Law & Order: SVU Season 25 Episode 2 Review: Truth Embargo

Law & Order: SVU has by no means been afraid to ask robust questions — even when they upset some viewers.

Law & Order: SVU Season 25 Episode 2 was a primary instance. Natalie spent many of the hour refusing to cooperate within the investigation into her rape as a result of she did not wish to contribute to systemic racism by accusing a Black teenager.

Her mistrust of the police led her to harm her case in a myriad of how, virtually letting a rapist go free within the course of. But that wasn’t justice both.

This story demonstrated that two issues could be true. There could be racism baked into the legal justice system, AND in a person case, a Black individual could be responsible of a critical crime.

That’s what made this case so not possible. Natalie had to decide on between justice for herself and taking a stand towards the system as a complete by refusing to confess a Black child raped her.

Carter’s protection of his shopper boiled right down to claiming that he was misidentified due to racism and that the police had been corruptly manufacturing proof.

That made him look determined, which could not have performed nicely with a jury. It definitely bolstered Natalie’s concern of implicating Jay, although.

Law & Order: SVU’s therapy of racial justice points has advanced through the years; they’re now speaking brazenly about it, and it wasn’t that way back that the division obtained sued after they mistakenly arrested a Black man who was doing nothing mistaken.

But did this episode’s dialogue of not going too far the opposite manner assist or harm the reason for racial justice?

Benson had a degree that letting responsible folks off the hook wasn’t any extra simply than convicting harmless ones due to their pores and skin shade.

But the writers made it too clear which facet they stood on.

Natalie and Brooke had been so virulently anti-police that they appeared like caricatures of people that need systemic reform, whereas Carter’s arguments had been ridiculous. And there was little question that Jay was responsible, making everybody else’s angle appear silly.

Brooke: What occurred to this metropolis? Are the police attempting to show a degree?
Fin: What level?
Brooke: That we nonetheless want you?

Brooke steered that the cops let rapes occur to show they had been nonetheless a needed a part of society, whereas Natalie would not as a lot as take a look at mug photographs with out proof past an affordable doubt that the suspects had been responsible.

Benson answered her questions actually, which might have harm the case. Giving the sufferer an excessive amount of proof forward of a lineup might have prejudiced her.

I additionally want there’d been a clearer connection between Benson’s obsession with discovering Maddie after the non-resolution of that case on the finish of Law & Order Season 25 Episode 1 and the way she was approaching this case.

Carisi thought she was pushed an excessive amount of by her obsession with Maddie’s case, and later, Benson stated that she thought she pushed Natalie too exhausting due to it, however there was little proof to assist these claims.

Benson might have empathized with Natalie’s concern of implicating the mistaken man by telling her concerning the mixup with the power drink vans after which explaining that there was a number of different proof on this case.

It may need backfired, however her honesty may need additionally impressed Natalie and helped her see that Benson wasn’t a run-of-the-mill cop who solely cares about closing circumstances.

Despite these flaws, the story saved my consideration.

The police work a part of the hour was stable, and as a bonus, we obtained two weeks in a row of Bruno, the very best new detective.

Benson: Freeze. Right there.
Fin: Nice shirt. Travis Butler, you are underneath arrest.
Travis: For what?
Fin: You posted a video of it, genius. You virtually arrested your self.

Travis Butler was one entitled teen. He did not assume that livestreaming his crimes would get him in hassle, and it by no means occurred to him that breaking into the police station was a critical crime.

Sheesh. He deserved Bruno telling him to cease being so silly after which some.

At first, I assumed Natalie knew her attacker, and that is why she was so reluctant to testify. Once she revealed her mistrust of the police, I doubted she’d take the stand.

Her request to make use of the lavatory was a traditional misdirection; I used to be positive she’d comply with the drained TV trope of operating away when she was set to testify, however as a substitute, she took the stand however refused to determine her attacker.

Carter’s declare that the cops manipulated her in the course of the recess was considerably comprehensible since she modified her story once more.

This would have been a wonderful time to have Dr. Huang or one other psychiatrist testify as to the way in which trauma can have an effect on victims on the stand to neutralize that line of argument.

But why did the choose object to Benson calling Natalie’s assault a brutal rape? That’s what it was.

The solely drawback together with her selection of phrases was that it opened the door for Carter to say police brutality, absent any proof of his shopper being mistreated by the police.

The case was wrapped up neatly — one thing that occurs extra typically on SVU than not — with Jay confessing and making a plea deal that concerned jail time.

But Maddie’s case nonetheless hangs over Benson’s head, and her query to Carisi about how she’s supposed to maneuver ahead now’s legitimate since she can not seem to concentrate on anything.

Her assembly with the FBI agent took up all of 5 seconds of the hour; hopefully, we’ll have some extra motion on that quickly.

I additionally nonetheless count on Elliot Stabler and the remainder of the Organized Crime Unit to get entangled in some unspecified time in the future. It cannot be a coincidence that Stabler watched the final press convention or that he has additionally been coping with fentanyl sellers.

What did you assume, Law & Order: SVU fanatics? Hit the massive, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us.

Law & Order: SVU’s historic twenty fifth season airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c. New episodes can be found to stream on Peacock the day after they air.

Edit Delete