Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 6 Review: ‘Rorschach’

Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 6 is one of the better episodes this season, most probably because it actually feels like an SVU episode. One our major issues with the previous episode was that it spent way too much time and empathy on the wrong kind of character. Thankfully, this episode does not have that problem. Sure, “Rorschach” again gives a pathetic little man a lot of screen time. But unlike in Episode 5, there are actually good reasons for Episode 6 to do so.

One might even argue that, even with our victim in a coma, she does have a voice here. The story focuses on Ellie and is most obviously about finding justice for her. We also spend plenty of time with her — just through video footage of the past…and scenes of her on life support in the present. She even gets to “tell” us who hurt her by squeezing Liv’s hand when she asks if Chris was the one who hurt her. (Having watched a ton of medical dramas, we’re experts enough to say this was probably not really a conscious response. But we’ll go with it!)

Additionally, while the hour does ask us to feel bad for Chris early on when we think he’s also a victim, that sympathy doesn’t last long because, as the investigation unfolds, we start to be just as suspicious of the character as our detectives (and captain, and sergeant) are. Then, there’s another obvious good reason to see a lot of our scumbag of the week. Just before we put this case to bed, our very own Captain Benson rips Chris a new one. Always here for watching a perp get destroyed through line delivery and looks that can kill! Mariska Hargitay is always so much fun to watch when Liv gets to do an interrogation and really show how much she can not stand the sight of someone, and Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 6 is no different.

So, putting that together with how we see the character go mask-off and morph from loving and concerned boyfriend to manipulative, abusive trash, centering Chris makes sense. He’s the main character in his and Ellie’s story for all the right reasons — like, because he sucks, basically — and all the other important pieces get what at least feels like equal and adequate time. This isn’t about trying to make us empathize with the wrong person; it’s about making is loathe the right one.

Speaking of characters we spend a lot of time with here…that brings us to our next point.

Detective Silva takes center stage in Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 6

So, when we reviewed the season premiere, we mentioned liking Detective Silva so far and seeing some potential for some interesting storytelling for her. But we were only cautiously optimistic at the time because this series doesn’t exactly have a great track record with introducing, and keeping, new female characters. Well. Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 6 has us officially putting on our clown makeup because we think we might officially be fans of this character. Like, yeah. This probably won’t end well for us. We’re going to get attached and then lose Juliana Aidén Martinez somehow. Just watch.

…but, like, how can you not love a newer detective at SVU who does that? Throughout this entire investigation, Silva just sees through all the BS. More importantly, she doesn’t take any BS from Bruno, who does quite a bit of trying to talk her out of her theories. You know, the theories that prove to be right. The ones she knows are right because otherwise, something doesn’t add up. And she is very clearly not a fan of hearing the other detective call her line of thinking “an investigational cul-de-sac.” (WTFever that even means.) We’re absolutely living for how she’s just confident and presses on — and isn’t at all afraid to let her face threaten to cut this man if he doesn’t stop. Like, the shot of Aidén Martinez right after Kevin Kane’s weird “cul-de-sac” line is golden.

The scene where Silva and Bruno look through all of Ellie’s videos is also great. As tough and smart as this detective is, she also still cares. Honestly, she seems to share a lot of the same traits with Liv, which is probably why the two characters both come to the same awful conclusion about Chris long before anyone else seems to want to consider it. Or, eh. She reminds us of a younger Liv, from before she became almost a trope instead of a main character. Either way. Regardless, all of this works for us no matter how many times we’ve seen it before — both on this series and others.

Now, on the new detective’s backstory…we have thoughts. First off, imagine seeing that as a child (and a giant F you to the woman across the street). Second, we thought she told Velasco something about seeing first responders on 9/11? Guess it’s a “both/and” sort of situation here. She could’ve decided to be a cop based on the former, then chosen how to help people — and in which units within the NYPD — based on what we learned here. We’ll go with that explanation because the other option is “LOL forgot we already explained why she’s doing this job,” and uhh, no thanks to that. There are enough nonsense moments on this show and a lot worse things to be upset about this week. Besides, we like her either way. So. Yeah.

More Thoughts…

• The cold open was still a bit long, and my initial reaction was “didn’t we already do an opening like this not that long ago?” Reader: The episode I was thinking of aired seven years ago — seven — and it wasn’t even exactly the same. I think we’re fine here. Casual viewers are not going to remember or care. At any rate, it was functional. The contrast between all of that and what Ellie’s ACTUAL relationship with Chris was like, especially the way they reused the yoga shot to show what was really going on…now that was effective.
• And…is this…an episode where they deal with modern-day technology use and…don’t totally screw it up??????? WHAT.
• “Clark Kent. Buttering me up at 7:30 in the morning? You must need something.” Now, The Mariska Hargitay. Ma’am. Why did you have to play that kinda flirty-like? I’ll have to get very mad about this stupid show and Liv’s stupid bald not-boyfriend being invisible again. Nobody wants that.
• Ok. Annoyance time: The worst part of this episode for me was the FBI guy (and not for the reason above). He’s just…there to shadow Liv? As a Fed??? And, while I’m good with the idea of the legendary NYPD Captain Olivia Benson really, truly being the authority to contact for a case like this one, I simply can not suspend enough disbelief to really buy that nobody else thought about looking for someone who could’ve…walked the trail in a day after attacking Ellie and Chris. The Feds are not sending their best, folks.
• “You see this pile right here? This is what I’m dealing with.” She was so real for this.
• “He said for you to play nice.” Fin’s reaction to this is basically my reaction to the world at large.
• “Is he in any shape to speak with us?” “He’s on a lot of pain meds.” “I’m going to take that as a yes.” Girl. Those can cause all sorts of cognitive whatnot. You know better. 
• “I think what’s important right now is for you to…stay strong.”This is what I’m talking about with Olivia being more of a trope than a real main character at this point. She says stuff like this all the time. Sometimes, it works? But dear God. No. Not right here. No. It just felt out of place and weird, like she had to get one of those lines per episode or something.
• “You this big of a contrarian when you do crime scenes with Fin?” And his “S.O.B. of a cat that got the canary” grin before saying no. Amazing.
• Every single scene with that poor, desperate mother trying to cling to any sign of life just gutted me.
• The neurosurgeon was kinda a jerk, huh.
• “Everyone’s got an online persona, and then they have their offline persona. And you can tell a lot about a person by the distance between the two.” Spoiler alert: I’m just as obsessed with TV offline, just quieter about it.
• “They’d been stuck in a car together for a few months at that point; my boyfriend’s breathing would be enough to drive me nuts.” Point.
• The “baby mama” comment was kinda weird, though.
• “SVU. What’s that?” Imagine not knowing…the dream. Also: Love the deadpan “sex crimes” answer from Silva. It very comes across as “dare you to keep trying me.”
• “Pretty much. But it wouldn’t be the first time I saw a woman trying to cover for her jacka** boyfriend either.” I wasn’t a fan of the uni from Georgia, what with the whole boohoo no choice comment about the bodycam. But, you know what? This was a good moment for him.
• “I’ve seen that look on a woman’s face before.”
• “This is a strange feeling.” “What is?” “Watching all of someone’s happy moments, knowing that they might not get another one.” Oof.
• “What’s our working theory, Captain?” That scoff and head shake before “he did it,” though.
• Love that Benson gives Silva credit for her theory. A lot of so-called leaders…would not.
• “I don’t think he meant to live.” “Well. He’s gonna wish he didn’t after Benson gets through with him.” Can confirm.
• “So, you’re trying to make up for 25 years of bad parenting by aiding and abetting an attempted murderer.” Is this Liv’s future because, um. Where’s Noah? Does he exist? Was he a figment of her imagination?
• “That’s not true. You didn’t tell us. What went wrong between you and Ellie. I look at these videos, and I just see….you were really in love. Not a care in the world. Just..really happy.” Living for the pause so we could see Chris be all “wahhhhh poor me,” and watch more of the video of him and Ellie in love, before Liv’s “were you??” Letting things land is important, actually!
• “LOOK. At what you DID to her.” I LOVE HER DELIVERY ON STUFF LIKE THIS.
• Livterrogation, baby. Put it in my veins. I know I recently said this show can’t just stick around forever because “Mariska Hargitay pretty,” but it can absolutely be around forever because of these types of scenes when they are — hm. What’s the word? — earned.
• “Well, that’s what it looks like in your posts, Chris. But that’s a very big disconnect between those photos and the way you actually treated her.” Just dripping with disdain! As it should be!
• “You can’t. It’s too late for that.” Inject it in my veins.
• “You must be a masochist.” That grin on “maybe I am.” I love her!
• “I think she just watched, went back on with her life.” If I speak about people ignoring things that will make others suffer because they don’t affect them…
• The emotion there at the end.
• Episode 2 was probably still my favorite this season, though.

What did you think of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 6? Leave us a comment!

New episodes of Law & Order: SVU air Thursday at 9/8c on NBC.