Law & Order: SVU is at its best when it confronts systemic issues that contribute to abuse, and “Hubris” was no exception.

While the second half of the episode focused too much on one doctor’s malpractice, the story offered uncomfortable truths — including, for once, the idea that Benson’s ability to change things is limited.

Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 offered a scathing critique of many aspects of the systems that are meant to protect children, a warning about what happens when an expert begins to believe she is infallible, and questions that didn’t have easy answers.

Altough Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 Ended Up Being About One Doctor, That Was Beside The Point

During the first half of the episode, Benson discovered one system after another that had led to Riley Williams being unnecessarily separated from her father.

The medical report was one problem — especially because the doctor had gotten caught up in her own sense of importance — but it was far from the only one.

It was impressive how many systems SVU critiqued in a short amount of time.

Everything from a revolving door of social workers to the infamous Bronx SVU striking again contributed to Riley not only being taken from her father, but ending up in a foster home where she was being trafficked and controlled with threats of being kept from her father for longer if she didn’t comply.

As a result, what started out as a typical SVU episode about a trafficked foster child quickly escalated into an investigation of the only point in these interlocked systems that could be attacked to stop future abuses of power.

Even before knowing that Dr. Allen had hidden test results that didn’t support her conclusion of abuse in one case, she was obnoxious and condescending.

In the end, her egotism led her to believe she was doing the right thing, but I’d have preferred a less cartoonish villain.

We fall in love with our favorite shows for a reason and we’re not shy about talking about them.
If that’s why you read our site, you’ll love our newsletter. Hit the button on the top right to subscribe.

As the episode magnificently demonstrated, the problem was bigger than one doctor. Everyone from the cops to the courts failed Riley and the other kid, not just Dr. Allen.

However, Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 12 had to put a human face on the antagonist, so it made sense that it focused on this doctor.

Still, the system fails many kids even when everyone is well-intentioned, so Dr. Allen’s unethical behavior undermines the point, making it seem as if removing her was more than just a band-aid.

It would have been truer to the episode’s theme if Dr. Allen had been pressured into backing off the test that contradicted the rest of her findings, demonstrating that the system doesn’t tolerate ambiguity without making her an over-the-top villain.

The Final Scene Demonstrated The Real (And Uncomfortable) Truth

When Benson said she didn’t know if other kids would be safer from abuse or not, but at least these two were going home where they belonged, it made a powerful point.

In too many episodes, Benson has been more of a superhero than a cop, forcing cases through the system that were considered impossible to win. But this time, her power was limited.

Benson can’t fix all of these interlocking systems in one fell swoop.

The sad reality is that removing this doctor who behaved badly isn’t going to solve the problem.

There will still be too many kids who fall through the cracks. Too many cops and judges who just want. to check boxes on a form and move on to the next case. Too few social workers for too many kids in need.

Did you think Benson got overly involved in this case or was her involvement just right?
Let us know in the comments, and share this article with your friends so they can join the conversation.

There is also no shortage of predators who prey on children, especially those who have been removed from their parents, with or without cause.

So despite Benson’s best efforts, there WILL be other foster kids who end up in worse situations after removal and there will be more kids who get abused after entering the foster care system.

That’s a bitter pill to swallow, especially when SVU is more often about inspiring and empowering survivors than about confronting the systemic issues that enable abuse.

Adding CJ’s Other Case Was A Nice Touch, But I Wish We’d Stayed Focused on Riley

After Benson promised to do what she could to help, Riley mostly disappeared from the story.

Even after all was said and done, her day in court was off-screen, and she reunited with her dad across the park while Benson consoled CJ about having unfairly separated the other mother from her child.

Maybe that was purposeful. It showed that Riley wasn’t important to the system — she was just yet another kid who had gotten caught up in it and become collateral damage.

It’s a shame, though, because her early scenes were so powerful, yet the story moved on and left her behind.

Having a second Black child be removed unfairly from a parent underscored the racism inherent in this system, but I’d rather have had more of Riley’s conflict or, at least, more indications that she was still fighting.

Even having her call Benson or show up at the squad room only to claim she knew no one would help her would have been an improvement over her complete disappearance.

What do you think? Did you enjoy the episode or did you feel it was too unbalanced?

Hit the comments with your thoughts, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends so they can join the conversation.