After Law And Order: SVU Revisited One Character’s Origin Story, I Know What I Want From Benson’s Newest Detective

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As a dedicated SVU fan with over two decades of watching under my belt, I can confidently say that the addition of Detective Kate Silva (played by Juliana Aidén Martinez) to the Special Victims Unit is a breath of fresh air. The episode “Economics of Shame” gave us a glimpse into her past, but I yearn for more.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 5 of Law & Order: SVU Season 26, called “Economics of Shame.”

NBC’s popular series “Law & Order: SVU” is set to grow its Benson team for Season 26, airing this fall on TV schedules. Actress Juliana Aidén Martinez, known for her role on “Griselda,” has joined the cast as Detective Kate Silva. This announcement was made over the summer, coinciding with Kevin Kane’s promotion to series regular status following his recurring roles in the last two seasons. The episode titled “Economics of Shame” primarily dealt with dismantling a sextortion ring and seeking justice for the victims. However, a revisit of Bruno’s backstory from the Bronx and an interaction between him and Silva sparked my curiosity about how SVU might develop its newest Special Victims detective.

Initially, Bruno’s time spent in the Bronx was indirectly referred to, as a witness had discussed attempting to present her case to the Bronx Special Victims Unit but felt they couldn’t assist her. This event later influenced an exchange where Bruno questioned Silva about investigating his background prior to joining the team, considering her father was a well-respected cop in the past.

Silva mentioned that she understood about the lawsuit which had significantly increased Bruno’s wealth and generated much hostility within the NYPD. She added that her father wasn’t particularly fond of Bruno due to this legal matter, and I secretly wished that SVU would delve deeper into Bruno’s background by exploring his past more thoroughly.

It didn’t actually occur, but I did discover that what could potentially bring me closer to Silva is if SVU delves deeper into her background beyond what Season 26 has explored thus far. To be fair, there hasn’t been much opportunity due to Carisi being the standout in the premiere and Rollins returning soon after, which seemed like a backdoor pilot. We’ve witnessed the kind of cop she is during her operations. (You can revisit the early episodes of Season 26 with a Peacock subscription now.)

I’m hoping to explore and gain more insights about Silva, and I’m hopeful that this will occur unless her character follows the path of other short-lived newcomers on the show. Given that SVU Season 26 consists of the typical number of episodes when not impacted by COVID production issues or labor disputes like the WGA writers strike/SAG-AFTRA actors strike, there should be approximately 17 more episodes left. Shouldn’t there be room for one or two episodes focusing on Silva in that time frame?

As we move forward, I must admit that I appreciated the return to Bruno’s past in SVU, and it’s always a plus when a procedural series dedicates time to character development alongside case resolution. Stay tuned this fall for more adventures of Benson and team in new episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET. Catch up with them between Law & Order, which recently welcomed a familiar face from SVU, at 8 p.m. ET and Found at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

It’s yet unclear how interconnected the upcoming season of SVU will become with Law & Order: Organized Crime, airing on Peacock. However, it can be hoped for some exciting crossover events to take place.

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2024-11-01 06:07