Mariska is INCREDIBLE.
But Chris Meloni does get overlooked.
His character is so human.
And it is his inner demons that prevent the audience from connecting to Elliot in the same way that they can relate to Olivia.
When she is at her breaking point, we see fear and vulnerability.
When he is at his breaking point, we see the very evils he's fighting against.
And as we've been trained by the show to align ourselves against those forces, it's harder to be emotionally moved by his performance.
But that doesn't detract from the fact that he's doing excellent work.
It is the fact that he allows himself to delve so deeply into these dark spots in his character that proves his ability as an actor.
They both deserve praise, in my opinion.
I starred in a short film called
Magnetic Personality. Check it out!