Ep 3. ...Or Just Look Like One

The episode "Or Just Look Like One" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 1 revolves around a rape and murder case of a young girl named Kerry, who was found dead in her apartment. Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler are assigned to the case, and as they further investigate, they discover that Kerry was a transgender prostitute.

The investigation takes a sharp turn when a witness tells Benson and Stabler that he saw a man leaving Kerry's apartment around the time of her death. They manage to trace him back to an illegal plastic surgery clinic, where he had undergone facial reconstruction surgery to look like someone else. With the help of Kerry's friend and fellow transgender sex worker, Venus, they are able to identify the man as Billy Skags, a convicted rapist who had escaped from prison.

The team's search for Skags leads them to an underground community of transgender individuals, where they learn about the hardships that transgender people face in society. They realize that the victim's transgender identity could have played a significant role in her death.

As the investigation progresses, the detectives find more suspects and motives. They uncover the dark secrets of the plastic surgery clinic and the people behind it, who were exploiting desperate people who wanted to change their appearances for various reasons.

Meanwhile, Benson struggles with her own prejudices and preconceived notions about transgender people, as she tries to understand Kerry's life and the decisions she made.

Ultimately, Benson and Stabler are able to catch the killer and bring him to justice, but the episode leaves viewers with a thought-provoking message about the treatment of transgender individuals in society and the obstacles they face in seeking justice for crimes committed against them.

"Or Just Look Like One" is a gripping and emotional episode that delves into important themes about identity, discrimination, and justice. With strong performances from the cast and a compelling and well-executed storyline, it is a standout episode in the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.