The latest Law & Order crossover episodes ‘Play with Fire Part 1’ and ‘Play with Fire Part 2’ are, for the most part, very well done. The core casts of both Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU are fairly well-utilized, with Maura Tierney and Mariska Hargitay both delivering on particularly powerful performances. While it’s nice to see them work together, they both do some of their best work when their characters are at odds. The same goes for Hargitay and Hugh Dancy. Their showdown in the second hour over whether or not Benson needs to take a step back is a true highlight in what is otherwise the weaker of the crossover episodes. (Basically, it’s always great to see Benson fight?)
The investigation itself takes a few interesting twists and turns. In Law & Order Season 24 Episode 19, we learn that Brady has been convinced a member of the Latin Kings murdered a young woman named Rosa Ortega and then fled to Mexico two years ago. It’s a case she clearly regrets not being able to close, and she’s determined to get it right this time. Once she has her guy in custody, though, new evidence comes up that proves he wasn’t even in the country at the time. Traffickers? Also not guilty. A man with a prior sexual assault conviction, whose DNA was found on a key witness named Ana after her rape and murder? Hm. Nope.
Eventually, Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 19 brings us to a rather dark conclusion: The Sergeant who sent Maria Recinos undercover — yes, that Maria Recinos — is guilty of multiple rapes and murders. He has gotten away with it by preying on vulnerable people and intimidating them. Specifically, he’s threatened immigrants, many of whom were undocumented, with deportation so he could continue abusing them. There’s a message in there, especially considering the number of suspects the NYPD racially profiles on their journey toward realizing who the real monster is.
But the Law & Order crossover never quite makes that point as explicitly as the moment demands. That, some messy storytelling in the SVU half of the crossover, and one just really bad choice of victim are probably our main criticisms for an otherwise successful crossover.
MORE: It’s been a while since our last major Law & Order crossover. Here’s what happened in ‘Gimme Shelter Part 1,’ Part 2, and Part 3.
Law & Order crossover major character death
Probably the worst part of Law & Order Season 24 Episode 19 ‘Play with Fire’ Part 1 is the setup. For longtime Law & Order: SVU viewers, and for our Captain, Maria Recinos is special. She’s the little girl then-Detective Olivia Benson saved many, many years ago in one of the series’ all-time strongest and most memorable episodes. No, really just ask the Emmys voters. ‘911’ is the episode that earned Hargitay her Emmy.
Then, in Law & Order: SVU Season 25 Episode 7 ‘Probability of Doom,’ Captain Benson was able to find Maria again. Maria was a success story. As someone whose life Benson saved, Maria proof that Liv actually did make a difference at time when she was, uh, going through some things. (To say the least.) Just as Liv rescued that little girl years ago, we could easily make the argument that seeing a successful, happy, grown up Maria helped heal something in Olivia. If nothing else, that episode healed something in us by reminding us why we loved SVU in the first place, given that the milestone 25th season was…not a favorite.
So, to turn around and take that positive message of hope away from Olivia — and to have that little girl who was trafficked grow up to become a cop, try to help people like herself, and be brutally raped and murdered, then burnt to a crisp by her commanding officer — just feels wrong. And it’s difficult to get past that wrongness, that sense of Benson’s legacy itself being scattered to ash. Certainly, there’s an argument to be made that something needed to connect Benson to Brady’s case. And certainly, something needed to make it personal in order to create so many great moments. However, that’s where the benefit of the doubt ends.
Brady’s tie to all of this — a past case where she wasn’t quite herself and didn’t do her best work toward justice for her victim — is much more palatable. One can’t help but wonder if, somewhere along the way, it would have been wise to consider doing the same for SVU’s Captain.
MORE: For more on this crossover, check out our preview and post-mortem interviews with Hugh Dancy
More on Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 19 and Law & Order Season 24 Episode 19
- The scene where Brady tells Benson about Maria is pain.
- “When I caught the case, I was getting a divorce — my second — and I was angry, and distracted. And drinking too much.” I was really going to avoid an Abby Lockhart mention, but um. You can’t have “drinking too much” come out of Maura Tierney’s mouth without me thinking about that stellar arc toward the end of her run on ER. Come on!
- (Just kidding. I was never going to avoid talking about Abby Lockhart. It would be illegal to do so.)
- “…these social media companies will not play ball.” Unless a teen needs healthcare, of course.
- “At least all this misery wasn’t for nothing.” Me when I look at these episodes and go “well, they got Mariska and Maura together. So, a win no matter what.”
- …but will Olivia Benson ever get a break????
- Love this police drama AU where Cynthia Hooper and Abby Lockhart get to kick some major butt, actually.
- “He said if I told anyone, he would have me deported or killed.” For reporting a rape. The people who need to see how deplorable even the possibility for such a threat is…won’t.
- “Maybe she got cold feet.” “Despite the supportive environment.” “…wow.” They are. So good together.
- Tag yourself. I’m Brady’s “WTH is going on? How did he find her so fast?”
- “You know, you didn’t have to come with me, Captain.” At this point in Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 19, you don’t know Gomez is the actual monster Liv’s tracking, so it’s like “OMG. Go off, dude! You’ve known her five minutes, and you already know she’s in the field way too much for a Captain.”
- …but on the other hand, dude’s just trying to keep the famous Captain Benson from figuring him out, huh.
- “You don’t have to be Catholic to feel guilty.” True. My people had guilt first.
- “Did you listen to your boss when you were 20?” “Nope.” “Me neither.” Somewhere, Donald Cragen is like “but not in your 30s or 40s either.”
- “How can we make your life easier, Captain?” Thank you, Detective Bruno.
- “…sometimes, you have to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.” She learned that from her old partner.
- We’re not going to tie Maria dying while undercover to Baldy constantly going undercover and what that means for Liv’s state of mind, huh.
- The Noah part…honestly? Bringing him back in this way kinda screams “being petty with fans who asked and including Olivia’s kid in yet another traumatizing way.Just to be all ‘careful what you wish for, losers.'” It’s giving Suits and that unqualified therapist whose name we’d like to forget.
- “He knows manipulating you into getting emotional will tip the scales in his favor…” “And it doesn’t take a genius to know that a threat to my son would do just that.” I’m gonna need Price’s reaction to Benson’s line here as a reaction gif. Because it’s like that Oprah shrug but better.
- …kinda uncomfortable with the “woman too emotional” of it all, though.
- Then again, better to see Liv “hysterical” than ChatGPTing it up so. Look! She’s real! A wild personality appears!!!
- She looks like she’s about to punch him, though.”
- “I want you to know that I am on your side here. Paul Gomez is a man who swore to protect and serve, and he did the exact opposite. And you are not the only one who is infuriated by that.” Go off,
Will Graha—…Nolan. - Seriously, superb work from Dancy and Hargitay there.
- “Are you asking me as a cop or a mom?” “Can you separate those two?” Um. You can lately. Far too often. Good to know we can get these kinds of personal beats, though!
- “She’s also newly sober, so let’s try not to destroy that.” Meanwhile, let’s talk about Tess.
- It’s the way Liv squirms when Rita mentions she recommended Maria be promoted, though.
- “…but I have never let my emotions interfere with my police work. Quite the opposite.” Um. Ma’am. Why are you lying? You’re under oath. That’s called perjury.
- “She’s been brutalized by the system enough, don’t you think?” Again. Tess.
- Love how the courtroom scenes have Price and Carisi alternating. And, like, both very good at their jobs, actually. Their actual jobs, not Carisi playing cop sidekick with Liv!
- Annnnd back to BensonBot. “This is the version of you that we need” when the girl’s sobbing.
- “Men like Gomez, they want you to stay invisible. That’s what protects them.” THIS.
- “…you’ve got to get up there and show them that you’re not as invisible as he thinks you are.” And here we have LivGPT again.
- “I know what they would want. They would want you to choose justice. Not fear.”
- Look, let’s talk about the “a random Elliot appears!” scene in Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 19. Much like several parts of this crossover, the scene where Elliot just randomly appears and threatens Gomez’s enforcer (or whatever) has me a bit conflicted. As a fan, especially someone who loves that EO dynamic? Inject it in my veins. But…Christopher Meloni’s appearance could’ve been put to better use by having El actually comfort Liv. Instead, we don’t see them together here at all. A missed opportunity and not exactly the best bang for your buck.
- “If you ever go anywhere near my friend, or her son, again, I won’t take you down. I’ll take you apart.”
- He would.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of the Law & Order crossover? Did you prefer Law & Order Season 24 Episode 19 ‘Play with Fire Part 1’? Or Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 19 ‘Play with Fire Part 2’? Leave us a comment!
Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c, and SVU airs at 9/8c on NBC.
