Law & Order Season 24 Episode 2 Review: The Perfect Man

Things get heated on Law & Order Season 24 Episode 2, “The Perfect Man,” when a charming entrepreneur gets shot in the eye while walking in Central Park. From start to finish, this case has us feeling for both sides of the story.

On the one hand, we have a man who everyone who knew him adored and thought he was gentle and kind. Then, we have the perspective of Laura, a previous victim of sexual assault, who found his romantic feelings to be over the top and intrusive.

Did the victim, Tyler Miller, go a bit hard with his love bombing on a girl he was deeply interested in? Yes. However, he was never aggressive or threatening toward her.

What is the Right Answer

This is where the case gets murky in terms of who or what we should be rooting for. Of course, we feel for Laura, whose trauma caused her to perceive his intense flirting as a threat.

But we also have the proof of 126 love letters that speak to the things Tyler loved about Laura. She might’ve broken up with him due to her trauma, but he was just trying to show her that she wasn’t broken and could still be lovable.

Under different circumstances, he might’ve had a different fate. After all, this reads like the plot of a Hallmark rom-com film.

As it is, this case does call into question how we are supposed to interpret self-defense or the threat of imminent danger. After all, different people see different things as threats.

For half of the episode, it feels like Nolan is fighting for his life to defend the lawful definition of self-defense with regard to a logically perceived threat. Up against him is Olivia Benson, of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fame, with her support for rape victims rights.

And while Benson’s guest appearance is nice, she is a bit aggressive against those involved in the case.

Why Benson Should’ve Dialed Back A Bit

Honestly, I am the first to applaud seeing Olivia Benson because I love the character that much. However, on “The Perfect Man,” I found her inclusion frustrating.

Yes, she is the type of character to push her way into a case if she feels the need to be a voice for those who can’t speak up. However, with regard to Laura, she could’ve done that without being called in as a witness on the case.

After all, Benson admitted to Detective Riley and Lieutenant Brady that she hadn’t heard from Laura in over a year despite growing close to her when the police wouldn’t believe her rape allegation some years prior.

Sure, she does have insight into how rape victims perceive the world once they’ve been assaulted, per her own experiences and her job. However, as Nolan points out in court, she can’t testify to how Laura was feeling because she hasn’t spoken to her in a year.

This is also where the case gets murky and frustrating. Benson should’ve never been allowed to speak to Laura’s state of mind when she pulled out the gun and shot Tyler in the eye. She can be a consultant on the case but shouldn’t be a witness.

The Case of the Local Database

The other thing that Olivia Benson does during this case, which is completely out of line, relates to the press finding out about the detectives using the local database to identify DNA. While the practice of using this database, which isn’t highly regulated, to solve unrelated cases is wishy-washy at best, Benson had no right going to the press.

She’s always been adamant that her team’s investigations should not be disclosed to the press until everything is said and done. But I guess when it serves her own personal beliefs, the rules are different.

The way Nolan reacts to learning she gave that information to the press is totally warranted. In fact, Benson’s move was so bone-headed that I found myself seething in anger toward her.

Law & Order Season 24 Episode 2, “The Perfect Man,” doesn’t shy away from letting us know there will be no easy answers with this case, that no one will truly win. However, I feel there should’ve been more repercussions for Benson going against protocol.

Detective Shaw almost lost his job for not complying when a racist cop took him as a suspect, even after Shaw identified himself. But, yes, let’s allow Olivia Benson to leak information about a case to the press prior to the case going to court.

In fact, let’s take it a step further and allow her to spearhead the press conference about the NYPD no longer using the local database. It’s all just so messy and dissatisfying to see her get special treatment.

At the end of the day, Laura gets charged with Murder 2, and Tyler Miller, who might’ve had some emotionally aggressive flirting tactics, dies unnecessarily.

Stray Thoughts:

• I love that Brady is more than willing to be active in the investigations. She even goes out in the field.
• Between Brady and Benson, I’m with Brady. Benson overstepped.
• In what world would people ever want to date an AI man named ELI? Especially with all we’ve seen from AI on a smaller scale.

What did you think of this episode of Law & Order? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC.

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