A lot happened on Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5, but something was missing.
Benson and the rest of the SVU team took on the issue of sextortion when a reporter attempted to jump off a building after receiving a threat, leading to an investigation of a convoluted scheme to use sexual photos to extort people for money.
Benson worked with two victims and saved the day for one of them, yet the case was underwhelming.
Sextortion Is A Serious Crime That Deserved A More Intense Storyline
The cold open on Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 was intense, with a sextortion victim quickly going from having a great time on a date to considering jumping off the roof of a building because of a texted threat to send X-rated photos to everyone she knew.
However, Benson was able to talk Kelsey down quickly. This beat felt rushed, which was an issue throughout.
After getting Kelsey to safety, Benson got some pertinent details, learning that Kelsey had gone on an online date and then received a demand for $50,000 to keep nude photos of herself from going public.
This was an upsetting situation, but there wasn’t enough of Kelsey dealing (or not dealing) with it for it to make much of an impact.
Instead, Kelsey’s issue led to an investigation into what was supposedly a common scheme, but the focus was on only one other victim, so it didn’t seem nearly as widespread as Benson claimed it was when she began.
It’s fine to have two victims whose cases are connected, but that’s not the same as an epidemic of sextortion, and the fact that Benson treated it like it was more common than it was was distracting.
The episode might have been stronger if it had stuck only with Kelsey’s story, too.
Kelsey was a well-known reporter who had escaped domestic violence in the past. She felt her job was the only thing she had left now that her abusive ex had taken everything else from her, which made the threat of sextortion twice as painful for her.
No wonder Kelsey considered taking her own life when she got that threat!
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 4 could have delved more deeply into Kelsey’s story rather than adding a second victim. If anything, Ruby should have been incidental to the story, providing information that helped them find the guy, instead of getting equal time.
Additionally, Kelsey’s backstory offered a strong red herring that was never pursued.
Since Kelsey had been the victim of domestic abuse, the logical first step would be to rule out her ex-boyfriend.
It would not be a big stretch of the imagination for a controlling ex who was seeking revenge because his girlfriend left him to try to extort her using nude photos, yet this possibility was never considered.
That would have been a more effective red herring than Neil, whose involvement in the scheme didn’t fully make sense.
The scammers were targeting wealthy people, so why did they go after a guy who had no money?
Plus, instead of fulfilling their threat, they kept the pictures private if he found them new, wealthier victims.
That didn’t fit with this being a well-organized scheme involving two brothers who hired people to act as the “date.”
Neil shouldn’t have been on their radar at all and seemed to be there for the sole purpose of ensuring the sextortionist wasn’t caught too early in the episode.
The Ending Of The Case Was The Most Powerful Part
I was so mad on Kelsey’s behalf when the extortionist sent nude photos of her to all her coworkers.
It wasn’t fully explained why he did that. I guess someone in Constantine’s organization wanted revenge because Kelsey ruined their operation.
Still, it was so unfair that Kelsey could lose her job if the network disapproved of the nude photos, even though she didn’t give anyone permission to distribute them.
That small moment was the kind of powerful statement about sextortion that I was looking for and didn’t get throughout the rest of the hour. We needed more than that!
I was glad that Benson found a way to save Kelsey’s job, though it was disappointing that it was all taken care of off-screen. But at least Benson’s solution allowed Kelsey to feel empowered and to help others avoid becoming victims, so there was that.
This Case Would Have Made A Perfect Crossover With Law & Order: Organized Crime
It’s too bad that Law & Order: Organized Crime is on an indefinite hiatus before Season 4 starts streaming on Peacock, because this case would have worked well as a crossover.
Instead of this convoluted scheme, the sextortion plot could have been one way an organized crime ring made money and maintained control over people it deemed problematic.
Since Stabler isn’t around, this case could have been tied to the Intelligence Unit’s next investigation.
Yes, Rollins was just visiting, but we wouldn’t be too sick of her if she returned so quickly, especially if it were to get justice in a case that was this important.
Velasco’s Undercover Stint Was Fun, Even If It Was Rushed
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5 wasn’t bad; it was entertaining, and the Velasco undercover sequence involved solid police work.
I wish the undercover sequence had lasted a bit longer, though.
For one thing, Velasco recording a woman exchanging numbers and trying to get him into bed didn’t prove anything, and the fact that she took money from Constantine afterward wasn’t really a smoking gun.
Plus, Velasco undercover was fun. I enjoyed him pretending to be ultra-wealthy, although he should have prepared better for the part.
Bruno was right that Velasco wasn’t dressed like a venture capitalist, and his demeanor didn’t strike me as one, either.
Still, it was enough to fool Audra, and it gave Bruno and Silva time to talk in the van while monitoring the situation.
I didn’t expect to ship Silva with anyone, at least not yet, but she and Bruno had some serious chemistry going on, and her father hating him is a strong recipe for the type of conflict that makes a couple rootable.
Besides, we need a new romance to get excited about since Benson and Stabler are in limbo indefinitely!
Will The Bronx SVU Storyline Rear Its Ugly Head Again?
Ruby mentioned she had reported the sextortion to the Bronx SVU.
That particular branch of SVU does a terrible job, or used to, anyway. Benson spent part of Law & Order: SVU Season 24 finishing out some cases that Bronx SVU dropped the ball on, which was how she met Bruno in the first place.
It can’t be a coincidence that it was mentioned, especially with Silva saying that her dad isn’t happy about Bruno’s lawsuit.
Something big is likely to go down soon, though I don’t know yet what. I thought the Bronx SVU had been closed, or at least the original leaders fired, because it was so incompetent and corrupt.
Over to you, Law & Order: SVU fanatics. What did you think of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 5?
Vote in our poll to rank the episode then hit the comments with your thoughts.
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c and on Peacock on Fridays.
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