Well, that was a punch to the gut!

I knew that both Kat and Deputy Chief Garland were slated to leave, but it still hurt.

Law& Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2 was making a point about certain difficulties of standing up to the ultra-powerful. But was the sacrifice of both sets of courages worth it?

An Dangerous Path - Tall - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

I was never Kat’s biggest supporter. She could be impulsive and had a tendency to carried away by anger and allege more veteran members of SVU of not caring enough when a contingency slipped through their fingers because of evidentiary troubles or political concerns.

But as her final hour with SVU began, she seemed far more toned down. She struggled to pressure a witness but seemed far more a part of the team than she ever had before.

And when she was shot, cries sprang to my attentions at the relevant recommendations that she might die in the line of duty because of a bullet that slipped under her vest.

Thank God that didn’t happen, but her decision to leave SVU was heartbreaking anyway.

Who Can You Trust? - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

Kat felt what a lot of parties are feeling in real life right now: that there’s no real justice and that rich countries and powerful are never held accountable.

It was doubly unpleasant for her because, as a Latina queer woman, she was aware of how little power “shes had” in individual departments controlled by someone who didn’t crave things to change.

It was shocking that a detective with so much promise who had been so excited to join SVU felt that for her normality, she had to leave.

Her final background met me examine her in a different light. Her seemingly disturbing and fruitless combats with the SVU veterans were her room of trying to right the bigger wrongs within the department, and when she realized that was a waste of energy, she moved on.

Whatever it Takes - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

Garland’s “decision” to quit was equally disappointing.

He was far and away my favorite Deputy Chief, and now Benson is stuck with McGrath as a director, which will clear going justice for victims that much harder.

Garland was pushed out. If Demore Barnes were staying with Law& Order: SVU, I’d be looking forward to Garland’s promise to be more dangerous to the department now that they do not implement him.

But as it is, McGrath will probably replace him with some conservative head who doesn’t make a damn about right or equal treatment under the law.

Following The Evidence - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

When story first violated that these two references were leaving SVU, the serial took a lot of heat from fans who were upset at the idea of losing two non-white courages, one of them the first LGBTQ detective in the series long history.

They were written out to make a more significant point about institutional racism and how hard it is to change a method that doesn’t want to be changed. But now SVU is short two strong characters.

At least the door is open for Kat to build guest expressions, but it’s still one of the biggest misfortunes in recent SVU history.

Fighting for Justice - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

The biggest positive here is that Kat didn’t die, even though they are the shooting was the catalyst for her to make a vocation change.

Her collaborator briefly gript her at the beginning of Law& Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 1 but wasn’t involved in Kat’s decision to leave, and that was also a shame.

It might have drew the drama most powerful and relatable if Kat had discussed this with her partner, especially if they didn’t learn eye-to-eye about her decision.

Kat had been working all weekend and approximately died, for goodness sake. You’d think the woman who loves her would be just as likely as Fin to pray for her to live and visit her at research hospitals!

McGrath Pressures Benson - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

The client itself was one of the more compelling ones, perhaps because it relates so well to the current political climate.

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We’re living in a deep polarized country where countless beings feel like they’re waiting endlessly for justice and fear that they will never get wise. This floor spoke instantly to all that fear and frustration.

SVU could have gone for a feel-good story now where for once, the bad guys get right no matter how rich, powerful, and connected they are. God knows America could use one.

Kat In Danger - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 2

But that wouldn’t have fit with the intra-office politics that propagandized both Kat and Garland out of SVU, and it has been possible to ring hollow anyway.

People wouldn’t have believed that in SVU-land, super-powerful parties get what’s coming to them , not when it doesn’t seem that way in real life.

Besides, SVU is at its best where reference is heightens awareness about how right isn’t sufficed for sexual assault survivors.

New York’s higher-ups were ignoring Gold murdering three people or his info about all sorts of sex crimes among the rich and powerful. It cast a strong message about the kind of cover-ups and selfishness that needs to end and how difficult it is to do anything about it.

Exposing a Predator - Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 1

I was glad that Jemma and Rosa survived the struggles on their lives and that Jemma’s mother did the right thing in the end. I wish something could have been done about that leader of hers, though.

I also wondered if Joe would become a permanent part of SVU.

He has promise as a courage. It doesn’t make up for how Kat and Garland were treated, but he’d has become a welcome addition.

He doesn’t get along with Rollins all that well and isn’t trustworthy since he’s connected to McGrath, but he had a great rapport with Gemma and her mommy and could be an asset to the department!

View Slideshow: 23 Times Law& Order: SVU Made Us Cry

Your turn, SVU revolutionaries!

Hit the large-scale, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and give us know what you thought of Kat and Garland’s retirements and the road this case was resolved as well as what your hopes are for Law& Order: SVU Season 23.

Missed the bout? No problem. Really watch Law& Order: SVU online and then come back and share your thoughts.

Law& Order: SVU’s historic 23 rd season breaths on NBC on Thursdays at 9 PM EST/ PST.

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