This article contains discussions of violence, abuse, and sexual assault.
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS forLaw & Order: SVUseason 26, episode 6, “Rorschach"Law & Order: SVUseason 26, episode 6 missed the perfect opportunity to resolve a conflict from an earlier installment. Titled “Rorschach,“this episode featured one ofLaw & Order:SVU’s saddest cases. It felt reminiscent of the real-life murder of Gabby Petito, as it was about a young woman who was beaten and raped while traveling across the United States in a camper van with her boyfriend. It was later proven that the boyfriend was physically and emotionally abusive towards her in the days leading up to the attack.
While “Rorschach” focused mostly on proving the boyfriend’s guilt, there was also a subplot about the victim’s fate. She was in the ICU throughout the episode and had been declared brain-dead, but her mother did not want to take her off life support.This subplot provided an opportunity for Benson to revisit her conflict with the DA’s office inLaw & Order, but unfortunately, the show did not follow through on this idea.
Benson’s SVU Season 26, Episode 6 Victim’s Connection To A Previous Law & Order Case Explained
“Rorschach” Repeated The Storyline From Law & Order Season 24, Episode 4
Both “Rorschach” andLaw & Orderseason 21, episode 4 offer fictionalized versions of the Petito case, with theLaw & Orderversion focusing on a missing social media star who was traveling in a camper van. However,there is a stronger connection between the two episodes than both being inspired by cases ripped from the headlines. In “Rorschach,” Ellie’s mother refused to take her off life support, but a doctor told Benson that Ellie would never recover. This debate was also the crux of the legal argument inLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 4.
Law & Order: SVU - 35 Episodes Based On Real-Life Cases
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InLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 4, the prosecutors argued that they were entitled to press murder charges against a bomber who had caused a woman’s brain-death, even though life support prevented her from passing away altogether. Thus, the doctors inLaw & Order: SVUtook the same position as the prosecutors inLaw & Order, while Ellie’s mother agreed with the defense’s position that recovery was improbable but hadn’t been ruled out.It would have been logical for Benson to reach out to the DA’s office for their take on Ellie’s situationgiven this history.
Benson Reaching Out To The DA’s Office Could Have Fixed Their Unresolved Conflict
Things Were Left Unresolved After She Tipped Off The Press In Law & Order Season 24, Episode 2
Benson got into a conflict with the DA’s office inLaw & Orderseason 24, episode 2, when they prosecuted a rape victim for murder. This was one ofLaw & Order’s best episodesbecause of this intense conflict. However, Benson burned bridges with the DA’s office when she leaked sensitive information to the press to pressure them to drop the charges. However, this rift should not be irreparable, andthis newLaw & Order: SVUcase would have been the best way to fix it.
The DA’s office might not have wanted to talk to Benson, but if she apologized for her part in the previous incident, it could have at least made progress toward reconciliation.
Benson could have reached out to the DA’s office for their take on the brain-death issue, both to help Ellie’s mother and to find out how best to get justice for Ellie. The DA’s office might not have wanted to talk to Benson, but if she apologized for her part in the previous incident, she could have at least made progress toward reconciliation. It is unfortunate thatLaw & Order: SVUdidn’t explore this potential story thread, which would have enriched the connection between the two shows.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Cast
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
