"None of Benson's previous partners, squad mates, or friends come close to having had such a positive impact on her as Barba did. No one else could really go toe-to-toe with her as equals. All due respect to the intensity of the early Stabler-Benson years, but there's no version of the show where Liv would be captain of SVU if Stabler had stayed her partner. She would have been stuck prioritizing Stabler's issues and reining in his mercurial tempers, rather than focusing on building her own skill set"- TV Guide
"Benson had the opportunity to grow and turn into a captain and stretch her muscles and see who she was without Stabler, and have to grow in ways she didn't have to when he was there": Mariska Hargitay
















