Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 Review: Classic, Powerful SVU

Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 ‘Hubris’ has a classic Law & Order franchise feel to it. At the heart of the hour, there’s an obvious sense of right and wrong with respect to the victims our squad seeks justice for. But what counts as the correct thing to do in this situation is something that could set a very, very dangerous precedent. What unfolds is an attempt to acknowledge the larger issue — in this episode, it’s “do you really want police and lawyers to litigate medical diagnoses?” should be answered with an emphatic “absolutely not” in the broad majority of situations — while stil simplifying the gray area for viewers. Here, there’s never any doubt that Captain Benson’s correct and Dr. Allen’s a snide, racist, classist monster.

Overall, it’s a great SVU episode. Top-tier, even. But in these abnormal times — when were they last normal? Were they ever? — when there’s a very clear project aimed at undermining actual experts and sowing chaos, forcing average people to think they can only trust wildly unqualified grifters, the thought of an hour of television even suggesting that sometimes we actually do know better…is unsettling. The corrupt, nearly cartoonish villain that is Dr. Allen believes she’s so much smarter and better than everyone else. A nasty combination of ego and biases successfully makes her a glaring exception to the “listen to doctors” rule. That’s good. But her constant air of superiority also plays into some of what’s started to break the public’s trust in scientists and label them as “elitists” to begin with. That is, uh, bad. Really bad.

The other really effing bad thing about this otherwise great episode is more in-world and part of what, at this point, I’m going to use my non-existent medical degree to diagnose as chronic. Does nobody remember that Noah was in and out of the hospital a lot as a baby? What about that time Liv almost lost him because she grabbed his arm in a panic to pull him out of harm’s way? The constant sleepovers, the times he’s been at risk because of his mom’s job….any of it? I’d also wager he’s, in the timey-wimey world that is SVU, somewhere around Riley Williams’ age. But he never comes up, not once. Not even to make the distinction that, perhaps, Olivia being a white woman saved her from being deemed an unfit, neglectful parent. Just a thought.

Even with those issues and possibly a handful of others, though, I still tend to come down on the side of “no serious person will actually take the wrong message from this.” Which means I can go ahead and just be glad that Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 does aim for nuance and a general warning of “don’t try this at home. This is TV. You’re watching an elite squad that, while not at all infallible, you can usually trust.” So, I’ll take it. Let’s just celebrate one of the strongest, most thought-provoking episodes we’ve had in a long time.

I mean, we even get a little bit of a discussion of what happens when an “expert” witness, who probably did make at least some people safer, turns out to be untrustworthy. As Carisi warns, pursuing justice for some might mean opening up all of Dr. Allen’s cases and creating injustice for others. But, as CJ points out: “Honestly? If even one person is in prison for something they didn’t do? That’s too many.” We need more prosecutors like her, who will actually feel the guilt and work to make things better — which, in the case of the Williamses and Corinne Langford, what’s broken can never fully be repaired— instead of those who are fine continuing to work in an unjust justice system.

And, not to be left out because they make this hour what it is, there’s always the remarkable performances from the guest stars and Mariska Hargitay. Which kind of brings me back to my original assessment: This one’s got that classic feel you’d expect from the franchise and, specifically, SVU itself.

MORE: SVU Season 27 has had its ups and downs. Episode 10 was a standout for all the right reasons, while the fall finale was a mess.

“Can you just take me home”

When I first heard that Sean Patrick Thomas was doing an episode of SVU this season, I figured he’d be the standout guest star. And, to be clear, Thomas delivers exactly the excellent type of performance I’ve come to expect from him. But Milan Marsh owns Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12. That first hospital scene opposite Hargitay features one of those performances that’s just undeniably moving and one we’ll be talking about for years to come, should Marsh decide to continue doing this work. She does so much with all these subtle changes in those eyes — when Riley braves making eye contact at all, that is — and even in the way she ever so slightly changes her seated shape and posture. The more Liv helps Riley out of that getup, the more you can actually pinpoint each tiny, precious bit of trust the character gives Olivia. Oh, and that pleading look, as Riley says “take me home”? Gutting.

Riley’s transformation in that conversation, both as she becomes more trusting — despite an obvious step back into a more protective stance when Benson asks about foster care — and just in the trick of the costume and makeup changes, is just stunning. While I normally get irritated about Liv babying her (apparently non-existent) son, the oh-so-gentle way she approaches Riley and offers her each little piece of comfort is on point. Letting this 15-year-old reclaim that childhood innocence that was stolen from her is important. Liv knows this and acts accordingly.

Later, Riley runs away from the hospital at the first opportunity to go home. For as upset as she is during that confrontation, it’s still…strangely a relief to see. The pain that kid is in, as well as the emotion from Thomas as her father, is obviously heartbreaking. But seeing the teen come out of her shell because she is in her safe place, with her safe person, is fantastic. Marsh laid the groundwork for showing us Riley’s personality when she asked Liv for the hot Cheetos back at the hospital. She has a voice here, her righteous anger spilling over and increasing in power, desperate for someone to just believe her about her volleyball injury.

Compare this to that first meeting, the smallness, the agonizingly quiet, high-pitched, broken begging for the kind police officer to just take her home. So, of course it hurts to witness our victim being upset. But at least she’s not afraid to let people know how she really, truly feels about things at home. And the expert way Marsh plays both sides of Riley — the one hiding in her shell and the one out of it — really leaves its mark.

If only we could actually get to experience the happy, healthy Riley from before this nightmare ever started.

MORE: Earlier this season, we had an incredible guest performance in an episode that…wasn’t.

“I will never get that time back”

By the end of Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12, we see Nate Williams embracing his daughter, so they “win.” But it’s not like there’s any way to undo all the wrongs. Riley can’t get the time with her dad back and vice versa. You also can’t erase what that girl was put through. Then, there’s Corinne Langford, who I’ll discuss a bit more below. She’s already missed her son’s first steps, spent time in the horrible conditions at Riker’s, and lived with the knowledge that she confessed to doing something she would never, ever do. This is the problem with a system full of missteps and failures, and it’s particularly horrible when those missteps and failures are done on purpose.

The baby doesn’t make an appearance, which is for the best. But, in addition to us seeing the awful harm inflicted on Riley and hearing about the baby’s mom missing a milestone, the parents who were wronged by the injustice system — Sean Patrick Thomas as Nate and Briana Starks as Corinne — also get to tell their stories. Thomas is every bit the desperate, pleading, frustrated father when Liv and Vivian come to his home. Nate just wants someone, anyone, to believe him. And he’ll do anything — anything at all, and it’s impossible not to believe he will — to get his daughter back, to bring her home. This man has done everything they’ve asked of him, but nothing has mattered. So, there’s a hopelessness to the character that still must project strength, protection, and belief for his daughter…and he does.

Somehow, Thomas creates that storm of conflicting emotions and delivers blow after blow to the audience with it. It’s truly remarkable. Although the series typically forces viewers to suspend disbelief a bit and simply accept that Liv just knows the truth, whatever that truth may be, Thomas’ performance makes it impossible not to agree with her. We have no choice but see Nate and Riley Williams as she does. This is a father and daughter who love each other, who are clinging to each other. Nate would never purposely hurt his kid, and that kid knows it. That embrace, as Thomas delivers his lines in a comforting manner for the child sitting next to him but with so much pain toward the two adults in the room, is impossible to deny.

MORE: What did we think of the recent crossover with the Law & Order mothership?

“Corinne Langford never got to tell her side of the story”

Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 reminds us that not everyone who pleads guilty to committing a crime is, in fact, guilty. In the case of Corinne Langford, enduring a trial that would’ve likely ended badly anyway given the evidence (thanks to a buried test, as we learn during this investigation) was actually a worse option than confessing to abusing her baby. The scene where CJ goes to visit her and actually, for the first time, listen to her is yet another brilliant part of this hour. Briana Starks enters the scene on the offense — because it’s the only defense Corinne has at this point, from behind these bars — the picture of hatred personified. That hatred is justified and reasonable because everything terrible in her life is sitting right there in front of her.

But notice what Starks does in this scene. That initial attempt at being strong, at not showing any emotion, absolutely melts into a certain kind of deadly grief when CJ admits she might have a way to exonerate her. And even as Corinne jumps in, reminding the prosecutor that she doesn’t know, unloading so much powerful emotion, the grief never leaves her. It’s there in her eyes and in her voice. I know I keep using these words a lot when I talk about the guest stars and their characters in this hour, but it’s because they’re fitting: What they show us here, this overwhelming pain and loss, is gutting. It’s devastating, and it’s heartbreaking.

And, as the best TV often does, it expresses something true and real through these fictional characters. So, here’s the truth of Corinne Langford’s story: “…and y’all looked at me, a Black single mother, and decided I was guilty. And then, you made me say it in court, knowing it wasn’t true. You made me say I hurt my baby. So, go ahead. Try and fix whatever you did wrong. It won’t be enough.” To relate this back to my point above with Riley and her dad, and really to the truth all of this tells about our world, there really will never be a way to fix the harms done to families like these.

Oh, and just to praise Starks a bit more: That high pitch on “you made me say” and the overwhelming agony she expresses throughout that whole story — the betrayal when she talks about the hospital, even — speaks of wounds that simply can’t be healed with an apology, or even getting out of jail. That deadly look when CJ first gently asks Corinne to let her try to fix it is also…such a stunner. So well done. I also love the way she paces things, pausing to fight for control of all those emotions but totally losing the battle anyway. (Because how could she not?)

And I very much appreciate that, for all Corinne throws at CJ, and for as well as Norma Kuhling portrays her character’s sorrow, the framing is never about “oh, this poor white lady just made a mistake.” She’s a sympathetic character, yes, and someone we can root for. Easily. But the real victim — the only victim — in that cage is Corinne. And every detail is set up to get us on her side. Which, let’s be real: It should be ridiculously easy to be on her side anyway.

MORE: Some of this season’s cases have taken a lot of twists and turns.

More Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12reactions

Speaking of classic Law & Order…Check out the camera angle in the very first shot and just the overall feel at the very, very beginning. Man, I almost thought it was back in the day again. Amazing.
I know there have been some, uh, schedule changes recently and all? But…oof to that sudden sound jump when Tracy’s all “that man’s not going to be able to hurt you.” Big yikes, even.
Not this dude trying to pick up a sex worker, toting a child around after picking her up, and then hollering about his marriage and his kids when he gets caught. Garbage.
“…first of all, you don’t look bad. This — you look good. i mean [points in a circle] this is…something.” Now, that’s how I like my Liv. That “mm, thank you” is something else, too. (But…again with the sound being weird?)
I just…Seriously, I can’t get over that hospital scene at the beginning. The rest of Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 could’ve been significantly worse, and I’d still come down on the side of this hour being one of the best for that scene alone. Just utterly remarkable and everything right about this series. There’s a reason it’s been considered a comfort show, and Olivia’s been a comfort character, for so many people for all these years in spite of the dark material. Just look at every single detail from Hargitay there. So much warmth, and comfort, and love, and Liv’s genuinely sharing something about herself with this scared girl as a way of saying, “hey, I know I can’t magically make it go away, but since I’m seeing such raw pieces of you, here are pieces of me — gifts — in return.”
And OMG. Once Riley actually realizes she can ask for something and looks up at Liv, that smile from Hargitay when Liv realizes she’s gotten through could seriously light up the whole world.
“You got any hot Cheetos in that bag?” “I’m happy to get you some when we’re done.” Raise your hand if you immediately thought of Jemily on Criminal Minds.
“My — my mom died when I was little.” “Oh, I’m sorry.” HER HEARTBREAK FOR THIS KID.
“…what happened to you isn’t right. It’s not fair. And you deserve to be protected…and loved. And I can’t change the past, but what I can do is, I can promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that you…get to be the girl that you were supposed to be.” Olivia Benson, reassuring someone without sounding like a chatbot. We are so back. And check out how the level of emotion Marsh portrays here just builds and builds — really shows Riley is listening and beginning to believe this person.
That hug? Also, THANK YOU FOR ASKING FOR CONSENT.
On the complete flip side, the way Liv lays into the ACS worker — even just that short “yeah” before the doctor can finish asking her not to go too hard on her — is that other part of Olivia Benson we know on and love. So much personality, so much fight, so very much not to be F—ed with. In case anyone forgets, she and her old partner were, uh, both referred. And there are parts of this hour, both here and throughout, where Hargitay reminds us that Liv is every bit that b**ch. Brilliant.
“I’m the Captain.” Yes, Ma’am.
Oof. When Vivian finally does stand up for herself. That’s a great moment from Elaine Baez.
On the one hand, Benson and Curry are a bit tough on the foster mom before knowing the full story. But on the other, I support their wrongs and their rights in this particular case. Literally asked a friend if I was a monster for rooting for them during the whole bus…incident. Oops?
So, we’re not going to have any continuity in terms of fallout from the tension with Rollins at the end of the previous episode, though. Got it. Disappointing, yet not surprising considering there’s a lot to cover here. Also not a dealbreaker.
Does Liv ever zip her coat, though?
“Happiest pimp on Earth.”
“Back then, SVU was problematic.” Continuity with Bruno’s origin story?! Amazing.
Ok but Liv’s face when they discover Riley left the hospital.
Eh. Liv’s face in general. Every single reaction shot is golden. (Unsurprising from Hargitay.)
The voice acting on that phone call from the dad killed me before we ever even saw his face. So much anxiety, then the questioning/disbelief right at the end of the line about Riley wanting to stay with him…so well done.
“I’m gonna try, but you know, that’s really all that I can promise at this point. Maybe somebody will listen to me. But unfortunately, you can’t stay here right now.” My heart. The way Hargitay’s voice wavers on the “that’s really all that I can promise” part is just…ouch. Also, it’s so refreshing to see Olivia Benson being honest and open instead of making promises we’re not sure she’ll be able to keep.
The sniffling as the only response, not even any movement, as this man says he’d fly away with his kid if he could…
“Or. They looked at him because he was a single dad, low income, and Black.” OMG GO OFF BRUNO.
“Yeah. That could absolutely be a part of it. In New York, more than half the kids that are removed from their homes without a court order are Black, even though those kids only make up a quarter of the population.” READ. THAT. AGAIN.
I love that Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 sets the table for us to see Dr. Allen as racist AF, yet no one has to call her that. No spoon-feeding. Just, here’s the reality in the system that we’re going to point out back at the bullpen. Now, watch how this here Karen type is so sure in these cases, with the flagrant F ups we’re reexamining just happening to both be Black families…and you decide. Believe your eyes and ears.
“You know where to find me. Down in this hellhole.”
“You kind of feel it hanging in the air, right? The despair? Yeah, the judges don’t care. They’re just waiting for their next political appointment. Yeah, everybody treats each other like garbage. And the families that walk through these doors, they get screwed one way or another. There is rarely a just solution.” OOF.
Benson vs. Allen. Mariska Hargitay vs. Kate Burton. Inject it in my veins.
“…then the police work is wrong.” Liv looks like she’s gonna cut someone. “Well…how do you know when you’re wrong?” And this B**** laughs at her. Let me go fight.
Me: Where do I recognize this evil doctor from? IMDB: Oh, a lot of places. Me: ??? IMDB: Ok, fine. How about this one — you’re not going to believe this. She was a defense attorney on unflavored L&O. Me: Of course, of course. So wise.
“It does. But I…assume that’s the point?” So many years without this Olivia Benson. Robbed.
“Doctors can get myopic. They…want to prove their hypotheses so bad that they reject any information that doesn’t conform with it.” I’ve had so many bad experiences with sh** doctors who don’t have listening skills, and yet, I’d still throw this out in light of the current climate.
“Obviously, if I’m wrong, I’ll let it go, but…” “Yeah. That sounds just like you” Raise your hand if you snorted. Liv’s reaction is kinda priceless, too. Your girl can’t even be offended. Because, well, true.
I might actually be willing to burn the world down for CJ. Seriously, no offense intended to anyone else, but there’s something about the women in the DA’s office for me. So grateful she feels that guilt and brings that case to Carisi so Liv has some backup here.
“She said her cousin was a lawyer or something. Told her, never talk to the police. Honestly, that’s good advice.” NEVER CHANGE, FIN. Remember when I said this one feels like the classics? That’s my Odafin Tutuola. Always good to have Ice back, especially when it’s for a real AF delivery on a line like that.
“You don’t know! You don’t know — you put me here! I lost my baby because of you. He’s living with another woman who isn’t his mother because of you!“
“…and I’m not about to go around telling doctors they don’t know what they’re talking about.” Queen.
That smug grin of Dr. Allen’s after every single lie. I hate her.
“But what would happen if they did disagree with you?” “They wouldn’t.” “No, I guess they wouldn’t.” Heck of an exchange.
“…and for that, my conscience is clear. How about yours?” Mariska Hargitay and Olivia Benson, folks.
She’s done nearly ripped that door off the hinges.
The relief and tears and hug for Corinne’s lawyer…and then, the look at CJ. Dead.
Olivia Benson mentoring someone in the DA’s office instead of a young cop. Why not? I’ll take it!
All this irreversible damage, and that happy ending is still…as happy as it will ever get. Humans aren’t perfect. All we can do is our best, but F when the stakes are this high. Especially someone like this episode’s so-called doctor openly and proudly does evil in the name of good.