How do we handle our worst day? It's a question that's played out in It's a Wonderful Life with George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) and here in this episode.
In this case, the "George Bailey" is played by Sarita Choudhury as Vanessa, who owns a restaurant called Vanessa's. It's her dream and passion, partially to the detriment of her family, but not fully. She lives the life of the person who takes care of everyone else, and thanks to COVID, her abilities to do so have failed, as she loses her mother to COVID, her husband due to exposed troubles from quarantine (this has happened to many couples), and her son due to blame for her mom's death. Now that she's about to lose her restaurant due to lost business, she's now at the bridge over icy water moment of her life.
The interactions between Vanessa and Benson flesh out some of the very things we all see in our lives at some point or another. It's a tough episode to digest for those that are looking for an escape from our world, but Law & Order: SVU has rarely escaped our world. The events that transpire in this episode serve as a reminder to us all that we are facing these challenges together, and that we need to help each other...and let others help us... so that we help each other get through our worst day.
