Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) feels responsible for the devastating death of Mike Dodds (Andy Karl).The tragedy will definitely shake things up in "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" season 18.
In an interview with E! Online, Hargitay revealed that in "Law and Order: SVU" season 18, her character "takes [the death of Dodds] hard.
Benson believes she could have done something to prevent the shooting or to avoid her beloved friend's shooter Gary Munson (Brad Garrett) from getting a hold of a gun.
"[She] cannot catch a break because there's so much...this idea of being a leader, right? And everything's your fault because it's all under you," the actress explained.
"It's taking on so much responsibility and I think that she has survivor's guilt pretty serious and takes a hit on this one. These things are adding up, I think she really blames herself," she went on to say.
Despite this, Christian Times reports that Mike's father William Dodds (Peter Gallagher) will not put the blame on Benson and that they will still work together in "Law and Order: SVU" season 18.
While Dodds Sr. will be able to, it looks like Benson will find it difficult to see the man that the loss hit the biggest in the office every single day.
Thankfully, Tucker (Robert John Burke) will be there to help Benson deal with the tragedy. While the latter has taught herself to be strong and resilient, it does not mean that she never becomes vulnerable.
This is how Tucker comes in as he always reminds her of how things really are and not to be hard on herself. He is simply a shoulder to cry on for Benson.
It is unclear how much of Dodds' death will affect "Law and Order: SVU" season 18, but it will certainly make a big impact on the squad and Benson.
Dodds happens to be the first major character to be killed off in the history of the long-running drama. Whether or not he will be the last remains unknown.
"Law and Order: SVU" season 18 premieres this fall on NBC.
