Law & Order: SVU: 10 Questions and Predictions

SVU ended a strong season with many unanswered questions. Here is a brief recap of some things we don't know yet and predictions on how the situations will end.

1. Will Captain Cragen get the boot? As the season ended, Cragen was being called before his superiors because the team failed to send Ludacris (whatever the character's name is) to prison for the murder of a woman and her baby. Cragen was also behind the eight ball because an old nemesis paperpusher, about to retire, had taken Benson and Stabler to task on the handling of some cases just to get at Cragen. Will he be able to survive this career crises? Prediction: I have to say one of the weakest things about SVU is how of en the have people's jobs "on the line" because they went all rogue and whatever. It's a cheap way to brew conflict and tension. I saw an episode from about three seasons ago when Cragen asked Stabler "How many times do you think you can break the rules before you get fired?" Apparently, several more seasons worth of times...Personally, can't believe any cop who break rules the way Stabler and Benson do would still be working, but, that's SVU for ya. I think Cragen will survive this latest speed bump.

2. Will Casey get canned by Branch? Another career in the balance was A.D.A. Casey What's Her Name. She was the person who really failed to send Ludacris to jail. I didn't think Luda and Steven Weber put on a very convincing case, but they jury believed them. So now, D.A. Branch has called Casey to his office for a smacking. Will she be fired. Prediction: I haven't heard about any cast changes on SVU, so I think she's safe. However, I did hear D.A. Branch might be gone so his portrayer can run for president...

3. What will the baby mean for Stabler and his love life. I am not one of those obsessed (obsessed!) SVU fans who's all into Eliot and Olivia hooking up. In fact, I am barely a fan of this show at all and I think the two of them together is icky- though, this season it seemed more reasonable since the producers seemed to finally be on board with the idea. Are Eliot and Olivia supposed to be star-crossed lovers at this point? When Eliot learned he'd knocked up his wife, he seemed okay with it. On the other hand, Olivia seemed mad, but not jealous mad, more like, why did you do that, you jackass? annoyed-mad. But what do I know. Prediction: The wife will have a miscarriage and it will all be moot.

4. Will Stabler's daughter do hard time? I have to admit, I have no idea why Stabler's daughter got busted at the end of the season finale. Was it on that drunk driving charge he told her she'd have to pay for - I thought he already took away her license. I should have seen the start of this episode, I guess, but anyhow...Prediction: the Stabler girl will be fine, until she finds out her mom is preggers then she will go on a homicidal rampage because it makes her look like a 'big dork.' Kidding.

5. Will the TV world realize what a good actress LisaGay Hamilton is? LisaGay Hamilton, last scene as Ludacris' tormented mom and Fin's ex-wife, is one of many great guest stars the show at this season. Hamilton, late of The Practice, where her role was only so-so, is so super talented you almost felt like she didn't just breath life into the writing of that SVU finale, she actually somehow telepathically got the writers to write better to begin with. Or something. Anyhow, I hope she gets a regular role on a series soon or a good role in a movie or a play or something. Prediction: she probably won't.

6. Will Olivia see her brother again? Olivia's brother is a really weird dude. I guess if dad's a rapist, and you're accused of being one, you turn out a little weird. The season finale had her brother telling Olivia he had stood up for her, lied for her, to the Captain. She was impressed but also worried. And he seems really cagey. Prediction: It's clear these two have a bond and want to keep in touch, and SVU loves the melodrama, so expect the relationship to continue.

7. Oh, yeah, what about Olivia's job? Olivia gave money to a fugitive (her brother), and now is going in front of the IA people to confess it. Will they take away her badge? Prediction: unless this series is going to change its name to Law & Order: PI, I expected its lead character will stay on the job.

8. Will Olivia hook up with that FBI guy? That FBI guy seems to be all about helping Olivia and even tried, sort of, to get an invite to her place in the season finale - when he said he'd get served a subpoena at his house, did you catch that? Maybe I'm imagining things. Is this a hook up about to happen? Prediction: I think the show has sort of come around to the fact a lot of the more rabid fans like Stabler and Eliot as a (gag) couple, so, instead of going the more interesting route of keeping them a platonic, tightly bonded partnership, we will probably have a season of red herring crap. Maybe with FBI dude in the mix. Did I mention gag?

9. What will Chester be all about? Will it be Fin's job? Detective Chester Whatever his name is has come to join the SVU from Brooklyn. Fin's job is on shaky ground, so will Chester be his replacement? What will Chester be like? Will he ask Casey out again? Aren't they a lot cuter than Stabler and Benson? Prediction: I don't think Fin is leaving (though if he did, his last line to his stepson was a good finale line...) but Chester will hopefully bring a breath of fresh air to the SVU team which is getting kind of old. Literally.

10. Is Richard Belzer bored. Richard Belzer has played John Munch on about five different shows (Homicide, L&O, SVU, CI, that L&O one that was on UPN for 10 seconds, and I think X-Files - correct me if I'm wrong.) But in the last few years, has he done anything on SVU other than spout conspiracy stuff and one-liners ? I mean, does he even detect anymore? If I were Belzer, I'd be pretty bored, though, I guess I'd be bored right to the bank. Maybe this gig gives him time to do stand-up or whatever it is he does.