Name: SVU: The Beginning
Genre: Short
Released: 2003-10-21
Duration: 24 min
Rating: 8.7
Cast: Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Mariska Hargitay

Good short on how SVU began, but it could have been better.

I have been an avid fan of the Law & Order Universe since I was a teenager. Special Victims Unit was always my favorite out of all of Wolf's series, because of how deeply the scripts were written to reflect the characters lives (you never really see that in Wolf's other series). For the first time, you get a view into the character's personal lives and how being a Civil Servant (whether it's the Police, District Attorneys, Forensic Psychiatrist or even the Medical Examiner) directly and indirectly affects their lives and everyone around them (and that my friend, is EXCELLENT story telling).

The fact that we get to see the characters "grow and change" throughout the years, is what has kept me attracted and dedicated to the show. But I never knew the short existed in the Box Set of Season One (bonus content), So naturally I watched it immediately. It made me nostalgic, and reminded me about how I felt over some characters, their own story and their departure from the series. 

The short itself is enjoyable if one wants to see how SVU began, and how Wolf cast the actors in their roles. I tend to feel that it's a bit outdated but, it was filmed in 2003. I would still LOVE to see a special containing interviews with the cast on how their characters have developed and how they feel about them. Lastly, I must say that Dick Wolf definitely chose the best actors for the part.

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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SVU: The Beginning

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