‘Law & Order: SVU’ 24×18 Review: “Bubble Wrap”

Law & Order: SVU 24x18 Pictured: (l-r) Ice T as Sgt. Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Joseph Cross as Martin Parish -- (Photo by: Zach Dilgard/NBC)

Law & Order: SVU 24×18 “Bubble Wrap” is one of those episodes where, on a lot of levels, the story doesn’t matter nearly as much as it probably should. At the end of the day, it basically exists as an excuse for Mariska Hargitay and Michelle Gomez to have a number of big moments together and, more or less, damn the rest. And, honestly, we’re not entirely mad about it. Especially not after some more recent outings that weren’t exactly our favorites.

That’s not to say that the story doesn’t have any points to discuss that aren’t “omg Mariska and Michelle” or anything. It’s just very, very hard to do so with Hargitay’s Olivia Benson going toe-to-toe with Gomez’s Connie Parish. And even when the two aren’t in a scene together, the hour has plenty to dissect. The point, however, seems to still continue to be down to “who wouldn’t want sinister mommy Michelle Gomez in an episode?” Which, eh. That’s fine enough.

“Shhhh…Mama’s here.”

Law & Order: SVU 24x18
Pictured: Michelle Gomez as Connie Parish -- (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC) — LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT — “Bubble Wrap” Episode 24018 — Pictured: Michelle Gomez as Connie Parish — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC)

Anyone who’s seen Michelle Gomez in Doctor Who as Missy — or in any number of other projects, as any number of other fantastic characters — already knows this, but she is the type of actress who can effortlessly make evil into something purely delicious. Devouring Mother? More like want to devour this character work…Mother.

Not just that, but she is ~~The Mistress~~ a master of playing people who are just…palpably calculating, of putting on an outward appearance of innocence that somehow fools both everyone and not a single soul. Her performance in “Bubble Wrap” is no different, even while the story adds that extra disturbing layer of being the mother who’s way, way too close to her son. There’s something horribly uncomfortable about saying this, given the circumstances, but those moments where Connie is mothering Martin do, in fact, exude a certain type of comfort and care. When you hear “Mama’s here,” you almost wish she was here…until you remember all the reasons why you shouldn’t.

But that’s what makes “Bubble Wrap” both work…and nearly not. Because, while we do have the perfect villain and a number of intriguing turns along the way, viewers are left with some kind of creatively outlandish case here. Which, again, works — and gets very close to the line of bad. It’s not like there are no criminals like Connie Parish, or that there are no rapists like Martin who also happen to be victims of wildly terrible mothers, but the story risks entering the territory of sensationalsm on a series that — with some fairly noticeable exceptions — tends to stay fairly rooted in reality.

Now, aside from all the tiny details in Gomez’s performance — the smirks, the self-assured shrugs, and that underlying layer of threat even when she’s putting on a show about how “innocent” she and her baby are — one thing that comes across very well in this story is just how much Connie’s abuse has shaped Martin. Then again, Joseph Cross already appeared on this series, back in Season 5’s “Home,” as a perp with mommy issues. So, maybe embodying Martin’s very real fear of his mother and attachment to a very particular type of comfort — see also: he, like, snuggles our victim before things actually go downhill from there — isn’t exactly a stretch. Still, it’s clear that Martin’s also a victim himself. And Liv’s right to point that out to Carisi.

However. At same time, I’m not at all comfortable with being made to feel any type of empathy, whatsoever, for someone like him. He’s technically a grown man, and even in therapy (though, with Mommy ~~Missy~~ Connie sharing his sessions, apparently), so he’s responsible for his own actions. And those actions are very clearly wrong. The episode even includes a scene involving the crime itself, so that’s that. There’s no gray area.

Not to be a broken record, but it works…except that it also doesn’t.

Now, the best part of SVU 24×18, as alluded to above, is obviously just every single scene with Olivia and Connie going head to head. And the quality builds with every interaction, to the point where the scene on the courthouse steps feels like it should actually be the best — which, to be fair, it is in some ways — but is greatly upstaged by the final showdown in Captain Benson’s office. Connie has done her research and knows everything about Liv’s tough few months; somehow, too, she’s able to dig at Olivia’s insecurities around being a mom. But when we sit back and really think about it, the “somehow” is fairly obvious.

There’s no mystery here: Any woman, especially a single mom, at this level of her career is pretty much always told by society that she’s failing as a mom.

…but, of course, those women who decide to focus on parenting over their careers are also judged. So. That’s nice.

Back to the plot, though: The reason the final confrontation stands out the most doesn’t even completely come down to the acting. (Which, of course, remains superb.) It’s about Liv, making it clear she knows the difference between love and the toxic mess Connie tries to pass off as that same feeling. She knows she loves her son. And she knows what Connie did, especially in terms of selfishly never letting Martin grow up, is not love. So, sure. Olivia will probably always worry about Noah, and about whether or not she should spend, or even should have spent, more time with him and less chasing down monsters in the dark. But deep down? She simply knows better and is clearly confident on that front, too. That’s huge.

Of course, if she could have a concept of what love is, in the romantic sense, when it’s staring her right in the face — and preferably before we all turn 100 — that would also be appreciated!

“That kind of optimism should be a crime.”

Law & Order: SVU 24x18
Pictured: Jasmine Batchelor as Officer Tonie Churlish -- (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC) — LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT — “Bubble Wrap” Episode 24018 — Pictured: Jasmine Batchelor as Officer Tonie Churlish — (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC)

Law & Order: SVU 24×18 also features some fun back-and-forth, first between Liv and Fin and later between her and Carisi, about optimism. (And pessimism, which…hi. It’s me. And it’s a whole fandom, at this point.) On that front, let’s talk about Churlish and Muncy. Because when it comes to burying the hatchet or mending fences (or whatever common phrase you want to use there), thinks do seem to be looking up for them.

All jokes from Fin about how nobody else is at the precinct for them to talk to aside, “Bubble Wrap” shows some progress between the two young detectives. “Lime Chaser” had some hints on that front, right at the end (which we made note of!) with the awkward handshake near the end of the episode. Here, the two take it a step further. They have their moment over coffee, which Muncy even initiates, and they work very well together throughout the case. There’s a great rhythm, especially when they’re interviewing Mona in the hospital.

It’s almost as if letting two adults figure things out, rather than treating them like children and forcing playdates at bars, works! And this is a much, much better dynamic to see between two young women than their initial tension. Additionally, their improved ability to play nice provides an especially important contrast to all the barely-concealed (if at all) hatred between Olivia and Connie. Had this been an episode that was nothing but pairs of women fighting each other, it would’ve been an assured flop. (Aside from, of course, the fangirling over Gomez and Hargitay doing that. Simultaneously, no less.)

That’s not to say that Detectives Churlish and Muncy are quite there yet, in terms of the type of working relationship we’d like to see from them. Maybe, even, they never actually will be. But that’s ok! They’re being professional, and right when they start to go near territory that might involve an actual fight, they get interrupted just in time. (Rest in peace to our victim, though.) When duty calls, any remaining…stuff from Churlish bringing up Velasco falls away. As it should.

Basically, the behavior in “Bubble Wrap” is a much, much, much better look for both characters. Let’s continue down this path, even if it gets some bumps here or there along the way, please.