What a messy case!
It wasn’t clear who was extra unsuitable in Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15, however we did our greatest to resolve the difficulty.
Our TV Fanatic writers Laura Nowak, Jasmine Blu, and Jack Ori debate whether or not Stacey’s protection was affordable, whether or not Carisi had some extent in regards to the double customary, and what justice appears like.
Stacey’s protection was that she thought Ryan was an grownup as a result of he was ingesting on the bar and regarded like an older particular person. Was that affordable, or ought to she have completed extra to substantiate his age?
Laura: How many individuals ask somebody’s age when hooking up in the actual world? I get it’s the legislation, but when he was within the bar ingesting, I perceive why she thought he was authorized.
Jasmine: I’m at all times torn with these particular eventualities. However I additionally know I’m delicate to older ladies participating in questionable relationships with youthful males.
Ryan didn’t look a lot older than 18 or so, and figuring out that children use faux IDs and it was a resort bar relatively than a particular membership made me warier of the scenario and need that there had been some double-checking.
Nonetheless, it was affordable for Stacey to imagine that as a result of he was ingesting alcohol served to him at an institution that he was authorized.
Conditions like this contain many components, which is what made the whole case so muddled within the first place.
Jack: I feel the truth that Ryan was sitting on the bar with a drink in his handcrafted Stacey’s assumption affordable. Presumably, his ID had already been checked earlier than he acquired the drink.
Did you do the thought experiment Carisi instructed in his closing? Would you’re feeling otherwise about this case if Ryan had been an older man and Stacey had been a 16-year-old woman?
Laura: That was the one factor I agreed with that he did on Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15.
Society might need been extra upset if the roles had been reversed. Is it truthful? No, however this case was messy.
Jasmine: As a result of I’ve witnessed the gender position reversal secondhand because it occurred to a liked one, and I understand how poorly conditions involving male victims of statutory rape are handled, I didn’t want to actually envision it or swap the roles to know or really feel strongly.
Sadly, there actually is a double customary and a few folks can’t grasp it till they take into account that.
So long as masculinity is tied to “conquering” ladies and even being desired by them (though that is additionally pervasive in queer dynamics as nicely), it’ll repeatedly be a fancy challenge that society can’t absolutely wrap its head round, together with male victims who aren’t giving the area to actually course of that they’re victims.
I really feel like I’m happening a tangent now, so I’ll wrap that up.
Jack: I agree with you wholeheartedly, Jasmine.
On the similar time, although, I’m unsure it could have made a distinction to me on this particular case due to the opposite points within the case.
All of the shifting components that made this messy would nonetheless be the identical if Ryan have been the older get together within the case.
Had been you stunned that the jury was deadlocked on the finish of Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15? Why or why not?
Laura: Completely not! This was one of many messiest instances in SVU’s historical past.
I’d have been stunned if there had been a conviction.
Jasmine: By no means! There have been so many shifting items to it.
This case was something however simple, so it could’ve been a shock if it hadn’t been deadlocked.
Jack: Agreed. As I stated in my Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15 evaluation, there was no different method this case may have ended, given all of the confusion about who did what.
The story on Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15 had plenty of shifting components. Ryan’s stepmother was the one who filed the grievance, not him. Stacey thought Ryan was over 18, and Ryan let her drink drug-laced vodka. What would justice appear to be on this case?
Laura: As talked about, this was one of many greyest, messiest instances.
I feel Ryan knew what he was doing and was simply as responsible, but as a result of he was the minor, Stacey was prosecuted.
I feel a mistrial was one of the best verdict. I’m hoping Carisi deliberate that. I keep in mind Barba utilizing that trick earlier than, too.
Jasmine: You already know, I nonetheless don’t have a definitive reply for that. I think about that’s a part of why the case was so fascinating.
I do consider every thing that happened, Ryan permitting her to drink one thing drug-laced with out warning her about it was essentially the most overt and clear-cut challenge out of every thing. That was one thing that required some punishment due to how harmful that’s if he continues with these forms of actions sooner or later.
I didn’t discover these actions ambiguous.
Jack: It actually is tough to determine what a simply end result is right here. I feel the mistrial was the closest we have been going to get to justice on Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15.
Each folks have been unsuitable, and it was laborious to tease out what was malicious and what was a critical mistake.
Ought to Benson have talked about her historical past of sleeping with a 21-year-old when she was 16 at any level throughout this case?
Laura: I truthfully forgot about that.
Jasmine: If the context was proper, she may have. Nevertheless it wasn’t one thing on the forefront of my thoughts.
Jack: I considered it in the course of the scene when Benson was speaking with Bruno. I used to be debating whether or not it could have been useful for her to narrate to his expertise by sharing her personal.
Something not mentioned above.
Laura: I usually like Carisi, however he actually acquired to me. I’m hoping he lastly listened to Liv and deliberate that mistrial.
Jasmine: Ugh, Bruno. I wished to succeed in by way of the display screen and hug him when that case clearly conjured up a previous trauma that he’s buried.
I appreciated him sharing it and that little second on Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15 as a result of it reveals simply how males course of sexual trauma otherwise.
I’d surprise if that’s one thing he wrestles with shifting ahead, however SVU isn’t the best with continuity.
Jack: I actually appreciated that this episode was so case-focused. As a lot as I like Benson, too many episodes recently have been about Superhero Benson supporting the survivor of the week and nothing else, so this one was a refreshing change.
What was your favourite scene, story, or quote from Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15?
Laura: I appreciated that Stacey’s husband stood by her it doesn’t matter what.
Jasmine: I did take pleasure in how advanced this case was and that it didn’t really feel too preachy or exploitative.
Jack: I additionally liked how advanced this case was. Additionally, as we mentioned above, the Bruno scene was wonderful.
Over to you, Regulation & Order: SVU fanatics.
Hit the feedback to share your solutions to those Regulation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 15 questions.
Watch Regulation & Order: SVU On-line
TV Fanatic is trying to find passionate writers to share their voices throughout varied article varieties. Suppose you’ve gotten what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click on right here for extra info and subsequent steps.