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Benson and Stabler Had a *Moment* During Rose McGowan's Law & Order: SVU Episode
Rose McGowan played an evil seductress who landed on Benson and Stabler's radar at a swingers club.
While the endless rotation of guest stars on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit never fails to keep the squad on their toes, few have thrown Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) through a loop as successfully as Rose McGowan did during her iconic SVU cameo.
McGowan — widely known for her standout roles in the beloved series Charmed and the cult classic film Scream — made an unforgettable SVU guest appearance in Season 12 that added to her bursting portfolio of haunting hits. "Bensler" fans remember "Bombshell" for generating one of the steamier moments between Benson and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) when the SVU partners went undercover as swingers to gather leads on a case. While the undercover assignment snagged attention — Bensler held each other pretty tight among their interested suitors — the SVU guest appearance from Rose McGowan took the episode to the next level.
RELATED: Benson & Stabler Playing a Swingers Couple on SVU Is Pretty Steamy
SVU fans and McGowan stans alike appreciated her Law & Order guest appearance for the way it differed from previous roles while still capturing her signature charm. From McGowan's dynamite guest appearance to Bensler's date cosplay, "Bombshell" remains an SVU fan favorite, so we're looking back at the episode's biggest twists and turns.
When did Rose McGowan guest star on Law & Order: SVU?
McGowan guest starred in SVU Season 12, Episode 19 ("Bombshell") as Cassandra Davina, a charming young woman who frequented sex clubs, working extortion cons with her partner, Doug Loveless (Ryan Hurst). After brushing shoulders with an undercover Benson and Stabler at a swingers' event, the SVU detectives soon learned Cassandra wasn't as charming as she seemed. McGowan's on-screen chemistry with Benson and Stabler heightened the tension, making McGowan's SVU appearance one that lingered with fans long after the episode's premiere.
Rose McGowan's Cassandra met Benson and Stabler at a swinger club
While investigating an attempted murder that took place outside a swingers club, Benson and Stabler sniffed out leads surrounding the victim, Jerry (Tom Irwin). After learning Jerry and his wife frequented swinger clubs, Benson and Stabler got dolled up to disguise themselves and go undercover as a curious couple, heading to the crime scene. There, Benson and Stabler met McGowan's Cassandra Davina, a beautiful woman who instantly took a liking to the detectives.
Cassandra confirmed that Jerry was infatuated with her, but her jealous ex-boyfriend, Doug, caused issues between them and even threatened Jerry. While Doug seemed an obvious suspect, once Jerry woke up in the hospital, he shockingly revealed that his wife was the one who stabbed him — she had grown jealous of Jerry's relationship with Cassandra. She snapped after learning Jerry had spent their family's savings on charming Cassandra. This led the SVU to discover Cassandra and Doug were con artists who targeted swingers. Jerry's wife was arrested, but the SVU still had a mess on their hands.
Rose McGowan's Cassandra was far from innocent on SVU
While the case began with an attempted murder, it quickly ran off the rails once they realized they had two con artists on the run. After checking out the couple's criminal history, DNA evidence from one of Cassandra and Doug's previous crimes sparked the detectives' interest. The DNA test indicated that Cassandra and Doug were related; they were biological siblings. Cassandra and Doug were arrested, and while she unsuccessfully attempted to seduce Stabler to get him on her side, she came clean about her relationship with her brother — she felt that she and Doug were the same soul and felt no shame about their incestuous love affair.
Cassandra wasn't too worried about getting arrested, either. Still infatuated with her, Jerry had paid for her lawyer, leading Cassandra to get released on bail. Cassandra took full advantage of Jerry's assistance, later telling Benson and Stabler that Jerry had prepared a surprise for her at their shared home. Sensing the worst on the horizon, the detectives flocked to the house to find precisely what they feared: Doug, stabbed to death by Jerry. Jerry had bailed him out only to murder him.
Cassandra was horrified, grieving her brother with profound despair as the detectives and Jerry stared at the gruesome scene. Cassandra's storyline took viewers on an unpredictable journey as McGowan's character shifted from horrific manipulation to devastating vulnerability. Cassandra used love to swindle countless unsuspecting victims, but ended up losing everything she loved in the end.
Watch Rose McGowan's SVU episode and all 26 seasons of SVU on Peacock.
