Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 8 Review: Showdown
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 8, “Showdown,” continues to prove this new season of the show has amped its game and gotten better than its predecessor. Nevertheless, there is one tiny detail that stands out as a mistake and makes viewers who have been around from the beginning roll their eyes.
When Benson, Curry, and Rollins join the search for Nikki’s ring, we see Benson immediately take the ring from another officer and hold it in her hand. That seems normal, right? Well, it is until we realize she is holding the ring without gloves.
All evidence the ring held is immediately thrown out the window because it will undoubtedly have Benson’s fingerprints on it. However, this is never discussed again as Griffin’s mistake becomes the hole that brings the case down.
“Showdown” sounds quite similar to the Netflix documentary American Nightmare. Nikki seems to be taken out of her home in the same manner, and her boyfriend immediately becomes the main suspect. However, the similarities die there, and the episode takes a life of its own.
The episode tricks us into believing things will be okay between Tynan and Benson when the two women discuss Tynan’s former partner. Tynan mentions there was a chemistry with her partner that just made it seem everything clicked. Benson says she knows how that’s like, and we all immediately think of her and Stabler.
But that is as far as it will go in the nice department between these two women. Ever since joining the show, Tynan’s only goal has been to bring Benson into the ivory tower and take her out of the squad room. Tynan doesn’t like the fact that Benson is such a hands-on captain.
In her mind, Benson should stay in the squad room and lead from there. Griffin’s mistake with his report and his poor performance on the stand give Tynan the perfect excuse to fight and remove Benson from her current role.
The truth is that Tynan’s press conference (paired with Benson’s refusal to join her) gives us insight into the kind of leader she is. She doesn’t seem prepared to be chief. There is something lacking in her behavior and the way she carries herself, which Benson notices.
Tynan feels threatened by someone like Benson, who knows exactly where she belongs and how to do her job.
Not too long ago, viewers saw Benson give McGrath a speech similar to the one she gives Tynan on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 8, “Showdown.” The essence of her speech is the same it has always been: Benson will always put the victims first and do what’s best for them.
But while McGrath took Benson’s words seriously, backed down, and allowed her to do her job, Tynan makes it clear she won’t be doing the same. On the contrary, she isn’t planning on stepping back. She will not stop until she finally gets Benson in the role she wants her.
The sad part about this storyline is that the show is putting these two women against each other. We finally get a woman in the chief’s position, and instead of watching them empower each other, we have to see them try to tear each other down. The season portrays Tynan as an envious leader who cannot accept the fact that Benson is better at her job than she ever could be.
What does stand out is Benson’s empathy and her dedication as a leader. While Griffin makes a mistake that shows how green he is and how much more he still has to learn, she takes full accountability for his mistake. As his captain, she knows she is responsible for his actions.
Instead of trying to bring him down, as Tynan is doing with her, she asks Carisi to put her on the stand so she can defend their work and stand by Griffin. She gives the team a motivational speech that reminds them she will always have their backs.
And that is exactly why Tynan is trying to bring her down, because Benson is the kind of leader she wishes she could be.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 8, “Showdown,” is the kind of episode that takes the opportunity to showcase the ins and outs of the squad. While the case is important, the focus is on what happens behind the scenes between the detectives and the investigation.
It is important for the show to maintain this balance so viewers can get the intimate details about the characters they love so much. A great example of this is that the audience can immediately tell how much the case is affecting Bruno through his behavior. Instead of being the calm, cool, and collected detective he always is, he reacts violently toward the suspect.
Those are the details and the moments that make the show complex and interesting, so many seasons in. While the cases matter, the characters matter too.
What did you think of this episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.