‘Law & Order: SVU’ 25×13 Review: “Duty to Hope”

Law & Order: SVU 25×13 “Duty to Hope” has some strong elements. In fact, it’s easily one of this season’s stronger episodes, which is obviously what we want in a finale. There’s even an opportunity for Captain Benson to be an action hero of sorts, which is always fun. Throw in a personal moment that even ends Season 25 with some incredibly bright smiles for our dear Olivia, and on a small, “let’s just think of this hour as its own thing” scale, we guess we could be happy.

But. Well.

Unfortunately…we’re not closing out this season on a positive note. Why? Same old complaint, actually. The hour really, really doesn’t work in a “big picture” sense. At all.

“You’re just mad about a ship!!!!” …no.

So, there’s the old “show, don’t tell” advice for effective storytelling. And, all season, we’ve been told, over and over, what a “landmark” year it is for this series. Which, to be clear, it is. Getting to Season 25 would’ve been a huge deal even 25 years ago. But now? With the way show after show gets canceled before people even know it exists? Being here is an actual miracle. A gift, if you will. Unfortunately, Law & Order: SVU 25×13, much like the rest of the season — with possibly the exception of the Maria episode — doesn’t honor that gift.

Take, for example, the number of times the season has made very clear parallels to, and/or direct mentions of, some of the worst traumas Olivia has faced…only to do nothing with any of them. Or, perhaps, we could talk about bringing Captain Curry into Benson’s unit, only to do nothing with her. Making the 550th about Sykes (a new character) and doing it in a way that, we’re guessing, means she won’t even be back. Liv being a total mess, yet always having her bad decisions validated in the end. Dragging out the Maddie Flynn case and making Liv weirdly obsessed with the girl from the magical intuition start…

We could continue, but we already did all this — for 12 episodes.

Then, there’s how Season 25 has used…Elliot’s literal gift to Olivia from last season’s finale as nothing more than stale bait. We have spent 13 episodes with Liv wearing that thing out in the field, despite the way it’s an extra hazard — on a number of levels. Aside from that bizarre moment in the premiere it’s just…been there. Even Rollins didn’t have anything to say about it. Furthermore, until “Duty to Hope,” Stabler’s existence has been a giant question mark in Olivia’s world. Then, we get the conversation we’ve been saying would be painfully easy all along…and it turns out it is not, in fact, easy. Because, um. Yikes.

So, instead of it being a mystery forever, we finally have confirmation that it has been a year of EO not seeing each other. And, no, we’re not talking about “oh, well. They are very busy so they have not spent any kind of personal time together.” Because that would actually make sense, in a lot of ways. But no, they have…not even been capable of a Zoom. (Or FaceTime — whatever it takes to please NBC’s corporate partners.)

Apparently.

Because Liv has to tell — not show — El that she’s been wearing his compass all this time. She also has to tell him that she gave the compass away — all a bazillion dollars’ worth — to a victim’s mother. (We’ll get there.) But, hey! At least he knows about “the missing girl case” because it’s soooooo important. What those conversations have looked like, however. Well. Choose your own adventure.

Great. Fine. Whatever.

“Healing”?

Wait. Let’s back up a second. So, Olivia tells Elliot the compass “has been incredibly meaningful” and something about how it “guided” her in her “healing.” In theory, that’s great! But in practice…let’s see. Where to begin? Ok. Back to the “show, don’t tell” advice first. What healing? Is the healing in the room with us right now? Olivia has visited a (problematic AF) therapist a few times. Sure. But she has…barely participated in the process. And her behavior outside those sessions has not exactly screamed “healing” either.

But ok. Let’s pretend we’ve made progress. How has the compass been a part of that? Also, if it’s actually important to Liv, shouldn’t she keep it so she can continue making progress? Specifically, why does Maddie’s mom get it? Why not Maddie instead, especially considering Eileen treated Liv terribly on more than one occasion?

Also: Why this case and these people. After all the time wasted on this case and this family this season, even the finale fails to answer this question. This is a problem. And an exhausting one, which has plagued a year we so badly wanted to celebrate, at that.

Admittedly, giving Eileen the necklace in Law & Order: SVU 25×13 is a sweet gesture. The “duty to hope” line is a great sentiment, but here, the moment just wasn’t earned. Nothing about the so-called healing that leads to it is well developed; and even if it were, it’s a nice move that still makes no sense, considering who gave Liv the compass and how completely nothingburger that relationship has been in spite of what they are to each other. Honestly, it would be much more forgivable, and even a nice parallel to her giving up her Fearlessness necklace, if she had given the compass to Maddie. Still kinda empty, considering this case has never — not once — lived up to its supposed importance to Olivia. But still.

So, here we are. Olivia still needs major, major help. She’s still throwing herself into danger, still waking people up at 3:00 in the morning to work on cold cases, still barely sees her kid. If this is what healing looks like for this character, after 25 seasons, one has to wonder what kind of message this series is sending about surviving trauma. Whatever it is, it’s not a good one.

More on Law & Order: SVU 25×13

• If looks could kill, Heidi Russell wouldn’t have survived that first briefing. We’re actually glad looks can’t kill, though, because it was so much fun seeing the back-and-forth between her and Liv. Always here for the many ways Mariska Hargitay’s facial expression can scream some variation of “this b**tch” or “the audacity.”
• Also. Those. Little. Pauses. After. Each. Interruption.
• “No disrespect.” “Yeah. No. None taken.” Sure, Liv.
• Love all the little Carisi/Liv moments, too. That opening sh**t-talking (if you will) sets the tone and carries through the entire episode, even when they’re not being quite as explicit about it.
• Ah, yes. More things similar to the Lewis case that just…go nowhere. Cool!
• “Take the win. Glass half full, Mr. Carisi.” Oh, hell no.
• “…and camera ready.”
• “I’m not interested in excuses, Captain.” Is this woman…wanting Olivia to punch her in the mouth? Because Olivia looks like the only thing keeping her from punching this woman in the mouth is the annoying paperwork. If Heidi had balls, I’d be thinking they were destined for the blender.
• “Oh, I envy anyone she’s never met.”
• “Turn that off.” “Please.”
• I know we are not having Olivia Benson say something about LARPing, as if she’d have a clue what that is. And no, “maybe she learned from Noah” isn’t a benefit of the doubt we’re giving — because that would imply spending quality time with him. And figuring out WTF his age is.
• “Go home. To your lives. If you have one.” So…this sounds…not like someone whose gaudy jewelry has helped her with her healing but ok.
• Ice-T is really, really good in these scenes with Fin and Hedges’ kid. It’s also really meaningful that he’d go out of his way, to the point of risking his life — and, frankly, his badge if the wrong person found out — to protect the kid, knowing what he’s going through. Imagine if cops were actually like this.
• “How old?” “Noah’s age.” So, what would that age be in this episode? Because it keeps changing, so.
• Is this…actually using Peter Scanavino properly? Finally? Like, Carisi has issues with his new boss, he’s as frustrated as anyone, and he’s doing his job but still in a way — considering all of the above — that gives Scanavino moments????? Amazing. Imagine if we did this more often. Do I dislike the cruise ship line? Yes. Is the delivery excellent? Yes. At least 100 times yes.
• Literally progress for everyone but Olivia.
• Bruno: Trade school –> cop –> bajillionaire. Finally, a white dude achieving the American Dream.
• “I’ll yell at you later.” “I look forward to that.” Fin Tutuola is tired. (Same.)
• Imagine if Olivia and Elliot had had a conversation about this dishonorably discharged Marine, considering what he’s currently doing over in his universe. But no, let’s talk about giving our shiny sh**t to Eileen Flynn instead!
• So, there’s a lockbox full of women’s underwear, and it’s “he’s cheating” and not “there is something seriously wrong with this man.” Again going to ask who, exactly, views women as this naive and stupid. (But hey! At least there was a lockbox instead of, say, evidence right there in the open, where a wife of decades didn’t see it like in the last episode!)
• “Carisi. Is that enough to make Russell happy?” The tone.
• “But…there’s someplace I need to be.” And it’s Maddie’s birthday party. Kill me now.
• Better yet: This case…Make. It. Die. Already.
• Love how they wrap up Fin’s part with the Hedges kid, too. He gets a warning and proof that actions have consequences, but Fin won’t ruin his life.
• “I appreciate what you’ve done for her, taking her to therapy. She’s on the road to actual recovery.” Yeah, hard pass. We don’t get to retcon Liv “borrowing” Maddie and taking her to her new personal therapist, who already crossed major lines once, without permission like this. She did it like it was some surprise at the time. No. Just no.
• Also, where’s Liv’s “actual recovery”? Hm.
• Insert “let them eat cake” reference here.
• A whole year…wasted. Nobody lives forever. Shows are not guaranteed to be renewed forever. The world is not guaranteed to continue on forever.
• “I knew you’d understand.” We don’t. At all. And no, “only” 13 episodes isn’t an excuse. Plenty can be done, and done well, in a short season. See also: Law & Organized Crime. Did that series also kinda fail EO? Yes. But look at how much it did well. Exact same episode count.
• Also: Was it incredibly difficult to actually hear El for anyone else? Had to watch that thing back with captions to even get that he knew about “the missing girl case,” such as it was.
• That rare, bright smile is a nice way to end, though. At least there’s that. Too bad we have no idea what that part of the conversation is about, of course.

Thoughts on Law & Order: SVU 25×13 “Duty to Hope”? Was it the finale you were hoping for? Not so much? Leave us a comment!

Law & Order: SVU will return to NBC for Season 26 this fall.