Law & Order: SVU season 26, episode 8, “Cornered,” threw Assistant District Attorney Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) into an unnecessarily dangerous situation in order to set up his story for the rest of the season. Carisi has prosecuted some of the creepiest Law & Order: SVU cases, which have taken a psychological toll on him. Additionally, Carisi’s awareness of the dangers facing children, especially girls, has led him to hyperfocus on protecting his nine-year-old daughter, Jessie.

During “Cornered,” Carisi gets caught up in a robbery while visiting his favorite deli to buy flowers. While the best Law & Order: SVU episodes usually involve the cops getting justice for strangers, this intense story focuses on Carisi’s struggle to survive while being held hostage, especially after he witnesses the robbers kill the clerk and rape a female hostage. These disturbing incidents will undoubtedly affect Carisi’s mental health throughout the rest of the season.

Carisi Didn’t Need To Be Held Hostage To Have A Trauma Response In Law & Order: SVU Season 26

Carisi Was Already Dealing With Vicarious Trauma Before This Incident

Carisi holding Jessie's hand while walking down the street in Law & Order: SVU

It’s clear that the hostage situation will lead to additional mental health problems for Carisi. At the end of “Cornered,” Carisi insists that he is fine and rejects Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) offer of a referral to her therapist, saying: “That’s not for me.” This is not a good sign, as he seems to be in denial about the way the trauma is affecting him and is resistant to the idea of seeking help. Thus, Carisi will likely have a breakdown later in the season that will lead him to the realization that he does need support.

While this is a strong storyline for Carisi, it wasn’t necessary to put him into this graphically violent situation to move it forward. Carisi has already been struggling as a result of vicarious trauma. His single-minded focus on protecting his children from predators is a sign that the things he’s seen over the years are catching up with him, and becoming a father seems to have triggered this response. Therefore, he could have had the same mental health issue without the robbery storyline.

How Carisi’s Trauma & His Refusal To Deal With It Affects Law & Order: SVU Season 26

It May Become More Difficult For Carisi To Do His Job

Rollins listens as Carisi talks in the precinct in Law & Order: SVU Rollins and Carisi together in Law & Order_ SVU Rollins and Carisi at their wedding in Law & Order: SVU Carisi and Rollins sitting on a leather couch and talking in Law & Order: SVU Amanda Rollins sleeping on Sonny Carisi's shoulder in Law & Order: SVU

Carisi is the assistant district attorney who prosecutes the fictionalized version of real-life cases in Law & Order: SVU. He is constantly evaluating whether he has enough evidence to move ahead with a case, often putting him in conflict with Benson and others who want him to do whatever it takes to put away sexual offenders and fear he’s being too cautious. This dynamic will be impacted by Carisi’s trauma response throughout season 26, as he won’t be able to do his job effectively if he is triggered by the cases he is working on.

Law & Order: SVU has several compelling directions to go in with Carisi’s refusal to address his trauma.

Additionally, Carisi’s mental health will likely affect his relationship with Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and their children. Rollins is often not home, leaving Carisi to care for their children, and he may not want to rely on her mother to babysit at times when he doesn’t feel up to the task. Law & Order: SVU has several compelling directions to go in with Carisi’s refusal to address his trauma. Some of these possibilities might also make strong enough stories to lead to a potential spinoff featuring Rollins and Carisi.