I'm crying.
'Law & Order: SVU' Just Killed Off A Beloved Character — & Had An Emotional Memorial
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Spoilers ahead for Law & Order: SVU season 27 episode 1!
Law & Order: SVU simply wouldn't exist without Olivia Benson (or Mariska Hargitay), but any fan of the show can agree the series has had some pretty incredible characters over the years. In addition to Elliot Stabler and Nick Amaro (two of my personal favorites), I have always loved Captain Cragen. So, yeah, the Law & Order: SVU season 27 premiere featuring the captain's funeral made me a little emotional.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about Captain Cragen's (Dann Florek) funeral in Law & Order: SVU season 27 episode 1.
Who died on SVU season 27?
The SVU season 27 premiere, which dropped on September 25, revealed that Captain Cragen had passed away. And his funeral saw the return of a few old faces like Brian Cassidy and George Huang. Ugh, we need more reunion episodes!!
We get a glimpse of a retirement speech Cragen gave, where he says, "It's been a long road. It hasn't always been pleasant, and it certainly hasn't always been easy. I lived for my job, I don't think that surprises anybody, and I can't imagine my life any other way...It has been a privilege to have been able to serve with you."
But if you need a sweet reason to cry instead of a sad one, Chris Meloni (Elliot Stabler) posted photos of their SVU reunion. "Hangin with friends on a Friday nite @therealmariskahargitay @dannflorek," he said. I just love them!
Did Dann Florek pass away?
The good news is that actor Dann Florek did not pass away! So you don't even need to worry.
Why was Cragen written off in SVU?
Any SVU lover will remember Cragen's retirement in season 15, which fans have assumed is because the character reached retirement age in the series (and probably because of Dann Florek's retirement IRL).
"They retired Munch (a character who holds the record for appearances as the same character across different TV shows, at 13) and Cragen," one Reddit user said. "In both of those cases, they were very clear the retirement was because of the age limits for NYPD officers."
In the show, Cragen's role as Captain soon becomes Olivia, who's carried the title since season 21. “It's a beautiful passing of the baton," Florek told People. “I got to do one little scene, I think I shot it on Zoom, and I was able to say to her — I'm gonna cry — 'You have no idea how proud it makes me to say, Captain.''"
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