This article discusses incidents involving violence, sexual assault, abuse and other topics that may be triggering or upsetting to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
For more than two decades,the late Richard Belzerportrayed Det. John Munch on multiple television shows, most notably onLaw & Order: SVU. During this time, he portrayed Munch on ten different series across five different networks, surpassing bothCheers' Frasier Crane andGunsmoke’s Marshal Matt Dillon in terms of character appearances, and third behind Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) as the longest-running prime time live-action character in television history.
As one of the most integral and important parts ofSVUin its initial years, John Munch brought the veteran’s touch to the now iconic program. AsLaw & Order: SVUenters its upcoming 27th season, we look back on the ten best John Munch episodes in series history.
10Zebras
Season 10, Episode 22
This episode, while most notable for one ofLaw & Order: SVU’s most shocking plot twists, involving Dale Stuckey (Noel Fisher) as the perpetrator of multiple murders,SVUviewers a first look at a mostly unexplored Munch story thread outside ofHomicide: Life on the Street. Carol Kane, reprising her role as Munch’s ex-wife, Gwen, appears as part of an investigation into a conspiracy theorist accused of murder.
Munch’s interaction with his ex-wife, appearing to be suffering from an unnamed mental illness, gave context to a part of his story that started in the Baltimore Police Department. Although it came ten seasons in, we loved learning more about Munch, and seeing how deeply he cared for Gwen, even if those wounds were deep.
9Parts
Season 6, Episode 22
In the follow-up to season 5’s episode 22, “Painless”, we see the return of Amy Solwey (Marlee Matlin), a character who helped Munch work through some guilt involving his father (more on that below). In the investigation of a black market organ ring, Solwey is revealed to be a part of it, putting herself in a position to go back to jail, as well as causing Munch to take matters into his own hands to try and help her.
After the events of “Painless”, Munch becomes connected with Solwey and her well-being, having convinced her to stay alive. In the aftermath of “Parts”, her future is uncertain, but it shows Munch taking steps that would be considered outside the law to help someone who helped him, adding more complexity to an already deeply complex character.
8American Tragedy
Season 15, Episode 3
In an episode ofLaw & Order: SVUthat was “ripped from the headlines,” the Special Victims Unit is involved in the case of the murder of an unarmed black man by a white assailant that captures the interest of the country. In the wake of the jury’s not guilty verdict at trial, the shock becomes too much for Munch, who finds himself questioning his position in law enforcement.
For over two decades, Munch stayed the course with his work in homicide and special victims, but this case was the final blow for him in a world where he sometimes felt out of place.
For over two decades, Munch stayed the course with his work in homicide and special victims, but this case was the final blow for him in a world where he sometimes felt out of place. It’s a final touchpoint for Munch, who announces his retirement shortly after, setting up a fitting tribute for the character two episodes later.
7Painless
Season 5, Episode 22
An episode focused solely on assisted suicide, Munch becomes involved in the case against Amy Solwey, the main suspect in a case where the victim learns how to take her own life. Munch makes a major reveal for the first time inLaw & Order: SVU: the truth about his father’s death, a suicide, one that occurred after he had a fight with him.
Munch’s take on the case is cathartic and personal, feeling a deep guilt about his father’s suicide, and uses this to help convince Amy to stay alive. It’s an emotional and personal dip into Munch’s psyche and approach, and among the best dramatic and deeply moving performances Belzer gave in the role.
6Manhunt
Season 2, Episode 18
One of the best fully centered John Munch episodes inLaw & Order: SVUhistory, this season two masterpiece involves both Munch andFin Tutuola (Ice-T)on the hunt for a serial killer from Munch’s past. In the search for the killer, Munch dives deep into his own failures in successfully capturing him previously.
His work in the interrogation of Darryl Kern (R.E. Rodgers) was exceptional and a reminder that whenever the ball was given to Munch as a main character, he ran it into the end zone. In its final compassionate scene, where he tells Sarah Kimmel (Anna Belknap) she can finally turn her light off, his skill was never more prevalent than in “Manhunt”.
5Raw
Season 7, Episode 6
In this caustic and oftentimes uncomfortable season seven episode ofLaw & Order: SVU, the Squad investigates a school shooting that left one child dead, and two others wounded by an Aryan Nation group. Munch becomes an integral part of the investigation after being assaulted by a member of the group, Star Morrison (Marcia Gay Harden), later revealed to be FBI Special Agent Dana Lewis, who had infiltrated the group in an undercover operation.
Munch’s Jewish heritage became front of mind in his interaction with Morrison/Lewis, and the interactions between him and the Aryan group members brought a level of palpable animosity to the episode. Although ending up with a bullet in his rear end after a bloody courtroom shooting, the episode ends with a touching moment between him and Tutuola, grateful he made it through.
4Wonderland Story
Season 15, Episode 5
As Captain Don Cragen (Dann Florek) told Olivia Benson at the end of episode 4 of season 15, “nothing changes, unless it has to,” and a big change came toLaw & Order: SVU. “Wonderland Story” was the end of an era for Detective John Munch in his final episode as a main cast member.
“Wonderland Story” was the end of an era for Detective John Munch in his final episode as a main cast member.
It was bookendedby both Munch’s retirement party and his last moments inside the walls of the Special Victims Unit, and felt both poignant and emotional to see him leave, with clips from a very early appearance as the character onHomicide: Life on the Street spliced in. All good things must come to an end, and this send-off couldn’t have been any more perfect and proper in the story of John Munch.
3Uncle
Season 8, Episode 7
Rarely do viewers get to see two comedy legends together on the small screen, butLaw & Order: SVUviewers get to experience Jerry Lewis and Richard Belzer together. Lewis played Munch’s uncle Andrew, suffering from dementia and shows up unexpectedly in New York and becomes part of an investigation into the murder of a mother and her daughter.
Lewis and Belzer were dynamic together, shedding their comedic backgrounds for a darker story that gained Lewis a Satellite Award nomination. Adding a familial depth to Munch’s story that hadn’t previously been discussed or explored, “Uncle” was among Belzer’s best work in his role as a nephew deeply concerned about his uncle’s well-being.
2Legacy
Season 2, Episode 4
In this season two episode ofLaw & Order: SVU, Benson and Stabler work to solve a case that involves a comatose seven-year-old who has been abused. When it’s revealed that her mother was the one responsible for the abuse, Munch shares a story about a girl who lived across the street from him who was murdered by her mother, still holding guilt for not being able to help her.
The episode is a heavy one, due to its subject matter and its remembrance by Munch of his adolescence, giving additional context to his “why” in the pursuit of justice. The episode ends with an emotional moment between Munch and the victim, where he reads her a Dr. Seuss book, giving himself the opportunity to grieve his past and fix the future.
1Remorse
Season 1, Episode 20
In arguably his best performance onLaw & Order: SVU, John Munch went in search of justice for a television reporter who becomes a sexual assault victim in the season 1 episode titled “Remorse”. After she is killed by a bomb during the investigation, Munch makes it his personal mission to bring the perpetrator to justice.
The first season ofSVUset the tone and tenor for the rest of the series, and “Remorse” felt like both a reintroduction to the Munch character and a coming-out party for those who were unfamiliar. Munch’s sarcasm plays front and center most times onLaw & Order: SVU, but his intensity and pursuit of justice for victims was fully present here, and reminded viewers just how good Richard Belzer was in the role.
