The doctor of a comatose woman calls SVU when he discovers his patient is pregnant. Benson must convince the family to reject magical thinking and look at the facts.
At various times, the SVU interacts with victims again after their initial case has been resolved. The victims have been assaulted again. Sometimes it's a direct link to what previously happened to them. Other times, it's a completely new story. One that only complicates the overall trauma. Ellie was stuck in an abusive relationship. The truth came out only after she was assaulted and left for dead. For months now, Ellie has remained in a coma. Olivia and the team had to trust their instincts in investigating what happened to her. It was a key episode earlier this season. It provoked a confirmation about hope. Laura refuses to believe her daughter has died. The doctors insist Ellie will never make a meaningful recovery. She is essentially braindead. Laura insists her daughter squeezed her hand once. That emotional appeal motivated the investigation. Olivia bought into the claim. She reached out to Ellie in the hopes of seeing another sign. She tried her best to communicate with her. She didn't want to give up hope either. She didn't want this case to end tragically. She prays for the best. And yet, Ellie was assaulted again while in this vulnerable state. Her mother rarely left her side. Someone still manipulated her trust and took advantage of the situation.
Now, the story is fixated on the premise of Chris being the biological father of Ellie's newly discovered baby for awhile. Doctors can't pinpoint with accuracy the date of conception. As such, Olivia needs DNA results. She needs to know if another crime occurred. Laura is fixated on the idea of this being a miracle. Something wonderful has emerged from all of this sadness. She allows this news to cloud her judgment completely. She's more than willing to forgive Chris and his mother. Virginia tried to protect him for as long as possible. He attempted to evade the law. He was convicted of his crimes. His sentence won't be reduced by helping the detectives. They never want to hear from him again. He's a devious individual always trying to worm his way into the lives of those he's hurt. Laura even positions Chris and Ellie's videos together as evidence of happiness. It was all fake. It was nothing more than an online persona. It covered up the horrifying truth. The family has to reckon with that reality. They can't live in the fantasy. Laura is joyous over the uptick in social media followers. Ellie has achieved the fame she wanted. She doesn't get to participate in any of it. It's up to others to advocate on her behalf. Moreover, no one even discusses if the pregnancy is viable given her condition. Laura simply dismisses any concerns from the family. She can only see this one way.
Olivia breaks Laura's reality by sharing that Ellie was raped while in the trauma unit. Everyone's worst fears were proven true. As such, this case hits Olivia even harder. Despite all that she has accomplished throughout her career, she still carries the trauma of being a child of rape. Giving birth to her was the greatest thing her mother ever did for her. After that, their dynamic was always tense. Serena's life was tragically cut short. Olivia has outlived her. She can never escape from this familiar pain. She works through it in therapy. It constantly comes up. Her work forces her to do so. Fin is a phenomenal friend who protects her. He ensures she doesn't have to carry all the pain by herself. Curry recognizes what's going on with the captain. She doesn't need to ask questions. People need to give Olivia space to process all of this. They comply. Fin comes in only because he has her trust after decades working together. Of course, this is very familiar plot terrain the show has covered many times previously. It was going to be relevant from the first moment of the episode. Olivia visits her mother's grave. That bookends the episode too. It infers greater meaning onto the situation. It holds the viewer's hand to effectively make the point. It's just so obvious without doing anything to explore it more viscerally.
Similarly, the show leans into the ambiguity of Ellie's condition. Olivia once again makes a point in communicating with her. Everyone gets caught up in the possibility that she still exists somewhere. She is simply trapped in her own body. She is unable to communicate. She can't find her way out. She needs these conversations to focus on this life again. The idea that Ellie squeezed someone's hand is once again incorporated into the story. Caleb suggests he was called into the room by God and encouraged by Ellie to produce a child. It's a twisted story he convinces himself to believe. It's the only way to justify his actions. Meanwhile, Olivia attacks him for using his faith to manipulate people. Laura found strength through Caleb's counseling. And now, her world is destroyed once more. Olivia has enough to convict him. Nothing is left vague about whether Ellie's assailant will go free because she remains in a coma. That never entered the proceedings in either episode where her story was depicted. A final moment sees a finger move. That adds to the hopeful nature of the narrative. Everyone was right to fight for her life in this way. It was still a difficult decision. One that has caused a lot of pain. The return to Ellie's life doesn't really offer anything that didn't occur previously. As such, the episode is largely a let down. It connects to Olivia in some ways. But it remains abstract in ways that don't offer any satisfaction or sense of resolve typically present when the show is at its best.
