From intense investigations to memorable partnerships, join us as we examine the dynamic duos that made Special Victims Unit legendary. We're looking at partnerships that lasted at least one season, ranking them based on chemistry, effectiveness, and impact on the series. Which iconic detective team will take the top spot?
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00:00Hey, how'd it go? He's in Bellevue. Welcome to Ms. Mojo. And today, we're ranking every
00:06partnership in the special victims unit. We'll only be looking at team-ups that lasted at least
00:11one season. Sorry, Danny, but you and Elliot would have been in last place anyway. I can't do this.
00:19Number 12. Olivia Benson and Nick Amaro. Sometimes it seems like Amaro is determined
00:24to disagree with everything Benson says. Nick, just so you know, I didn't ask Harris to make
00:31that switch. I know you didn't. I did. You did. Liv, it's no big deal. One thing about you,
00:43you need to have a partner you can trust. Of course, it was going to be tough for Olivia to
00:47adjust to having a new partner after working with Stabler for more than a decade. But Nick
00:51doesn't make things any easier on her. Could have called his own cell. Or his wife waited
00:57three hours to call and gives her enough time. The woman is gravely ill. What are you saying?
01:02Just that we should go back to her. In the first couple of seasons they're partnered up,
01:06they clash constantly. It's my daughter. Everything's a negotiation. Gee, I wonder where
01:11she gets that from. Amaro's turbulent personal life and short temper don't help. Although their
01:16relationship improves over time, we never get the impression that Olivia truly feels like she can
01:21rely on Nick. You'd think they'd get along better since Amaro is almost as hot-headed as Stabler was.
01:27I get it. I'm sorry, man. Don't be.
01:29Number 11, Finn Tutuola and Joe Velasco. By this point in the series, partnerships aren't as well
01:35defined as they were in the early days. But after Grace Muncy leaves, Velasco partners up with Finn
01:41more than anyone else. So we're counting this duo for our list.
01:44Pushed in with force, damaged the wall. Any chance he left a partial?
01:48We can hope so. Finn occasionally has to take a hard line with Velasco, but aside from that,
01:55they mostly get along. It's us. Have you noticed that?
01:57Yeah, I've noticed a pattern. Let me ask you, Sarge, why do you think that is?
02:02What, am I the ambassador for our entire gender now?
02:05The problem with this pair is that they're a little too much alike. Both had rough childhoods
02:09and were actively recruited by gangs. Both are more empathetic than you might expect based on
02:14their backgrounds and their tough guy exteriors. They're each more useful to the squad when
02:28they're partnered with someone who complements their approach rather than duplicates it.
02:34Number 10, Joe Velasco and Kate Silva. It's a little too soon to make judgments about the
02:40newest member of the Special Victims Unit or her work with Velasco.
02:44You sure you don't want one?
02:46Lightweight.
02:47It's only 5am.
02:49Silva practically just arrived on the scene, but we get the impression that she plans to stick around.
02:54She's clearly dedicated and determined to prove herself,
02:57but she's still adjusting to the challenges of the job.
03:00Do we know how long these kids lived here?
03:02Since the beginning of the semester.
03:04Shelly did set up the camera. Why?
03:07Maybe she wanted to know if anyone went in her room.
03:09Silva and Velasco bond right away. Although Velasco might just be glad there's someone here
03:14to distract Benson's attention away from him, their partnership has a lot of potential,
03:19once they both have a little more experience under their belts.
03:22I made grade in Brooklyn Homicide.
03:24Yeah, I heard.
03:24Number 9, Finn Tutuola and Kat Taman.
03:28When Kat joins the squad early in Season 21, it's immediately clear that she's a go-getter.
03:33That's a fresh tattoo, so all we gotta do is check out tattoo parts.
03:36Already did.
03:37I started with parlor websites near Port Authority, East Village, Uptown, and I found this.
03:43Gretchen, artist-in-residence in the Heights Tats.
03:47Let's go.
03:47Just spoke to her.
03:49She knew where Isaac lives.
03:50Didn't ask why.
03:52Good work.
03:53Finn takes her under his wing and is impressed with her drive.
03:56In fact, she's so eager that the rest of the team occasionally has to reel her in.
04:00He's stashed at some place and I know it.
04:02I will canvas every parking garage in New York if I have to.
04:06She and Finn have an easy rapport, and their personalities are a good match.
04:10Finn is genuinely happy for her when he reveals that she's been promoted to detective midway through Season 22.
04:16Listen, if you're gonna be a detective, you gotta learn to ask smarter questions.
04:21Wait, what?
04:23Congratulations.
04:24You're getting promoted.
04:25However, Kat's passion for the job is what ultimately does her in.
04:28Unable to handle the emotion that comes from dealing with victims,
04:32she calls it quits just half a season later.
04:35If she'd stuck around longer, she and Finn would probably be higher up this list.
04:39When I was younger, I hated naps.
04:41Never wanted to miss anything.
04:43My dad would put me in the stroller and tell me that we're going for ice cream,
04:46and by the end of the block, I was out.
04:53Number 8.
04:54Finn Tutuola and Terry Bruno
04:56Don't let Bruno's rugged exterior fool you.
04:59There's more to him than meets the eye.
05:01You weren't in the room.
05:02The air had a certain funk.
05:04A funk?
05:05Yeah, malingered.
05:06Now that you mention it, the air did have a certain mildewy smell.
05:09Although he's one of the newer detectives on the team,
05:12he transferred from the Bronx SVU, so he has plenty of experience.
05:16He's also known for taking down dirty cops, and he's totally dedicated to the job.
05:21You know better than anyone what really happened there.
05:23All too well.
05:24All of those factors earn him a lot of respect in Finn's eyes,
05:28and they're the main reason Finn pushes Benson to take on Bruno after Rollins leaves the department.
05:34This guy's driven.
05:35He's on a mission.
05:36As the old dogs on the team, Bruno and Finn mesh well from the start.
05:40We love watching them work together.
05:42We just wish they could do it more.
05:43Thank you for picking up the check.
05:46You're not fooling anybody, Bruno.
05:48Number 7.
05:49Nick Amaro and Amanda Rollins
05:50These two would make a better team if they didn't come with so much baggage.
05:54I mean, I just think we're overreaching.
05:56Amanda, he hit her.
05:58Right?
05:58End of story.
05:59They're both tough and determined, but their rocky personal lives mean that there's usually
06:04some kind of drama distracting them from the job.
06:06When they work together, they always solve the case, but it often comes with some unwanted fireworks.
06:12Guys like Barbara, too smart for their own good.
06:15I'm sure he said the same about you.
06:16With so much in common, it's no surprise that things eventually get romantic between
06:21Nick and Amanda.
06:22Hey, you gotta come see this.
06:24This must be very difficult for you.
06:25Yes.
06:27Yes, of course it is.
06:28To their credit, they do a good job of keeping the relationship out of the squad room.
06:32We can't imagine Benson would approve.
06:34Are you having sex with this guy?
06:37Yeah, let's talk about you.
06:38Number 6.
06:39Finn Tutuola and Chester Lake
06:41Like many detectives who get a little too invested in the job, Lake's time on SVU is
06:46short-lived.
06:47Want to head down to Rikers and talk with Jaden?
06:49What's the point?
06:50He's doing a life sentence for his brother.
06:52He's not going to give him up.
06:53So I gotta find Ezra myself.
06:55During his one full season with the show, he's partnered with Finn, and they make a pretty
07:00good team.
07:00Both come across as relatively laid back on the exterior, but deep down they'd do anything
07:05to protect a victim and call her a bad guy.
07:08Those robberies were survival crimes.
07:10They only stole for food and a place to sleep.
07:13Doesn't help the victim, does it?
07:15Those boys have never hurt anybody, much less kill them.
07:19You're so sure they're innocent.
07:21Why don't you tell us where they are so we can help them get off the hook?
07:23And we do mean anything.
07:25At the end of season 9, Lake finds himself on the wrong side of the law when he kills
07:29a couple of dirty cops who had assaulted women.
07:32It turns out he and Finn didn't trust each other that much after all.
07:35You'd shoot me in the back?
07:38If I have to?
07:39Number 5, John Munch and Brian Cassidy.
07:43Look, we love Cassidy, but even he would admit that he was never cut out for SVU.
07:48Are you out of your mind?
07:49Huh?
07:49You want to be arrested again?
07:51No, no.
07:52Then you answer my partner's questions.
07:54The first season has a much jokier tone than the rest of the series, and Cassidy's immature
07:59attitude is a big part of it.
08:01Munch, of course, is also known for his dry sense of humor, and he and Cassidy make a
08:06pretty entertaining comedic duo.
08:07Never think about having kids.
08:09Why?
08:10Can I have you?
08:11Brian clearly looks up to the older detective, even though he frequently gives him a hard
08:15time.
08:16Cassidy, what's up?
08:18Whatever.
08:18You know, my generation pioneered, that's a synced abstraction, but whatever to me means
08:24diddly.
08:25Cassidy washes out of the department before the first season ends, but fortunately, he
08:29later becomes a recurring character and an important ally to the team.
08:33He's matured, but he's still as snarky as ever.
08:36Detective Cassidy, you spent three years undercover as muscle for a pimp named Bart
08:40Gansel.
08:40Isn't that right?
08:42Yeah.
08:43My severance was two bullets in the chest.
08:45Cassidy, can we practice answering the questions in the order I asked them?
08:49Okay.
08:50Number four, Amanda Rollins and Sonny Carisi.
08:53There are sparks between these two from the first time they meet.
08:57Rollins and Carisi.
08:58Call me Sonny.
08:59Sorry, Rollins and Sonny become about as close as partners can be.
09:03He admires her strength and determination through everything that life throws at her.
09:07It's hard to know what actually happened in cases like these.
09:10If you can't take that, SVU isn't right for you.
09:13Nah, I get it.
09:14I'm good here.
09:15She loves his deep sense of morality and the fact that he's always there for her.
09:20When he quits the squad to become an ADA, she understandably feels betrayed.
09:24You made that bed.
09:25You can lie in it.
09:26Excuse me?
09:27Now then, what did you think would happen when you moved over to that place?
09:30Because it's all about politics, which is not your strong suit.
09:32Well, I'm just-
09:33It's clear that Amanda has come to depend on Sonny over the years.
09:36Later, of course, they form a different kind of partnership.
09:39They work even better together as husband and wife than they did as detectives.
09:46Number three, Finn Tutuola and Amanda Rollins.
09:50It's tempting to characterize this pair as big brother and little sister,
09:53but that doesn't give Rollins the credit she deserves.
09:56Not what I expected.
09:58It's a little tame for freak night.
10:00Um, ready to party?
10:03That said, Finn clearly feels protective of her.
10:05By the time she joins the unit, Finn has over a decade of experience under his belt.
10:10I ran down the other incomings.
10:12It's a lot of Wall Street guys ordering deliveries from a health food store.
10:15Yeah?
10:16Let's find out what kind of protein powder they're talking about.
10:19Thanks to her time working sex crimes in Georgia, Amanda is no rookie either.
10:24Their empathy for victims and dedication to the work make them a brilliant team,
10:29but they're still different enough to keep things interesting.
10:31These fools don't think the cops know how to use the internet.
10:34It did take me a year to teach you how to.
10:36Rollins soon comes to trust and rely on Finn.
10:39He's even the first person she tells about her issues with gambling,
10:42and he's quick to stick up for her.
10:44Many fans would have loved to see this partnership last even longer.
10:47Are you okay?
10:50You sure?
10:51Yeah.
10:55Dick Wolf could have created an entire series just about these two,
10:58and we would have watched it.
11:00Look, we got his cell phone number.
11:01We got him.
11:02Yeah, and I got a small ventricular rupture.
11:03Pull that at me with no warning.
11:04What's the matter with you?
11:05On the outside, they may look like opposites,
11:08but they couldn't be a better match.
11:10Now, if you were still a bright-eyed little kid,
11:12what would that look like to you?
11:13Death trap?
11:14You're pathetic.
11:15That's the coolest fort ever.
11:16Munch's dry wit and I've seen it all mentality
11:19is the perfect compliment to Finn's no-nonsense attitude.
11:23Their banter is often the best part of any episode.
11:26You can't keep us in here.
11:27I'm sure your daddy will bail your ass out.
11:29I called him two hours ago.
11:30Looks like daddy thinks he could use a night in jail.
11:32And though they're constantly giving each other a hard time,
11:35it's obvious that deep down,
11:37they really care for each other.
11:38If not for Rollins,
11:40Finn would probably be lost after Munch's retirement.
11:42The CIA!
11:45Rainwaves!
11:46I gotta say, the man does crazy good.
11:48Good?
11:49It's the same old crap he says every day, only louder.
11:52Before we continue,
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12:08Number one, Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.
12:11Admit it, these two are the reason
12:13you fell in love with this show.
12:14They're one of the most iconic
12:15non-romantic partnerships on TV.
12:17The first time we talked to the good professor,
12:19Chuck was an angel.
12:20Yeah, he's a slacker with a hangover.
12:22And despite what many people around them suspect,
12:24they never bring romance into their relationship.
12:27However, Stabler definitely spends more time with Liv
12:29than with his wife.
12:30And you could argue that Liv even knows him better
12:33than his wife does.
12:34The chemistry between them is probably one of the biggest reasons
12:37Law & Order SVU became such a big hit.
12:39I wasn't planning on coming back.
12:42It's in your blood.
12:43What's the problem?
12:44It's hard to believe that there's now been more seasons
12:46of the show without Elliot than with him.
12:49When he returns in season 22,
12:51it's hard to know who is more affected,
12:53Olivia or the fans?
12:55Liv!
13:02Which SVU detective would you want as a partner?
13:06Let us know in the comments.
13:07Uh, John Munch, Romanian, the handsome one.
13:10Do you agree with our picks?
13:12Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo
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13:18I'll see you next time for the break.
13:30Well done!
13:31Bye bye.
13:31To me next time for the break.
13:32bye bye!
13:33I'll see you next time.
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