle throughout the episode, and it’s a reminder of just how much she’s been through and the impact it’s had on her.

5 "Nocturne"

Season 1, Episode 21 (2000)

A piano teacher gives children free lessons and films himself molesting them in “Nocturne.” One of his victims, Evan, is considered a key witness, but the trial is complicated by the fact that now-adult Evan also abuses children, highlighting how some abuse victims may eventually perpetuate the sad cycle.

Guest star Wilson Jermaine Heredia gave a moving performance as Evan, who accepted the consequences of his actions and willingly served jail time. “Nocturne” is a harrowing look at the long-lasting damage and cyclical nature of abuse.

4 "Imprisoned Lives"

Season 15, Episode 2 (2013)

In “Imprisoned Lives,” a young boy is found alone in Times Square, and when detectives get him home, they discover women who have been held captive in cages in the basement for over a decade and try to find the person responsible.

The discovery of the captive women in “Imprisoned Lives” is shocking, even more so because the episode was loosely based on a true story. Like some of the other more disturbing episodes of SVU, information turned up in the investigation only makes things worse — in this case, the fact that the boy’s mother is one of the captive women.

3 "Plastic"

Season 20, Episode 11 (2019)

In Season 20’s “Plastic,” a woman accuses a celebrity plastic surgeon and his girlfriend of rape, but the couple claims the encounter was consensual. The detectives search the surgeon’s apartment and discover a list of names, including their victims, and flash drives with videos of the crime — including videos of an underaged girl who turns out to be the girlfriend. The investigation also turns up the dead body of a young girl who is never identified. Mark Feuerstein from Royal Pains guest-starred.

“Plastic” was one of the series’ “ripped from the headlines” storylines, and it got more and more disturbing with each twist in the investigation. The element of a predatory doctor was already horrific, and the revelation that his girlfriend was underage when their relationship began plus the unknown dead body made things even worse.

2 "Pique"

Season 2, Episode 20 (2001)

While investigating the death of the employee of a software company in “Pique,” the detectives speak to a fired co-worker, Jason, who was obsessed with her. They also learn he has a strange relationship with his mother, to put it very mildly, and things only get worse and weirder from there.

Jason is creepy all on his own, and his relationship with his mother takes the episode from being a pretty standard SVU story to one of its most unsettling. Fans widely consider it to be the most difficult episode of the series to watch because of that dynamic, but this is also one of the best in the series.

1 "Charisma"

Season 6, Episode 7 (2004)

In “Charisma,” a hospital alerts SVU detectives to a 12-year-old experiencing pregnancy complications. Their investigation leads them to a cult leader living in a building with several children, who then barricades himself inside and kills everyone with him, and the detectives struggle for leads, as no one in the cult will speak to them.

While some episodes get more and more disturbing as the detectives investigate a case, “Charisma” is unsettling from start to finish, especially with the cult leader and his treatment of children. TV episodes featuring cults are always dark, but this one is perhaps the worst of them all.

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