After 27 years of investigations on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, you’d think Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has seen everything, but that proved not to be the case with Yellowjackets star Sarah Desjardins’ guest appearance and a not-so-simple trial.
How to Watch
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
After Benson and her squad caught wind of a victim talking to followers online about a recovered memory of a sexual assault, Benson and the squad found themselves navigating a tricky investigation after discovering the memory was recovered under the influence of medicinal psychedelics in an experimental trial for PTSD. Determining the victim and motive proved to be difficult with the survivor’s murky memory of the attack, but that didn’t stop Benson and her elite unit from rising to the challenge.
RELATED: The Most Unforgettable Courtroom Moments in Law & Order: SVU History
Desjardins guest-starred in SVU‘s “Vivid,” delivering a grand-slam performance that had viewers gripped until the final Dun Dun. Read on to find out what happened and why you recognize the talented actress.
Why you recognize SVU guest star Sarah Desjardins
Many know Desjardins thanks to her stealing hearts as Melanie Lynskey’s on-screen daughter Callie in the hit thriller series Yellowjackets, but she’s been in the entertainment game since she was a young teenager. Some of Desjardins’ earliest credits include roles in various TV movies, as well as playing Whitney in the Clue television series and a guest appearance in Supernatural. Desjardins also snagged guest appearances in series like Van Helsing, Project Mc², Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Under the Banner of Heaven.
Aside from her acclaimed performance in Yellowjackets, viewers may recognize Desjardins from her roles as Donna Sweett in the hit series Riverdale, as Jenna Hope in Impulse, or as Maddie Redfield in the drama The Night Agent. Some of Desjardins’ recent projects include starring as Erin in the 2025 action flick Tron: Ares and a guest appearance in Dead Boy Detectives.
RELATED: 18 Photos of Olivia Benson’s Most Loyal Wardrobe Staple on Law & Order: SVU
Sarah Desjardins delivered a haunting performance on SVU Season 27
Desjardins showcased her affinity for delivering goosebumps with her SVU guest appearance as April, a sexual assault survivor who shared her story online under a fake pseudonym. After some followers began making guesses over who the assailant might be, the SVU tracked April down to discuss the serious allegations she made in her online videos.
Benson soon learned that April felt uncomfortable reporting the rape because she couldn’t remember the incident. April nervously revealed she’d uncovered the memory of a harrowing assault while undergoing a clinical trial for PTSD. Knowing there were some mixed reactions toward the use of psychedelics in mental health treatment, April didn’t feel she had solid ground, but Benson disagreed. Benson decided to speak with April’s doctors to learn more about how they uncover these repressed memories with the experimental drug, and visited her therapists, Dr. Catmull and Dr. Severson.
RELATED: Watch Every Gripping Episode of Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Here
With enough digging into the business practices of the clinic — and with enough red flags from the money-hungry doctors wanting their medical trial to proceed — Benson and the squad made a devastating break in the case after finding surveillance tapes of April’s sessions. While blindfolded and under the influence of the drugs, April had been assaulted by Dr. Severson, who later spun the experience as a recovered memory. April was devastated after learning the truth, but Benson assured her that Severson would face consequences for his actions.
After Dr. Severson quickly pleaded guilty to avoid jeopardizing the progress of their “miracle drug,” Benson went above and beyond to try to shut down the medical organization as a whole, putting A.D.A. Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) through the wringer, no doubt. While it proved to be too big a swing to shut the operation down, Benson appreciated her squad for doing everything possible to prevent further horror down the line.
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
Shop Law & Order merch!
