‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ Recap – ‘Prima Nocta’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT -- "Prima Nocta" Episode 25011 -- Pictured: (l-r) Elizabeth Paige as Jenna Chapman, Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Kelli Giddish as Amanda Rollins -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 25011 for ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. This article also contains discussions revolving around sexual assault, which may be triggering for some individuals.
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Make no mistake about, sexual assault is hands down, one of the worst crimes out there. Simply because, it is a horrifying violation. One that imparts incredible trauma upon its victim, the kind that can and will fundamentally change a life. All because one man made a stupid and vicious choice in the name of well… well we don’t fully always understand the reason. Since we’ve heard a bevy of excuses from the weak and pathetic men that go this route, but the reason or reasons for committing such an act, are important to learn. Since that’s the only way we can comprehend why something like this can happen, and that’s why this week’s episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC is of note.

Simply because ‘Prima Nocta’ took the time to explore a very real reason that men commit to such a heinous act, and it accomplished such a feat by having the SVU unit receive quite the call. In that, a bride to be got cold feet in the middle of her ceremony, and with good reason. For she revealed to Captain Benson and Detective Rollins, who opted to come along since she was visiting the old office, that she was assaulted the night before her wedding. By a mysterious man that made a point to hide the evidence of his crime and was eager to leave a lasting impression by informing his victim that she would always remember him. Which were specifics that shockingly, came up several times more as Benson and her team dug into this matter.

In fact, it quickly became clear they were dealing with a serial assaulter. One that said that line often when committing his disgusting crimes and always made a point to attack a bride to be. Which meant there had to be a connecting thread, something that allowed for this man to commit his crimes with the stealth that he continued to employ and well, it all tied together via a wholesale floral company. One that harbored an employee named Leon who did side delivery jobs now and again and fit the profile of the attacker. But alas, it was no easy task to gather evidence or any clues that might point toward him being the guy. Which prompted Rollins and Carisi to go undercover to try and bait this man into doing his worst. To arrest him and gather DNA to tie him to the other assaults, and while that was a terrifying experience for Carisi to sit through, the plan did work.

Because the department was able to get that matching DNA and tie Leon to all of these crimes and in the process, explore one of the reasons why someone would cross such a line. Which for Leon, involved loneliness and marginalization. Because he had no one, and no one seemed to notice him or care for him, and that put a bitterness into his soul and prompted him to ruin the lives of others and their happiness to give himself peace. Giving rise to an understanding that those are elements that can absolutely poison a soul and lay down roots of bitterness that can prompt a guy like Leon to act out and do horrible things, and while it doesn’t fix the issue or really show us how to perhaps prevent, at least a measure of perspective comes forth from this story.

But of course, we do hope for an answer or a fix, and sadly, there won’t be a fix until we have some very real and honest conversations as a society regarding an act that we often don’t acknowledge is a problem in our society, and we still have a tendency to never believe those who are victim to this heinous crime. Which makes this an important story. One that has the discussion, points out the importance in believing what is said, while pointing out that these guys are real scum and are genuinely jacked in the brain. Courtesy of one harrowing and uncomfortable episode, but that is where this series thrives, and it should be applauded for doing so. Because conversations about the worst parts of our world, the ones that remain ignored, must start somewhere and if this is the place where they begin, so be it. Until next time.

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