“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”’s leads, Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T, along with other cast members celebrated the 400th episode of the show titled “Motherly Love.” Created and produced by Dick Wolf and set in New York City, the show follows detectives investigating heinous sex crimes while juggling their own personal issues.

Loosely based on real crimes that have received media attention (such as the Black Lives Matter and LGBT movements), episodes are orchestrated to touch base with the main plot of the show. The show uncovers the hard life of endless detective work as they investigate every day issues and try to balance their own lives of raising families and parenting alone.

Slightly behind shows like “The Simpsons” and the original “Law and Order,” it is one of the longest-running scripted U.S. primetime television series on NBC. Daughter of 50s iconic star Jane Mansfield and one of the longest remaining cast members, Mariska Hargitay, plays not only the main role in the show but is the director and the executive producer.

She directed the 400th episode alongside her other long-running crew member Ice-T, who has been a part of the show for the same amount of time. The episode follows a teenage boy who shoots and murders his best friend who is believed to be assaulting his mother, but when the detectives investigate further they uncover the betrayal of a mother’s love and pull deep secrets out of the dark.

The show was created in the late 90s and is still striving after over a decade of bringing unbearable plot twists and other dramatic story lines in every episode. Many would argue it’s the best “Law and Order” out of Wolf’s franchise.

Along with every episode comes life lessons and teachable moments for teens and adults. The drama behind the show makes it so moving, displaying so much emotion from each character whether it’s a detective or a famous celebrity who portrays a victim. With outstanding acting and writing, it has helped the television series come along historically and has remained on the air without any cancellation.