Law And Order Fans Are Not Happy About SVU's Big Death, But The Gang Actually All Hung Out The Day They Filmed

Spoilers ahead for the Season 27 premiere of Law & Order: SVU in the 2025 premiere schedule, called "In the Wind" and available to stream now with a Peacock subscription.

Law & Order: SVU kicked off its 27^th season on Thursday with a big punch to the gut. The opening scene revealed that Dann Florek’s Captain Donald Cragen died, and it was surprising, to say the least. Florek is one of the longest-running actors in the Law & Order franchise, starting out on the Mothership’s first three seasons before starring on SVU for the first 15 seasons. Both Florek and Cragen are much beloved by fans, and they are not happy about the death. At the very least, though the SVU gang all hung out while filming the episode.

What Are Fans Saying About Cragen’s Death?

The last time fans saw Cragen was during Season 4 of Law & Order: Organized Crime in 2024. Of course, there was no indication that that would be the last time fans would see him. So, when the Season 27 premiere started with Cragen’s memorial/funeral, it was shocking and heartbreaking. Plenty of fans were emotional over the revelation, and some were even angry (and I’m in the same boat). Check out some of the responses that surfaced on X:

• I know we all enjoyed the EO moment, but I'm still disappointed that Cragen didn't get a proper goodbye. He wasn't just their boss - he was their friend. The father figure that both of them needed. He deserved more than a cold open, a memorial in a bar, and no emotion from Liv. - @jenny_8200
• I can’t believe they did my boy like that. Not Cragen!!! Lawd, not one of our OGs!! [SVU] [Law & Order: SVU] 😪🥺😭💔 - @justwrite115
• Now I need to know why the writers of [Law and Order: SVU] decided to kill of Captain Cragen. He wasn’t even a consistent regular…did they bring in Shonda Rhimes (y'all know how she does) - @SimplyDani_88
• Killing Cragen is unnecessary, especially if they never speak of him again. Also, a 30-second tribute & a memorial not filled with 1.0 ppl is so fucking disrespectful. He was an OG, helped build this show. He deserves the 9-episode goodbye [SVU] - @LuluMaggs
• Anyone else feel like it was completely unnecessary to end Cragen on [SVU]? I mean I had to look up to make sure the real actor hadn’t passed. It was a useless storyline. - @JerseyGirl0223
• Okay, I’m sorry but I’m really pissed that 1) They killed Cragen off. Why the fuck did they do that. 2) They did NOT give him a proper send off… Man if you’re going to off a deeply beloved character at LEAST give him a real funeral. Damn [SVU] - @cecilyskeen

Even though Florek left SVU after Season 15, he subsequently made occasional appearances, including in the milestone 500th episode in 2021. As alluded to he also made appearances on Organized Crime.

Why the writers felt the need to kill off Cragen is unknown, but the decision definitely doesn't seem to be going over well with fans. If anything, the on-screen death not only brought characters together but the actors who play them as well.

Law & Order Cast Members United For Filming

Despite Cragen’s death in the premiere, that didn’t stop Florek from being on set for his own memorial. In August, Christopher Meloni actually shared photos from filming to his Instagram. The snapshots feature Florek and Mariska Hargitay and, as a fan, I love seeing this snapshots. I suppose, in hindsight, fans should have known something was up since Florek was the only one not in formal attire, but it was still nice to see the three SVU OGs together again:

While it's heartbreaking that Florek's time within the franchise has come to an end, it's good seeing him, Meloni and Hargitay together again. I hope this won't be the last time they reunite since they’ve remained close over the years, Still, Cragen's absence is going to leave a serious void, and I'm not sure fans will ever get over it.

YouTube TV: $62.99 a Month for the First Five Months

Law & Order: SVU is just one of the many shows that's available to watch on YouTube TV, so why not check join? Through September 30, 2025, you can get five months of the service for $62.99 a month before the price jumps to $82.99 a month.

View Deal

Fans can watch their favorite Cragen moments on Peacock, as Law & Order, SVU and Organized Crime are available on the streamer. You can also tune in by way of a YouTube TV subscription. Plus, I'm going to remain hopeful that Cragen will return by way of flashbacks or dream sequences.