Sextortion is an insidious and traumatic form of abuse, but does Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 do it justice?
TV Fanatic writers Jasmine Blu, Laura Nowak, Sara Trimble and Jack Ori discuss the issue.
We also discuss Bruno and Silva’s chemistry, what the best moments were and more.
How effective do you think Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 was in depicting the issue of sextortion and how it affects people?
Jasmine: I think it’s okay.
I think they can do better. To me, it didn’t feel strong enough, and it became too random and convoluted.
The emotional impact of the theme loses all meaning as we are immersed in this mundane sextortion operation after Kelsey nearly takes her own life.
Laura: I also think they can do better.
I sympathize with Kelsey, but this episode just didn’t impress me.
Sarah: What starts out as a bit dramatic for the sake of emotional impact quickly turns into a hollow news report.
I agree with Laura, this was not a memorable episode.
Jack: This is also my problem with this episode. I spent a lot of time reviewing Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 trying to figure out what was missing.
This episode was supposed to be strong, but it wasn’t, and I don’t understand why.
Kelsey disappears into the background so quickly after her suicide attempt that it feels like a plot point, which is disappointing because SVU is generally much better at handling mental health issues than this.
Kelsey nearly lost her job when the photos in question were sent to her co-workers. What do you think of Benson’s proposed solution to this problem?
Jasmine: Let me tell the truth.
Maybe the Olivia Pope in me is coming out, but the second one starts saying her job is in jeopardy because they threaten to expose the photos, I’ve already said she might as well let them (because they are anyway would publish them) and spin that she was doing an undercover story.
I actually said they were going to give her a Pulitzer Prize when this was all over.
So, I’m just going to say, it’s a good spin that they probably could have done earlier.
Laura: I do like undercover stories. Like Jasmine, I wish they had thought of this sooner to help Kelsey save some dignity, because no one should have to worry about losing their job due to sextortion.
Sarah: This is a clever solution for Benson, but I’m surprised Kelsey didn’t come up with the idea since she’s a reporter.
Jack: I guess Kelsey was too traumatized to come up with this solution on her own. I agree this is a pretty obvious way to rotate a photo post.
What did you think of Bruno and Silva’s interaction in the van?
Jasmine: They intrigued me. But to be fair, I’d watch Bruno with anyone.
He has a natural and easy chemistry with everyone he shares the screen with, which is why he’s my favorite new addition in recent years.
There is potential there.
What? I have no idea. But I’m here for this.
Laura: I must have missed the romantic overtones. I could see Bruno with anyone, but Kate Silva hasn’t piqued my interest yet.
Sarah: I agree with my fellow fanatics.
Bruno is my second favorite SVU member (Fin is first), so it’s easy for me to overlook the other guys involved.
I’m still not convinced of Silva’s character and I hope the van incident doesn’t spark any romantic connection between them.
Jack: I immediately felt the romantic vibe, which I almost never do, even when they’re slapping me in the face. So, I think that’s an indication that this pairing needs to happen
In Ruby’s case, Bronx SVU was once again an unhelpful entity. Do you think there’s any point to this other than explaining why Ruby didn’t get help from the police sooner?
Jasmine: I would say, especially after Silva filed a lawsuit against her father and all of these things.
I’d love for it to possibly go somewhere with a major storyline, but I honestly never knew about Law & Order: SVU.
Laura: I hadn’t thought about it, but there must be a reason for mentioning SVU in the Bronx. Learning more about Silva’s father really interested me.
Sarah: We’ve heard about Bronx SVU many times, so it’s nice that these stories continue with each season.
As Jasmine said, it will be interesting to see if they focus on the Silva’s father storyline or more about the lawsuit. Ever since we met Bruno, I’ve been wanting to know more.
It’s unlikely that Bronx SVU will get a spinoff, but we might see a future episode involving both SVU divisions. This could also hint at a potential spin-off for Rollins.
Jack: When I heard SVU in the Bronx, my ears perked up. The most incompetent SVU strikes again!
When Bruno mentioned his lawsuit, I thought it had to happen somewhere, but as Jasmine said, you never know with this show.
Does the plot twist in Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 make sense to you?
Jasmine: To be honest, no, because he has no money.
I know anyone can be a victim of sextortion and I don’t want to downplay these experiences at all, especially because I really hate how society doesn’t take male victims seriously.
That said, I also feel like the degree is different here. All victims are created equal, you know?
Neil’s nude photos aren’t as damaging as Kelsey’s due to misogyny.
Going back to the emotional impact of this episode and the theme, I feel like the effect would have been greater if we had just focused on Kelsey.
Laura: Not really.
They had nothing to gain by hiring him. He has no money.
At best, it removes their hot seat, which only diminishes the importance of the case.
Sarah: Agreed again.
It feels like a cop-out or a cheap way to include both sides of the coin in terms of sextortion, which can happen to anyone.
Jack: This is consistent.
I feel like this has the same problem as Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 1: it creates a random plot twist that doesn’t connect to anything.
I agree with Jasmine, no matter who it is, sextortion is a big deal. But why would they go after someone with no money and no real concern about losing his reputation?
It didn’t make sense, nor did the idea of forcing him to work for them instead of making good on their threats.
Discuss anything not mentioned above.
Jasmine: Belasco Undercover is a lot of fun. I wish we could have more of this.
Laura: I also loved Belasco going undercover, especially since he didn’t look like the character and had to improvise.
Sarah: I wasn’t sure about Velasco at first, but I’m really starting to like him.
I love how smooth he is going undercover so that even a professional can’t tell she’s being played.
Jack: Belasco going undercover is fun. I couldn’t help but laugh at how far removed from the character he looked, yet how easily he fooled this con man “date”.
What was your favorite scene, line, or storyline from Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5?
Jasmine: Bruno asked for his watch back, which made me giggle.
Laura: Aside from Velasco undercover, I don’t really care about this.
Sarah: I thought the scene where Bruno gave up his watch for his cheap suit was funny. It’s great to be a snobbery and live in the ghetto with blue collar people.
Jack: I loved the whole undercover setup, especially the interaction between Bruno and Silva in the van.
Over to you, SVU fanatics!
What did you think of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5?
Hit the comments with your thoughts.
Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
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