Now, this is the SVU we know and admire – an interesting case, talented guest stars, and justice for the victims.
dig It feels like it used to be, and while we don’t see much of the team, especially newcomer Detective Silva, we do see Carisi stand up for what’s right despite the odds stacked against him.
“The Dig” – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Photo: Brett Cullen as Judge Andrews. Ralph Bavaro/NBC ©2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved.
Maggie Andrews, the stepdaughter of retired federal judge Leonard Andrews, found one of her stepfather’s diaries while clearing out belongings in the basement of their childhood home with her stepsisters. The contents of the diary were very explicit, detailing how he sexually abused his stepdaughter, which was made worse by the fact that the victim, Maggie, had no memory of the incident. That is, until reading the diary triggers hidden memories and she destroys her childhood bedroom in rage.
Captain Curry sounds a bit blunt in his questioning of the victim, but is reassured by Captain Benson’s more comforting demeanor. We’ve come to expect this from Olivia, especially in cases involving child sexual abuse. However, she did not hide the fact that even with the documentary evidence this would be a difficult case and that Maggie was an alcoholic, which she believed would be used against her in court.
“The Dig” – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Pictured: Peter Scanavino as ADA Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. Ralph Bavaro/NBC ©2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved.
This episode makes the most of Carisi’s talents; he’s at home in the courtroom, confronting Judge Andrews and his attorneys, and framing him as a lying rapist, showing that Carisi is the capable person we know he is ADA. The judge’s threats didn’t faze him, especially after Captain Benson analyzed Maggie’s nightgown from 20 years ago and discovered pre-ejaculation marks. Benson and Carisi often clashed over circumstantial evidence, but he was willing to cooperate with Benson, who made it clear she believed Maggie.
Captain Benson’s constant repetition of “I believe in Maggie” shows us why she is a captain and why she has dedicated decades of her life to this profession. She is exactly the kind of person a victim seeks and feels vulnerable enough to confide in.
Carisi’s comments about censoring Maggie were not taken lightly, considering Olivia was already on Maggie’s side. Still, she made it clear who the victim was and understood that Carisi was just trying to do his job.
“The Dig” – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Pictured: Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson. Ralph Bavaro/NBC ©2024 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. all rights reserved.
dig does a good job of not portraying Maggie as a one-dimensional character by trying to blame her for her alcoholism. While the episode doesn’t address the issue, being a sexual abuse victim turned alcoholic must have had some impact on Olivia, knowing that her late mother went through a similar experience.
Eventually, we discover that the mother was complicit in her husband’s crimes, having him keep a diary documenting his sexual abuse as collateral. Benson, a mother herself, was rightly disgusted and questioned why she didn’t report her husband, reminding her that her daughter should come first. The episode was well spaced out and didn’t feel like it was shoehorned into a 40 minute episode.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Do you like the Benson-Carisi dynamic on the case? Let me know!
