Nick Mennell

Renowned New York Ledger columnist Jimmy MacArthur (Alec Baldwin) is given full access to Sergeant Benson (Hargitay) and the squad for an inside look at the city's Special Victims Unit. When the rape case of a young Muslim woman (guest star Summer Bishil) escalates to a hate crime, Jimmy stays one step ahead of the investigation and declares the entire crime a hoax. With the victim under fierce public scrutiny, Benson struggles to keep the case on solid ground and fears a rapist will go free.

The POI team’s war with HR nears a boiling point when Finch receives 38 numbers at once from The Machine. He discovers they are connected to an unknown player who is inciting an all-out war between the crime organization and the Russian mob. Meanwhile, a window into Carter’s past is seen through flashbacks with her son’s father.

Detectives Lydia Adams and Russell Clarke have their work cut out for them when jewlery thieves begin robbing Bel Air homes. Officer Ben Sherman discovers that he knows one of the home invasion victims and finds himself breaking police policy by becoming personally involved. Elsewhere, gang Detectives Sammy Bryant and Nate Moretta wait around an LA courthouse while Janilla (guest star Carla Jeffrey) prepares to testify in a gang-land trial. Concerned for her well being, Bryant decides to takes Janilla to his home to assure she is safe.

John and Ben are the first responders to a gruesome triple homicide in Hancock Park, where a mother is bludgeoned to death and her young daughters are found bound, gagged, raped and dead in their bedrooms. While investigating the case, Lydia and Rene realize they have two very different styles of doing detective work. Meanwhile, Sammy continues to have problems with his wife, Tammi (recurring guest star EMILY BERGL) who seems unable to complete even the simplest of tasks. And Ben confronts John about his increasing reliance on pain pills.

The team hunts a crew stealing high-end goods from a shipping service and looks to an employee with savant-like abilities to lead them to those behind the scheme. Also, when one of Don's men is killed on duty, he questions his faith in the FBI.