The Law & Order: SVU squad helps a troubled pop star while Detective Amanda Rollins reevaluates her future. Here's a spoiler-filled NBC recap.

The following contains spoilers for Law & Order: SVU, Season 24, Episode 3, "Mirror Effect," which debuted Thursday, Oct. 6 on NBC. This article also contains descriptions of sexual assault.

Detective Amanda Rollins is in therapy following her brush with death in the Law & Order crossover season opener. It's clear she no longer feels comfortable with her life and her therapist worries she's depressed. The writers are really leaning into writing Rollins off the show here, huh? In fact, Rollins has missed a few appointments and her doctor warns her that could lead to her removal from the police force. But back at the Rollins household, boyfriend of the year ADA Dominick "Sonny" Carisi is rocking his dad duties as they get ready for date night.

Elsewhere, pop star Kelsey Jones shows off her boyfriend Austin Boyer at a red carpet event before leaving him to go chat up fans. But in the limo following the event, Kelsey and Austin are on rocky terms. She wants to take selfies but he grabs and assaults her. Kelsey gets out of the limo, screaming at Austin to let her go, just as Rollins and Carisi walk by. Rollins notes that her boyfriend ripped her dress and Rollisi drive Kelsey away, though the pop star soon gets a make-up text from Austin and assures the duo this is how they flirt. She leaves the car to go reconnect with her boyfriend at a hotel but Rollins is uneasy. She is, of course, on to something.

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Detective Odafin Tutuola comes into Captain Olivia "Liv" Benson's squad room complaining about the new hire, Detective Grace Muncy, leaving trash in his car. Liv makes a dig about entitled millennials (c'mon, writing team) and then Kelsey enters the precinct, now sporting a black eye. Rollins and Benson speak with Kelsey -- who describes how Austin ripped her dress in the limo and then how at the hotel, he became enraged and threw her on the bed before passing out. Kelsey doesn't want him to go to jail but she wants to be done covering for him.

Detectvies Joe Velasco and Muncy investigate Kelsey's prior night and talk to the limo driver, who is reluctant to cooperate but says both of them were a little heated. Benson interviews Austin, who claims that Kelsey threw a champagne bottle at his head as his friends laugh. Back at the preceinct, Carisi is worried about how hard celebrity "he said/she said" cases are to prosecute -- cue the lowkey Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial inspiration here.

Rollins is really worried about Kelsey, because the two of them have a lot in common in their upbringing. But as Rollisi watch TV, they see that Kelsey and Austin have just announced their engagement. Ugh. He bought her off. In the other room, Rollins' daughters scream imagining a monster, and Amanda comes in with her gun drawn to protect them, traumatizing them instead. Policing is all but over for Amanda Rollins, just like Jay Halstead.

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Kelsey updates Liv and Rollins, showing off her ring and saying she definitely doesn't want to press charges. And every song on her album is about Austin -- how can she perform them if he's arrested? Kelsey's mom comes in and it's evident she encourages Kelsey to maintain a certain lifestyle. Rollins is desperate to get through to Kelsey how the cycle of abuse she's trapped in works but Liv hands Kelsey a card and they leave. They meet up with Muncy and Velasco, who report that Austin is either innocent or playing dumb well. Liv and Grace meet in the bathroom where Liv goes over the concept of "no perfect victims" to Muncy and slyly tells her to be more professional.

The fun's not over yet, though. Austin's at the police precinct to see how he can expedite getting his charges dropped. Liv tells him it's out of her hands and up to the District Attorney's Office as Austin insists he wants to get sober. But it's about emotional maturity, too, as Liv offers him some genuine advice to go against whatever nonsense he was taught about being a man. Rollins gets a call from Kelsey's mom: Kelsey and Austin got in an argument because Austin thought Kelsey sided with her mom against him, and it escalated into a physical fight. When the detectives arrive, Kelsey's mom throws a glass at Austin while Rollins speaks to Kelsey, who confirms the worst this time: Austin raped her.

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Kelsey's mom, Kelsey and Austin recount the fight at the restaurant, each having a very different perspective of the inciting incident. Austin says their rough sex is part of their foreplay while Kelsey insists it was not consensual. That's enough for Carisi, who says Austin's good to arrest. The paparazzi got pictures of Austin in the squad car, so it's already a public case. At arraignment, Carisi makes the case that Austin has a large and rabid social media following that could sway public opinion. Austin's father shows up and says Austin's not a monster, just a drunk -- to which Carisi replies that people wind up here because of their choices, not their excuses. And as Austin walks out of court, he's met with screaming, adoring fans. The circus begins.

Rollins and Carisi wrap up their talk on the case but Rollins doesn't want to go home. She asks to stay with Carisi as he works because she can't handle being alone right now. Poor Amanda. The next day at trial, Kelsey's mom is on the stand testifying against Austin. Allegations Kelsey made against her mom's previous boyfriends are brought up -- allegations her mom denies and all of which work against Kelsey's credibility. Then Kelsey takes the stand. She admits they were both verbally abusive but stands firm that she was raped. Austin's lawyer pokes holes in her story as Austin fangirls in the court verbally attack Kelsey for "lying" and then scream at Amanda for arresting Austin in the first place. Is this her breaking point?

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It's a social media nightmare when Carisi shares memes mocking Kelsey to the judge. She can't close the trial, though she does agree to more strictly enforcing entry. When Kelsey stresses over how Austin's painted her, Rollins snaps and tells her to toughen up, much to Liv's disapproval. As Carisi and Liv watch the media frenzy outside, he assures Liv that he's looking out for Amanda before Kelsey arrives, chased by boos from Austin obsessives.

Inside, it's Austin's turn on the stand and he admits to getting verbally abusive and a little physical but maintains he wouldn't ever rape Kelsey. When Carisi accuses him of forcing himself on her sexually, Austin shrugs and says "She's my fiancé," as if that makes it okay. Carisi digs into Austin's daddy issues by saying he's just like his father. Austin loses it at the comparison and admits to assaulting Kelsey -- but he says "sorry" which, in his mind, makes him better than his father.

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But the "sorry" has unexpected consequencs: Kelsey unfortunately believes him. She wants to forgive him and drop the charges. At closing arguments, Austin's lawyer plays up the he said/she said angle and says that Austin's admission was an emotional attempt to win Kelsey back. Carisi closes by saying that Austin admitted what he did and past demons and claims of love have never been and never will be an excuse for sexual assault.

Outside, Amanda finds Liv to talk. She tells her about pulling her gun in her kids' room and viewers can see the pain. She says she was aiming for a monster -- and Liv believes that Amanda will get that metaphorical monster in the end. Back in the courtroom, though, Austin is found not guilty on two of the three charges, only the lesser felony of rape in the third degree. Kelsey and Liv make their way through the crowd as Kelsey worries about what will happen to Austin -- and what will happen to her. Liv assures her that what they had wasn't really love, but that Kelsey will write new songs. She tells her to learn to be alone and love herself first, before she loves anyone else.

In Carisi's office, Austin's lawyer says they're appealing the verdict, but all Austin asks is if Carisi thinks Kelsey will take him back. But Amanda enters the room. She's worried that she's messed up her healthy, true love with Carisi, who assures her she hasn't and never could. Everyone's got monsters in their closet, after all -- and he'll help Amanda with hers.

New episodes of Law & Order: SVU air Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. on NBC.

Kelsey is a Boston & Baltimore-based Star Wars enthusiast, SVU aficionado, horror devotee and evangelist for sour candy. She has one young adult novel and a slight road trips problem. She can be found on IG: @itskelseyytime for weird travel, cheese and dog stories.

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