Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
I agree with Benson. It was good to see Rollins.
That scores points in this Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 review because, honestly, it’s always better when Rollins turns up.
Still, this wasn’t a typical SVU case. It didn’t rise quite to the level of backdoor pilot for a spinoff, but something felt off.
Our Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 Review Verdict: This Case Would Have Fit In Better On Some Other Dick Wolf Shows
SVU got involved because one of the victims was raped, but the case didn’t focus exclusively on that despite Benson’s insistence to Rollins that that was her priority.
The search for international terrorists who rob and sometimes rape people seemed more like what happens most weeks on FBI, and the Albanian mob angle reminded me of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2.
There were aspects of the story that fit SVU’s usual cases very well, of course.
Benson’s support of the victim and her insistence that finding the rapist was more important than making sure the terrorists didn’t get on a plane were typical Benson, though there was no real reason for her and Rollins to be at cross-purposes.
Rollins: That DNA could be our only chance at getting these guys.
Benson: I understand that, SERGEANT, but my only concern is finding the guy who raped Nora Fletcher.
If Rollins wanted to make sure the perps didn’t leave New York, and one of those perps was the rapist, then what was the issue?
Benson and Rollins don’t need conflict for the sake of drama.
That nonsense lost them a few points on the Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 review, and doubly so because Benson talked to Rollins like she was a clueless random cop and not someone who had worked in SVU for a decade before switching jobs.
Their argument didn’t last long.
Still, it made no sense and seemed written to fulfill a silly TV trope that didn’t quite fit about cops in different departments fighting over whose case is more important.
Rollins and Her New Partner Were The Best Part Of The Hour
Even though this was somewhat of a backdoor pilot, I enjoyed Rollins and her new partner enough that I want more of them.
I’d be up for a Rollins-centered crossover on any of Dick Wolf’s shows, especially if she brings Corgan with her.
He fit in well with everybody and had a good attitude despite being shocked by the depravity involved in the case.
Fin: Wanna do the honors?
Corgan: Hell, no. I’m in Intelligence. We keep it clean.
His banter with Fin was especially fun and elevated the episode, scoring plenty of points for this Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 review.
The Most Shocking Part Of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3: The Husband DIDN’T DO IT
It seemed like the husband was likely in on the robbery and rape almost from the beginning.
He let the robbers in without checking who was at the door, told his wife to go along with their demands, and had a complicated financial motive that I only half followed.
Even after it was proven that his business manager was the bad guy, I didn’t trust him and half expected the last scene with Benson and Nora to be about Benson encouraging Nora to make a plan to safely escape her abusive husband.
The only plot twist here was James’ innocence.
He was an overprotective guy who was worried about the state of the world, but he didn’t commit a crime despite how many red flags went up almost every time he opened his mouth.
Benson Was At Her Best Supporting The Victim, As Usual
Benson’s interactions with Nora and her friend Valerie were standard SVU fare in an episode that didn’t have much of it.
I love it when Benson goes the extra mile to empower and support survivors who feel helpless in the face of everything that’s happened to them.
Nora needed Benson’s encouragement to put herself first after the trauma she’d suffered, but Valerie also needed a pep talk.
The conflict between Nora and Valerie brought up a dilemma that has no easy answers.
As the survivor, Nora had a right to privacy and to decide who she wanted to disclose her ordeal to, including the police.
Yet Valerie was trying to be a good friend by reporting the injustice that Nora was afraid to report, especially given that Nora’s silence was because she was afraid of upsetting her husband.
Nora’s need to keep James calm at all costs was not good for her mental health as well as being a strong indicator that there was some abuse going on.
But Valerie’s choice to tell the police what happened to Nora made Nora feel even more powerless at a time when she needed as much control over her situation as she could get.
Well done, SVU, for bringing up this dilemma and not making the right answer clear.
Odds and Ends
As always, I want to close out this Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 review with a few random thoughts.
No Silva for the second week in a row. What was the point of introducing her in the premiere if she’s going to vanish afterward?
I know this is how romance works in these police procedurals, but Carisi calling Rollins by her last name while asking her about the case seemed weirdly formal and distant.
I’m incredibly disappointed that we didn’t get any real Rollisi family scenes. Rollins apparently works long hours and rarely sees her family, but this episode would have been a great time to do that.
Over to you, Law & Order: SVU fanatics. What did you think of Rollins’ return?
Vote in our poll to rate the episode, and then hit the comments with your thoughts.
Law & Order: SVU airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c and on Peacock on Fridays.
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