Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 21 Review: Bad Things

When a show like this tries to merge two cases into one episode, it usually fails. However, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 21, “Bad Things,” manages to introduce a new case and revisits an old perp successfully.

Even though only one of the cases has a resolution during this episode, both cases are treated with the same amount of respect and are given the same amount of time.

While Muncy has to deal with one of her first cases again, Benson investigates the case that leads to the crossover with Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Cagney & Lacey

It feels appropriate that Churlish compares herself and Muncy to Cagney and Lacey when the two of them are finally figuring out their relationship and are on better terms.

As soon as we see the red licorice wrapping paper, just like Muncy we know that Elias Olsen is back. The flashbacks of that case and how Muncy dealt with it only help us confirm our theories.

And just like Benson, we are afraid Muncy is going to lose her temper and mess up the case again. She has evolved as a detective, but the guilt still weighs her down.

The return of Elias Olsen helps us see how much Muncy has grown and how she has found her place in Manhattan SVU. Not only is she less impulsive, she is also able to reason with the suspect and act calmly when in a situation of danger.

This results in her and Churlish being able to bring Elias in for questioning and a confession. “Bad Things” shows this time around he is the impulsive one, breaking the glass in the interrogation room to get to Muncy.

Because the case of Mark Reed and Elias Olsen is introduced after the rape case, we are afraid the 42 minutes of the episode won’t be enough for both cases. However, we’re proven wrong.

Mark Reed’s case gets the same amount of attention and is treated with the same amount of respect.

We get to see him when he is found, after he dies in the hospital, and the results of his autopsy. So much detail goes into the case that even the red licorice left in his stomach is shown, making us feel the same anger and disgust that Muncy and Churlish feel in that moment.

It is the attention to detail that ends up confirming Muncy’s theory. She realizes that every welder has their own personal signature, which confirms it is Elias Olsen who has committed the crime.

Even though at first Muncy feels she’s being paranoid, it is this gut feeling that brings a sad but good resolution to the case. Mark Reed will get the justice he deserves.

Victims in Every Bureau

As soon as the victims begin to describe the MO of their rapists and they all mention the presence of an ex or a stalker, we come to realize, just like the detectives, that there is something weird about this case.

Not only are women being assaulted in different bureaus, they are being assaulted by different men. Some of them describe a black man while others describe a Latino man. However, they all repeat the same act: know their name and take a selfie.

Things don’t add up, but as Fin/Velasco and Benson/Carisi begin to re-interview some of the victims, we begin to put the pieces together. The terrible men in these women’s lives are paying for them to be assaulted.

However, no one before the squad seems to have realized this connection. It is going to be up to them to prove that it is the same group of men who are being paid for this.

When one of the victims mentions to Fin and Velasco that the police told her they couldn’t do much because the DNA found in the crime scene belonged to someone in prison, we are reminded of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 Episode 20, “Pareto Principle.”

During “Pareto Principle,” Stabler and his team come to discover inmates are being released at night to commit crimes. One of those inmates matches the DNA of Benson’s victim.

It is this connection, found by Churlish, that opens the floor for the crossover between Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime that has its second part on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 Episode 21, “Shadowërk.”

“Bad Things” introduces us to the victims, the case, and the connection Benson’s team has been able to make between the assaults. However, it is nowhere near done.

Benson introduces what she believes is a rape-for-hire case, but Stabler opens up the door to a revenge-for-hire ring that is behind both their cases.

This operation will continue on Law & Order: SVU Season 24 Episode 22, “All Pain Is One Malady,” and Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 Episode 22, “With Many Names.”

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 21, “Bad Things,” deserves its praises for having delivered to very intriguing and captivating cases without failing either of them.

However, one of the things that must be highlighted is Carisi’s presence. Once again, he proves that his best work is done when he works side-by-side with Olivia Benson.

It is his trip to Staten Island with her that shows how good he is at his job. But it makes us wonder if this job should be detective. He is great at asking the right questions and connecting with the victims, which doesn’t always happen when he is in court.

Maybe he should spend more time working with Benson and connecting with his roots.

Not only does the captain bring out the best in him professionally, but she supports him personally — particularly now that he is facing father-to-be fears.

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

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