Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 13 Review: Corrosive
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 13, “Corrosive,” delivers a heartwarming scene between Benson, Curry, and Rollins as they play Uno in Benson’s office. However, it quickly turns into a jinxed moment when Curry mentions they’ve been having a slow night.
Even though it’s just a superstition everyone has in the squad room, shortly after, an officer comes into Benson’s office to let them know they have a new case. From then on, the night rolls into a very interesting case that keeps fans engaged with the episode.
It is an episode that allows Benson to showcase her empathy once again and Rollins’s vindictive streak to shine.
The episode starts off strongly as they combine the victim’s statement being played on Benson’s computer with the judge’s speech as he is honored as Judge of the Year. It sets the mood for what’s to come. We immediately place the judge as our perpetrator, but the episode changes everything as more and more evidence is uncovered.
However, before the evidence comes to light, we are inclined to disagree with Carisi and even be upset with him taking a suspect’s side. It is understandable that he wants to defend the judge because he sees him as a mentor, but as someone who’s worked SVU before, he should know better.
The audience can immediately side with Benson and Rollins, who remind Carisi that he cannot dismiss the victim’s words just because he trusts the judge. Nevertheless, it must be said that Benson’s speech about SVU’s motto being “Never say never” is comical. Is that truly the motto?
While the team knows that even those close to them can be perpetrators, the idea that “Never say never” is the unit’s entire motto, and everything we’ve seen over two decades makes no sense. There are so many other mottos we could have that would actually represent what the team’s work (and the show as a whole) means to the viewers.
The work Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 13, “Corrosive,” does in allowing the viewers to understand the psyche of the victims is quite remarkable. While we are empathetic towards Matt and Elsa, it is Jeremy who takes the medal for most memorable guest character on this episode.
When we first meet Jeremy, he is simply the shooter. He continues to blame the judge, saying there are so many crimes he has committed, and he is the devil. However, after the audience is introduced to Robbie and his coercive methods, even Jeremy is inclined to change his mind about the entire situation.
Carisi offering a suspect a plea deal is nothing new, but the suspect rejecting the deal to actually bring the bigger perpetrator to justice feels new. Jeremy’s decision not to take a deal because he wants Robbie to be sentenced and not use his deal for his benefit is an act of courage that makes viewers sympathize with him even more.
This twist is one of the best things the episode does, showing that victims can reclaim their voice and use it to bring down those who harmed them.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 13, “Corrosive,” places Benson as our empathetic hero as she helps Matt through his panic attack and reassures him he is safe in her house. However, Rollins’s actions stay with the viewers, too.
When Griffin tells her to keep an eye on Matt because he is about to do something, but we see her stay put as he jumps his father, we know that’s Rollins’s true nature shining through. She can be vindictive in a way that the viewers can understand. Robbie deserved that, but Matt needed that to try to bring closure to his horrible treatment.
Viewers would have stayed on the sidelines, too, because they understand Matt’s feelings.
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.