Benson Takes Down an Elusive Serial Killer | NBC's Law & Order: SVU

After eluding authorities for years, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) gets Trace Lambert (Blake DeLong) in the box and knows exactly what to say to finally take him down.
Episode Highlight: "They'd Already Disappeared" Season 23, Episode 07
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ABOUT LAW & ORDER
Created by Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," now in its 22nd season, is the longest-running primetime live-action series of all time.
This hard-hitting and emotional series from NBC's "Law & Order" brand chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.
As commander of the SVU, Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is a seasoned veteran of the unit who has seen it all. She leads with empathy and professionalism, all the while dealing with her difficult past as a product of rape and her responsibility as a trailblazer in survivor advocacy, both of which influence the way she relates to the victims and perpetrators of each case. Olivia Benson is the longest-running female character in a primetime live action television series.
Benson Takes Down an Elusive Serial Killer | NBC's Law & Order: SVU
• Benson Takes Down an E...
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[@joewhitehead3]

This was one of the most casual, yet elaborate interrogations I’ve seen. & no one does it like Captain Olivia Benson

[@maryammure5151]

She learned from her man Elliot stabler. He did this all the time on SVU. And he does it on his show OC. Lol

[@joewhitehead3]

@@maryammure5151 Agree to disagree. She may have watched him interrogate for years, but this was all her

[@maryammure5151]

@@joewhitehead3 didn't she say she learned alot from her partner watching him all these years. So yeah she did learn from Elliot. Thank you lol

[@joewhitehead3]

@@maryammure5151 Yeah, probably how not to interrogate, cus he mostly did scare tactics & a lot of yelling

[@maryammure5151]

@@joewhitehead3 he didn't yell at times. He would play good cop bad cop. He would flirt with the women suspects and be all nice and sweet to them. He would play them like a fiddle. For me no one does it like Elliot stabler. He knows how to be charming and get under their skin at the same time. Lol

[@grrika7]

STOP HER FACE WHEN HE SAYS “it was my plan” lmaooo

[@vickyashable]

Wow

[@christopherkennedy4076]

3:04

[@AmethystTheEspeon]

Lol!

[@laurenralph5968]

Yo my girl Benson played this sick man out she always gets her perp one way or another I love Benson so much

[@alva9704]

She should teach Voight how to get them the right way

[@duchess2412]

@@alva9704 ‼️‼️: true… but we know Voight’s never gonna change 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@MsWiccanpriestess]

@@alva9704 especially when crimes are against children and single mothers. He loses his cool.

[@cece8095]

Wow, deep. She’s getting inside of his mind and speaking his language. Reverse psychology at its finest. One of the many reasons this show is so good is because they reenact interrogation scenes very realistically. This was very well done. There’s these types of covert interrogations, there’s the interrogations where you side with the killer the whole time using your manipulation tactics to get information, and then there’s aggression. This show is so iconic. :)

[@foolslayer9416]

It's kind of what Jake Peralta did. Played into the guy's arrogance.

[@aileencho5293]

That moment she looked at him and said, "OMG that IS a good plan!" --using her actual horror and disgust to encourage him!

[@cece8095]

Yea, MH is such a television icon. I really think she’s reached that status. I’m waiting for the day this woman does a movie so she can just go ahead and get her well deserved Oscar. No one else can carry this role the way she does:) She brings a warmth, a maternal strength and fierceness that I don’t think anyone else can. Truly :)

[@monicaw.3384]

Made me think of L&O: Criminal Intent. Benson picked up some tactics from Eames

[@mchllwoods]

I loved the shocked look Benson gave him and said, "That was a good plan." she looks so horrified but played it off as amazement. Wouldn't b surprised if that was unscripted.

[@gopackgo4036]

It wasn’t unscripted bud.

[@TaraConway16]

​@@gopackgo4036 how do you know? They improv scenes quite often.

[@gopackgo4036]

@@TaraConway16 it was too fake and dramatized to be unscripted.

[@justapasserby69420]

This episode was a good throwback from the days of Cragen, Liv & Elliott, Cabot & Novak, and antigovernment Munch . Hope we have more of these

[@claudinefaure4897]

I miss the duo Fin and Munch. . Can't say they were opposite, they just did not talk the same topics. But when it was to the action, they were on the same page.

[@patrickrose3374]

Hasn't this sick B......... played a perpetrator on SVU before can't recall the episode name a few Seasons back ,Olivia was on trial for killing him 🤔

[@psychopat4402]

@@patrickrose3374 no lol he does look like him but no this isn’t the actor who played lewis.

[@dannii39]

@@patrickrose3374 the other killer was called William Lewis. He looks a lot like him

[@derekseven1647]

This whole episode reminded me of a throwback to the really good ones of the past. I hope they keep doing these.

[@MsTexas73]

This scene was SOOO good. Whole episode was a nail biter.

[@rebeccahancock7406]

Hargitay is such an amazing actor. I do not see someone playing Benson, I just see Benson. She nailed this scene.

[@paclame]

This episode was one of the best SVUs I’ve seen in a while. This interrogation reminded me how good Mariska is as an actress and how good Olivia Bensons character is. Incredible

[@jcurr20]

Do you know which episode this was from?

[@marlenesheffield8777]

Emmy winning scene right here!! I agree with a member of the fandom; this episode had a throwback feel to it -- in addition to it being very diabolical and uber creepy. I knew it was going to be insane when the boy with the skateboard referred to the perp as a "vampire". Captain Benson, her Royal Highness, straight up old school Star Wars style, delivered a premium level "Jedi Mind Trick" on that dumbazz perp by by hyping his intellect. Total queen!!👑💣🔥👏💞💕❤

[@DegrassiInstantStar]

You can tell Mariska Hargitay is eating this up and is so amazing as Olivia Benson. She is unlike any other.

[@josiahirondreads3211]

He almost looked like William Lewis for a sec

[@marlenesheffield8777]

Yes straight up he looked like him from a distance!

[@chapingaryjr]

I was literally about to post a question if it's the same guy there have been times people have had multiple roles on SVU at different times

[@duchess2412]

Girl I almost had a heart attack 😳

[@Justj5271]

That guy fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Liv rocks!

[@robbieodonovan44]

God this episode takes me back to the old days. SVU did good this episode :)

[@tiduswordplayer]

What I like about this episode was that it felt like old school SVU the court side took a backseat and the squad had to track down a literal monster and bring him to justice.

[@frenchiesottises8193]

How to get a perp to confess: Hurt their ego.

[@user-ig3oq7ty7m]

she pulled a jake peralta on him, she knew his ego couldnt take it. i think they dont really have a case against him and if he didnt admit to it they'll have no suspect. SVU was extremely lucky that he admitted to it

[@HermioneSharman15]

Olivia played him like a fiddle. 😂😂💖. Love 💗 Olivia Benson 🎉

[@Jayselk]

he was done the moment she walked into the room

[@keanucora4606]

Just Imagine if Elliott came in the Interview room outta no where after Olivia walked in

[@marlenesheffield8777]

Trust and believe!!😄

[@albertareid8850]

Lol!!!!

[@albertareid8850]

Cora: what would Elliot have done if he had came into the room?

[@debbieschultz9768]

And he had no idea!! 👍👍👍👍

[@ForsythJC]

All serial killers are psychopaths/sociopaths, which also means they're narcissistic. The best (and easiest) way to get a narcissist to tell on themselves is to invalidate their "accomplishments" (in this case, murder). They will suffer narcissistic injury, become enraged, and admit to everything just to try and save their bruised ego, regardless of the consequences. It's like clockwork.

[@molasorrosalom4846]

More like they're psychotic.

[@AnimeOntheRoof23]

This….this is a brilliant scene. Not only in how Captain Benson caught this vile fiend, but how throughly the show writers did their homework in crafting this evil creature. If you don’t believe, do some research and you’ll see some seriously messed up, scary stuff in the world of true crime. And your skin will crawl at how there are monsters like this one in real life.

[@kaikaichx]

No because the way her reminded Benson of William Lewis when he said “I kept her alive for days.” Her face dropped bro. She looked so disgusted. I was so shocked oml.

[@kaleyrose47]

Mariska Hargitay’s acting is always brilliant!

[@Simeautomatic100]

*OMG Why did I think that was the person who played William Lewis??? Lmao!!* *(Which btw, I would have liked if they continued that story with William having a little brother wanting to get revenge or sumthin)*

[@Michelle-DiPalo]

That's what I thought too.

[@yepsen1019]

I got a Lewis vibe from that guy too.

[@jakemcnulty]

I’m hoping they’ll bring that pycho kid Henry Mesner back once again, to be the William Lewis for Rollins’

[@CJ-ot9zh]

The lighting was crazy.

[@mariaferreras5411]

Marisa brought this character to perfection. She’s amazing.

[@sheliamiracle5855]

Benson is so good! Love SUV!

[@EpicAndrew97]

The car?

[@Tranquility1222]

@@EpicAndrew97 lol

[@crystalphillips2963]

Her facial expressions 😂

[@JL-zn7me]

We need real life Bensons in this world!!!!

[@preciousotoakhia9789]

I agree

[@joaquinaquino8849]

I didn't see the episode, but when i saw this scene, at first i thought he was William Lewis

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

You know it's a convincing performance when your blood runs cold.

[@susansanborn5686]

this was one of my fav interrogation scenes. mariska was amazing

[@Futuretense101]

....this made my skin crawl. Not much can do that to me. She saw an opening and went IN. Damn, she's good!

[@dalpowers]

This Was EPIC!!! SHE PLAYED HIM GOOD!! 💯💯

[@sportyhorse058]

*That was a Great plan* omg i died😂😂😂 her faceeee

[@gabby7313]

Captain Benson, we've missed you! Welcome back!

[@betty3326]

Olivia Benson is so good at getting criminals to admit the truth about the crimes that were committed

[@sarahperks1333]

This episode was one of the best yet and I've watched every episode a few times!! Benson is boss!!

[@Isabella2335.]

Olivia played hm like a fiddle !

[@nightslayer6951]

This is why Olivia Benson is the best, she knows which buttons to push to get a confession. He didn't even realized he was being played

[@liznicholson7857]

This one was so good and powerful!!! Benson is that chick you can't get over on her I wanna meet her!!! I wish I worked there in her squad. She's stroking his ego knowing it's him. That's why she's women of the year!!!

[@MoonlightPrincess07]

Top 5 psychos in SVU/P.D : William Lewis Greg Yates Trace Lambert Henry Mesner Carl Rudnick These are the most unsettling ones.

[@gilrandall315]

Olivia hit him with some reverse psychology smooth great episode

[@kaleyrose47]

Olivia’s face when he went through his victims and said they couldn’t stop shaking/peed themselves/kept them awake for days broke my heart. I immediately thought of William Lewis!

[@maryammure5151]

She got him good. Omg. I knew she was gonna be like this whole making him as the weak one to confess. She did it again. I love when she does to suspects. She learned from her man Elliot stabler. He does this all the time. Lol

[@Isabella2335.]

Yes she learned from Elliot

[@maryammure5151]

@@Isabella2335. yes. And damn when she said in my whole 20 years of working on SVU I have never seen anything like this. I agree. But he still don't beat that dude William Lewis. He's still the evilest of all of them. No one comes close to that pyscho. Lol

[@PreachermanTyon]

@@maryammure5151 He do best William Lewis. He killed all these women and put their bodies in some damn warehouse. What the hell is you watching lmao

[@maryammure5151]

@@PreachermanTyon dummy they did this episode years back in another svu episode when the dude cut off their beasts as a souvenir after he raped and killed them. Haha so you shut up little man. They just copied that episode and made it more women in the mix. And it's also a mix of that dude who slashed hookers body. Nope William Lewis still the evilest of them all. But thank you for letting me know I do watch the show unlike your self. 🤣

[@claudinefaure4897]

@@maryammure5151 Yates was also a "good" bad boy. Remember when they find the bodies in the sand...they though of his personal cimetery. Svu sometimes brings up super villains and we love that.

[@mikebasil4832]

This could very well be Law & Order SVU’s most formidably haunting episode ever.

[@DMW111090]

What’s the name of episode? 😅

[@mikebasil4832]

@@DMW111090 “They’d Already Disappeared”

[@DJGOGSTOWN]

Reminds me of Jake taking down that dentist in 99. Insult there intelligence make them think it was all luck.

[@girlywench]

*their

[@girlywench]

I mean, if you're talking about intelligence...

[@DJGOGSTOWN]

@@girlywench thanks. Man I always get those two mixed up

[@kkrriisstteennn]

Really missed Carisi this ep. 😔

[@vikkorheel9966]

She's done this before. She's the best

[@Caitlin232323]

WATCHING THE MASTER AT WORK

[@asecretone]

Oh how great would it be if Eddie Wagner became a suspect in an svu case? 🤔

[@ianbrewer4843]

Great scene

[@hannarice3007]

Love this woman

[@Yavanna79]

Pride seems to be the stumbling block for most serial killers. And the need to brag about what they've done.

[@ursaltydog]

damn.. they both were so good!

[@lordbison]

That is why you Never talk to the police! Get a good lawyer & let the police figure it out on their own!

[@chloecamp8714]

I always wonder if this is really how interrogations go, bc it's very obvious what she's doing from the start. You'd have to be really unstable for something like this to get you talking.

[@ItsMe-qd4gy]

You can watch real interrogations in YT, (with a break-down voice over or not)

[@colbymasvidal2397]

OG ORIGINAL GANGSTER🤣👍

[@word1013]

a man fesses up to his purported murders when the detective lures him in...

[@nathanrobinson7086]

DANMMMM

[@AdrianHernandez-mu8cm]

Bruh idk why but this gave me some Criminal Minds vibes

[@alexmasswell5905]

Can we talk about how he looks like William Lewis

[@andrewsulfaro3468]

Is it just me or does the actor who’s playing the serial killer, his face with the mustache look like Freddie Mercury?

[@lostinthestorywithjeremymi9385]

He shouldn't have felt accomplished and proud at the end.

[@joewhitehead3]

In a mind like his, he felt like he should have

[@lostinthestorywithjeremymi9385]

@@joewhitehead3 *Sighs* I know.

[@hopet7033]

thats a true antisocial serial killer

[@EpicAndrew97]

This is why I rank Benson as my fourth favorite character of the show, behind Ada Alexandra Cabot Odafin Tutola Elliot Stabler

[@USMCasper]

Each week she moves further down the list. Turned the show into a woke joke.

[@haniamashriq5666]

@@USMCasper How? We’re adults we can watch shows that reflect real life issues

[@joaquinchoque2254]

Olivia benson best

[@wolfgirl959]

Any links to the rest of it? Our on demand keeps buffering and then restarted from the beginning. We didn't get past the part where he held up the 2nd pic and bragged. We want to know what happens next

[@Thevoidlezz]

Great try to find the edges of his ego and then start stepping on his ego teasing then ripping that ego to shreds to get a confession because you know he craves for that reconission

[@mmvermelho823]

i thinks she is now in lennie briscoe vibe i believe mariska like a lot lennie briscoe and joe fontana

[@jengable4888]

Way to go Benson ! Fantastic tactic to get the perpetrator to confess ! Now, in reality, if I could only get law enforcement to get the perpetrators who tortured my infant daughter (Miya Jane Justeson 2/23/2007-3/18/2007), vandalized my 2003 Honda Element, performed illegal entries in my apartments/rented room, stole bank statements, tampered with my mail, illegally infiltrated my cell phones/computers, ruined portions of my college graduate coursework, destroyed other property, blocked employment+housing, stole property/belongings, tried to run me over, and other crimes ....that would be fantastic ! I have only been trying, getting blocked, and waiting for over 16+ years ! #arrests #lawsuit On another note...it is highly interesting that this ASPD perpetrator would mention poison which mimicks a heart attack.

[@jcurr20]

Anyone know what episode this is from?

[@trollerwtf]

Looks like the watererd down version of lewis

[@marlenesheffield8777]

Yeah a low rent version of Lewis!!😂

[@edwardsimmons3190]

@@marlenesheffield8777 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sariahfavors3243]

This is William Lewis at home

[@MsTinkerbelle87]

That episode hit different, way darker than usual, it felt like a Lewis episode. I wish I never watched it 💔

[@oceanswhisper9453]

I felt the same way. I felt freaked out for about an hour afterwards, as I was trying to fall asleep. That was next level frightening. 😰

[@MsTinkerbelle87]

@@oceanswhisper9453 Same here! I can’t explain why it scared me so much psychologically! They must have been in a dark place while writing this one.

[@dajonellis3046]

I know this was a real case that the writers researched

[@maxcardun]

I wonder what certain "big guys" in jail are going to do when HE says: No No.

[@heyysimone]

He looks like a scrawny william lewis

[@brianellinger6622]

Looks like Jeff Lipscomb

[@StellaMagic100]

Was this a rip from the headlines?

[@MsTexas73]

I felt like I it was very similar to the Anthony Sowell murders in a few ways.

[@terrynasonisasupervillain9017]

Nice

[@gothichawkerjon5972]

The question they never asked (and I hate this sometimes 😤) is WHY?

[@emmamorgan8972]

love ya olivia

[@ryanyu933]

What’s season n episode plz?

[@larissaisabel1989]

S23E7

[@therealnicolebarth]

Bring him down Captain and get his sick a$$ in jail!!! No one does it like Benson!!!

[@pattimccraw6168]

this guy reminds me of the guy that took olivia hostage on a few episodes

[@danaramand7552]

Eem, pretty sure there was an episode of Brooklyn 9-9 like that 😅

[@franny5059]

I do believe that this guy lored those girls to that area for sex or whatever, but I don’t believe he’s the killer - I think he wants the notoriety that he is because his mother said what a letdown he was and at the end he told Benson to let his mother know what he did. I think the killer is the coroner because the little boy on the skateboard said that the vampire man was a tall white man and what was done to those women took surgical skills/medical knowledge and had a set up like an operating room. Also in the beginning of identifying these women, the coroner called one of the girls “Angel“ and mentioned to Benson that about 10 years ago, he took his daughter to a Xmas show when the first victim (Angel) was brought in and they said that these killings were going on for the past 10 years, but I have a feeling we’ll find that out MAYBE in episodes to come, but that’s my opinion.

[@Kadasberry11]

I lowkey suspected the coroner too! It could very well still be this guy though. Perception for little kids is different; avg height can appear tall to them since they are much smaller.

[@tzeven1]

Ya I thought there was something off about the coroner…like creepy off! The way he seemed to display a personal attachment to them seemed a little suspect.

[@Fandar]

I felt that this episode was rushed.

[@franny5059]

I agree and I don’t believe he’s the killer, I think it’s the coroner and if you scroll up, I wrote a whole comment about why I think that

[@alexandraanderson3988]

@@franny5059 I thought the same thing I thought the guy that did this was originally bigger than this guy because of how grabbed the victims sister when he found her and was trying to get away I don’t know

[@thirdborn_sentinel]

Mommy's comment messed him up, huh?

[@ianmeadows8719]

Some of the things he's saying is same thing gary ridgeway said

[@lilwoowoowoozie9242]

what's the guy's name??

[@glenbateman5960]

The problem with the Ego is that Egos are stupid. Stupid and desperately needy. Any time you see a man destroy himself, when you look into his story, it always turns out that, one way or another, his road to ruin is covered in Ego droppings. He let his dumba*s, know-nothing Ego do his thinking for him. In the end, it always takes them down.

[@thisishowthetruthdies684]

Hopefully real life detectives are a little more subtle.

[@piperlongboat7479]

Is it me or is this William Lewis???????

[@noaporter1583]

Que episode y temporada

[@Theweridlifeofjay]

23x7

[@rhondawiggins5728]

Yikes!

[@AmoraJennings]

Amorajennings 👮

[@brianellinger6622]

Dexter William

[@sarahjames927]

What is sad is that people are really this ego-centric.

[@raymondweston8997]

Final interview scenes, like this; are what caused me to fall out of love, with the L&O franchise. A serial killer; who was methodical enough, to elude detection, and capture, for 10 years. And this same person; allows himself to get BAITED by Lt. Benson, using an emotional ploy. It doesn’t make sense. While I understand, that LT. Benson is supposed to be “Super Cop”. At least have certain episodes make sense. They can’t all, be wrapped up, within a 1 hour time slot. Certain villains; require a 2 or even 3 episode session. Let’s refrain, from getting sloppy; just because Elliot Stabler is back. Let’s not rest on laurels.

[@Tuberiascaesar]

The serial killer was actually kind of boring to me.

[@NashvilleLover]

⚾️ 🧢 🏏 🌮 ⚾️ 🧢 🏏 🌮 ⚾️