Season 25 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been thrilling, and this week, Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) received a visit from a former colleague and forever friend, Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish).
Benson has worked with some seriously talented detectives throughout her tenure, but Rollins was a cut above the rest. As fans know, Rollins left the squad in Season 24 to become a criminology professor, but in SVU’s latest, Rollins revealed she is making some changes to her game plan. Meanwhile, Benson could take all the help she could get when a runaway bride case fell on her desk. Who better to assist the investigation than a Law & Order legend with nothing but time on her hands?
Learn what happened on Law & Order: SVU on May 2, 2024, below:
What happened on Law & Order: SVU this week? (April 18, 2024)
Read the official logline for this week’s SVU episode, below:
Season 25, Episode 10 (“Prima Nocta”): “A runaway bride calls the SVU for help on the day of her wedding; Rollins pitches in on her day off.”
Instantly satiating viewers elated about Giddish’s guest appearance, the episode began with Rollins and her husband, Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino), chatting about her recent life development — Rollins left her teaching job at Fordham University. Rollins was offered a 10-year contract but turned it down. Aimless and anxious, Rollins visited Benson and, soon enough, was swept along on a whirlwind investigation that had her missing her SVU days.
What was the main case on Law & Order: SVU this week?
Benson launched her latest case after a bride, Jenna, ran from the altar, ending the wedding ceremony. Benson and Rollins discovered Jenna had been assaulted the night before. In a desire to uphold tradition, she and her husband slept in separate rooms. Benson and Rollins clung to all details: Jenna was alone, the assailant removed all the bedding and clothing to remove evidence, and before leaving, told Jenna, “You’re going to remember me.”
The squad then debated whether this could be a pattern of attacks. Renee Curry (Aime Donna Kelly) scrounged up a report from six months prior with DNA matching the slim evidence found in Jenna’s rape kit. There was a pattern — Benson had a serial rapist targeting brides on her hands. Remembering a lecture from her Fordham era, Rollins mused about the historical practice of “Prima Nocta.”
“It’s a medieval right,” Rollins explained to the confused listeners. “The lord of the castle can sleep with any woman under his rule on the night of her wedding.”
“Except the guy we’re looking for doesn’t exactly sound like a prince,” Benson quipped.
Benson and Rollins visited the second survivor, Darcy, to chat about her unsolved case. Like Jenna, Darcy was assaulted the night before her wedding when she and her husband were sleeping apart and the perp told her she’d remember him. With an MO confirmed, the investigation quickly turned into a DNA-based case, with Jenna and Darcy’s assaults connected.
Sadly, the perp was diligent about removing all sheets and clothing from the scene to minimize DNA evidence, so finding their guy was a nearly impossible task. The case got the jump-start it needed after they visited a third woman with case details matching their perp, Breena Richards, who failed to go through with her police report after conceiving a child from the attack.
Breena visited the SVU, telling Benson and Rollins she had no intention of telling her husband but wanted to help. Breena’s testimony echoed every detail of Jenna and Darcy’s attacks. Benson struck gold when Breena revealed she thought she saw her assailant when she and her husband visited a flower wholesaler before the wedding.
After tracking down their suspect at the flower retailer, the squad deduced they needed some way to collect the perp’s DNA. Inspired by Rollins’ return, Benson decided Rollins and Carisi would go undercover as a married couple. The couple visited the wholesaler, effectively baiting their suspect into making a delivery later that night, just as he had in previous attacks.
Rollins handled the high-stakes sting like a seasoned professional, successfully collecting enough DNA evidence to get their guy. With Rollins’ detective work and Carisi’s questioning, the SVU successfully coaxed a confession. The perp confessed to all three assaults and five additional attacks, and the case was successfully closed.
Were there any notable guest stars this week on Law & Order: SVU?
Fan-favorite Giddish made an explosive return to Law & Order screens, with “Prima Nocta” serving as a powerful continuation of her story. We also saw guest performances from Elizabeth Paige as Jenna Chapman, Lindsey Belisle as Darcy Hamlin, and Mary Antonini as Breena Richards, the three brides who helped see justice served.
When can I watch the latest SVU episode on Peacock?
New episodes of Law & Order: SVU are available to stream at 6 a.m. ET the day after they air on NBC.com and Peacock.
