Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) doesn’t rest until a case is closed on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which proved particularly difficult in Season 25, Episode 10 (“Combat Fatigue”). This week’s SVU antagonist? Jurisprudence.

Learn what happened on Law & Order: SVU on April 18, 2024, below:

What happened on Law & Order: SVU this week? (April 18, 2024)

Read the official logline for this week’s SVU episode, below:

Season 25, Episode 10 (“Combat Fatigue”): “The squad is on edge as Carisi waits for a verdict in Maddie’s kidnapping case; Benson tries to help the Flynn family pick up the pieces of their broken life.”

SVU’s latest served as an emotional conclusion to Maddie Flynn’s story. Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and the squad were in full confidence of Brouchard’s guilt, but they still had to prove it within a court of law.

What was the main case on Law & Order: SVU this week?

SVU’s “Combat Fatigue” started with a Manson-esque twist on 12 Angry Men, except fans know the defendant did it. It all began with a high-strung jury meeting, with all the votes reading guilty…except for one insisting on Brouchard’s innocence. After the tally was read aloud, the jury groaned with frustration; this was an outcome they’d reached several times before. Juror 8, a young woman, eventually confessed it was she who voted not guilty.

Cut to the ruling of Brouchard’s trial, where the jury found him guilty. But what happens when the bad guy wants to poll the jury? Nothing good. Juror 8 instantly spoke up, telling the judge she was coerced to change her ruling. She also loudly proclaimed Brouchard’s innocence after smiling his way.

The outburst instantly created courtroom pandemonium and a forced recess, leading Carisi (Peter Scanavino) to learn the juror was seduced by Brouchard during the trial. With a compromised juror, the squad was back at square one with building a case against him. Even worse, Brouchard leveraged the snafu to legally represent himself during the retrial, meaning he’d have the chance to cross-examine Benson and his victims.