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Mariska Hargitay Had a Glamorous Reunion With Raúl Esparza, a.k.a Barba
Hargitay got together with her former SVU co-star for some fabulous snapshots.
Mariska Hargitay recently reunited with a familiar face!
Raúl Esparza, who played ADA Rafael Barba on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for many seasons, was seen at the anniversary party for the premiere of the show's 25th season. There, he wore a sleek velvet suit while posing on the red carpet with Hargitay, who stunned in a sparkly silver number. The old gang is back together!
See the photo further down this post.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC. Episodes are available for streaming the next day on Peacock.
RELATED: Check Out the Talented Cast of Law & Order: SVU Season 25
Raúl Esparza talks about Barba on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Barba's arc was left off at the end of Season 23 when he has a disagreement with Benson after he defended the man accused of killing Stabler's wife in court. In a recent interview with TV Insider, Esparza opened up about his character's journey on the show.
When it comes to if Barba will ever return to the show, he said, "Never say never. You never know. Whenever they have a delicious enough storyline for Barba to come in and wreak some havoc, I’m sure that they’ll reach out. I like sort of where we left things, too. I like that messy, hard, painful, ouch ending with Benson and Barba. I was like, that’s good, right? It’s good television."
RELATED: 17 Dramatic Benson and Stabler Moments on SVU We're Still Thinking About
As for Barba's friendship with Benson, there are still some unresolved internal conflicts. "I think he just is someone who always thinks of her," he said. "I think that he’s someone who always has her on his mind. And I think he’s someone who will always love her and is deeply connected to her, as much a part of her family as I sort of became in the world of the show, just as an actor. Who knows? He’s also someone who’s just as stubborn as Benson."
