Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8 was an intense hour centered round Carisi being taken hostage throughout a theft.
However was this one of the simplest ways to wrap up the primary half of Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26?
TV Fanatic writers Laura Nowak, Sara Trimble, Jasmine Blu, and Jack Ori talk about whether or not we loved this episode, whether or not it was a becoming fall finale and extra on our Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8 Spherical Desk.
Did you take pleasure in Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8 breaking from the norm with this Carisi hostage scenario, or would you slightly have had an precise SVU case?
Laura: I’ve been ready for this one for weeks, so I used to be excited for a Carisi-centric.
I’ll admit it appeared odd that there wasn’t a rape case, however there are different kinds of particular victims that the present used to cowl.
The high-intensity drama jogged my memory of when Olivia was kidnapped throughout “Townhouse Incident” (Legislation & Order: SVU Season 17 Episode 11)
Sara: It was nice to see Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8 deal with Carisi since he will get much less display time as an ADA than within the SVU division.
This episode will seemingly be a part of a much bigger storyline for the second half of the season.
Carsi has to cope with the emotional fallout of not solely the hostage scenario and failing to cease the assault of one of many feminine hostages (not essentially a rape case however nonetheless very a lot an SVU case) but in addition the stress that brought about him to fixate on the kid predator within the earlier episodes.
Jasmine: It nonetheless fell consistent with an SVU case due to that horrific assault.
General, I assumed the hour specializing in Carisi was nice. It’s apparent that this can be a lingering problem for him for the remainder of the season, so it’s not a random one-off episode for pleasure.
I assumed Peter Scanavino’s efficiency was improbable throughout this episode, so I appreciated that he had one thing extra to do to flex his abilities a bit.
Jack: Whereas I agree that Peter Scanavino’s work on the episode was wonderful, I hated this one.
I’m sorry, however I’m not a fan of episodes the place one of many most important characters is taken hostage. I didn’t like “Townhouse Incident” both, for a similar cause.
Rollins has additionally been held hostage earlier than, so at this level, it’s a repeated beat that was utterly pointless.
I’d have slightly had extra of Carisi coping with vicarious trauma throughout a robust case.
Rollins rushed to the scene however principally argued with hostage negotiators who didn’t suppose she must be there. Was this an excellent use of her character?
Laura: I initially thought Rollins and Olivia would work collectively, which was disappointing. Nonetheless, I used to be relieved Rollins was there to help Sonny.
He knew she was there, and seeing her there when he got here out to embrace him was so emotional. This story couldn’t have been completed with out her.
Sara: Given their shut relationship, the episode wouldn’t have been plausible if she didn’t present up on the scene.
I’d have appreciated seeing her contribute to the case in some way, perhaps had it tied into her new place. It looks like a missed alternative.
She has been by sufficient throughout her time at SVU to have the ability to put her emotions apart and be skilled.
Jasmine: It appeared like a waste of Rollins to me.
It’s not like they’ll put her again in for simply something, so in the event that they had been going to have her on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8, I really feel like they wanted to place her to raised use.
Her being there for Carisi was nice, however she and Olivia acquiesced to these round them far too simply to really feel genuine to me from both character, so she was simply standing there ready and hoping.
Jack: I loved her scenes with Sonny on the finish, however I agree with Jasmine that this was a waste of Rollins.
I felt like they introduced her again to argue for 30 seconds after which stand round feeling helpless. That’s not true to her character and was pointless.
Do you know Carisi was going to double-cross Deonte on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8, or did you fall for his declare that he would assist him?
Laura: I believed Carisi would assist Deonte, particularly after he saved him from Boyd. Deonte appeared to get combined up on this with the fallacious individual and was redeemable.
Sara: It was very uncharacteristic of Carisi, who’s often extra sympathetic to individuals who fall into the fallacious scenario however attempt to redeem it.
Carisi’s been by lots in the previous few episodes, so his emotional state is shaky.
We might see him turn into a extra jaded ADA on account of these occasions.
Jasmine: I genuinely believed he was going to assist Deonte. I used to be pleasantly shocked when he didn’t.
I feel he might have even thought-about serving to as a result of it’s in his nature to take action, however then he stored enthusiastic about what he and the others endured and misplaced Ali, and his thoughts modified.
I don’t blame him one bit. I struggled to seek out sympathy for Deonte when he had many factors the place he might have completed the fitting factor earlier than it escalated and easily opted to not…
Jack: I’m glad to know I wasn’t the one one who was shocked.
I assumed Deonte was redeemable.
It’s true he didn’t do a lot to cease Boyd, however it appeared like he was as intimidated by him because the hostages had been.
This case will clearly affect Carisi’s psychological well being, however was this story the perfect car for giving him a psychological well being story?
Laura: That’s an excellent query.
It undoubtedly affected him, seeing his pal die and figuring out he couldn’t save a girl from being raped when that’s been ingrained as a part of his job.
I appreciated it for him, however I can see how different methods regarding his household or youngsters might have labored higher.
Sara: It felt like a great way for Carisi to really feel powerless and weak.
We’ve seen how protecting he’s over his household, however this technique allowed us to see him as a sufferer who couldn’t save himself or the general public.
He would possibly begin doubting himself and fear that he received’t have the ability to defend his household after this trauma, which might speed up his overcautiousness about his household.
Jasmine: I struggled with this being the way in which to try this.
I appreciated the extra refined build-up of him as a father and what he sees and experiences as an ADA resulting in one thing. Not all the pieces must be so excessive and horrifically traumatic to validate a psychological well being storyline.
I additionally struggled with primarily making such excessive violence in opposition to a random lady, serving as a jumping-off level for Carisi’s struggles.
Ali’s taking pictures was unhealthy and hurtful sufficient, however some a part of you may rationalize it because the worst-case situation in an armed theft scenario, so that you’re at the least considerably ready for it.
However sitting there ready for a man to complete raping a hostage is one thing else completely.
Are you able to inform I actually had an issue with using rape on this episode?
Jack: Jasmine, you set that into phrases higher than I might.
This is likely one of the issues I hated about this episode. It felt just like the rape was an afterthought.
If the episode had been about Tess, and Carisi bought caught up in it after the very fact, and now SVU has to attempt to rescue Carisi similtaneously they’re attempting to get justice for Tess, that might have been nice.
However it felt to me like they caught this brutal rape in there simply to contradict the declare that this story wasn’t related to SVU. That didn’t sit properly with me in any respect.
Did this story work as a fall finale?
Laura: Undoubtedly!
It was high-stakes and concerned considered one of their very own. Folks can be discussing how Carisi can be faring.
Sara: I agree with Laura.
It was an effective way to arrange Carisi’s future and the way his character will fare as soon as the season resumes. These occasions couldn’t solely have an effect on his household life but in addition his work relationships.
Jasmine: It was action-packed and memorable.
I most likely would have most popular one thing that centered or utilized all the staff as a result of too a lot of them have been underserved, however it’s a finale that may have folks speaking, so there’s that.
Focus on something concerning the episode not talked about above.
Laura: I’m disenchanted Fin wasn’t on this one since he and Amanda are shut. He might have helped consolation her.
It was troublesome to see Silas Weir Mitchell from Grimm play such a creepy, violent character, particularly throughout Tess’s rape scene.
I’ve by no means seen him like that, and it was arduous to observe.
Sara: I agree that Fin’s absence was notable, however he’s my favourite character.
This episode would have labored higher if SVU had discovered a solution to resolve the case. Your entire scenario felt bizarre.
There have been quite a few occasions that Carisi might have taken cost of the scenario earlier than issues escalated.
He simply might have subdued the second suspect and stopped the assault as a substitute of forgetting his police coaching and changing into a sufferer.
Jasmine: It did bug me that a lot of the characters had been benched for the midseason finale.
And for the lifetime of me, I actually couldn’t grasp what made this example so distinctive that it felt just like the cops and SWAT had been simply there, not doing something whereas Mitchell continued to terrorize everybody.
How a lot time handed?
It felt prefer it took eternally for any authority determine to do something, and ultimately, Carisi nonetheless needed to step outdoors of his personal trauma and let his cop instincts come again to him to manage the scenario himself, usually working in opposition to regardless of the hell everybody outdoors was doing.
The hostage negotiator was actually ineffective.
The cops simply appeared incompetent and ineffective so it was troublesome to observe this episode at occasions as a result of I actually couldn’t perceive why it took so lengthy to get the scenario beneath management.
Half of what occurred didn’t even must occur. Weighing the dangers, they may have breached and brought their possibilities after Ali was shot.
The rape was some of the horrific and brutal only for the sake of it I’ve seen in a minute, and for no different objective than to make Carisi, an unrelated man, really feel helpless, and I’m clearly nonetheless having a tough time reconciling with that.
Jack: Every thing Jasmine mentioned above. I additionally actually hated the gratuitous rape.
I don’t get why this was obligatory for Carisi’s storyline. He was already on the trail of poor psychological well being, so why speed up it this fashion as a substitute of continuous with the story we had?
What was your favourite scene, story, or quote from Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8?
Laura: The emotional Rollisi hug. There isn’t a topping that. It introduced tears to my ears.
Sara: The embrace between Rollins and Carisi was transferring.
Carisi misplaced it after the rescue and wanted Amanda for emotional help. He didn’t attempt to cover his feelings or act like a troublesome man as a result of he was secure together with her.
Jasmine: To not maintain dwelling, however the guttural, anguished cry Tess set free was chilling.
However on one other be aware, yeah, that Carisi utterly fell aside after the rescue additionally bought to me.
I recognize being in an period the place males can categorical extra feelings than simply anger.
Jack: It’s unanimous. Rollins being there for Carisi was probably the most transferring scene of this episode.
Over to you, Legislation & Order: SVU fanatics.
What had been your solutions to those Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 8 Spherical Desk questions?
Hit the feedback together with your ideas.
Legislation & Order: SVU airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c. It’s going to return on January 16, 2024
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