A lot happened in Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5, but something was missing.
When a reporter attempts to jump off a building after receiving threats, Benson and other members of the SVU team begin discussing sextortion, leading to an investigation into a complex scheme to extort money from people using sexual photos.
Benson works with two victims and saves the day for one, but the case falls flat.
Sextortion is a serious crime that deserves a more intense storyline
The cold open of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 was intense as a sextortion victim quickly went from having a great time on a date to contemplating jumping from the roof of a building after receiving a threatening text message X-rated photos for everyone she knew.
However, Benson quickly convinced Kelsey. The beat feels rushed, which is a problem throughout.
After Kelsey was rescued safely, Benson learned some relevant details. He learned that Kelsey was dating online and then received a request for $50,000 to prevent the release of his nude photos.
It’s a troubling situation, but Kelsey doesn’t handle it (or doesn’t handle it) well enough to make much of an impact.
Instead, Kelsey’s questions led to an investigation into what was allegedly a common scheme, but the focus was only on one other victim, so it didn’t appear to be as widespread as Benson initially claimed.
It’s nice to have victims in both cases who are linked, but it’s not the same thing as the sextortion epidemic, and the fact that Benson treats the situation like it’s more common than it actually is is distracting.
This episode might have been better if it also just followed Kelsey’s story.
Kelsey is a well-known journalist who escaped domestic violence. She feels like her job is the only thing she has left because her abusive ex took everything from her, which makes the threat of sextortion doubly painful for her.
No wonder Kelsey considered suicide when threatened!
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 4 could have gone deeper into Kelsey’s story instead of adding a second victim. If anything, Ruby should have been a side event to the story, providing information that helped them find the man, rather than getting equal time.
Additionally, Kelsey’s backstory provides a strong red herring but is never followed up.
Since Kelsey was a victim of domestic violence, the logical first step was to rule out her ex-boyfriend.
It wasn’t a stretch of the imagination for a controlling ex to seek revenge on his girlfriend for leaving him by trying to blackmail her with nude photos, but he’d never considered the possibility.
This would be a more effective diversion than Neal, who doesn’t exactly make sense being a part of this plan.
Scammers always target rich people, why would they target people who have no money?
Additionally, if he discovered new, wealthier victims, they would not follow through on their threats and instead keep the photos secret.
This was inconsistent with the well-organized scheme, which involved two brothers who hired people to act as “dates.”
Neal isn’t supposed to be on their radar at all, and his only purpose in appearing is to make sure the sextortionist doesn’t get caught too early in the episode.
The ending of the case is the most powerful part
I was so angry for Kelsey when the blackmailer sent her nude photos to all of her co-workers.
It’s not entirely explained why he does this. I guess someone in Constantine’s organization wants revenge because Kelsey ruined their operation.
Still, it’s unfair that Kelsey could lose her job if the network doesn’t approve the nude photos, even if she didn’t give anyone permission to distribute them.
That moment was the powerful statement about sextortion I’d been looking for, but I didn’t get it for the next hour. We need more than this!
I’m glad Benson found a way to save Kelsey’s job, although it’s disappointing that this was all handled off-screen. But at least Benson’s solution makes Kelsey feel empowered and helps others avoid becoming victims, so there’s that.
This case will be a perfect crossover with “Law & Order: Organized Crime”
It’s a shame that Law & Order: Organized Crime went on hiatus indefinitely before Season 4 began airing on Peacock, as this case would have worked well as a crossover.
Sextortion plots may not be this sophisticated scheme but a way for organized crime gangs to make money and maintain control over people they deem problematic.
Since Stabler was not present, the case may be relevant to the intelligence community’s next investigation.
Yes, Rollins is just here for a visit, but we wouldn’t hate her too much if she came back so soon, especially if justice was to be served in such an important case.
Belasco’s undercover work is entertaining, even if it’s rushed
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 was okay; it was funny, and Belasco’s undercover scenes involved solid police work.
I wish the undercover sequences lasted a little longer, though.
On the one hand, Velasco’s recording of a woman exchanging numbers and trying to get him into bed doesn’t prove anything, and the fact that she later took money from Constantine isn’t ironclad.
Plus, Belasco going undercover is pretty fun. I enjoyed him pretending to be super rich, although he should have been better prepared for the role.
Bruno was right, Velasco didn’t dress like a venture capitalist, and his behavior didn’t strike me as one.
However, it was enough to fool Audra and give Bruno and Silva time to talk in the car while observing the situation.
I didn’t expect Silva to be shipped with anyone, at least not yet, but she and Bruno have some serious chemistry, and her father’s hatred of him is a big reason for the couple’s conflict.
Plus, we need an exciting new romance, since Benson and Stabler are stuck indefinitely!
Will the Bronx SVU storyline return?
Ruby mentioned that she had reported the sextortion incident to the Bronx SVU.
Regardless, that particular branch of SVU did a terrible job, or used to. Benson spent part of Season 24 of Law & Order: SVU completing some cases that SVU in the Bronx had missed, which is how she met Bruno in the first place.
This mention is no coincidence, especially since Silva said her father was unhappy with Bruno’s lawsuit.
Something big is going to happen soon, although I don’t know what it is yet. I think the Bronx SVU has been shut down, or at least the original leaders fired, because it was so incompetent and corrupt.
Over to you, Law & Order: SVU fanatics. What did you think of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5?
Vote in our polls, rank the episodes, and voice your thoughts in the comments.
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and Fridays on Peacock.
Watch Law & Order: SVU Online
