7 Most Disturbing SVU Episodes, Ranked by How Unwatchable They Are

While Law & Order: SVU is often seen as a family-friendly crime procedural, the long-running series has actually included some truly peculiar and downright distressing arcs that are entirely inappropriate for younger viewers.

Here are 7 of SVU's most unsettling episodes:

7. Taboo (Season 7 Episode 14)

In this episode, the team is tasked with investigating the truth behind a baby boy found in a dumpster. No one is prepared for what Benson and her colleagues ultimately uncover. The revelation of a teenage girl repeatedly abandoning babies while her own father keeps getting her pregnant is truly difficult to stomach.

6. Psycho/Therapist (Season 15 Episode 10)

Serial rapist William Lewis is undoubtedly one of the most terrifying villains the show has ever featured. The episode in which he chooses to defend himself in court and subsequently interrogates Benson about her assault is a total nightmare for all SVU fans to watch.

5. Nocturne (Season 1 Episode 21)

The show's first season demonstrates that the writers had no intention of making their stories family-friendly. The tale of a man who was abused as a teenager and started to abuse children himself as an adult prompted many fans to quit the show entirely.

4. Imprisoned Lives (Season 15 Episode 2)

One of the most recent examples of SVU taking a shocking turn is the genuinely twisted investigation in which Benson and her team discover several women being held in cages in an otherwise normal New York apartment.

3. Plastic (Season 20 Episode 11)

The storyline involving a young woman accusing her celebrity plastic surgeon and his girlfriend of rape proves to be one of the most powerful in Season 20, even though many fans could not continue watching it as the story unfolded.

2. Pique (Season 2 Episode 20)

Jason, the episode's main villain, remains one of the most disturbing characters ever created by SVU's writers. This stalker, who has an unhealthy relationship with his own mother, becomes the stuff of nightmares for all fans of the then-new show.

1. Charisma (Season 6 Episode 7)

The most distressing episode in the show's history begins with a 12-year-old girl suffering from pregnancy complications and concludes with a cult leader abusing children. Understandably, not many people managed to watch the entire episode and find out how it ends.