FINALLY got around to watching the SVU19 season finale. It’s been sitting on my dvr but I haven’t had 2hrs/been in the right frame of mind.

Lets get into it.

I’m sad. Olivia has become so myopic. Sure she was right eventually, but the way she got there was highly immoral. She judged him guilty first AND THEN found the evidence. Isn’t "vigilante justice" exactly why she disagreed with Alex Cabot when Alex came back for that domestic violence case earlier this season? Liv is an officer of the law, but she lets her emotions rule her actions. She’s always been that way, and that’s why we love her, but lately it’s become unbalanced. I find that in morally ambiguous cases, she’s been inserting her own beliefs into the situation more and more, as opposed to remaining impartial. (see: the organ transplant episode this season).

Also, I’m kind of disappointed with the story-line about Miguel. It would have been way more interesting if (SPOILER) he WASN’T the one who actually did it. For him to eventually be the stereotype that they wanted him to be is actually kind of boring. It’s too tidy. (You know I hate it when villains don their black hat and start twirling their moustaches all of a sudden).

Also, are we just going to forget about the fact that the girl killed someone?! It was a murder trial! Although it speaks to her frame of mind at the time, her rape wasn’t on trial and there hadn’t even been a conviction, therefore wouldn’t it be still be considered hearsay?! It was a trial for whether or not she murdered the man, which she did! (I’m thinking murder-two, at the very least!). But they made it about her and her trafficking because this particular story is about her, and we (the audience) are meant to have sympathy for her. I know the guy who she killed was probably a trafficker who got what was coming to him, but are we just supposed to forget that she clubbed him in the head and he died? We can't just let it go, as much as we may want vigilante justice. The law doesn’t work like that! And why did they allowed her to unbutton her shirt and show her burns in open court? Stone ought to have objected right then and there. It’s not evidence that is pertinent to this case (case adjacent? yes! But not to this murder trial). A good lawyer would have argued that there’s no way of knowing how long ago the burns were made, or by whom. If this had been another episode she wouldn’t have been given that much latitude. I’ve seen episodes in which the rape testimony would have been inadmissible. I've seen episodes in which literal children get sentenced to the maximum allowable for an ACCIDENT because "they must be made an example of.” I guess that’s what’s bugging me. This show picks and chooses which rule to follow and enforce, but it's inconsistent. And all while still adopting a position of moral superiority (I guess, much like the legal system itself. ugh).

I really miss Barba. I loved the relationship that he and Liv had. Their dynamic struck just the right balance between the law and morality. They were genuinely friends, but I liked how Rafael called Liv out sometimes. It kept her grounded. 

Stone is fine. A little too “boy scout” for my taste. It feels like he should be a lead on his own show with a slightly different tone (and less moral grey area for his liking). He and Olivia are so different that it would feel forced to make them love interests. Other than that, while they may respect each other more now, I don’t think they have much to learn from one another.  

I also really enjoy the squad’s friendship with each other! I like that Finn and Amanda hit up a country bar on Friday night. And Carisi cooks dinner for her and is helpful with parenting tips. <3

Is it over? Yes? Finally? And man, is it depressing that I don’t know if I’m talking about the finale or the season. Let’s focus on the ep, or at least try. Because tbh, halfway through I gave up and started playing around on my phone. This post in particular was more exciting than whatever was going on with the ep at the time. Anyway:

- The pacing was way off. This did not need to be 2hrs. They did not need an entire ep dealing with the hostage situation. So annoying when I think about The Undiscovered Country which could have really used an extra hour.

- Is it just me or is anyone else a bit disturbed that the one ep that has lots of Hispanic guest stars is all about human trafficking, (illegal) immigration, etc? Felt similar to recent ep Guardian: the one ep that had a black victim and it was all about surviving in the hood.

- This may sound horrible, but OMG that victim (Lourdes) was annoying. It all felt so over the top and melodramatic.

- Liv was possibly worse though. How can she berate people for following their gut and only caring about victims and not the law in one ep and then try to sell that same philosophy to Stone the next? I did like that he and the squad were there to be the voice of reason. I’d like it even better if she was actually wrong about something for once and had to learn from it.

- The squad was the highlight of the ep. Actually investigating, trying to find evidence. Being friends, showing a sense of humor. I really wish this was (still) more an ensemble show.

- Stone. Ugh, where to begin? I don’t dislike him, but I still don’t like him either, if that makes sense. I think I could grow to like him, but they’re pushing waaaay too hard still. And he’s getting threats and it’s already resolved, when Barba’s were waved away? It’s infuriating. The scene where he cried on Liv’s shoulder I felt for him, because I’m human, so that’s a thing that happens. But I’m not attached to him or his sister or their relationship. She had all of 2 lines and was obviously created so she could be killed off. It’s hard to be upset about.

- I guess I’m upset because this was a ridiculously obvious example of Fridging. I didn’t think there were writers left who wouldn’t know about that.

- Not to mention that pretty much everyone predicted this would happen.

- And why was he in that warehouse? Was there an actual reason or did the writers just want him to see his sister die?

- All of this becomes even worse if you’ve read the interview with Chernuchin. He talks about the finale and what’s up for s20. And ‘no worries’, even though his sister was the only reason he was in NY, Stone’s definitely sticking around. And they’ll explore the trauma. And the squad will now love him, because of it? That’s the weirdest part for me: that they think trauma makes people like you? I might feel for someone, but that doesn’t mean I find them interesting/nice/clever/etc. If they want the squad to like him, they could try having him help out during cases, interacting with all of them, doing a good job. Not just debating in bars with Benson. Plus, they’ve all been pretty friendly, especially considering how he joined.

- Ending on a positive note: Sonny during the late shift is my fave. Loved his reaction to the guy they brought in and loved his chat with his sister. The line about billionaires looking like Clooney was great. Btw, I know it was probably meant as advice to her, but if you squint, he could have been replying to something she said about how he should snag himself a handsome rich guy. It did follow a comment on his social life after all.