It’s hard to believe it now, but when Benson met Carisi, their relationship was barely cordial. So much has changed since then, including both of their jobs. In Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 16, Episode 1 (“Girls Disappeared”), now-lawyer Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) is a detective, and Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is a sergeant.

Mariska Hargitay and Peter Scanavino’s first scene together

Though he’d appeared in a Season 14 episode as a different character, Scanavino’s first episode as Carisi came during one of the most dramatic arcs in SVU history. As the episode opens, Benson is putting baby Noah to bed in his crib, and promising that she will find the man who ordered his mom Ellie Porter’s murder. Then, Detective Amaro (Danny Pino), temporarily demoted to beat cop after an aggression incident, picks up a witness who could help solve the Porter murder. As Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Benson arrive at the precinct…we meet Carisi! And his very prominent mustache.

His first line: “They shot at cops right outside the station, so they want us to know they’re crazy.”