Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 17 Review: Lime Chaser

If anything, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 17, “Lime Chaser,” proves Benson doesn’t have time for blind ambition.

If Churlish’s behavior on this episode is anything to go on, there are rough seas ahead for her relationship with Benson, which is never easy to reconcile when you are brand new to the department.

Getting on your leader’s wrong side this early in the game isn’t going to win you any favors — especially considering Churlish and Muncy were already at each other for differing work ethic styles. That said, what Churlish does on this episode and how Muncy responds sets the stage for them to grow to like each other in time.

Muncy Needs To Get Her Head Straight

Since joining Law & Order: SVU, Muncy has been a pistol — unable to be controlled and rarely contained. This has now culminated in her creating drama within the department that doesn’t need to be there.

Before she can even start to come down off her high horse regarding Churlish, she gets bent out of shape over her brother being a suspect. While Muncy is always a compassionately loud team member, she takes it too far this time and comes across as annoying.

Even Velasco, who works well with Muncy, wants her to reel things in a bit. He tries to convince her that taking a step back and doing everything by the book isn’t a dig at her.

We all get antsy and defensive when our family is involved in something significant. However, Muncy almost pushes the situation too far by trying to get the team’s attention away from her brother.

When Churlish steps up and plays into the undercover sting behind Benson’s back, it is a surprise that Muncy chooses to congratulate her on a good idea.

The Trouble with Teddy

One of the best things about this episode is how well the writers take Teddy’s potential guilt and make it believable. For most of the episode, a nagging voice at the back of our minds says Teddy is part of the rape organization.

It’s been a while since the writers have done a perfect red herring such as this. While the bartender is part of the game, there is reasonable doubt about Teddy’s innocence. 

Muncy doubling down and refusing to look at the big picture makes it seem even more likely that he will be identified as one of the players. So, it’s a huge relief when he is the one who gets Churlish to safety and ensures that nothing untoward happens to her while her judgment is compromised.

While Law & Order: SVU Season 24 Episode 17, “Lime Chaser,” sets things up to be all about Churlish’s thirst to prove herself, it ends on the other end. Overall, the story is about how Muncy learns to trust Churlish and opens her eyes to how sensitively close her brother is to the situation.

The character of Teddy is the perfect tool to secure these shifts in Muncy and Churlish — whether for the good or the bad. Many times when we get a side character such as this, it doesn’t amount to much within the core group.

Churlish Lives Up to the Name

Since being introduced, Churlish has made enemies left and right within the department. She has a goal in life, and nothing or no one will stand in the way of her reaching that goal.

Luckily for her, Benson doesn’t stand for such behavior in her unit. Everyone in SVU has a unique point of view, but they are all perfectly imperfect — which is why Churlish sticks out like a sore thumb.

The word churlish means rude or mean-spirited in a surly way. Since she dropped in, she has been nothing but surly toward her colleagues because they don’t matter to her. Their careers don’t matter, only hers.

Because she doesn’t want to be a team player, Churlish gets caught up on the wrong side of this case and almost gets sexually assaulted. Thankfully her team does treat everyone like equals and has their backs — getting her to safety.

I think this case and Benson’s stern talking to afterward is the wake-up call Churlish needs to set herself on the correct path. Whether that path continues to be SVU remains to be seen.

 

 

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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