I’ve at all times thought-about Deputy Chief Garland to be among the finest new additions to the SVU workforce.
Law & Order: SVU Season 21 Episode 18 was the primary episode to function a narrative centered round Garland, and it didn’t disappoint.
Certain, some issues may have been even higher, however for essentially the most half, this was a stable, partaking story that moved rapidly.
Garland’s battle all through the hour answered a fundamental query: how will the brand new Deputy Chief do when a case will get private?
If this was a take a look at of the place his loyalties lay, he greater than handed; he excelled.
Carisi: We acquired a tip a few sexual predator.
Garland: This could not wait?
Rollins: The informant was apprehensive about whether or not your would let the case go ahead since you personally know the accused.
Garland: After all. Who’s it?
Carisi: Reverend Dominick Chase.
Benson: Is he the one who simply mentioned Grace? How properly are you aware him?
Garland: He and his spouse Laura are like household. He ministered at my marriage ceremony.
Garland overcame his doubts, disbelief, and disappointment to just accept that his so-called good friend was a sexual predator who wanted to be stopped from persevering with to groom younger women, and alongside the way in which, he was threatened with ex-communication from his church and accused of being a traitor to the black group.
All through all of it, he stood sturdy, confronting each Del and Laura Chase with the reality and refusing to place his friendship with them above the calls for of his job — or above justice.
It wasn’t straightforward. Del wasn’t simply any good friend. He was Garland’s pastor, the officiant at his marriage ceremony, and his daughter’s godfather.
Laura: The pictures are pretend! It’s a must to inform them!
Garland: What concerning the funds? $250,000! I can not make this go away!
Laura: Then our relationship is over. No person in our church will converse to you or your spouse or your little woman once more.
If Garland was going to blink, it will have been when Laura threatened to show the church group towards him. Clearly, that group was necessary in each his personal life and the lifetime of his household, together with his younger daughter.
However maybe that was why he did not again down. He may need been enthusiastic about what would occur 10 or so years from now when Abby was a youngster if he turned a blind eye to what Del was doing to underage women.
I want that the dialogue had mirrored that. It might have been pure for Garland to consider his daughter and wish to defend her, however that angle was by no means explored.
Certainly, fairly a little bit of Garland’s battle was so inner it was off-screen.
Garland: He is protesting method an excessive amount of. He requested me to offer him my phrase I would maintain him within the loop.
Benson: I am so sorry.
Garland: So am I. I’ve a sick feeling that these donations had nothing to do with the Lord.
Garland was sickened by the thought that Del was really responsible, then after that, he simply did his job no matter who threatened what, solely breaking down and crying in any case was mentioned and accomplished and an imprisoned Del refused to take accountability for his actions.
This wasn’t a flaw on the writers’ half, although. There was no time for Garland to battle with this if the case was going to maneuver ahead, and so he did not.
I would have preferred to have seen some extra fallout from his courageous option to put the reality over his friendship with Del, although.
Laura threatened to ex-communicate him and Del made that impromptu sermon castigating him, however it was all simply phrases. There have been no actual penalties past his harm emotions.
It did not must be a giant a part of the story, however one thing so simple as Garland’s spouse mentioning the nasty telephone calls they had been getting or Garland telling the workforce that his daughter got here house from preschool saying that the opposite children known as her father names would have made this story much more highly effective.
Garland: It isn’t the primary time I have been forged out. I am used to it.
Fin: Do not take it private. There is a cause they name them a flock. They’re going to by no means depart him.
The gang round Del did not even boo when Garland, Benson, and Fin walked away after Del known as Garland a Judas and accused the remainder of them of being invested in sustaining white supremacy.
One thing that small may need made a distinction.
Benson observed that Laura appeared uncomfortable throughout that sermon, however I questioned what modified her thoughts.
Given her guilt over not realizing earlier, may Laura have recognized behind her thoughts that the allegations towards Del had been true and refused to totally acknowledge it?
She was offended that Garland would not make this all go away, however her menace to ex-communicate him went nowhere and it was virtually like Garland’s refusal to allow Del compelled her to confront the reality too.
This story was additionally notable in that all the younger women, in addition to their abuser, had been African American.
Sadly, in lots of instances, non-white rape victims aren’t handled the identical method that white rape victims are, and SVU did not actually contact on these racial points.
It was disgusting that Del tried to assert racism within the NYPD as his protection when he was responsible, however it was unhappy that it was believable.
Additionally, the way in which Renee was handled strengthened the way in which rape survivors are sometimes demonized by their accusers.
However may a few of her concern of not being believed have come from the truth that generally white cops do not take rape accusations by black survivors as severely as they do white survivors?
These are necessary questions that weren’t actually addressed all through the hour.
The episode was stable and entertaining, although it may have gone additional in exploring inequality and associated social points. The one actual flaw moreover that was that it felt prefer it was wrapped up too rapidly.
I used to be shocked that Michelle was so keen to come back ahead after Laura requested her to. She was so adamant that Renee was mendacity and so protecting of Del.
tt ought to have taken much more for her to come back ahead, and it may need been a extra highly effective story if she had clung to her perception that the opposite women had been liars in order that she may proceed to really feel she was particular to Del.
Your flip, SVU fanatics.
Did you get pleasure from this Garland-centered episode? Was there something you wished to occur throughout it that simply did not? And was I the one one who was shocked that Michelle turned on Del so rapidly?
Hit that blue SHOW COMMENTS button and share your ideas.
The following new episode of Legislation & Order: SVU would not air till April 16, however within the meantime you’ll be able to watch Law & Order: SVU online rigt right here on TV Fanatic.
Legislation & Order: SVU’s historic 21st season continues to air on NBC on Thursdays at 10 PM EST/PST.
Jack Ori is a senior employees author for TV Fanatic. Observe him on Twitter.