Loads occurred on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5, however one thing was lacking.
Benson and the remainder of the SVU crew took on the problem of sextortion when a reporter tried to leap off a constructing after receiving a risk, resulting in an investigation of a convoluted scheme to make use of sexual images to extort individuals for cash.
Benson labored with two victims and saved the day for one in every of them, but the case was underwhelming.
Sextortion Is A Severe Crime That Deserved A Extra Intense Storyline
The chilly open on Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 was intense, with a sextortion sufferer shortly going from having a good time on a date to contemplating leaping off the roof of a constructing due to a texted risk to ship X-rated images to everybody she knew.
Nevertheless, Benson was in a position to speak Kelsey down shortly. This beat felt rushed, which was a problem all through.
After getting Kelsey to security, Benson obtained some pertinent particulars, studying that Kelsey had gone on a web based date after which obtained a requirement for $50,000 to maintain nude images of herself from going public.
This was an upsetting state of affairs, however there wasn’t sufficient of Kelsey dealing (or not dealing) with it for it to make a lot of an affect.
As a substitute, Kelsey’s difficulty led to an investigation into what was supposedly a typical scheme, however the focus was on just one different sufferer, so it didn’t appear almost as widespread as Benson claimed it was when she started.
It’s positive to have two victims whose circumstances are linked, however that’s not the identical as an epidemic of sextortion, and the truth that Benson handled it prefer it was extra frequent than it was was distracting.
The episode may need been stronger if it had caught solely with Kelsey’s story, too.
Kelsey was a well known reporter who had escaped home violence prior to now. She felt her job was the one factor she had left now that her abusive ex had taken every little thing else from her, which made the specter of sextortion twice as painful for her.
No surprise Kelsey thought-about taking her personal life when she obtained that risk!
Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 4 might have delved extra deeply into Kelsey’s story quite than including a second sufferer. If something, Ruby ought to have been incidental to the story, offering info that helped them discover the man, as an alternative of getting equal time.
Moreover, Kelsey’s backstory provided a powerful crimson herring that was by no means pursued.
Since Kelsey had been the sufferer of home abuse, the logical first step can be to rule out her ex-boyfriend.
It might not be an enormous stretch of the creativeness for a controlling ex who was in search of revenge as a result of his girlfriend left him to attempt to extort her utilizing nude images, but this chance was by no means thought-about.
That might have been a simpler crimson herring than Neil, whose involvement within the scheme didn’t absolutely make sense.
The scammers had been focusing on rich individuals, so why did they go after a man who had no cash?
Plus, as an alternative of fulfilling their risk, they saved the photographs personal if he discovered them new, wealthier victims.
That didn’t match with this being a well-organized scheme involving two brothers who employed individuals to behave because the “date.”
Neil shouldn’t have been on their radar in any respect and appeared to be there for the only real objective of guaranteeing the sextortionist wasn’t caught too early within the episode.
The Ending Of The Case Was The Most Highly effective Half
I used to be so mad on Kelsey’s behalf when the extortionist despatched nude images of her to all her coworkers.
It wasn’t absolutely defined why he did that. I assume somebody in Constantine’s group needed revenge as a result of Kelsey ruined their operation.
Nonetheless, it was so unfair that Kelsey might lose her job if the community disapproved of the nude images, regardless that she didn’t give anybody permission to distribute them.
That small second was the sort of highly effective assertion about sextortion that I used to be searching for and didn’t get all through the remainder of the hour. We wanted greater than that!
I used to be glad that Benson discovered a option to save Kelsey’s job, although it was disappointing that it was all taken care of off-screen. However at the least Benson’s answer allowed Kelsey to really feel empowered and to assist others keep away from changing into victims, so there was that.
This Case Would Have Made A Good Crossover With Legislation & Order: Organized Crime
It’s too dangerous that Legislation & Order: Organized Crime is on an indefinite hiatus earlier than Season 4 begins streaming on Peacock, as a result of this case would have labored effectively as a crossover.
As a substitute of this convoluted scheme, the sextortion plot might have been a technique an organized crime ring made cash and maintained management over individuals it deemed problematic.
Since Stabler isn’t round, this case might have been tied to the Intelligence Unit’s subsequent investigation.
Sure, Rollins was simply visiting, however we wouldn’t be too sick of her if she returned so shortly, particularly if it had been to get justice in a case that was this vital.
Velasco’s Undercover Stint Was Enjoyable, Even If It Was Rushed
Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 wasn’t dangerous; it was entertaining, and the Velasco undercover sequence concerned strong police work.
I want the undercover sequence had lasted a bit longer, although.
For one factor, Velasco recording a lady exchanging numbers and attempting to get him into mattress didn’t show something, and the truth that she took cash from Constantine afterward wasn’t actually a smoking gun.
Plus, Velasco undercover was enjoyable. I loved him pretending to be ultra-wealthy, though he ought to have ready higher for the half.
Bruno was proper that Velasco wasn’t dressed like a enterprise capitalist, and his demeanor didn’t strike me as one, both.
Nonetheless, it was sufficient to idiot Audra, and it gave Bruno and Silva time to speak within the van whereas monitoring the state of affairs.
I didn’t count on to ship Silva with anybody, at the least not but, however she and Bruno had some severe chemistry occurring, and her father hating him is a powerful recipe for the kind of battle that makes a pair rootable.
Moreover, we want a brand new romance to get enthusiastic about since Benson and Stabler are in limbo indefinitely!
Will The Bronx SVU Storyline Rear Its Ugly Head Once more?
Ruby talked about she had reported the sextortion to the Bronx SVU.
That specific department of SVU does a horrible job, or used to, anyway. Benson spent a part of Legislation & Order: SVU Season 24 ending out some circumstances that Bronx SVU dropped the ball on, which was how she met Bruno within the first place.
It may’t be a coincidence that it was talked about, particularly with Silva saying that her dad isn’t glad about Bruno’s lawsuit.
One thing huge is more likely to go down quickly, although I don’t know but what. I assumed the Bronx SVU had been closed, or at the least the unique leaders fired, as a result of it was so incompetent and corrupt.
Over to you, Legislation & Order: SVU fanatics. What did you consider Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5?
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Legislation & Order: SVU Season 26 airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c and on Peacock on Fridays.
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