ENTERTAINMENT'Law & Order: SVU' Slammed After Killing Fan-Favorite Character During Season 27 Premiere: 'Not Well'
'Law & Order: SUV' started with a bang as viewers were shocked that Captain Donald Cragen, a fan-favorite star, was killed off in the Season 27 premiere.
Sept. 26 2025, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
Law & Order: SUV started with a bang as viewers were shocked that a fan-favorite star was killed off in the Season 27 premiere.
The episode, which premiered on NBC on Thursday, September 25, began with Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) as she attended the funeral of her long-time boss, Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek).
A Fan-Favorite Was Killed Off
Dann Florek's character was killed off on 'Law & Order: SUV.'
“He was the best boss that I ever had,” Benson said during the episode. “Everything I know about being a captain, I learned from him.”
Cragen was a series regular from the show’s 1990 debut, appearing for 15 seasons before leaving in 2014. He later returned only for guest appearances. The death of the fictional character clearly shook the franchise, with fans of the long-running series taking the time to share their opinions on social media.
Fans Reacted to Donald Cragen's Death
Former colleagues reunited during the funeral on 'Law & Order: SVU.'
“I can't believe they did my boy like that. Not Cragen!!! Lawd, not one of our OGs!! #SVU #LawAndOrderSVU 😪🥺😭💔,” one fan wrote via X.
Meanwhile, another user added, “They done unalived Cragennnnn?! I’m not well. 😢🥺”
“I AM NOT OKAY 🥺😢🥲RIP Captain Cragen 🕊️🙏🏾❤️,” a third quipped.
Although the captain’s cause of death wasn’t confirmed during the premiere, the occasion served as a reunion for his former colleagues.
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Viewers Were Treated to One Final Appearance
Viewers were treated to one final look of the beloved actor.
Viewers were treated to one final glimpse of the beloved actor during the memorial service as Benson and the crew gathered to listen to one of his recorded retirement speeches.
"It's been a long road. It hasn't always been pleasant, and it certainly hasn't always been easy. I lived for my job, I don't think that surprises anybody, and I can't imagine my life any other way,” he said in the video. "It has been a privilege to have been able to serve with you."
Cragen's Last Appearance Was in 2024
Dann Florek said his 'Law & Order: SVU' mirrored him in real life character
Cragen’s last on-camera appearance in the Law & Order franchise was on the spinoff, Organized Crime, which premiered in March 2024, when Cragen faked having a medical emergency as a distraction after a group of men stormed the diner where he was meeting Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni).
“I think Cragen was a father figure to a lot of the people in the show, but for some wonderful reason, I think Dann Florek was kind of a father figure to a lot of the people and the actors,” Florek told a news outlet of how his character mirrors him in January 2024.
