The Season 8 finale, "Screwed," is arguably the finest conclusion to a year's worth of episodes to date as it makes the main characters part of the dramatic narrative. One Redditor hales it as the best "SVU" finale: "The rising tension in the squad put me on edge. I loved how everyone finally had to face consequences for the things that they've done." The episode incorporates the secret misdeeds of characters like Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) into the story, as all of them must be held accountable for their actions during Darius Parker's (Ludacris) trial.
This includes Benson covering for her brother Simon Marsden (Michael Weston), Stabler helping his daughter, Kathleen (Allison Siko), beat a DUI charge, and Fin Tutuola's (Ice-T) activities while undercover. Darius, Fin's stepson, uses the questionable actions of each detective to discredit them during the trial and gets acquitted in the process.
In an amazing final montage, with music playing over the sequence, each officer is punished in one way or another. Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) and Benson are called into hearings, Fin must disown his stepson for good, and Stabler watches as Kathleen is arrested.
