A young boy seeks help when his sister doesn't come home from work. Benson and Carisi suspect a woman's assault was prearranged by a third party.
Olivia knows precisely what it's like to work in a male-dominated profession. She has worked for the NYPD for thirty years. People were incredibly dismissive of SVU when it was first created. Since then, Olivia and her fellow officers have been some of the fiercest defenders of justice. They recognize the sensitivity of these cases and champion the victims. So much of the world has changed. It's easy to grow dispirited over the same crimes continuing to happen. And yet, plenty of resources exist to hold the criminals accountable. Sure, Olivia still comments on the dysfunction of the system. She doesn't like that lying about a crime on the stand has a harsher punishment than the crime itself. She is happy to incarcerate those who abuse others. She's grateful for the punishments Carisi delivers with every case. She essentially always has a moment to sign off in approval of the deal. She sells it to the victim who came forward. Everything is done with the mission of improving society overall. Every step of progress feels minor. So much has the potential to send these rights falling back to a bygone era. Olivia refuses to let that happen. She is consistent in her voice. She uses her position of authority to make it happen.
Grace isn't helpless as Chief Operating Office of AmeriWatch. She is proud of climbing up the corporate ladder. She obtained this position because of her devotion to the company. For twenty years though, Frank has been coercing young woman to perform sexual acts in order to close deals. It's incredibly commonplace. It's an open secret throughout the business. He's smart enough to be subtle when talking about the arrangement. Everyone knows what he means. He's a charming businessman. He knows exactly how to get what he wants. He views sex as the only thing of value that can entice prospective clients to his firm. That has been successful for him for a long time. He hasn't faced any punishment or accountability for his actions. He doesn't have to truly compete with the most impressive ideas. He's stuck on this one concept and refused to change. The tactics he employs with Kyra are the exact same that he did to Grace when she first started twenty years ago. The only difference is the company now has a woman in a position of power. She simply has to be willing to use some of that authority.
At first, it's easy to worry that Grace's presence alongside Kyra at the precinct is an intimidation tactic. It's a way to coerce her into compliance. The commission was the initial offer. Kyra needed the money. She has to support her younger brother. They are the only family each other has left after their parents died. Kyra is eager to impress her bosses. She wants to be promoted to the sales floor. She makes an honest effort into making a compelling pitch to the client. Jim doesn't care about anything she has to say. He is only interested in one thing. He believes he deserves it because it has all been arranged. He thought everyone was operating under the same understanding. Kyra knew Frank had leverage over her. He didn't explicitly threaten her. He didn't think he had to. He thought she would just go along with this scheme. At times, she's hesitant to move forward with the case because she genuinely likes her job. She doesn't want to cause trouble for what could be a misunderstanding. Olivia offers her the reassurance that her initial instincts were correct. She has to guide her through the trial to ensure she remains strong. She has to convince others to come forward and shame this harmful pattern that has dominated the company for decades.
In court, Kyra's story isn't enough to convict. It's nothing more than a battle over two narratives. Kyra says one thing. Frank says another. He lies during his entire testimony. Others misunderstood his intentions. He was deceitful previously because he didn't want Kyra to doubt herself. He has an answer for everything. His authority isn't the only one that matters. Grace knows she needs to be there for her employees. She wants to protect them from what she had to survive to arrive at this point. She believes Olivia doesn't understand what this business is like. Olivia has anecdotal data about her own career. When she stepped into her power, she used it as a force for good. She's had stumbles. At this point, every action she takes is meant to be championed. That somewhat makes for lackluster storytelling that grows repetitive rather quickly. Nothing in this particular episodes is especially novel. But again, it's an example of the show executing a familiar story well. That's appreciated. It offers commentary on the changing world. It understands that appeal and focus. It doesn't strive for more than that. That limits the story in some significant ways. It's still enjoyable. The message is delivered in a blunt way. Grace has a change of heart. She takes action. That's what is needed to prevail. It's not much more complicated than that.
