In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Warren Leight talked about the fate of Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Ed Tucker's (Robert John Burke) relationship in Law & Order: SVU.

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First off, Leight addressed the disapproval of some fans over this relationship with the controversial Tucker, revealing that the team was aware of the risks they were taking with this character development.

"I know the fans have very strong feelings about anything involving Olivia," Leight said. "But we knew Tucker would be loaded. I think for the first dozen years on this show, he was Javert from Les Miz - the relentless, evil prosecutor who couldn't see the good in anyone. The show had a tendency to be a little more black-and-white so he was a bad guy. A lot of what my now-ending reign has been about is about going for the grey and over time, I think Olivia had come to see him differently."

He went on to create something of a defense for Tucker and the fact that he was a committed officer, even though some of his unpopular actions.

"I think some of the people hadn't seen his character and his relationship to the squad evolving in the last five years. So they say, 'Well, he arrested Olivia.' Well, in that episode when he arrested Olivia, she was being framed perfectly," Leight said. "You could argue when he went after people in the squad room, whether it was Amaro or Stabler, it was usually in response to moments where they appeared to have abused their power or they appeared to have overreached. We perceive it as unjust because these guys are our heroes but he's doing his job."

In fact the fact that both of them are very dedicated to their work is what helps them bond, according to Leight.

"They both take their jobs very seriously," Leight said.

But here's a bit of a spoiler, Leight revealed that in the next episode, their relationship will be "tested severely" and Benson's "relationship with Tucker complicates things enormously for her."

The next episode, 'Unholiest Alliance,' will air on March 23 on NBC.

Watch the preview for the latest episode, 'Manhattan Transfer':

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Law And Order SVU, Nbc, Television