In Law & Order: SVU season 26 episode 3, "Divide and Conquer," Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) debuts in her new role as sergeant of the Intelligence Division, a job she’s appreciative to Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) for guiding her to.
As it turns out, Amanda’s new case happens to intersect with SVU when her suspects conduct a home robbery and sexually assault one of the homeowners. While Amanda has her new priorities as a member of the Intelligence Division to get all the robbers, Olivia reminds her SVU’s sole concern is the rape victim. Will their differing priorities cause friction in this joint investigation?
Here’s everything we know about Law & Order: SVU season 26 episode 3.
Amanda and Olivia are on the hunt for international robbers
At One Police Plaza, Olivia runs into Amanda before she’s to give a police briefing on behalf of the Intelligence Division. Amanda’s new partner, Detective Corgan (John Clarence Stewart), approaches the women and introduces himself to Olivia before they all walk into the briefing room.
Amanda shares with a room full of officers that her team has been tracking a four-man robbery crew, fly guys from Albania. They fly into a city, do a handful of jobs and then are back on a plane in less than 48 hours. Her division believes the group is headed to Manhattan this weekend. Unfortunately, Interpol hasn’t been able to get the names or faces of any of the guys.
Late night at a home in the city, James (Adam Aalderks) and Nora Fletcher (Emily Jackson) are wrapping up their anniversary party. Their friends Graham (Ben Jeffrey) and Valerie Martin (Kate Abbruzzese) decide to stick around to help clean up. James and Graham are talking when the doorbell rings. Upon answering, four men in construction masks armed with guns bust through the door and tie the four up in the kitchen. Two of the men go into the basement, while the other two stand watch with the victims.
Nora tries convincing the robbers to just go to her safe in the bedroom with the expensive jewelry, but one robber says they aren’t interested in that safe. The robbers then a call from the pair in the basement that they found the other safe, and one of the assailants upstairs asks James for the combination. James isn’t forthcoming with the information and is shot in the leg, which prompts him to reveal the information. The other robber is furious that his younger counterpart shot James but winds up going downstairs to share the combination with the rest of his crew in the basement.
The shooter turns his attention to Nora and demands she take her clothes off. She doesn’t so the shooter puts his gun in James’ gunshot wound, causing a lot of pain. James then tells her to do what the shooter says.
When Olivia, Fin (Ice-T), Amanda and Corgan arrive to work this case together. Amanda says rape is not usually a part of her assailants’ M.O., but she’s convinced they are behind this crime.
A DNA match
Olivia and Amanda speak with Nora at the hospital, who actually didn’t tell the police about the rape. Valerie reported the crime against Nora’s wishes. So before Olivia and Amanda talk to Nora, they first have a conversation about getting Nora to agree to a rape kit so they can possibly get some DNA from a member of this elusive group of criminals. Rollins really wants the rape kit done to make some progress in her case, but Olivia reminds her they don’t pressure victims of sexual assault into reporting rape. Plus, Olivia is less concerned with the rest of the crew and more concerned with the rapist.
The slightly tense moment becomes a moot point as Nora ultimately agrees to have a rape kit done, provided they don’t tell her husband she stated he went from being a macho man to being a puddle as he watched her assault. The officers agree he won’t hear that from them.
Meanwhile, Fin and Corgan meet with an officer who says they found a trail camera hidden at the Fletchers’ home. Someone was likely recording the movements of Fletchers, tracking their daily activities. CSU is still working to pull footage from the camera.
In the SVU squad room, the officers go over the case, noting the crew didn’t take any jewelry. Additionally, James is worth $50 million, earning his money from his chain of gyms. Unfortunately, because James has been in and out of surgery and consciousness, they’ve been unable to question him about what was in the safe in the basement, and Nora is in the dark about the safe’s existence.
Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly) and Fin later update Olivia that there was an image from the trail camera of two men. When they asked the housekeeper, she was able to identify the taller man as James’ business manager, Dennis Maynard (John Hemphill).
Corgan then walks in and says Interpool got a hit from the DNA. The rapist is Aldrit Neziri (David Garelik) from Albania, and he was previously arrested in Europe for sexual assault. Aldrit actually has a Dutch National girlfriend living in Queens, so Olivia and the squad take off to visit the girlfriend. When they get there though, they find the girlfriend dead, Aldrit’s ripped-up passport and a pool of blood believed to be his. Amanda thinks his team tried to kill him for straying from their plan and creating this extra chaos.
What’s in the safe?
Gun ballistics show the gun used on Aldrit and his girlfriend was registered to James, which Amanda assumes was stolen out of the safe. Additionally, James’ financials show he cashed out half of his stock portfolio the month prior. Curry and Finn haven’t been able to locate Dennis, and his office says he’s out of town. Olivia doesn’t buy that story so she sends Curry and Fin to Dennis’ home to check.
When Curry and Fin arrive at Dennis’ home, he’s there and apologizes for the miscommunication from his office staff. They don’t waste time and ask if he knows Aldrit, which he doesn’t. They then inquire about James cashing out his portfolio, and Dennis says he advised against it. Questioned about the safe, Dennis is able to tell the detectives it contained $10 million in gold. Only James and Dennis knew about the contents of the safe.
Before Curry and Fin leave, Curry shows Dennis the picture of him from the trail camera and asks about the unidentified man. Dennis states the man is an appraiser with the insurance company. Allegedly, James took a policy out on the gold. Curry wants to see the paperwork. Dennis is initially resistant to show it, but he ultimately gives her a copy.
In perfect timing, Fin gets a message that James is awake, so he and Curry head to the hospital to see him. James says it’s not his signature on the policy. He says Dennis has power of attorney so it’s not too unusual that he would sign things for him. However, it’s unusual that he didn’t know the policy existed.
Dennis was working with the Albanian group
Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and Fin have Dennis in an interrogation room with his lawyer. He agrees to cooperate with the investigation and admits he brokered a deal for the gold. Fin and Carisi surmise Dennis was hoping that by working to help the Albanians he would get paid twice. The robbers would cut him in for whatever they got for the gold and he would also cash out with the insurance policy. Dennis notes no one was supposed to be hurt. Fin tells Dennis to get in touch with the robbers and tell them he has a buyer for the gold.
A 911 call comes that a man held a doctor at gunpoint demanding medical attention. Olivia and Amanda rush to the scene. Aldrit is gone, but they know he couldn’t get far with his gunshot wound. The duo eventually spots him and chases him through a crowd. They follow him to the roof of a bar before arresting him.
By episode’s end, Aldrit agrees to tell the police everything in exchange for a deal. He receives 20 years for the robbery and assault of James, and another five for sexually assaulting Nora. After he serves his time, he’ll be extradited to Europe to face more charges. The rest of his team each receive 15 years for the robbery.
New episodes of Law and Order: SVU air on Thursdays on NBC and become available the next day on Peacock.
