Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 21 Review: ‘Aperture’

Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 21 ‘Aperture’ is yet another wildly out of touch hour for the long-running series. The case includes so many absurdly disturbing elements, one might find themselves asking “wait. WTAF am I watching here” at multiple points during the episode. And, sure, “disturbing” sometimes produces some pretty fascinating television. But uh, this isn’t that kind of situation. Not by a long shot.

Then, there’s the investigation itself. It involves so much bad police work — SVU detectives badgering a victim to come forward when she’s clearly not interested, Curry not knowing what a skimmer is after being a cop long enough to make Captain (as a Black woman in a racist AF, male-driven field no less), Liv asking Josie about the Bahamas and Atlas’ phone even after her detectives had already questioned the girl about the trip — it’s hard to believe this is part of the Law & Order franchise, much less SVU with its 84 years worth of episodes. If you’re into flawed heroes, good — because they’re usually the most interesting. But making mistakes doesn’t mean whatever clownish series of bumbling errors the supposedly “elite squad” makes here.

For much of the episode, nobody even seems to care about the most bizarre parts of Atlas’ story. Take for example the guy with the gun. According to Atlas, he was just randomly chilling with his weapon in the entrance to a random building in an upscale neighborhood’s entrance, mid-day, without anyone noticing. That part of his story, along with his initial lie about staying in the bathroom during the assault, should’ve been a giant red flag. But, well, this is SVU Season 26.

So. Nope. Poor, innocent lamb Atlas and all. Forget that we really, really shouldn’t always spend way more time trying to force the audience to care about someone like him on a show like this. And, of course, when we do spend time with the actual victim, it’s either the aforementioned badgering by Curry and Silva or having her tell us how much we should worry about everyone from her rapist stepbrother to her parents. But hey! LivGPT gives us some reassuring words at the end of the episode, so everything’s just fine. (It is not.)

At the end of the day, let’s just be glad that this season is almost over.

MORE: Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 17 also saw Benson and Rollins putting way too much pressure on a victim. And Episode 5 was part of Season 26’s pattern of episodes that spend too much time focusing on the wrong characters.

More on Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 21

What even is the point of “stickler for words” guy lingering on the sight of Josie in her underwear? It’s 100% possible to have him randomly spot the crime in progress without him also being a total pervert himself. See also: That one episode of Wild Cards.
Liv’s face when she hears about Telescope Guy is basically me at Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 21.
“Criminals tend to be lazy.” Girl, what. How many people have you had to chase down alleys? And how about all the planning? Or. Ask your former partner about the people he investigates. Better yet: Just go live on his show.
Fin’s whole theory about a theme makes more sense than what we actually get out of this episode.
“What’s the odds of that?” “In this town? Better than you think.” Because New York is BIG AND SCARY???
“I mean, consensual non-consent?” Liv’s been doing this job for how many millennia and doesn’t know non-con fantasies exist?
The Mr. Ziegler guy is very much giving a gross stereotype that I don’t even have the energy to break down.
“They pulled upwards of 25 condoms from the building’s plumbing.” Liv looks just as “WTF” about this as I am.
We’re promising we can keep her safe without having a clue about anything related to the case. OK THEN.
“We are here to help you.” Not acting like it. I mean, surely, there’s a better way to “help” a rape victim than by robbing her of her ability to make her own decisions.
“Josephine. You said that you were raped, right?” And then…they tell Liv they think she’s in denial in the very next scene? She literally said the thing happened.
“Well, he’s only 17, so it’s not her call. It’s ours.” Ew. Who needs a rape victim to have agency, amirite?
“I think she’s in denial.” “Well. Which is understandable, but…she’s not the only person involved.” Olivia Benson, SVU crusader since the dawn of time, just casually shrugging off a rape victim’s alleged denial as a reason for not wanting to cooperate being “understandable” like it’s not important. Superb empathy there. So human, much Liv.
“Wow. This is…something.” Yeah, and not a good something.
“You mean my children had a gun pointed at them yesterday?!” Least shocking thing about this episode. Same people who believe all the fear-mongering about the city don’t believe their precious babies can be exposed to the same guns that are all over, everywhere in this country.
Ok. And your security dude being ex-Mossad is a detail that was necessary to literally any of this…how.
Someone at SVU really, really wanted their crack at ripping the Luigi case from the headlines and then lost that battle, huh.
Ok, so the mom was so afraid of the video, she held her phone like it was going to explode…but Captain Benson didn’t offer her the opportunity to step out of the room before watching the footage? What even is happening?
No ransom demand…but doesn’t Gun Dude take credit for the non-existent ransom because of “Richie Rich” only paying him $2K at the end????
“I mean, there’s so much anger around corporate America these days.” GEE, CAN’T FATHOM WHY.
Ok. I actually chuckled at this. Thank you, Fin. “Wanna see my ID? How’s this? That good enough for you?” as he’s shoving his badge in that security dude’s face. Amazing.
“My father hasn’t even been able to look at me. My mother…barely can.” Sure, center them!
It might be good for the NYPD to get consistent stories, but as viewers, we really don’t need to hear the exact same detail about Josie offering herself to the guy with the gun so she could avoid having to have sex with her stepbrother. Promise.
…genuinely can not believe that is a comment I had to write.
…they get this information on Atlas’ dad this late into things. And the pictures that got him in legal trouble were literally of the victim. OK THEN.
“Please don’t hurt him. My son has been through so much.” My eyes can’t roll hard enough.
“I might know where to look — I have a 14-year-old son.” OMG. She does?!!! A miracle! Although, whatever you do, don’t think about someone who’s 14 having funsies with Amanda’s super young kids at the end of Episode 20…
“The one in the elevator? You know, the one with the gun?” Yeah. You know, the one you should’ve been looking for with all that surveillance and ID technology that’s the main reason all y’all are forever fearmongering over masks???
“I think I should call my lawyer.” And Liv’s all jumping in with an, “I think you should, too.” UGH. FINE. A positive thing about this episode: Mariska Hargitay’s delivery here. Liv sass!
“Simping?!”
“I’m not about to do hard time just because I’m poor and Richie Rich wanted to get all SugarFap with his sister.” I mean, you could’ve just…not participated. But the point about the lack of equality under the law still stands, despite how awkwardly it’s presented.
Something about a wood chipper in the justice system? K.
What in the…and we spent how long trying to make people feel bad for him and act like his trauma is as important as his sister’s, if not somehow more? K.
Ok. Kinda like Liv giving this creeper that false hope…and then, “in court.“
“I heard my father crying last night through the walls in their bedroom; I have never heard him cry before.” Again. Centering someone that’s not her.
“He was your little brother, and all you did…was love him.” Cue Phoebe Buffay “THAT IS BRAND NEW INFORMATION” gif.
Anyway. That was an episode of television that someone thought people needed to watch.
Losing my mind over the promo for next week because it’s screaming “Gold Star from last season of Criminal Minds: Evolution, but make it TEMU.” And that’s the second time this week I’ve made a reference to that series when talking about something from this franchise. (The first time was on my Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 5 review.)