The “girls disappeared” and so did my ability to follow the plot

SVU Season 16 premiered three nights ago, and I am not sure I would classify it as an episode to remember. Now, as a superfan, there are very few SVU episodes that I give a less-than-five-star review, but “Girls Disappeared” was not a touchdown, per se. Maybe I am still coming off of the rapid-fire excitement that we saw over and over last season, but one thing is for sure: I expected more of the Season 16 opener.

Don’t get me wrong, Benson’s interactions with Noah were very sweet, and I am excited to see her transition into her new motherly role, but their relationship drove the entire episode. And because Noah is a baby, producers have few plot choices available:

1. The “bad guys” can threaten to kidnap or kill him
2. He can take a nap in Benson’s arms (cute, but eventually boring)

Ok, yeah, he’s a cutie alright 🙂

Benson has had several other opportunities to care for children throughout SVU, a prominent example being her short guardianship of Calvin Arliss in Season 12. Calvin, an elementary-age boy, and Benson quickly develop a strong relationship, making it heart-wrenching for audiences to watch CPS carry him away just a few scenes later. I am not sure how producers will connect audiences with Noah in a comparatively deep way.

At the outset of this episode, I was excited to see the detectives bust the responsible party for burning Ellie Porter—Noah’s birth mother—to death. After watching, I am not entirely certain who is at fault. ‘Lil Tino, previously thought to be the man behind the job, turns out to be a pawn in someone else’s game. Another guy, Joaquin, who looks very similar to Tino, plays a confusing role in the same prostitution ring and somehow impacts the case…

‘Lil Tino

Joaquin

Then, the detectives land on a woman named Serena who seems to be in charge of the entire operation but turns out to be another flunky. Finally, through a string of people, they figure out that the real crime boss is a taxi driver they had previously interviewed—it’s always the guy they already interviewed and thought was an innocent bystander :)—named Angel, and corner him at his mansion. Suddenly guns are blazing and Finn kills Angel in self-defense.

Finn takes his shot

Oh yeah, and SVU hires a new detective, Sonny Carisi, to make up for Amaro’s temporary absence. He claims to be the “sensitive, experienced detective” that Benson requested despite his brief career of four months as a precinct hopper and instinct to yell at victims. This guy’s quirky personality belongs on NCIS, if you know what I mean.

The verbal irony is not lost on me…

Although the premiere caught me off-guard, I am interested in the development of each character’s life and I am quite eager to see how this season plays out.

Any predictions for Noah’s life this season? Based on the premiere, do you think Benson will keep Noah for longer than one year? How do you feel about Detective-not-so-caring-Carisi?