Mariska Hargitay has shared her favoriteLaw & Order: SVUepisode, and it is surprisingly similar to one award-winning Harrison Ford movie. With 26 seasons and counting, there are several fantasticLaw & Order: SVUepisodesthat can make it hard to choose a favorite. However, it was no surprise that Hargitay picked one that she had directed.
TheLaw & Order: SVUteamhas seen so many heartbreaking cases over the years. With the team focused on solving some of the most horrific crimes, it is no wonder that they all have a strong sense of justice. These qualities are probably what has made one episode in particular stick out to Hargitay.

Mariska Hargitay Names Law & Order: SVU Season 24, Episode 15 As Her Favorite
As reported byUS Weekly, when she was on theCall Her Daddypodcast and asked by host Alex Cooper.Hargitay revealed that her favorite episode onLaw & Order: SVUis “King Of The Moon.“The episode centers on a man with dementia who confesses to killing his wife. However, theLaw & Order: SVUteam knows there is more to the story.
“King Of The Moon” is also one of manyLaw & Order: SVUepisodes directed by Hargitay. It tells a touching story of a man, Pence, who is haunted by the idea that he has turned to violence towards the one person he loved the most. However, as with anySVUcase,Mariska Hargitay’s Benson knows to look deeper.

Hargitay has been a part ofLaw & Order: SVUsince the pilot episodein 1999. As such, she has seen many different storylines centered around some of the most tragic and heartbreaking cases. Perhaps it is the heaviness of some of these plots that has made “King Of The Moon” stick out as her favorite.
“King Of The Moon’s” Story Has Many Similarities With Harrison Ford’s The Fugitive
Both Feature A Man Accused Of A Horrific Crime
While at first glance, “King Of The Moon” andThe Fugitivemay not be entirely similar, they actually have several key points in common. For one thing,the premise of both stories centers on a man wrongly accused of killing his beloved wife. They also both deal with questions of ethics, but in different ways.
In “King Of The Moon,” when Pence discovers the real killer, he wants to take the fall for his wife’s murder. He knows his dementia will not allow him to remember his time in prison. InThe Fugitive, Harrison Ford’s Kimble will not rest until the real killer is caught, and his innocence is confirmed.
In “King Of The Moon,” Pence is played by Bradley Whitford.
The genres of both stories may also be different. However, at their core,they both deal with a heartbreaking case and feature characters surrounded by tragedy. WhileThe Fugitive’s Kimble knows he is innocent from the start, and Pence from “King Of The Moon” needs to learn that information, both characters deal with conflicting fears and emotions.
Why “King Of The Moon” Is Such A Unique SVU Case
“King Of The Moon” Is Unlike Most Law & Order: SVU Cases
“King Of The Moon” is a uniqueLaw & Order: SVUcase because it is not just like any traditional weekly casethat features a clear-cut victim, killer, and the search for suspects. The addition that the main suspect has dementia adds a deeper quality to the story. It is a unique quest for justice.
The episode is also quite moving becausePence’s relationship with his wife is at the center of it. As his dementia takes over his memory, he continues to love his late wife as if nothing has happened. When Pence’s innocence is proven, he also takes comfort in knowing that their relationship was happy until the end.
The addition that the main suspect has dementia adds a deeper quality to the story.
The acting and directing in the episode are also phenomenal. EachLaw & Order: SVU episodeis made with meticulous detail, but somehow “King Of The Moon” sticks out anyway. It is a haunting episode about love. It is easily one ofLaw & Order: SVU’s best episodes.
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Law & Order is a procedural crime drama series that premiered in 1990, featuring New York City police detectives and prosecutors as they investigate and prosecute serious crimes. The show is known for its two-part approach, dividing between the crime-solving efforts of the detectives and the legal proceedings in court.