'Law & Order: SVU' Season 19: Tension Between Barba, Benson to Continue
The tension between Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Barba (Raul Esparza) will continue in the next season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
According to spoilers, the relationship between the long-time colleagues will continue to be tested as they face yet another life-and-death case.
In last season's finale, Benson and Barba were informed that a mosque in East Harlem was firebombed. Five were dead. The incident took place after the SVU solved a case that involved a Muslim family that was attacked by Syrian nationals. Two of the daughters were raped and no one wanted to testify about it.
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Benson and Barba found themselves in the middle of two hostile groups. The family was furious because the only possible witness to the crime was deported, even though the SVU had promised he would be spared from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers' threat. The family of the Syrian nationals also did not want to talk, until one of the suspect's wife decided she had had enough of her husband's cruelty.
During the hearing, Benson was given the chance to end the case by lying to the court. Barba let her decide whether she wanted to support the claims of the mother of the assaulted girls. She chose not to, putting Barba in a difficult situation.
Esparza spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and hinted that although the two were desperate for justice to be served, they had different perspectives of what was right and permissible.
"Barba and Benson both end up really tested because she can't hang onto the witness legally and she can't make the case, and Barba starts wondering whether or not they can provide alternative facts, so to speak. It's all about truth-telling and their version of the truth and why they tell it; what justice are you serving by inventing something even though you might be omitting something or lying a little bit but the end result is going to be the best for everybody," Esparza said.
"Law & Order: SVU" season 19 is expected to air in the fall.
