Life Lessons from SVU

One of my favorite TV shows is Law & Order SVU. I can watch episode after episode and watch the same episode over and over. I'm pretty close to knowing the script for most of the seasons. So, what's the draw? Am I abnormally obsessed with rape, molestation and incest? Hardly. Mostly, I am attracted to the bonds formed between the members of the unit and the way each character responds to the cases they handle. Granted, prime time T.V. is not the most epic example of character development. After about the third season it is fairly easy to pick up on the individuals' values and predict how they will react to certain situations. Despite their personal feelings, the detectives are usually upstanding civil servants and maintain an objective call to duty and equality. But that's not the biggest hook for me. The real catch is the unshakable relationship between Elliott Stabler and Olivia Benson. These two lead detectives offer an beautiful example of loyalty and respect that, it seems, is lacking in many of T.V.'s romantic relationships. Can, or should, a working relationship be an example for a romantic one? I think so. I think it would be better to idolize the integrity of Liv and El in SVU rather than the passionate spontaneity of, say, Rose and Jack in Titanic. SVU's leading characters for twelve years act out of dedication rather than blind affection when it comes to difficult situations. There are many other examples of this sort of relationship. For example, the two lead detectives in AMC's The Killing, Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder. The series begins with two characters who have no interest in anything more than getting the job done, and grow to have a great amount of empathy for each other. I suppose it's natural for this to happen when two people work together... and maybe that is the lesson. Although Liv and El never did end up "together" (mainly, I'm guessing, because the writers already married Elliott off long before season one), it seems like their work created the right foundation for a lifelong relationship. And yes, I cried a little when Elliott left the show. So maybe this could be a good starting point for rebuilding a broken bond; to actually work together. Work towards a goal besides fixing what's emotionally broken. Form a bond of love from a bond created through effort towards something else. You might get so lost in the distracting work that you could forget about the things that work against you.