This and the previous episode make an interesting two-part drama. But, there are aspects of Lieutenant Benson's character that don't set right with me in this and recent episodes.
First, I agree with another reviewer who says that Benson's intimate relationship with Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) Captain Ed Tucker doesn't feel right given the extensive abrasive history between Tucker and basically every past and present member of SVU. I'm still trying to decide what this tells us about Benson. But so far this "relationship" doesn't seem to me like anything closely resembling a natural fit.
Second, my biggest problem with this and the previous episode is Benson's adamant insistence that Tucker is innocent of the allegations against him. Only three episodes earlier ("Collateral Damages") we saw Assistant District Attorney Pippa Cox have to come to terms with her husband's (NYPD Deputy Commissioner Hank Abraham) involvement in child pornography. Pippa and Hank had been together for twelve years and had two children together, yet Pippa was completely blindsided by the evil actions of her husband. Benson witnessed Pippa's world come apart from very close range. Benson had far less history with Tucker than Pippa had with Hank. Yet, Benson never considered for a second that the allegations against Tucker may have been true. Benson did not utilize any skepticism and wait to see what the investigation revealed. As it turned out Tucker had, in fact, been set up and was not guilty of being a dirty cop. For this, I suppose we are to surmise that Benson could not have been wrong about Tucker. If so, what makes her instincts about Tucker so superior to Pippa's instincts about her husband Hank? The idea that Benson learned nothing from Pippa's experience only three episodes earlier seems to me to be very bizarre.
Finally, we saw Benson go off on Rollins near the end of the episode "Star-Struck Victims" two episodes prior to this one. Benson made the false accusation that Rollins leaked a video to the press. Then, Benson claimed that Rollins was lying when she (Rollins) denied the accusation. Moments later Benson found out from Sergeant Mike Dodds that he had been the person who leaked the video. Benson looked stunned by Dodds' admission, but we never saw her apologize to Rollins. For anyone with Benson's background it should be fully-ingrained to investigate the possibilities before jumping to a forgone conclusion that Rollins was guilty of the leak. Then after Benson discovered that she had been wrong about Rollins, Benson should have been profusely apologetic to Rollins. But, no apology ever occurred. Why?
I've loved this show and the Benson character since I started watching the series from the beginning a couple of years ago. But, I hope the writers resolve some of these problems with Benson's character. Human weaknesses are one thing, but these character inconsistencies serve no useful purpose.
First, I agree with another reviewer who says that Benson's intimate relationship with Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) Captain Ed Tucker doesn't feel right given the extensive abrasive history between Tucker and basically every past and present member of SVU. I'm still trying to decide what this tells us about Benson. But so far this "relationship" doesn't seem to me like anything closely resembling a natural fit.
Second, my biggest problem with this and the previous episode is Benson's adamant insistence that Tucker is innocent of the allegations against him. Only three episodes earlier ("Collateral Damages") we saw Assistant District Attorney Pippa Cox have to come to terms with her husband's (NYPD Deputy Commissioner Hank Abraham) involvement in child pornography. Pippa and Hank had been together for twelve years and had two children together, yet Pippa was completely blindsided by the evil actions of her husband. Benson witnessed Pippa's world come apart from very close range. Benson had far less history with Tucker than Pippa had with Hank. Yet, Benson never considered for a second that the allegations against Tucker may have been true. Benson did not utilize any skepticism and wait to see what the investigation revealed. As it turned out Tucker had, in fact, been set up and was not guilty of being a dirty cop. For this, I suppose we are to surmise that Benson could not have been wrong about Tucker. If so, what makes her instincts about Tucker so superior to Pippa's instincts about her husband Hank? The idea that Benson learned nothing from Pippa's experience only three episodes earlier seems to me to be very bizarre.
Finally, we saw Benson go off on Rollins near the end of the episode "Star-Struck Victims" two episodes prior to this one. Benson made the false accusation that Rollins leaked a video to the press. Then, Benson claimed that Rollins was lying when she (Rollins) denied the accusation. Moments later Benson found out from Sergeant Mike Dodds that he had been the person who leaked the video. Benson looked stunned by Dodds' admission, but we never saw her apologize to Rollins. For anyone with Benson's background it should be fully-ingrained to investigate the possibilities before jumping to a forgone conclusion that Rollins was guilty of the leak. Then after Benson discovered that she had been wrong about Rollins, Benson should have been profusely apologetic to Rollins. But, no apology ever occurred. Why?
I've loved this show and the Benson character since I started watching the series from the beginning a couple of years ago. But, I hope the writers resolve some of these problems with Benson's character. Human weaknesses are one thing, but these character inconsistencies serve no useful purpose.