What Happened Between Olivia Benson and Rafael Barba on 'SVU'?

What happened between Olivia and Barba on 'SVU'? The two characters are going thru a significant rift on 'Law and Order: SVU' presently.

Stephanie Harper - Author

The well-liked police procedural Law and Order: SVU has applied maximum seasons of the display to focal point on stories about solving heinous crimes of sexual attack and murder. However, each now and then, the characters investigating those crimes get to worry about a few of their very own personal issues. Right now, the dynamics between Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Rafael Barba (Raúl Esparza) are leaving viewers with a lot of questions.

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Olivia, the main protagonist of the display, is the commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit in Manhattan. Before her promotion, she labored as a detective. Rafael, on the opposite hand, is the Sex Crimes Bureau's ADA, or Assistant District Attorney. So, what's going on between the two characters?

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What happened between Olivia Benson and Rafael Barba?

After Rafael agreed to constitute Richard Wheatley — the person who used to be accused of murdering Elliot Stabler's wife — in court docket, Olivia bring to a halt all contact with Rafael. By the tip of the episode, though, things drastically changed.

He approached her to discuss her disappointment over the courtroom complaints, telling her, “You're denying. You're deflecting. You defend [Elliot]. It's alright, I am getting it. It's what you do whilst you love somebody unconditionally." She quickly clapped back at him, saying, “Please don’t tell me how I feel.”

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As a response, he broke viewers' hearts by saying that that he knows what it's like to love someone unconditionally and that he’ll be there waiting for her once she’s ready. Say what? As of now, it’s still up in the air if Olivia will allow Rafael to re-enter her life.

When Rafael mentioned Olivia's desire to defend Elliot, it was his way of trying to get Olivia to open up emotionally. Her frustrations with him stem from the fact that he decided to defend Richard, a man she never believed deserved to be defended.

In Olivia's eyes, it should always be a priority to defend victims and prosecute guilty criminals. Since Rafael didn't hold true to that standard, their connection is now hanging on by a thread.

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Is there a lot of history between Olivia Benson and Rafael Barba?

In the past, it always appeared that the relationship between Olivia and Rafael was completely platonic. One user on Twitter wrote, “Am I the only one who couldn’t see Olivia and Barba ever being together? They have more best friend energy. I love my best friends with unconditional love so I don’t get it meaning something else for them.”

Other people have vocalized the fact that something romantic sparking between Olivia and Rafael would make them want to quit watching the show entirely!

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Since Rafael has never blatantly shown signs that he has feelings for Olivia, this narrative feels as though it’s coming out of left-field for a lot of viewers.

Olivia and Rafael do share one major thing in common though, and that’s their dark memories from childhood. She grew up without her father in her life — a detail Rafael seems stuck on and uses to play psychoanalyst. Rafael, on the other hand, grew up getting bullied. They might be able to relate to each other over traumatic childhoods, but the idea of a romance sparking between them still feels a bit random to viewers.

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What else do 'Law and Order: SVU' fans think about Olivia and Rafael getting together?

According to the response from people on Twitter, fans are totally divided about whether or not a romance between Olivia and Rafael would be the best route for the show to take. One user posted, “Barba and Olivia give off total brother and sister vibes. Nothing more.”

Another user posted, “Rafael Barba loves Olivia Benson unconditionally. And she misses him.”

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What about Olivia Benson‘s relationship with Elliot Stabler?

According to Mariska Hargitay’s interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, she had a lot to say about Olivia's love life on Law and Order: SVU. She said, “The energy’s there. Olivia‘s been in love with him for many a year."

Elliot and Olivia now not paintings in combination within the justice machine, however that doesn’t mean a chance for a relationship is totally inconceivable. Now that they’re no longer running in combination, it could even make it easier for them to pursue a romantic connection with out letting paintings get in the way in which.

Mariska also said, “He is free, and I think he’s were given eyes for me. But Olivia Benson is hurt! I mean, he left me in a lurch for 10 years. She’s frightened.” There’s so much to unpack in Olivia’s personal existence right now, but at the finish of the day, she’ll must decide about which man is actually the suitable guy for her.

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