'Law & Order: SVU' Season 19 Spoilers: Barba, Benson Hunt Down Terrorists
Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Barba (Raul Esparza) will have a major clean-up to do in the next season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
In last season's finale, the unit succeeded in proving that a trio of Syrian nationals attacked a Muslim family and raped two of the adult daughters. The case was difficult from the start, as the only witness to the case was deported. He agreed to testify if Benson promised to not let the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers kick him out of the country. The entire SVU was shocked when ICE went behind their backs and deported the witness.
As the case was being tried in court, the mother of the assaulted girls suddenly remembered the faces of the criminals. She lied at the witness stand, though, and claimed that she told Benson the truth weeks before the hearing. Benson, she said, had the information but chose not to reveal it in court. When Barba called Benson to explain her side, she could not bring her self to lie, even if it meant sending the hooligans behind bars. Fortunately, another witnessed stepped forward and helped them.
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Although the case has been solved, another one surfaced in the final minutes of the episode. Benson and Barba were informed that a mosque in East Harlem got firebombed. There were five casualties.
In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Esparza talked about Benson and Barba's predicament during the finale.
"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.
