Rafael Barba Kissing Benson on the Forehead to Say Goodbye on SVU Is So Tender
Barba stole our hearts, and then broke them, with his touching SVU farewell to Benson.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has its fair share of emotional moments. One of them? When we said farewell to Rafael Barba, a sharp-tongued A.D.A. played by Raul Esparza.
Barba's exit from the squad happened in Season 19, when he told Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) he was resigning. After Barba became entangled in a child's right-to-die case, he decided he couldn't do this job anymore. With 21 years of prosecuting and six years working with the SVU behind him, Benson was devastated to lose one of her team's strongest assets—but even more crushed to say goodbye to a close friend.
RELATED: Mariska Hargitay Had a Glamorous Reunion With SVU Alum Raúl Esparza
Barba evolved tremendously while working with the SVU. His empathy grew tenfold, and he learned sometimes the villain isn't on the stand. Sometimes, the justice system itself is corrupt. Barba's journey from cut-and-dry thinking about the law to realizing its ambiguities prompted his decision to leave his job. After Benson visited Barba to apologize for roping him into this troubling case, he surprised her by saying thanks.
"You know, when we first started working together — what was it, five years ago?" Barba asked.
"Six," Benson clarified.
"The world was an old movie. It was all black and white," Barba continued. "And it was high noon. I was Gary Cooper. I was absolutely sure — absolutely — who were the good guys, who were the bad guys. And then you... You started to weasel your way into my world, and the black and white became different shades of grey."
RELATED: Why Did Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba Leave Law & Order: SVU?
Anticipating an I told you so from Benson, Barba continued, "Don't say it. Before I knew it, there were blues and greens and yellows and reds."
Barba turned his attention to her. "I'm you now, Liv," Barba said tearfully. "You opened my heart. And I thank you for it."
Benson was overwhelmed with emotion. "And?" she asked, already sensing what was coming.
"I've got to move on," Barba said sadly, giving Benson a sweet kiss on the forehead before leaving.
Watch this tender moment for yourself in the video, below:
Raul Esparza talks about Barba's love for Benson on SVU
Barba and Benson have fortunately reunited on several occasions since this exit episode. Esparza has returned to guest-star as Barba in three SVU episodes, revealing that he eventually returned to law (albeit on the opposite side of the courtroom). The last we saw him, Benson and Barba weren't on the best terms. When asked whether Barba might return to the squad room again, the SVU alum 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," Esparza told TV Insider in 2024. "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."
Esparza continued, "I think [Barba] just is someone who always thinks of [Benson]. 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."