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Law and Order: SVU

 Famously, on the set of "SVU," Kelli Giddish asked for more and more opportunities to show her character at war with herself. She didn't want Rollins to seem indomitable; she knew that interesting characters are flawed characters.


This was a smart move; it led to the "Rollins and gambling" subplot, which showed off Rollins's special talent for undercover work.

"Prima Nocta"--the return of Rollins--raises intriguing questions. When Rollins left SVU, she was scarred by too much violence; somewhat implausibly, she trained herself to be a profiling expert (overnight), and she was hired by Fordham. Was she running *to* Fordham, or was she just running *away* from SVU?

Now, assisting her friend Olivia, Rollins rediscovers her appetite for danger. She assumes a false persona to entrap a local law-breaking custodian. In the process, she goes "off-book" and terrifies her husband. She is creative and just a bit exasperating; she is the Rollins we know and love.

"Prima Nocta" is a home-run because it offers a memorable baddie (living in his basement cell, with a former burlesque dancer), and it offers a complicated heroine (conflicted, impulsive, talented, slightly lost). This is at least a little better than other recent hours in the SVU "canon."
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