Vice President Joe Biden made a cameo appearance on the latest episode of Law and Order: SVU Wednesday night.
Biden’s guest appearance was the crown jewel of an episode already overstuffed with delightful pop culture touchstones. Henry Thomas, the actor who once upon a time played Elliott in E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, played a man found guilty of rape then later cleared on flawed DNA evidence — only to be suspected in a more violent crime later on. If this premise sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a nod to the wildly popular Netflix series Making a Murderer.
Biden’s appearance was a political exercise of sorts: he used it to speak out against the backlog of rape kits at police departments across the U.S.
His fans mostly seemed delighted just to see him.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com