‘Law & Order: SVU’ Ends With Tynan’s Shocking Move Against Benson

Law & Order: SVU has pitted Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Chief Tynan (Noma Dumezweni) against one another all season. And when Benson is held in contempt of court — Hargitay’s husband, Peter Hermann returns as Trevor Langan! —  in the Thursday, April 30, episode, well, Tynan takes advantage of the situation. Warning: Spoilers for Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 19 ahead!

The chief has used her history with Griffin (Corey Cott) and his father to get the newest SVU detective to start looking into Benson’s past cases. But he’s seen the good that his captain does, and he’s very reluctant to hand over the file he’s put together. “You’re wrong about this. You’re wrong about Benson, OK? Whatever chain of command or BS you’re hung up on, let it go,” he tries to get through to her. “You’re undermining a good cop. You’re letting your ego make decisions, yeah? And when you can’t get to her, you go after someone in her unit. Then you set me up to be the fall guy.” Tynan argues that she’s just being a boss and, as she sees it, “Benson’s only ever allied with herself.”

As for the case, teen Emma’s friends drop her off — one, Ethan, drops her, causing her to hit her head — across the street from a hospital. She shows signs of sexual assault and was drugged, and Ethan reluctantly talks after Carisi (Peter Scanavino) offers a deal.  He saw her go into the guest bedroom with Matt, who was also drugged. The group of friends had been drinking at one of their apartments, with mom Talia (Monica Potter) there as well, even drinking with them. And when they search her apartment, they find the lorazepam that had been in both Emma and Matt’s systems and a hidden camera in the guest room lamp. She says she just wanted to create a safe space for her son and his friends, but she’s arrested.

However, the judge assigned to the case, Ryan, was friends with her father, a retired judge, and when Carisi tries to get him to recuse himself, he refuses. Langan is Talia’s lawyer, and he wants Carisi to offer up a misdemeanor instead of the charges of facilitating a sexual offense with a controlled substance and using a child for sexual performance. Ryan suggests he consider it, but Carisi refuses.

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Emma confides in Benson that her uncle sexually abused her but makes her promise not to tell anyone or talk to her parents about getting her therapy. And so when it comes up when Benson’s on the stand — Emma’s in no state to testify — she refuses to answer any questions, per the rape shield law. But Ryan doesn’t care and insists she answer, even as Carisi objects since she’s following the law. Benson is held in contempt and put in cuffs.

Emma visits her in prison and insists she can tell everyone. And so Benson re-takes the stand and does, with Langan pushing that charges were never filed because it didn’t happen. Benson argues right back, explaining that the trial is to give power back to those who deserve it the most. Then Emma takes the stand and is strong, speaking up about how she had been ashamed but had trusted Talia with her secret. She thinks that the other woman hoped it would make her fall apart, but it didn’t.

Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly), meanwhile, tracks down the retired Internal Affairs detective who investigated Griffin’s dad’s shooting. Jimmy had gotten into it with a guy who owed him money, they took it outside, and they both pulled guns; Jimmy shot the other guy in the knee, it was ruled a good shoot, and the guy survived. He claimed Jimmy planted the gun, that he was on his payroll, but Tynan backed Griffin’s dad’s statement. When Curry pushes for how Jimmy was on this guy’s payroll, however, the detective shuts down. As for the gun, while it should be in a property warehouse in Queens, it’s not there.

After Benson and Carisi return to the precinct, celebrating the verdict, Tynan walks in, notes the excellent work Benson’s done over the years, and suspends her, effective immediately — not for anything in her files but because she was found in contempt and taken into custody. Griffin tries to protest, but Tynan forces Benson to hand over her gun and badge and tells her to go home. Carisi tells her they’ll appeal it first thing, but Fin (Ice-T) tells him it’s not the time just yet.

Griffin, meanwhile, is angry and goes to a storage unit, where he finds a ledger with a payment from DR noted and then that missing gun…

What did you think of tonight’s episode? How long do you think Benson will be suspended for? What do you think Benson and Tynan’s next moves will be? Let us know in the comments section below.

Law & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC