When a member of an elite social club is assaulted, Carisi must convince witnesses to come forward despite the club's strict confidentiality rules. Bruno suspects a bomb was planted to destroy DNA evidence in a rape case. Benson takes on a murder investigation connected to the bombing. When a tween suffers a life-threatening miscarriage, the SVU must unravel a web of online fabrications to identify a suspect.
"A Waiver of Consent" was written by Kevin J. Hynes and directed by Juan José Campanella
Consent can be given and taken away at any time. It cannot be legally stripped from someone. Derek Simpson operates a social club where those rights are supposedly removed. It holds no legal authority in a courtroom. It incentivizes the people who form this elite club. They believe it offers them more privacy and freedom. They are free to do whatever they want. Some take that to the extreme. They commit crimes. They believe it was all consensual because of the forms signed upon joining. That doesn't afford them a life outside of legal jurisdiction. In fact, plenty of people are motivated to take down those at the top of this scheme. That includes two newcomers to this world. Olivia must decide whether or not she can trust Detective Griffin after he was assigned to her by Chief Tynan. Meanwhile, Carisi welcomes ADA Jones to the prosecution team because she has run into this legal scheme before. Both are tasked with proving themselves with this case. In the end, justification must be given to explain their continued presence amongst the ensemble. That largely works.
Consent can be given and taken away at any time. It cannot be legally stripped from someone. Derek Simpson operates a social club where those rights are supposedly removed. It holds no legal authority in a courtroom. It incentivizes the people who form this elite club. They believe it offers them more privacy and freedom. They are free to do whatever they want. Some take that to the extreme. They commit crimes. They believe it was all consensual because of the forms signed upon joining. That doesn't afford them a life outside of legal jurisdiction. In fact, plenty of people are motivated to take down those at the top of this scheme. That includes two newcomers to this world. Olivia must decide whether or not she can trust Detective Griffin after he was assigned to her by Chief Tynan. Meanwhile, Carisi welcomes ADA Jones to the prosecution team because she has run into this legal scheme before. Both are tasked with proving themselves with this case. In the end, justification must be given to explain their continued presence amongst the ensemble. That largely works.
Early on, the story suggests that the club is untouchable because of the powerful members involved. Their influence was enough to end an investigation from Internal Affairs when Curry worked there. Olivia is motivated not to let any outside pressure prevent her from getting justice. The characters call out the types of influential celebrities and politicians in the club's membership. However, the ramifications are largely minor. It's all about Derek and his attempts to make his business legal. On the stand, he suggests that the lawyers were responsible for the waivers. Ultimately though, he set up the environment that operationalized all of this. It takes the initial victim to come forward to put the final nail in the coffin. A member being harmed was the turning point that shifted the story. That resulted in a conviction on all charges. Griffin and Jones helped make that happen. They are still green with SVU cases. That makes their reckless mistakes potentially more costly. Olivia and Carisi see potential. The warning signs are there with Griffin at least. Olivia expects him to be part of a team. He goes rogue and doesn't alway reckon with the consequences of his actions.
Grade: B
"A Vicious Circle" was written by Brant Englestein and directed by Oscar René Lozoya II
Bruno and Griffin go to a fertility clinic to collect a sperm sample and SVU ends up solving two murders and a rape. That's a lot of narrative ground to cover over the course of the hour. Time has to be spent giving Velasco a send-off as well. That means none of the particular plot points have as much depth as necessary to fully resonate. Olivia meets the murder victim before her death. It's because SVU was first to respond to the clinic bombing that they caught the case of solving the doctor's murder. They investigate anti-natalist activists who have threatened her before. While that provides a unique perspective, it still boils down to an old man preying on young woman. Olivia understands his type. She knows how to get under his skin. Even Griffin the newcomer knows precisely how to coerce information out of him. Griffin exhibits several familiar characteristics. Olivia even points out that he reminds her of someone. The parallels between him and Velasco are apparent. They both joined the squad with loyalties elsewhere. Now, Velasco is being sent off to do what he fells called to do. He worked undercover for the DEA. He's being trusted with more responsibility. Olivia has no qualms about him leaving. It's all about doing what's best for each person. She understands that. She leads by example.
Bruno and Griffin go to a fertility clinic to collect a sperm sample and SVU ends up solving two murders and a rape. That's a lot of narrative ground to cover over the course of the hour. Time has to be spent giving Velasco a send-off as well. That means none of the particular plot points have as much depth as necessary to fully resonate. Olivia meets the murder victim before her death. It's because SVU was first to respond to the clinic bombing that they caught the case of solving the doctor's murder. They investigate anti-natalist activists who have threatened her before. While that provides a unique perspective, it still boils down to an old man preying on young woman. Olivia understands his type. She knows how to get under his skin. Even Griffin the newcomer knows precisely how to coerce information out of him. Griffin exhibits several familiar characteristics. Olivia even points out that he reminds her of someone. The parallels between him and Velasco are apparent. They both joined the squad with loyalties elsewhere. Now, Velasco is being sent off to do what he fells called to do. He worked undercover for the DEA. He's being trusted with more responsibility. Olivia has no qualms about him leaving. It's all about doing what's best for each person. She understands that. She leads by example.
The twist of the story is that the doctor's divorce lawyer killed her so he could collect on the policy he put on her without her knowledge. He was hit by hard times and fell into addiction. His reputation was never as some incredible lawyer. He could get the job done to a certain extent. He can go toe-to-toe with Carisi in the interrogation room. The evidence just isn't on his side. Carisi knew that. He operated with confidence because he knew this guy never had the conviction to perfectly pull off this scheme. He never followed through with anything. Carisi makes that opinion known. Again, it's not the most fulfilling or meaningful resolution. It's better when the episode concludes with Velasco reaching out to Fin. He wants to think him for his guidance. Olivia wasn't the only one who shaped him into the man he is today. Not much actually has to be said between them either. They understand the significance of this moment without having to offer some kind of emotional goodbye. It's fitting for a character that sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. The show pivots to new opportunities now. That's without Velasco while continuing to rely on the characters who have been a focal point of the show for a long time.
Grade: B-
"Clickbait" was written by Kevin Deiboldt and directed by Norberto Barba
Amanda Rollins is back at SVU. The twist is hardly surprising given the news over the summer that Kelli Giddish was returning as a series regular. She's been featured in the opening credits of each episode so far even when she doesn't appear. It's a welcome return. It provides more stability to the unit. It also plays into whatever Chief Tynan is hoping to achieve as the new police chief. She's implemented transformational changes. Rollins was proud of her work with the intelligence unit. Now, that's all discarded as Tynan installs her own vision of what the unit should be. It's no longer a space Rollins can operate within. That's why she's looking to make a move again. Tynan sets all of this into motion. She's made it clear she wants to promote Olivia as a Deputy Chief. She comments on how she's in the field more than any other captain. Olivia prides herself for being on the ground. She's not made to be behind a desk. Tynan is determined to make her plan happen. SVU always has a spot for Rollins. She has to want it. It can't just be a rest stop as she figures the rest of her life out. It's not portrayed as that. Instead, it's offered as Olivia having allies as they prepare for whatever comes next from Tynan. It also carries the consequence of this precinct having a severely overqualified roster. It features two captains and two sergeants now. That may not be the best way to manage resources. It also ensures these characters stay together in their quest to provide justice for victims.
Amanda Rollins is back at SVU. The twist is hardly surprising given the news over the summer that Kelli Giddish was returning as a series regular. She's been featured in the opening credits of each episode so far even when she doesn't appear. It's a welcome return. It provides more stability to the unit. It also plays into whatever Chief Tynan is hoping to achieve as the new police chief. She's implemented transformational changes. Rollins was proud of her work with the intelligence unit. Now, that's all discarded as Tynan installs her own vision of what the unit should be. It's no longer a space Rollins can operate within. That's why she's looking to make a move again. Tynan sets all of this into motion. She's made it clear she wants to promote Olivia as a Deputy Chief. She comments on how she's in the field more than any other captain. Olivia prides herself for being on the ground. She's not made to be behind a desk. Tynan is determined to make her plan happen. SVU always has a spot for Rollins. She has to want it. It can't just be a rest stop as she figures the rest of her life out. It's not portrayed as that. Instead, it's offered as Olivia having allies as they prepare for whatever comes next from Tynan. It also carries the consequence of this precinct having a severely overqualified roster. It features two captains and two sergeants now. That may not be the best way to manage resources. It also ensures these characters stay together in their quest to provide justice for victims.
Moreover, the show is finding creative ways to remain vibrant and current. It acknowledges the rising threat of artificial intelligence. It makes their jobs more difficult. Nude images can be created so quickly. They are produced by people who don't have the full comprehension of their impact. It's horrifying when a car crashes into a bus. It's more tragic when one of the students passes out due to internal hemorrhage. She didn't know she was pregnant. Sex was consensual. Her peers still decided to mock her. They lack empathy. SVU has that in spades. In fact, Olivia decides to change the kinds of prosecutions that can be brought. Carisi and Jones know they face an uphill battle. They still thought they achieved a major victory. They proved their case. They called out the harm being done by this AI company. The judge tossed the verdict aside because it didn't meet the standard of the outdated laws. Carisi argued that creative legal maneuvers were necessary. This outcome may have been inevitable. It was all about sending a message. It goes to those creating these companies and those making laws to prevent these harms. It may have an impact. It may not. The story has been told. The harm is real. The show calls attention to that and the restraints keeping any true accountability from happening.
Grade: B+
