Fractured

The episode is a far cry from when SVU was in it's prime. The cast doesn't work and is not well rounded. Why do they keep introducing new characters that are not improvements? Too much focus on Olivia and everyone else takes the back seat. The episode was weird and didn't make much sense. The case is so straight forward and lost what made it a strong show. I have no idea why the case changes so often. It never used to be like that. Nick, Amanda, Cat were great characters. How did we end up with the current cast? Get Kelly Giddish back and go from there. Someone help this show. Hopefully next week will be better but I know it won't be.

Was so excited for return of SVU, but yikes this premier episode of season 26 just hastens the steady decline that began in earnest last season, culminating with Benson illogically giving the Stabler compass to Maddie's mother (?) What even was that? Talk about a sure-fire way to chase away your core viewers.

So we now pick up in the fall of 2024 as apparently absolutely nothing is happening with any of the core cast members, who seem to walk through this episode (about a college throuple meeting an inglorious end), as if encased in blocks of ice.

Why add terrific actors like Kevin Kane to the cast if you're just gonna have him utter three rote lines that could hav e been said by anyone? Semi-regular Aime Donna Kelly is also completely wasted once again here, just as she was last season.

And the folks around this cast, meant to fill out the episode -- holy cow, seem to be some of greenest novice actors ever to appear on TV.

Yes it's been nothing but budget cuts on Wolf shows the last several years, but man they've gotta step up the casting. Particularly the students in this episode's deadly dull and way-too-long cold open. (Another awful trend in this recent era).

SVU really is about its core people -- more than cases. Wolf now saying it isn't, contravenes the entire last 25 years.

Their police/FBI agents do the stupidest things. Instead of being more aware of the circumstances, they always go after their suspects in the most public manner.

For the FBI, they always call out that they are FBI agents tens of feet from the suspect, so the suspect has the chance to run.

Here, they pull up in police cars and try to take in a suspect for questioning in a manner that causes a small riot among the students. Why not just tail the suspect to where he is alone?

I guess it makes for more drama, but it is also so obviously forced.

What is annoying is that the rest of the story is much better, so the artificial is really unnecessary.

I watched the interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) with Mariska Hargitay Wednesday night. She looked fired up and ready to go. Amazing for starting the 26th year of the show.

On the prosecution side, "ADA Dominick 'Sonny' Carisi," Peter Scanavino was excellent. The writing for his character was good, it enabled him to really show off his acting skills.

Looking forward to this season.