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24 Episodes 2010 - 2011
The 12th season of this crime drama marks the final season for Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Huang (B.D. Wong), and it also briefly features a new ADA, Gillian Hardwicke (Melissa Sagemiller). Benson temporarily gets to fulfill her dream of being a mom when a rape victim's grown daughter (Maria Bello) leaves her son in Benson's care. Meanwhile, two actors from the short-lived "Law & Order" spin-off "Law & Order L.A."make appearances: Skeet Ulrich and Terrence Howard. Among this season's many guest stars are Jeremy Irons as a sex therapist and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a rape victim who's been attacked repeatedly by the same man.
Episode 1
Wed, Sep 22, 2010 60 mins
In the Season 12 premiere, a 10-year-old girl runs away from her adoptive parents and is found with a man who denies any wrongdoing. Detectives then learn that the girl's parents are hiding something about their past.
Episode 2
Wed, Sep 22, 2010 60 mins
A cleared suspect from a prior case helps detectives with a rape case involving a young girl, but he pushes the limits with his assistance.
Episode 3
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 60 mins
A woman objects to having a rape kit done after she is raped repeatedly by the same man. Benson then learns that some precincts don't even process their rape kits, but an Los Angeles detective is able to help with the case.
Episode 4
Wed, Oct 6, 2010 60 mins
Detectives investigate a teenage girl's death and discover that she was a victim of human trafficking. They then seek help from a friend at the US attorney's office. Meanwhile, Cragen is displeased with his precinct's building decay.
Episode 5
Wed, Oct 13, 2010 60 mins
A woman's body is found in a fountain, and soon it's discovered that she ingested toxic mushrooms. The investigation yields a prime suspect who's a professor and an aggressive activist.
Episode 6
Wed, Oct 20, 2010 60 mins
Two men are beaten and branded on their chests. After a suspect is found, surprising memories emerge that cause a shift in the case.
Episode 7
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 60 mins
An environmentalist's body is found at an industrial laundry plant, and the investigation puts Benson and Stabler in danger. After more victims are uncovered, Benson unexpectedly reflects on her past while bonding with a victim's daughter.
Episode 8
Wed, Nov 10, 2010 60 mins
An FBI agent is raped while working undercover, and she asks Benson to have her rape kit tested. She then quickly resumes her work to preserve her cover, and only reluctantly allows detectives to become involved in the case, which on the surface involves a protest of a mosque at Ground Zero but really is much bigger.
Episode 9
Wed, Nov 17, 2010 60 mins
Stabler speaks at a Take Back the Night rally at his daughter's university, and the rally inspires a woman to accuse a fellow student of rape. Stabler and Benson then investigate the case, and Assistant District Attorney Paxton is assigned to prosecute it.
Episode 10
Wed, Dec 1, 2010 60 mins
Benson continues looking after a young boy entrusted in her care while also searching for his unstable, drug-addicted mother. His mum's name then turns up during an investigation, which Cragen assigns to Fin and Munch.
Episode 11
Wed, Jan 5, 2011 60 mins
A woman is attacked in her apartment, and detectives must ask her to revisit her painful buried past in order to solve the case.
Episode 12
Wed, Jan 5, 2011 60 mins
A young boy is found beaten to death, and the case leads detectives to uncover a gambling ring as well as evidence of a wife (Drea de Matteo) being abused.
Episode 13
Wed, Jan 12, 2011 60 mins
A woman is raped by a masked man and her partner is severely beaten by him. The injured woman's estranged father is notified of the incident, and when police question him, they find themselves confronting an uncooperative man with a sordid past.
Episode 14
Wed, Jan 19, 2011 60 mins
Benson partners with a female detective to investigate a District Attorney's murder, and evidence of crime-scene tampering is found. The case then leads Benson to seek help from an assistant US attorney.
Episode 15
Wed, Feb 2, 2011 60 mins
A billionaire becomes a suspect in a sexual-abuse case involving a teenage girl, and his highly paid lawyer is able to make the case veer off-course.
Episode 16
Wed, Feb 9, 2011 60 mins
After a sexual assault is broadcast on a university's intranet, Stabler and Fin look for the people involved. During the investigation, the attacker's attention-seeking motives come to light.
Episode 17
Wed, Feb 16, 2011 60 mins
The TV host (Debra Messing) of a show that spotlights predators receives threats to her safety, and this reawakens her hunt for her sister's abductor. An ADA with connections to the TV host then assists detectives in their investigation.
Episode 18
Wed, Feb 23, 2011 60 mins
An art patron (LuAnn de Lesseps) finds a body, and when detectives question the murdered woman's good friend (Kate Burton) and associates, they uncover an antagonistic work environment filled with grown-up bullies.
Episode 19
Wed, Mar 23, 2011 60 mins
A family man's stabbing leads to the exposure of his secret pastime at a swingers' club. Benson and Stabler then go undercover at the club, where they encounter a flirtatious woman (Rose McGowan) with a possessive boyfriend.
Episode 20
Wed, Mar 30, 2011 60 mins
A young girl's body is found with a doll left as a totem, so police retrace her last steps, which included a lesson with her piano teacher (Elizabeth Mitchell). They then seek help from a psychologist (Jeremy Irons) who decodes the meaning of the totem.
Episode 21
Wed, Apr 6, 2011 60 mins
Family vengeance factors into a rape case in which both the cops and the suspect seek outside help: ADA Casey Novak (Diane Neal) returns to help police, while the accused man recruits his cousin, L.A. DDA Jonah Dekker (Terrence Howard), to defend him.
Episode 22
Wed, May 4, 2011 60 mins
A woman (Lori Singer) is questioned by police after her newly adopted baby is found alone on a playground. Detectives then investigate her fiancé (John Stamos), a man with a sinister past who's also dating the baby's nanny.
Episode 23
Wed, May 11, 2011 60 mins
A woman discovers a naked teenage boy---whom she doesn't know---asleep in her bedroom, and the boy's overprotective mom (Rita Wilson) defends her son's devious actions. When police investigate, they're reminded of how misleading appearances can be.
Episode 24
Wed, May 18, 2011 60 mins
In the 12th-season finale, a rape-trial witness is murdered before she's able to testify, so Benson and Stabler look for links between her homicide and the rape case and uncover some surprising relationships.