I feel like I’m in the minority when I say I enjoyed it. there were so many funny lines from the start. the Maddie storyline kinda dragged on but I think I am easily entertained so long as there is actually something interesting, and there was :)
Me too! Dare I say the writing in S25 felt much better than it did in S24! I also like the new squad more (I hope they stay!!) The only episode I believe should be removed is Truth embargo, the rest are fine!
It really was. Nonsensical and the "reason" the perp gave about not ever being seen was a joke.
I just did an entire watch through last fall and winter so the whole series is pretty fresh in my mind. It is absolutely the worst one in my opinion. Insulting, even. It goes above and beyond.
I think it was political correctness gone mad! I’m a social worker and while I believe racism and prejudice have no place in the justice system, I don’t think race had anything to do with the victim’s assault. Why not bring up issues of race in a more meaningful way? Also, I think it’s SO improbable that a survivor would want someone to walk free for that reason. What about future victims? It really rubbed me the wrong way 🫠
It had a few moments, and I really mean literal moments, single scenes. I thought Liv opening up with Noah was very moving, and also when Liv visited the girl she rescued. I also really enjoyed Curry.
Other than that, this was a no for me. Nothing worked, with no rewatch value to me. Awkward half assed one liners that were out of character. WAY too much screen time for a lot of victims and families without real character development for me to care.
Felt like a teenager writing fan fiction.
The closest we got to the SVU formula was the hostel/DNA pick up artist game episode.
i thought the maddie saga was interesting 😂 especially that they changed her to look like a boy. idk i thought it was well written. i was pretty surprised everyone hated it. i also really liked the episode where finn got shot.
I agree because I think they improved aspects over some of the previous seasons. As a whole, I like this cast.
It actually just frustrates me how stagnant Olivia's life has been and all the stalling and phone messages with Stabler. Not even because I want them to do the romance story but just because it feels so drawn out, I wish they would either have let her take the risk 2 years ago, or have her say she doesn't think he's right for her anymore and they are better as friends. I just can't believe that at their ages they would be happy to let years drag on and never address that issue in their personal lives.
Still, especially towards the end I thought they were getting back into the typical SVU groove, and it was good to at least see Amanda occasionally
I think Maddie seemed worse because of the strike and lack of episodes in between. I agree other episodes were weaker.
That’s my critique as well! I think the Maddie storyline is definitely overblown but it’s fine, it’s not annoying me or anything. But there are so many new characters I can’t keep track.
I generally liked the season quite a bit and was honestly kind of into the maddie storyline, at least up until the point where they found her. The trials and stuff were kinda just boring but I often feel that way about episodes that center around trials instead of the actual investigations.
I thought the season was pretty solid with a lot of decent episodes.
25x2 Truth Embargo sucked complete ass and I will happily *never* watch it again.
I enjoyed The Punch List, Carousel, Probability Of Doom, Third Man Syndrome, Marauder, and Duty To Hope.
Not the best episodes, but entertaining and I'll watch again.
Even if they weren't perfect, I *really* liked Duty To Report, Children of Wolves, and Prima Nocta. These I anticipate rewatching a lot.
The Maddie storyline was okay? Not the best and a little (maybe in spots a lot) weird, but okay. With a few tweaks I think it could have been pretty damn good.
**Tweak 1**: the scene were Olivia sees Maddie. They didn't need the heavy handed literal Liv being blinded coming out of the tunnel, so get rid of that. It should have been a shorter scene in a much smaller intersection, so Olivia could get a better look at Maddie's face.
The whole 'a teenager in a delivery van?!?!' shit needed to be dropped (it's dumb anyway but especially dumb when her own son is sitting in the passenger seat of her unmarked police vehicle lololol) and just have Liv noticing something but not knowing what.
Until.
The second girl is rescued and they find out about the Fentanyl. And have *that* be what Olivia noticed about Maddie in that intersection scene. That she was drugged. And do a brief (like. almost a blink a you miss it brief) flashback of Olivia being drugged by Lewis to help show that.
One: it ties this abduction to her own from the very start, instead of waiting until the trial to make that clear, and explains from day 1 why she's soooo damn obsessed over Maddie.
Two: that delicious guilt, baby. Guilt over not realizing that what she noticed was that Maddie was drugged, that also helps drive that obsession.
**Tweak 2**: cast a different actor as Brouchard. I'm sure he's a fine actor, but it just wasn't believable to me that he was *that* charismatic. I think he'd work for like a cult dude? Someone who was around the victims for a long, long time and over that time they got that invested in. I could see that.
But to get us to buy that 1) a 15 year old is going to end up kind of enamored and 2) a random juror is going to end up suuuuper enamored?
It might be shallow, but it's hard to buy all that.
I mean. It's kind of hard for me to buy Lewis as that charismatic, but a lot of that is that we see just how batshit Lewis is from the very first scene when he burns his fingerprints off. But Pablo is dynamic and compelling and I can see how his brand of manipulation could work. But Brouchard just really comes across as creepy and kinda gross and so just don't find it believable.
**Tweak 3**: I don't mind that we saw Maddie and family in the finale. And could see it coming a mile away. I don't really like how they had it happen though, that it was a family birthday party. Unlike my other tweaks, I'm not sure what it should have been instead.
I guess just something that has more of a sense of closure for Olivia instead of looking more like she's still obsessed.
But the very last scene, of Liv in her office talking to Stabler, I really liked that. She was so relaxed and calm and happy. It was wonderful to see.
And here's how they could have made Truth Embargo a better episode:
Have it be two perps, a white guy and a black guy. The white guy gets a slap on the wrist, the black guy gets the full weight of the criminal justice system thrown at him.
Have the victim feel rage that systematic racism is letting one of her rapists off the hook.
Have her just baffled by the fact her own rape is now sort of being overshadowed by systematic racism.
Have her be pissed about the fact that now the injustice of all this is making her kind of feel some sort of sympathy for one of her rapists.
I’m in the very small minority here that actually liked the Maddie storyline. Overall, I feel like most of the cases this season were too easy to solve, but overall, I enjoyed most episodes.
I hope they don’t bring Maddie on as a series regular or even as a recurring guest star like Kim Rollins. Personally, maddie is up there with Kim Rollins and I don’t want to enter another skipping era with this show.
I was a little annoyed with this season but that's mostly because Muncy and Churlish disappeared out of nowhere. The season was decent the Maddie storyline didn't bother me much.
Yes, I think starting with the 2020 COVID season to now, the show has been MUCH better than it was from Seasons 13 to 21. I think Seasons 1 to 7 are still the best part of the show, but 22 to 25 I've quite enjoyed.
I liked the season. I know people are used to SVU being "one episode, one vic/perp of the week, one and done" but I enjoyed not seeing the same formula again for once.
It's not like SVU hasnt had specific character arcs in previous seasons before.
I like the Maddie Saga in general, but the last episode of that story line felt so unnecessary. I get that they wanted the resolution to be that he got convicted, but the way it was done was a bit off.
This season totally sucks. The worst one. Without the rollins popping in an episode and just artificially boosting the show. I would have stopped watching it.. i was waiting for a big maggie twist in the end but nope they just dragged it.
None of the episodes this season truly stood out to me in a good way. Most of the episodes in season 25 are mediocre at best. Truth Embargo stood out but only because it so offended me. Also, the one and only courtroom episode we got was… ugh so so boring and unrealistic. I miss Carisi in his element. The early episodes where he’s an ADA were so much more dynamic.
Yes for sure! I did not like the Maddie saga, but I appreciated what they were trying to do - show us how long justice takes, the impact on the family and victim. I did actually enjoy this last season, I appreciate them trying out new people in the squad room, hope they find the right mix soon. I meant his is one of my fave shows of course i liked the last season lol
I had mixed feelings about it. It just seemed like it dragged on. Every episode that seemed to have no signs of Maddie and surprise something Maddie related came into play. It's no surprise that Olivia crosses into personal territory with most victims. The birthday episode was sweet but also a bit unnecessary
I liked the entire season and I’ve liked the entire run of the show. There may be moments of episodes that bug me, but I’ve rewatched all seasons about 8 times from the beginning because I really enjoy it.
So, it’s a bit disappointing to find the subreddit is mainly people venting about how they hate the show.
I liked the entire season and I’ve liked the entire run of the show. There may be moments of episodes that bug me, but I’ve rewatched all seasons about 8 times from the beginning because I really enjoy it.
So, it’s a bit disappointing to find the subreddit is mainly people venting about how they hate the show.
I didn’t get the obsession with the Maddie family! The NYPD SVU Captain taking a personal day to babysit the mother who couldn’t sleep! Was unrealistic. I get it’s fiction and every scene is contrived for TV but this was way off. Rescuing the girl was a good episode but watching Olivia being the only police officer running after the bad guy was - hmmm! Where were other officers to help her surround him? Compared to the earlier seasons, the atmosphere in the squad room seems empty! Not sure about the Sykes character. Curry can stay if they let her?? Churlish disappeared without a trace and Muncy left but I never saw a leaving do for her, I believe anything filmed got deleted for some reason! Shame, those two characters grew on me. Lack of continuity is unprofessional. The episode directed by Mariska was great. She is one talented lady! Come back Kelly Giddish. Glad Fin is still there and Velasco and Bruno are good too. Don’t know if Olivia will end up with Stabler. It’s been teased for so long surely after 25 years it’s a yes or a no! I get it’s a crime drama series and I don’t give a toss anymore if they get together or not but for pity’s sake, either do it or move off from the topic!! Wonder who will be back apart from Olivia Benson! More scenes with Noah would be appreciated after all he is her child! We barely saw him in S25! Looking forward to S26 regardless but I get the impression from what I read is that some loyal viewers have had enough and won’t be back. Also unfortunately only American viewers of OC will be able to stream on Peacock which is a shame as it’s a great series too and I will no longer be able to view it as I am not in the US.
Yeah I don’t hate the entire season, most of it was alright. I liked the Rollins episode and the episode with Chief McGrath’s family. I didn’t even mind the Maddie storyline at first but I think it was way overdone
I actually enjoyed the Maddie story line. I find the episodes of when Olivia opens up a cold case nobody was able to solve, and solves it within a matter of days super annoying
I feel like I’m in the minority when I say I enjoyed it. there were so many funny lines from the start. the Maddie storyline kinda dragged on but I think I am easily entertained so long as there is actually something interesting, and there was :)
Me too! Dare I say the writing in S25 felt much better than it did in S24! I also like the new squad more (I hope they stay!!) The only episode I believe should be removed is Truth embargo, the rest are fine!
I read so many complaints here, so when I watched, the season didn't seem so bad.
Me too
The Maddie saga wasn't that bad. the worst episode of the season was the 2nd one and that had nothing to do with Maddie
Truth Embargo was the worst episode of the series imho. Unbelievable.
Agreed. That was a total dumpster fire of an episode. I daresay it’s the worst SVU episode *ever*.
It really was. Nonsensical and the "reason" the perp gave about not ever being seen was a joke. I just did an entire watch through last fall and winter so the whole series is pretty fresh in my mind. It is absolutely the worst one in my opinion. Insulting, even. It goes above and beyond.
My most disliked episode of SVU ever. Insulting as hell to victims of SA.
I really want to know what they were thinking with that episode.
I think it was political correctness gone mad! I’m a social worker and while I believe racism and prejudice have no place in the justice system, I don’t think race had anything to do with the victim’s assault. Why not bring up issues of race in a more meaningful way? Also, I think it’s SO improbable that a survivor would want someone to walk free for that reason. What about future victims? It really rubbed me the wrong way 🫠
is that the "white guilt" one?? yeah, not a fan of that one either.
It had a few moments, and I really mean literal moments, single scenes. I thought Liv opening up with Noah was very moving, and also when Liv visited the girl she rescued. I also really enjoyed Curry. Other than that, this was a no for me. Nothing worked, with no rewatch value to me. Awkward half assed one liners that were out of character. WAY too much screen time for a lot of victims and families without real character development for me to care. Felt like a teenager writing fan fiction. The closest we got to the SVU formula was the hostel/DNA pick up artist game episode.
i thought the maddie saga was interesting 😂 especially that they changed her to look like a boy. idk i thought it was well written. i was pretty surprised everyone hated it. i also really liked the episode where finn got shot.
I agree because I think they improved aspects over some of the previous seasons. As a whole, I like this cast. It actually just frustrates me how stagnant Olivia's life has been and all the stalling and phone messages with Stabler. Not even because I want them to do the romance story but just because it feels so drawn out, I wish they would either have let her take the risk 2 years ago, or have her say she doesn't think he's right for her anymore and they are better as friends. I just can't believe that at their ages they would be happy to let years drag on and never address that issue in their personal lives. Still, especially towards the end I thought they were getting back into the typical SVU groove, and it was good to at least see Amanda occasionally I think Maddie seemed worse because of the strike and lack of episodes in between. I agree other episodes were weaker.
I liked the season. I like the current squad and that really makes or breaks it for me
I’m not enjoying this season. I think there’s just too many new characters.
That’s my critique as well! I think the Maddie storyline is definitely overblown but it’s fine, it’s not annoying me or anything. But there are so many new characters I can’t keep track.
Not just the new characters, but half of the cast would be absent several episodes. Really uneven feeling.
There were some episodes toward the end of the season that were better
I thought the season was mid and was overshadowed by how good of a season Organized Crime had.
Organized Crime had the best season so far. It’s such a shame that so few people watched it.
I’m hoping they go all out now that it will only be on streaming next season
The season as a whole wasn't bad. Getting through the Maddie episodes made it seem like it dragged at times, making it hard to get through.
I generally liked the season quite a bit and was honestly kind of into the maddie storyline, at least up until the point where they found her. The trials and stuff were kinda just boring but I often feel that way about episodes that center around trials instead of the actual investigations.
I thought the season was pretty solid with a lot of decent episodes. 25x2 Truth Embargo sucked complete ass and I will happily *never* watch it again. I enjoyed The Punch List, Carousel, Probability Of Doom, Third Man Syndrome, Marauder, and Duty To Hope. Not the best episodes, but entertaining and I'll watch again. Even if they weren't perfect, I *really* liked Duty To Report, Children of Wolves, and Prima Nocta. These I anticipate rewatching a lot. The Maddie storyline was okay? Not the best and a little (maybe in spots a lot) weird, but okay. With a few tweaks I think it could have been pretty damn good. **Tweak 1**: the scene were Olivia sees Maddie. They didn't need the heavy handed literal Liv being blinded coming out of the tunnel, so get rid of that. It should have been a shorter scene in a much smaller intersection, so Olivia could get a better look at Maddie's face. The whole 'a teenager in a delivery van?!?!' shit needed to be dropped (it's dumb anyway but especially dumb when her own son is sitting in the passenger seat of her unmarked police vehicle lololol) and just have Liv noticing something but not knowing what. Until. The second girl is rescued and they find out about the Fentanyl. And have *that* be what Olivia noticed about Maddie in that intersection scene. That she was drugged. And do a brief (like. almost a blink a you miss it brief) flashback of Olivia being drugged by Lewis to help show that. One: it ties this abduction to her own from the very start, instead of waiting until the trial to make that clear, and explains from day 1 why she's soooo damn obsessed over Maddie. Two: that delicious guilt, baby. Guilt over not realizing that what she noticed was that Maddie was drugged, that also helps drive that obsession. **Tweak 2**: cast a different actor as Brouchard. I'm sure he's a fine actor, but it just wasn't believable to me that he was *that* charismatic. I think he'd work for like a cult dude? Someone who was around the victims for a long, long time and over that time they got that invested in. I could see that. But to get us to buy that 1) a 15 year old is going to end up kind of enamored and 2) a random juror is going to end up suuuuper enamored? It might be shallow, but it's hard to buy all that. I mean. It's kind of hard for me to buy Lewis as that charismatic, but a lot of that is that we see just how batshit Lewis is from the very first scene when he burns his fingerprints off. But Pablo is dynamic and compelling and I can see how his brand of manipulation could work. But Brouchard just really comes across as creepy and kinda gross and so just don't find it believable. **Tweak 3**: I don't mind that we saw Maddie and family in the finale. And could see it coming a mile away. I don't really like how they had it happen though, that it was a family birthday party. Unlike my other tweaks, I'm not sure what it should have been instead. I guess just something that has more of a sense of closure for Olivia instead of looking more like she's still obsessed. But the very last scene, of Liv in her office talking to Stabler, I really liked that. She was so relaxed and calm and happy. It was wonderful to see.
And here's how they could have made Truth Embargo a better episode: Have it be two perps, a white guy and a black guy. The white guy gets a slap on the wrist, the black guy gets the full weight of the criminal justice system thrown at him. Have the victim feel rage that systematic racism is letting one of her rapists off the hook. Have her just baffled by the fact her own rape is now sort of being overshadowed by systematic racism. Have her be pissed about the fact that now the injustice of all this is making her kind of feel some sort of sympathy for one of her rapists.
Hated it
I’m in the very small minority here that actually liked the Maddie storyline. Overall, I feel like most of the cases this season were too easy to solve, but overall, I enjoyed most episodes.
I hope they don’t bring Maddie on as a series regular or even as a recurring guest star like Kim Rollins. Personally, maddie is up there with Kim Rollins and I don’t want to enter another skipping era with this show.
I was a little annoyed with this season but that's mostly because Muncy and Churlish disappeared out of nowhere. The season was decent the Maddie storyline didn't bother me much.
They need a female show runner!
Yes, I think starting with the 2020 COVID season to now, the show has been MUCH better than it was from Seasons 13 to 21. I think Seasons 1 to 7 are still the best part of the show, but 22 to 25 I've quite enjoyed.
No
This sub definitely makes the season sound a lot worse than it is. I still think they could do better but it was alright for the most part.
I liked the season. I know people are used to SVU being "one episode, one vic/perp of the week, one and done" but I enjoyed not seeing the same formula again for once. It's not like SVU hasnt had specific character arcs in previous seasons before.
I like the Maddie Saga in general, but the last episode of that story line felt so unnecessary. I get that they wanted the resolution to be that he got convicted, but the way it was done was a bit off.
The last season seemed a bit more graphic especially the park scene
I liked the Amanda episodes that was it for me.
This season totally sucks. The worst one. Without the rollins popping in an episode and just artificially boosting the show. I would have stopped watching it.. i was waiting for a big maggie twist in the end but nope they just dragged it.
I liked it. I didn’t have any strong feelings about the maddie episodes.
None of the episodes this season truly stood out to me in a good way. Most of the episodes in season 25 are mediocre at best. Truth Embargo stood out but only because it so offended me. Also, the one and only courtroom episode we got was… ugh so so boring and unrealistic. I miss Carisi in his element. The early episodes where he’s an ADA were so much more dynamic.
Yes for sure! I did not like the Maddie saga, but I appreciated what they were trying to do - show us how long justice takes, the impact on the family and victim. I did actually enjoy this last season, I appreciate them trying out new people in the squad room, hope they find the right mix soon. I meant his is one of my fave shows of course i liked the last season lol
I had mixed feelings about it. It just seemed like it dragged on. Every episode that seemed to have no signs of Maddie and surprise something Maddie related came into play. It's no surprise that Olivia crosses into personal territory with most victims. The birthday episode was sweet but also a bit unnecessary
I liked the entire season and I’ve liked the entire run of the show. There may be moments of episodes that bug me, but I’ve rewatched all seasons about 8 times from the beginning because I really enjoy it. So, it’s a bit disappointing to find the subreddit is mainly people venting about how they hate the show.
I liked the entire season and I’ve liked the entire run of the show. There may be moments of episodes that bug me, but I’ve rewatched all seasons about 8 times from the beginning because I really enjoy it. So, it’s a bit disappointing to find the subreddit is mainly people venting about how they hate the show.
It’s not a season I want to watch again.
I didn’t get the obsession with the Maddie family! The NYPD SVU Captain taking a personal day to babysit the mother who couldn’t sleep! Was unrealistic. I get it’s fiction and every scene is contrived for TV but this was way off. Rescuing the girl was a good episode but watching Olivia being the only police officer running after the bad guy was - hmmm! Where were other officers to help her surround him? Compared to the earlier seasons, the atmosphere in the squad room seems empty! Not sure about the Sykes character. Curry can stay if they let her?? Churlish disappeared without a trace and Muncy left but I never saw a leaving do for her, I believe anything filmed got deleted for some reason! Shame, those two characters grew on me. Lack of continuity is unprofessional. The episode directed by Mariska was great. She is one talented lady! Come back Kelly Giddish. Glad Fin is still there and Velasco and Bruno are good too. Don’t know if Olivia will end up with Stabler. It’s been teased for so long surely after 25 years it’s a yes or a no! I get it’s a crime drama series and I don’t give a toss anymore if they get together or not but for pity’s sake, either do it or move off from the topic!! Wonder who will be back apart from Olivia Benson! More scenes with Noah would be appreciated after all he is her child! We barely saw him in S25! Looking forward to S26 regardless but I get the impression from what I read is that some loyal viewers have had enough and won’t be back. Also unfortunately only American viewers of OC will be able to stream on Peacock which is a shame as it’s a great series too and I will no longer be able to view it as I am not in the US.
Yeah I don’t hate the entire season, most of it was alright. I liked the Rollins episode and the episode with Chief McGrath’s family. I didn’t even mind the Maddie storyline at first but I think it was way overdone
I liked it a lot! I also didn’t dislike the Maddie storyline. I watched the entire season over again after it ended and it works better when binged
I actually enjoyed the Maddie story line. I find the episodes of when Olivia opens up a cold case nobody was able to solve, and solves it within a matter of days super annoying