Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13 Round Table: Was Benson Being Reasonable?

Velasco finally had a big case, but it seemed impossible to close.

Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13 revolved around a heinous crime in Velasco’s neighborhood that Benson expected him to be able to solve because he lived there.

Our TV Fanatic writers Laura Nowak, Jasmine Blu, and Jack Ori debate whether Velasco’s biggest story was worth it, whether Benson was reasonable, and more.

Was Benson’s expectation that Velasco could overcome the residents’ resistance to cooperating with the cops because he lives in the neighborhood realistic?

Laura: I thought the fact that Benson expected Velasco to fix everything in his neighborhood was unfair, especially when Fin reiterated it, saying if he didn’t, she might fire him. Talk about undue pressure.

Jasmine: I love Olivia to pieces, but I cannot explain how often I rolled my eyes at her urging.

I feel like it’s the double-edged sword of being a Person of Color and socioeconomically a certain way when you’re in a job like that that people like Benson don’t have to think about or consider at all.

It reminds me so much of what Atwater and Torres consistently endure on Chicago PD as men of color and cops deriving from a specific neighborhood.

This pressure’s realistic in some ways, but it was no less grating.

There’s this underlying notion that this neighborhood is some monolith, and only Velasco could effectively stray the line. 

Jack: Your last line says it all, Jasmine. I felt the same way — that Benson expected that because Velasco lived in the neighborhood, he magically had an “in” that he didn’t have.

It aggravated the hell out of me, too.

Velasco didn’t know his neighbors on Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13, and given that they felt cops didn’t really care about them, it seemed likely they would just resent him for being a cop who thought he knew what was right for them.

What did you think of Velasco’s evolving relationship with Danny?

Laura: This was the best part of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13. I hope Danny pops up again and he mentors him.

Danny and his grandfather were fun, and I loved how they responded to Velasco.

Jasmine: I agree. It was my absolute favorite part of the episode.

I also hope he shows up again and that some potential mentorship or something is involved.

Despite my above statements, I loved the personal element of this episode for Velasco and the community culture you rarely see. 

Jack: I initially disliked Danny, but I loved Velasco mentoring him.

I thought it was silly that everything turned around in the neighborhood the second Danny got involved, but my favorite scene was when Velasco pointed out that Danny’s actions had a real impact.

This is the first Velasco-centered episode we’ve had since he had to track down the childhood friend who killed someone for a gang initiation. How did he do?

Laura: It was nice to see how he interacted with people more. I thought he did well, especially in mentoring Danny.

Jasmine: It was long overdue.

I forgot that sometimes I like Velasco, and he did well taking the spotlight in this episode. It made me want more from him. 

Jack: I also forgot that I like Velasco sometimes! I thought this was a great use of him, even though parts of this episode annoyed the hell out of me.

Velasco overcame some big hurdles — vigilante groups, uncooperative witnesses, and anti-cop protesters. Were these problems resolved too quickly?

Laura: Realistically, yes, but each episode is only 45 minutes. Perhaps they shouldn’t have thrown so many into one episode, and the vigilantes and anti-cop protesters could have been enough.

Jasmine: I wish this could’ve been at least a two-episode thing for the hype. Nevertheless, it’s on par for them to wrap up too much quickly and move on to the next thing.

Two episodes would’ve been pretty great, though, especially with all they tried to tackle.

Jack: I felt like Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13 was rushed. I would have liked to see more of Velasco dealing with the vigilante groups, but there wasn’t room for it in 45 minutes.

I’d also have been fine with a more ambiguous ending like Velasco got the guy this time, but there are still problems to deal with during an ongoing arc.

Carisi did not appear on Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13. Did you miss him?

Laura: We didn’t have as many court scenes so that he would have only been a cameo.

I’d rather he appear and have meaty scenes. I didn’t miss him much. He’s one of my favorites, but I’m happy to share the wealth.

Jasmine: Nah. I don’t hate Carisi or anything like that, but I’ve always been indifferent to him at best, so I can’t say I missed him in the least, and I was excited that someone who has been sitting on the bench for so long was at the forefront. 

Jack: I was glad for a break from Carisi, honestly. I don’t hate him either, but lately, his behavior has been so annoying that I needed him not to be there this time.

Anything else about Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13 not covered above?

Laura: Benson mentioned talking to the chief. Who is the chief right now?

After the Maddie Flynn case, getting personally involved is risky, but I’d like to see Velasco mentor Danny and see him again. It was one of my favorite parts of the episode.

Jasmine: I feel like the series hasn’t used all its characters to the best of their ability this season, so when they put them in the spotlight, I wish they let the arcs breathe more.

Again, this Velasco thing was great. I would’ve loved it if he had two episodes’ worth of content instead of wrapping up and probably disappearing or only having a line for the next however many episodes. 

Jack: I was really interested in the subplot of Danny’s vigilante group beating up a man who turned out to be innocent, so I was disappointed that nothing much came of it other than Danny spending a few days in jail before Velasco realized he could be useful.

What was your favorite scene, storyline, or quote from Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13?

Laura: My favorite part was Moses’s attention to detail as he worked with the sketch artist. That kid was impressive and really helped the case.

Jasmine: The Velasco/Danny dynamic. I loved the final scene.

Jack: I liked that they used a sketch artist at all! And that they did the lineups realistically.

Over to you, SVU fanatics.

What did you think of Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 13?

Hit the comments with your answers to these questions or any other thoughts.

Law & Order: SVU airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c and streams on Peacock on Fridays.

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