When I really really think about it, I don't really know why I like watching SVU. I mean, other than the man candy (Mmmm, Chris Meloni... BD Wong.... Adam Beach... Hell even Ice -T cleans up well in this show...), the fact that I love me both some Mariska Hargitay and her character Olivia, and the fact that it's pretty snappily written dialogue-wise (I'm still really sorry they reduced Munch's role in later seasons; he has some of the best and funniest lines in season 1 so far), if a little slavishly devoted to formula. All of which are good things, mind, but at the same time? it's a show that deals with some pretty damn rough material every week to the point where I've made reference to the "how many showers do you need to take after watching?" system of rating episodes.
Also? TRIGGERY SHIT AHOY. And it's not even the big stuff that gets under my skin, I can safely say I'm fairly desensitized to that (which is a rant for someone and someplace else). It's the little things. Like how in response to someone wondering why anyone would allow an 8 year old to walk to a comic book shop down the street unaccompanied in New York, a standard out-of-towner concern, Munch shoots back with "Watch over them 24 hours a day you end up with safe little neurotics." Gee, whom does that describe to a tee? *sigh* 'Course in my case "safe" is debatable, but I've already made THAT whole big long post. Oh yeah, not like this show doesn't poke me in that particular trigger a lot as well.
And occasionally something will hit me in the STOP PISSING ME OFF. One gradual change to the show I'm actually kind of glad about is that they quit focusing and playing off the Stabler = married man with 4 (later 5) kids vs Benson = single and childless woman and how their job affects them in those contexts. The fact that they hew very close to stereotype, especially in season one, aside... GAH. I have all kinds of problems with that particular setup that I don't really have time to rant about, but I'm only on frakking episode 8 of season 1 and Stabler has told Benson no less than three times this season that she's incapable of understanding x, y, and z because she doesn't have children.
*growl*
Okay, you know what, I get that there may indeed some truth to that statement; having never had the miraculous brain transmutation that apparently happens when you become a parent, I'm really in no place to speculate on "before" and "after" states. But considering various people have seen fit to say this to me in various tones of voice and degrees of smugness pretty much since my nephew was born a legal drinking age ago, hearing it in any context is going to make me want to pull out the nearest spleen with my bare hands and vengefully eat it, because it's almost always said with the intent of instantly silencing the non-parent from daring to offer a differing opinion from a parent regarding their children, whether it's how they are raised, what their environment may be, what effect an action you take may have on them, etc. etc. Bottom line? I've maybe had it said to me once in a way where I could honestly say "yeah, you're right, I probably wouldn't get that." The rest? Pretty much directly translated to "STFU/STFD until you pop out some kids, then have an opionion." My response? "Fuck you."
Like I said, it's the little shit that gets to me. I think I'm going to have to put on something a little lighter from my Netflix queue for a while to keep from defenestrating my monitor. Also more coffee.
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