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Season 5 – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Play trailer Poster for Season 5 – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sep 2003 Crime Drama Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 97% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
This groundbreaking series from executive producer Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" franchise chronicles the ripped-from-the-headlines investigations of the NYPD's Special Victims Unit; led by courageous and compassionate Capt. Olivia Benson, this elite team includes Sgt. Odafin Tutuola, Detective Amanda Rollins, Officer Katriona Tamin and Deputy Chief Christian Garland, who focus on finding justice for the victims of the city's worst crimes; assisting them is ADA Sonny Carisi, who seeks justice for SVU's victims and survivors with passion and precision.
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season 5

Critics Reviews

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Age Staff The Age (Australia) 04/17/2020
The narrative rivets are dangerously strained at this point and it really is time for the writers to think about drawing a line under the script and heading for the exit. Go to Full Review David Chater The Times (UK) 04/16/2020
[Guest star George Segal's] performance, which goes from the smug and avuncular to the haggard and melancholy, is far more convincing than your everyday dial-a-bigot. Go to Full Review People Staff People Magazine 04/15/2020
Now in its fifth season, this Law & Order spin off is sometimes compelling and sometimes too lurid to take. Both qualities have been on display as the series bids for ratings... This episode crosses the line -- into self-parody. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C @bob25009 Jun 2 25 successful National Broadcasting Company episodes. See more hypmic T @RT12909055 05/12/2025 One of the best, the introduction to Novak was magnificent since they added drama with Alex Cabot's departure, a very good season, 100% recommended See more Read all reviews
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season 5

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Cast & Crew

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Christopher Meloni

Det. Elliot Stabler

Mariska Hargitay

Det. Olivia Benson

Richard Belzer

Sgt. John Munch

Dann Florek

Capt. Don Cragen

Ice-T

Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola

Stephanie March

A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 23, 2003 Tragedy A serial rapist is the main suspect when an expectant mother is abducted during a carjacking. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 30, 2003 Manic Detectives investigate when two high-school basketball players are gunned down while shooting hoops in the gymnasium. Details Episode 3 Aired Oct 7, 2003 Mother A psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of sex offenders is found badly beaten in a crack house and one of her recently paroled patients, the "Duct Tape Rapist," is the prime suspect. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 14, 2003 Loss Detectives face off against a Colombian cartel and the Drug Enforcement Administration while investigating the brutal rape and murder of an undercover agent. Details Episode 5 Aired Oct 21, 2003 Serendipity A dead newborn leads detectives to a dermatologist, then a serial pedophile. Details Episode 6 Aired Oct 28, 2003 Coerced A boy, 5, is abducted from his bed in the middle of the night, prompting detectives to take a hard look at the boy's estranged father. Details Episode 7 Aired Nov 4, 2003 Choice Detectives interrogate a man who accuses his wife (Josie Bissett) of endangering the life of their unborn child through excessive drinking. Details Episode 8 Aired Nov 11, 2003 Abomination Detectives investigate the murder of a gay man who was the poster boy for sexual re-education. Details Episode 9 Aired Nov 18, 2003 Control After a man's mutilation on the subway, detectives discover he has been abducting women for years and forcing them to live in his dungeon. Details Episode 10 Aired Nov 25, 2003 Shaken Stabler and Capt. Cragen search for suspects after a missing infant is discovered badly beaten in the bushes at a local park. Details Episode 11 Aired Dec 2, 2003 Escape A standoff in a motel on the Jersey Shore incites a pedophile to take detective Benson hostage. Details Episode 12 Aired Jan 6, 2004 Brotherhood Benson and Stabler hit a wall of silence while questioning fraternity brothers about the murder and sodomy of their hard-nosed pledge master. Details Episode 13 Aired Jan 13, 2004 Hate Detectives investigate the rape and murder of two Arab-American women who were trying to improve relations among different groups. Details Episode 14 Aired Feb 3, 2004 Ritual Detectives probe what looks like the ritualistic sacrifice of a 7-year-old Nigerian boy and uncover a slave-smuggling ring. Details Episode 15 Aired Feb 10, 2004 Families Family members become murder suspects when DNA tests on the body of a 16-year-old girl reveal evidence of incest. Details Episode 16 Aired Feb 17, 2004 Home Detectives interview an overprotective woman (Diane Verona) to find out why her son is scavenging for food in the garbage; the boy is later found dead, and his older brother confesses to killing him. Details Episode 17 Aired Feb 24, 2004 Mean After finding out a dead teenage girl was a bully, detectives look for murder suspects at her school. Details Episode 18 Aired Mar 2, 2004 Careless A child dies in the emergency room after passing out during a prayer vigil at a late-night church service. Details Episode 19 Aired Mar 30, 2004 Sick The search for the sexual abuser of a child leads the detectives to a wealthy toy mogul known for his generous hospitality toward children. Details Episode 20 Aired Apr 6, 2004 Lowdown Detectives try to decipher a motive for the strangulation of a Bronx assistant DA in an area where hookers stroll. Details Episode 21 Aired Apr 20, 2004 Criminal When a criminology student is raped and murdered, detectives hunt for a suspect with an expert knowledge of forensic medicine. Details Episode 22 Aired Apr 27, 2004 Painless A woman claiming to have been the victim of rape commits suicide while she is still in the emergency room. Details Episode 23 Aired May 4, 2004 Bound The death of a wealthy senior citizen leads to an investigation that uncovers a serial killer who targets the elderly. Details Episode 24 Aired May 11, 2004 Poison A mother becomes Stabler and Benson's prime suspect in the poisoning of her child; Novak enlists Clark's assistance in obtaining evidence to remove a judge from the bench after his bias in two child abuse cases leads to a wrongful arrest. Details Episode 25 Aired May 18, 2004 Head A video voyeur catches a sexual assault against a minor on tape, which changes the focus of the investigation as the detectives search for a pedophile. Details

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Season 5

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit View more photos

Season Info

Director
Constantine Makris, David Platt, Jean de Segonzac, Juan José Campanella, Alex Zakrzewski, Ted Kotcheff, Ed Bianchi
Executive Producer
Dick Wolf, Ted Kotcheff, Neal Baer
Screenwriter
Michele Fazekas, Lisa Marie Petersen, Amanda Green, Dawn DeNoon, Jonathan Greene, Jose Molina, Barbie Kligman, Patrick Harbinson, Robert Nathan, Tara Butters
Network
NBC
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 23, 2003
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