Fans Still Can't Forgive SVU For Writing Off This OG Character
Did he really have a journey between two shows just to be swept under the rug like that?
District Attorney Investigator John Munch has a long history. Originally from Homicide: Life On The Street, he joined Law and Order: SVU after the show ended. However, he only stayed until season 17 (technically, he retired in season 15 and only appeared in one episode in season 17).
With the show currently in its 24th season, fans still cannot let go of Munch and continue to criticize the way Richard Belzer's character has been written off.
According to fans, the SVU writers had begun to "diminish" his role long before Munch's actual retirement, starting in season 9. Back then, Belzer's character appeared less frequently on the show, only showing up for half of a season.
It makes it even worse for fans when they remember that the actor was still eager to continue with the role before the start of season 15.
"I'd be a fool to say I didn't want to do it anymore, and I'm certainly not bored with the character because the writing is so good," Belzer told The Huffington Post in 2013 as SVU entered its 15th season.
Ironically, that's where the writers seemed to disagree, after Munch retired in the season's fifth episode, titled Wonderland Story. Fans are still mourning the character, though many are happy that he was given a classy send-off instead of a dramatic exit. However, a large part of the fandom feels that they never got enough of Munch.
Law and Order: SVU, currently in the middle of its 24th season, will return to NBC with a new episode on February 23.