Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 Round Table: Did Rollins’ New Job Work Well?

Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 re-introduced Rollins, and we have some things to say about that.

Our TV Fanatic writers Laura Nowak, Jasmine Blu, Sara Trimble, and Jack Ori discussed our opinions about Rollins’ new role on Law & Order: SVU.

We also debated whether we’d want a spinoff starring Rollins, whether Nora’s friend was right to report the rape to Benson and more.

Did Rollins working with SVU on a joint case instead of for SVU work in this episode?

Laura: To second what Jack said in his Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3 review, it’s always good to see Amanda Rollins!

I’m unsure if there was a better way to combine Intelligence and SVU. It was a bit of a stretch, but there was a rape involved.

Fans wouldn’t have wanted Rollins in other parts of the universe besides SVU with her husband and friends.

Jasmine: It’s an unpopular opinion, but at best, I’ve always been indifferent about Rollins.

Nonetheless, it was interesting to see what they would do with her return.

I felt the reason for collaboration on this case was very thin, and I agree with Jack’s review about this case feeling like a mishmash of elements from various shows in the Dick Wolf universe.

But it was easy enough to work with, and I liked Intelligence.

Sara: I totally agree with what everyone else is saying about Rollins. She has never made much of an impression on me despite so much focus on her character.

But I do love her and Carisi’s dynamic. It’s always great seeing their chemistry.

However, joining two teams seemed more like gearing up for a spinoff. So, it felt a bit forced that they tried to tie one case to two divisions.

Jack: I liked the idea of Intelligence, but I also agreed with someone I saw on social media who commented that this was “like a Law & Order: Organized Crime episode without Stabler.”

Still, I was glad to see Rollins, and especially that she seems happier and more fulfilled, though I suspect the long hours could become a problem for her later on.

After meeting Rollins’ new partner and seeing Rollins in action, would you be up for a spinoff about her work in Intelligence and home life with Carisi?

Laura: 100% yes. More Amanda Rollins is good, and hopefully, they’d let us see Rollisi and the kids. I enjoyed her new partner, too.

Jasmine: By now, it’s clear that Dick Wolf could spin out another dozen series, and I’d probably still watch them. So, yeah, if it happens, I’d tune in.

I instantly loved Corgan about as much as I loved half the Hate Crimes Unit characters. But I’ll temper expectations in case we don’t get to see him again.

Sara: The first thing I thought of when they introduced Rollins in her new role was a spinoff. I’d totally watch it because I’m a Wolfe junkie and a glutton for spinoff universes.

But I’m not sure if Rollins would have enough star charisma to drive an entire show the way Benson can. There would need to be another star power to lure me in for good.

Jack: I’d definitely be down for that, especially if we get more Rollisi scenes. When SVU first began, it was equal parts the cases and Stabler’s home life, and I miss that.

Especially with the lack of family dramas now that Blue Bloods is ending, we need more of that balance, and I think the Rollins spinoff could do it without sacrificing interesting cases.

Benson swore she’d put finding the rapist above helping Rollins catch the rest of the gang, but did she stick to that promise?

Laura: Determined Benson is the best. I love that they found the rapist, and she helped Nora cope with her rape and take care of herself.

Jasmine: Very rarely does Olivia not follow through. She made it very clear what her intentions were and stood on that ten toes down even when it had her at odds with Rollins (which was contrived).

Sara: Benson was as driven to go the extra mile to solve the case as she always is, even if that means letting other crimes go free.

While it may comfort the victim, it does little for the rest of the city’s citizens, who could become victims of other crimes.

Benson’s sole focus on solving the rape was a bit frustrating. But she did manage to get justice for the rape victim and stop a group of criminals, so it all worked out.

Jack: Ugh, I hated that conflict with Rollins for the sake of drama. Rollins catching the perps would include catching the rapist, so what was the issue?

Benson kept her promise, but something felt off-balance, and I think it was because the show was trying to also be a backdoor pilot for Rollins’ new gig.

Thus, there was a lot of investigation going on that wasn’t directly related to Benson’s concerns.

James doesn’t help the robbers, but Nora puts his potential reactions above her best interest at the end of the episode. Do you think he was an abusive husband?

Laura: This was a fine line.

Technically, he never even apologized for putting her in danger because of his end-of-the-world fears. However, many spouses consider their partner’s well-being above their own.

It’s that fine balance of being married, and it takes years to find it. They had only been married a year.

Jasmine: I INSTANTLY thought James was in on it.

You couldn’t tell me that man wasn’t guilty, and I waited the whole episode for some kind of confirmation.

I felt he was a self-absorbed man who gravitated to Nora because she puts him above her own self-interest, and I don’t see that as a healthy, stable relationship.

The point of a partnership is that both would be willing to do the same for one another, and I’m not getting that from them.

I can’t stand an imbalance, so I honestly hoped she dumped his ass at some point. Even if his intentions aren’t to be abusive or toxic, the results can still be the same.

Sara: Physically, I do not think James was abusive. He was too over-protective, to the point that he put his wife at risk from the dangers he created.

Psychologically, I think James knew how to put enough guilt into his wife’s mind that she thought putting him first was the way to show her love and loyalty, like how he’d convinced her that he was showing his love to her through his extreme measures.

I think James was too insecure and meek to do any physical violence to anyone, which is why he didn’t fight back.

But I also concur that their marriage was unhealthy and doomed to failure or an intense obsession with each other.

Jack: I’m with you 100% on that, Jasmine.

I also expected the plot twist to be that he was behind the robbery. That would also have explained why he was stupid enough to open the door without seeing who was there.

I’m sorry, but if the reason Nora didn’t want to report was that her husband would be upset, that’s a huge problem.

When Benson told Nora to put herself first, I was disappointed that she didn’t also add that in her experience as an SVU detective, what Nora was describing sounded like an abusive relationship even if James never physically hurt her.

Did you agree with Benson that Nora’s friend did the right thing by reporting the rape even though Nora didn’t want to involve the police?

Laura: I do. Her friend wanted to protect her and was doing what best friends do.

She even called Benson when Nora started drinking and stopped talking. I consider a true friend to know what someone needs.

Jasmine: Yes. She had her best interest at heart, and this was something serious. 

Sara: I’m halfway on this one. While I get why the friend did what she did, it wasn’t her place to disclose that personal information if Nora asked her not to.

But I do believe that the friend was trying to do the right thing, and it worked out for Nora in the end.

Jack: I was also conflicted about this.

Nora clearly needed help, and in the context of the unhealthy relationship she was in during Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3, it seemed like her friend was doing the right thing to protect her.

At the same time, I strongly believe that it is the survivor’s choice whether or not to report.

Nora also needed to feel some of the control that was taken from her by the rape, even if she was making the choice for the wrong reasons.

Discuss anything about the episode that’s on your mind that wasn’t mentioned above.

Laura: I was disappointed that we didn’t see or even mention Rollisi’s children for the second week in a row.

We don’t know how many episodes Amanda is in, so it would be nice to see her kids when she’s on.

Jasmine: Admittedly, I did find it odd that they didn’t do the Rollisi family thing once.

Also, WHAT was the point of introducing the new girl and then benching her for multiple episodes?

Chicago PD can get away with that, but not SVU when we know she’s part of the unit already and she’s just… not around.

Sara: I also found it odd that Benson has nearly a full SVU unit, and we didn’t see much of anyone except Fin. How are we supposed to connect with new characters if we don’t see them enough to create an impression?

And I also missed seeing Rollins and Carisi at home. Shows that find a balance of professional and personal always hit better than one focus series.

Jack: Agreed with all of the above. Especially after the case last week involving a child Jessie’s age, I felt like we needed some scenes with Rollins’ kids.

I also thought it was weird that Silva was missing again, especially because they hyped her so much before the premiere as the new detective who would be a permanent part of the team, and then after one episode, she’s gone.

What was your favorite scene, storyline, or quote from Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3?

Laura: I absolutely loved it when Liv, Amanda, Carisi, and Fin were in the squad room discussing the case. It felt like the old squad.

Can we keep those four? I know many of the newer ones were missing, but I didn’t miss them since I had those four back.

Jasmine: Fin’s ability to have chemistry with anyone never ceases to amuse me. I loved his vibes with Amanda’s new partner.

Sara: My favorite part was when Rollins told Carisi something like, “There’s the hard ADA I married,” when Carisi decided to play hardball.

Given their professionalism throughout the episode, it was great to see them share an intimate personal moment.

Jack: I co-sign all of this. If SVU wants to go back to basics, it needs these original characters. They can also keep Corgan. I liked him.

Over to you, SVU fanatics!

You’ve heard our thoughts about Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 3. Now we want to hear yours.

Hit the comments with your answers to these questions or anything else you’d like to share about this episode.

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

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