‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ Recap – ‘Fractured’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- "Fractured" Episode 26001 -- Pictured: (l-r) Mariska Hargitay as Capt. Olivia Benson, Peter Scanavino as A.D.A Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., Kevin Kane as Det. Terry Bruno -- (Photo by: Ralph Bavaro/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Season 26 Premiere of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’. To revisit the Season 25 Finale, click here. Also, this article contains discussions of sexual assault, which may be triggering to some individuals.

One would think that in the year 2024, so much would have changed from a respect and equality standpoint. Especially when it comes to how women are treated in this modern world. But alas, despite us being twenty-four years into a new century, not much has changed in that arena. Equal pay is still an issue, and treating women with reverence and respect still has yet to happen. Not to mention, old white men still work to govern women’s bodies and health care decisions and so many men still see women as property or a destiny of sorts… and it does leave one to wonder… how perhaps we can bring an end to such stupidity. 

Well as it turns out, the season twenty-six premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit took the time to explore an answer… after of course, an idiot man did some idiot things. For ‘Fractured’ introduced us to four law students at NYU who were just living their best life as best they can, until a simple decision to lift Shelli’s spirits up with an impromptu threesome with two of her roommates, plunged their lives into darkness. For late at night, someone forced their way into their apartment and brutally murdered Shelli before harming Damon and assaulting Elodie, her friends and impromptu lovers. Leaving the SVU team to believe that perhaps their roommate Teddy did this out of jealousy, since he did admit to seeing the three of them together.

But Teddy was no killer, and all of his alibis checked out, which prompted the team to turn their attention to a student named Sam Ellis. Who knew Shelli from class and well, had some secrets about his friendship with her. Because he installed a camera in her room and watched what happened that night, multiple times, and had whereabouts unknown. Which made him a prime suspect, one that eventually was placed under arrest when the murder weapon was discovered with evidence linking him to the crime. But in true egotistical male fashion, and through his understanding of the law, Sam was able to sow doubt amongst the jurors, leaving the outcome of the case up in the air. But a little nugget of truth from Elodie, about how Shelli was working to empower herself through a local women’s group… brought forth the lesson in question.

Because on her last day with the group, the day before she died, Shelli offered up a confessional of sorts that expressed her desire to stand up to Sam and teach him boundaries. Which allowed for Sonny to confront Sam with this evidence, which was so egregious that Sam was ready to testify and use the word salads he used on Shelli to be free. But he picked the wrong lawyer and Sonny laid into him and got him to admit to the murder on the stand. All by pointing out how Sam wanted power over Shelli, wanted her to submit to him because she was an item of desire, and well, what we learned was simple. In that, guys like Sam, have to be pressed, pushed, and exposed for the closed-minded jackasses they are. And also learn in an embarrassing setting, that rejection is part of life, and that they are not entitled to anything from a woman because women are equals, not property.
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Because the more we see that, the more the message will come across until the other Sam’s of the world… get the hint and understand that women aren’t property but equals and damn well should be treated at such. All of which made, for another cerebral episode from this powerful show. One that continues to go places that few crime stories will and make no mistake about it, this was an impactful way to bring the lesson home. Because the brutality of this crime and the arrogance of Sam really did help us to understand the state of the union on this matter and hopefully it inspires conversation and hints of change. Because again, it is 2024 and this… this is just ridiculous, and the time has come to move things forward, and it was refreshing to have this series point that out. Until next time.

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