The news that Law & Order: SVU‘s most conflicting defense attorney is returning after three years comes with a caveat. The long-running police procedural has featured many assistant district attorneys over the years, with many of Law & Order: SVU‘s saddest episodes involving cases where the detectives knew who did it, but the defense attorneys were able to get a not guilty verdict over some technicalities. Despite that, one particular defense lawyer in Law & Order: SVU‘s recent years has become controversial because of a personal decision.
In rare cases, former district attorneys switch sides, working as part of the defense instead. One such person was Rita Calhoun (Elizabeth Marvel), who was initially a prosecutor but became a defense attorney who made controversial decisions. Calhoun has not been seen in three years but will be returning to the Law & Order franchise in 2024. However, she will not be opposite Benson’s Law & Order: SVU season 26 team, as she usually has been.
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It will be interesting to see how the intersection between SVU and the Homicide Unit in this case affects the dynamic between Calhoun and Benson.
This twist marks the first time that Calhoun has appeared on another show in the franchise rather than Law & Order: SVU. She has been on the Mariska Hargitay-led installment more than a dozen times, most often defending Manhattan SVU’s perpetrator of the week. Thus, it will be interesting to see how the intersection between SVU and the Homicide Unit in the upcoming Law & Order season 24 case affects the dynamic between Calhoun and Benson.
Calhoun defended Benson after she was accused of assaulting William Lewis during a terrifying ordeal in which he had kidnapped her.
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Marvel’s last appearance was especially controversial, as Calhoun defended an AG-running judge who was a serial rapist and an abuser of power despite fully knowing that he was guilty. When Benson confronted her about it, Calhoun said she was doing what she had to get ahead in her career. Most notably, she told Benson: “lie back and pretend you’re enjoying it,” effectively arguing that they have to do things they don’t want to do for their own benefit. In a show that deals with consent and sexual assault, that was unnerving to hear.
Calhoun hasn’t been on-screen in three years, so her guest appearance on Law & Order season 24 will answer whether throwing out her morals to defend a high-profile rapist can reveal how that worked out for her. Although she will not appear on Law & Order: SVU, her upcoming return to the Dick Wolf franchise will provide some closure. Perhaps more subtly, it will also send a powerful message about Calhoun’s choices over the past few years.
