A Midwestern tourist is viciously attacked in Times Square. As the squad scours the area for clues, the victim takes the investigation into her own hands. A secret motive threatens to derail Carisi's case.
Various tropes are deployed repeatedly in SVU cases. It's part of the job. The detectives and prosecutors can easily grow jaded over hearing the same stories over and over again. Olivia has never lost her compassion for victims. She fights for them even when they don't believe in themselves. She is the strongest advocate out there. She engages in a system that sometimes perpetuates these familiar tropes. A man claims consensual sex when accused of rape. It's a way to explain the physical evidence while entering the murkier territory of consent. Power was taken from the victim during the assault. And so, they feel a compulsion to regain it. It's not always helpful. Moreover, victims can feel shame over some detail that happened. Not everything of merit is disclosed right away. Olivia has the expertise to recognize these patterns. She offers explanations to the jury to avoid any confusion. She doesn't want a victim to be blamed because they are imperfect. The police never get to chose their victims. It's their job to protect them to the best of their abilities. Olivia recognizes the sensitivities of Megan's case. She doesn't give up on her. But again, she faces a battle that is all too familiar to her.
Megan is a tourist from Iowa. She's experiencing New York City for the first time. She's crammed as many Broadway shows into her visit as possible. She wants to reach out and touch the performers who moved her. She feels connected to this vibrant life. She embarked on this trip without her husband. Love is still present between them. This is simply something she needed to do by herself. She is fully capable of doing so as well. The fact that she was alone is weaponized against her. People assume she should have expected something to happen because she was alone. It's so quick to blame the victim. Megan faces that too. She wonders if she was responsible because she led someone on. Olivia shuts that down quickly. However, the story spirals out of control once the rapist is arrested. The defense presents a story of Megan seeking thrills in the city to cope with her boring life at home. She sought to escape the devastating repercussions of a new diagnosis of MS. This was her freedom. Her story changed only because the police got involved. Those who have done this work for awhile know this is a familiar defense strategy. It doesn't have to align with reality. It remains believable because it's easy for a jury to understand.
Megan covered up her diagnosis from her husband. She couldn't tell him. She didn't want to change his perception of her. He's still devastated when the news is shared during her testimony. She didn't prepare him for everything that would happen. Olivia sat Megan down to set her expectations. Megan was full of rage. She couldn't rely on the police to arrest her attacker. She returned to Times Square desperately seeking help. She tracked the rapist down and kept him in a bar until the police arrived. She thought she was helping. She compromised the case because of her interference. Olivia warned her. This behavior could easily hurt her even more. It's a portrait of a character spinning out of control. Olivia recognizes it. She tries her best to ease the concerns. They still emerge. That requires even more testimony that reflects that honesty. It's a lot to cram into one story. Megan's marriage is put through turmoil. It emerges strong. They stand united. That's mostly through a conversation that occurs offscreen. It highlights the bond they have without taking away from the focus of Megan's case. It's a complicated balance. One where something has to step aside in order to reach the conclusion.
Ultimately, Carisi secures the conviction. It's largely a case of a compelling closing argument being enough to sway a jury. The defense doesn't receive the same treatment. Enough doubt could enter the proceedings because of the differing stories. Megan took the stand. She was brutally exposed. She endured all of it. As such, she is championed. Olivia and Carisi elevate her in that way. They support her. That genuine praise is enough to secure a conviction. It places enough truth in the instincts of these characters. When Olivia first arrived on the scene, she saw Megan's genuine reaction. After the fact, it's called into question why Megan didn't report the rape right away. She wasn't given a second to do so. That threatened enough reasonable doubt to throw the case to the other side. That's not how the story was shaped though. The viewer is always expected to believe Olivia and Carisi will obtain a conviction. That's the satisfying resolution that must be delivered. It's done so here. That is perhaps the greatest trope the show hits repeatedly. It's expected. And so, any satisfaction has to come from how well the performers sell the emotional beats. Donna Lynne Champlin remains grounded and compelling in every twist with Megan. That commitment is commendable despite the familiarity of the overall story.
