If there's one thing that SVU does consistently, it's dealing with trans issues indelicately, and this week's installment--the first under Rick Eid's guidance--is no exception. Season 18's Broken Rhymes has the unit dealing with trans bathroom usage in a way that isn't even remotely close to the law being discussed. Of course, this one also sets our trans victim--who is on life support by the cold open and not given much in the way of agency or depth--against the world of hip-hop, bringing in Wyclef Jean to, well, not do much. This wouldn't be a trans-focused SVU ep without homophobic and transphobic epithets being slung or the paint-by-numbers conversation amongst the members of the unit explaining trans people to Middle America, so steel yourself for that.

We watched the impromptu finale of Season 21, which lost four episodes due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While that might not have mattered in most seasons of SVU, Season 21 was trying to do some things which definitely demanded resolution. Of course we talk about a whole range of ridiculous topics including early attempts at adding serialization to weekly procedurals, post-modern philosophy, and the Borg. Apologies for weird sound, particularly on Adam's track. He was having some software issues which hopefully have been resolved.

This week’s entry into the annals of Munchstory—SVU, S21E5, “At Midnight In Manhattan”—sent Adam and Josh caroming between three different stories in a rare exercise in single-weekend, multi-case, mom-card trumping storytelling, heavily featuring Carisi and Kat learning the ropes on their respective new jobs. Along the way, they decry the misidentification of doors, lament casting miscues, weigh the virtues of manners in new environs, and work their way through the indignity of seeing a slew of rich men’s knees. So come for the shoe-shaming, and stay for the nap chat whilst getting your Munch on.