Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 Episode 8 Review: Third Man Syndrome

While Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 Episode 7, “Probability of Doom.” did a great job getting us to like Curry, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 Episode 8, “Third Man Syndrome,” doesn’t do the same for Sykes.

It seems her character is turning to the same sarcastic sense of humor as Bruno, but that has only worked out for him. In her character, it falls short and makes us wonder if she will ever truly belong to the squad.

Even though there was a background story when investigating Maddie’s case, that has completely disappeared, and even her connection to the FBI no longer makes sense. Is it even helpful to have her on board? Does it add anything to the team?

And The Courtroom?

The team is bigger in numbers on “Third Man Syndrome,” but the balance still isn’t there. In order to fit in Sykes, Bruno, and more screen time for Carisi, Velasco is eliminated from the equation; he doesn’t interrupt any scenes on this episode.

Not every viewer is a fan of Carisi as an ADA, but it’s nice to see him interact more with the squad. This time, he asks questions, reviews evidence, and is present at lineups.

He is clearly doing his job, yet we can’t help but wonder where all the court scenes went. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 has been lacking in those.

We had a few that could have been skipped, such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 Episode 2, “Truth Embargo.”

But the truth is that as an ADA, Carisi’s talent shines in a courtroom. He might not have Barbara’s attitude or Cabot’s experience, but he still gets the job done.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 has dropped the ball on that.

My Squad, My Home

Raise your hand if you are absolutely terrified by Benson once again deciding to enter a home on her own. Luckily, this time, it works out in her favor, and she is able to get the witness to work with them.

While Anne is afraid to leave her home, Olivia talks her through the process and convinces her that without her testimony, they won’t catch the bad guys.

That is again the perfect example of who Benson is as a cop and why she has made it to captain. She remains the heart and soul of the show, and that’s because she can understand victims and those who are struggling.

It might not be like bringing Maddie home or having closure with Maria, but what Benson does for Anne is give her the safe space she was looking for.

In one way or another, she becomes the physical representation of the third man syndrome Bruno mentions. Benson has more than once been the guardian angel the victims and survivors needed.

It is also important to highlight that Olivia refers to the squad as her home. The Benson and Stabler shippers may complain because on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24, she called Stabler her home, but can’t she have two homes?

The truth is that the squad has always been there. When Stabler, Cragen, Amaro, and Barba left, the squad was still her safe haven.

No matter what is going on in her life, Olivia can always find refuge there. It is her home, and she has earned that safety after 25 years of dedication to the job.

To some, it may sound like a workaholic comment, but that squad has seen more than work being done. At her lowest and her happiest, those walls have witnessed it all.

Now, she invites Anne into her home to feel safe and ID the suspects just like she has been inviting survivors in for over two decades to feel safe enough to tell their stories.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 25 may still be trying to find its ground eight episodes into the season, but they’re going in the right direction.

It doesn’t yet feel like a milestone season, and the episodes have made mistakes like Mateo leaving his cousin Javi alone when the guys start attacking them. However, it still feels special to have Benson on our screen after so long.

Hopefully, those little moments in which the show celebrates Olivia Benson will continue to compensate for the less compelling storylines.

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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