Law And Order: SVU May Have Just Proved One Cop Isn’t Cut Out For Benson’s Unit, But I Hope That’s Not The Case

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Warning: Spoilers for the episode “Calculated,” airing on Season 26 of Law & Order: SVU. The episode can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

In the 2025 TV lineup, Law & Order: SVU resumed after a week’s break and featured a brief crossover with Law & Order, as character Nick Baxter appeared. However, Tony Goldwyn’s cameo wasn’t the standout aspect of the recent episode. Instead, Detective Kate Silva took center stage when her undercover operation led to the arrest of a special needs man within a group of 49 known pedophiles. Plagued by guilt throughout “Calculated”, Silva gave the impression that she might not remain in Benson’s unit for much longer. Yet, I found myself eagerly anticipating more of Juliana Aidén Martinez’s portrayal as Detective Kate Silva.

Silva was tasked with tricking individuals believed to be pedophiles into thinking they were meeting a 14-year-old girl at a hotel, which proved to be challenging and emotionally draining. Her intuition warned her that something wasn’t right about someone called Matt, who appeared to be a child during their conversations, but her colleagues from the Special Victims unit were convinced he was a 32-year-old pedophile exceptionally skilled at disguising his true age.

In a surprising twist, I found myself face-to-face with a man, who turned out to be Matt, when he approached the hotel in search of “Amy,” my undercover alias. To my astonishment, he was an adult male with special needs, unaware of items like condoms and needing guidance from a deli worker to purchase them. It was disheartening for me to learn that this innocent individual was being arrested alongside 49 truly vile criminals, given the stark contrast between his circumstances and theirs.

Unfortunately, due to a significant agreement Carisi had negotiated following his call to action, it wasn’t possible to simply release Matt. The rest of the team, including Silva, weren’t particularly understanding about Silva’s sense of guilt in this situation. They pointed out that methods effective for homicide investigations don’t necessarily apply to Special Victims Unit, and it’s true that the rest of the team has more experience in handling sex crimes than Silva does. However, it seemed unfair to me the way they were dealing with her.

Luckily, Silva managed to bring Benson onto her side, and when Benson went to the character on Law & Order who took over from Sam Waterston’s Jack McCoy role – often referred to as Baxter – she persuaded Carisi to come along. Even though Carisi was annoyed with Benson for stopping Baxter in the parking lot, Silva’s request was fulfilled as Matt was released. This incident has only increased Silva’s confidence in Benson’s decision-making abilities.

After Matt’s release, Silva didn’t just feel like she was free from the case; instead, she felt responsible for informing Matt and his mother about it personally. As a gesture of friendship, she also proposed playing Skyrim with Matt. This episode is widely considered one of Juliana Aidén Martinez’s best performances since joining the show in Season 26.

Previously, Silva’s history was subtly revealed; this has made me more interested in her character. I sincerely hope that her realization about Special Victims versus Homicide doesn’t lead to doubts about remaining in Benson’s team. Fortunately, she is shown briefly in the preview for the next episode, even though it appears that the upcoming SVU episode will primarily revolve around Velasco. Here’s a glimpse:

From earlier episodes, we’ve gotten some insight into Silva’s background; this has piqued my curiosity about her character. I’m hoping that her recent understanding of Special Victims versus Homicide won’t cause second thoughts about staying with Benson’s squad. Thankfully, she seems to be featured in the promo for the next episode, although it looks like the upcoming SVU installment will mostly focus on Velasco. Take a peek:

To catch more episodes of “Law & Order: SVU”, don’t forget to tune into NBC every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, sandwiched between “Law & Order” at 8 p.m. and “Found” at 10 p.m. It remains a mystery if Benson’s squad will appear alongside “Law & Order: Organized Crime” in its upcoming Season 5, which is expected to debut on Peacock later this year, featuring the return of Christopher Meloni.

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2025-02-14 07:08