Friday, September 30, 2011

Law & Order UK “Immune” Episode Information

Here are the episode details and a preview clip of Law & Order UK “Immune” which will air on October 5, 2011 on BBC America.

Law & Order UK “Immune ” October 5, 2011 (9PM ET Wednesday BBC America)
A bungled robbery leads to an innocent hero being shot dead and a hostage with a potentially life threatening medical condition being seized by two armed gunmen. It's up to Ronnie and Sam to beat the clock and find the hostage in just ten hours. Starring Bradley Walsh, Paul Nicholls, Freema Agyeman, Dominic Rowan, and Peter Davison.

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Immune" can be found at this link.







Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Law & Order UK “Survivor’s Guilt” Recap & Review


Law & Order UK “Survivor’s Guilt” aired only in the U.S. on BBC America last night, so viewers in the UK may want to stop reading if they don’t want to be spoiled.

This case is based on the original Law & Order “Suicide Box” from season 13. “Survivor’s Guilt” is different in that it revolves around solving the murder of DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber). It opens shortly after the time the episode “Deal” left off, which closed with Devlin being shot in a drive by shooting.

The episode is heavy with anguish and grief. Ronnie (Bradley Walsh) is clearly the most affected by Matt’s death. He loved Matt like a son and Ronnie wants for someone to pay, and quick. Despite being told to stay away from the case, Ronnie just can’t help but stick his nose into it, and nearly sabotages it. At the end, Ronnie comes through to get the killer to admit what he did by finding a common ground with the killer and his family – grief. The one scene in Matt’s apartment where Ronnie looks to find food for Matt’s cat and faces a brief temptation conveyed the emptiness and loss he was feeling.  Bradley Walsh was at the top of his game in this episode.

We also met Matt Devlin’s (and Jamie Bamber’s) replacement: DS Sam Casey, played by Paul Nicholls. He seems to fit in well and, at the end, when he saves Ronnie from taking that drink, I felt that this new partnership was going to work.

This episode was heavy with sadness for me, likely because I am sorry to see Jamie Bamber leave the show. I thought he did a fantastic job as Matt Devlin and his presence will be missed by many. He’s got a recurring role in the new TNT series “Perception” which is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2012.


Here is the recap:

DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) is still on the scene at the Old Bailey, in shock, as Matt Devlin is dead after a drive by shooting. DI Natalie Chandler, herself clearly rocked by Matt’s death, urges Ronnie to get back to the station. The investigation is being led by Sam Casey (new cast member Paul Nicholls) and Ronnie needs to give his statement.

While Ronnie is giving his statement, it’s clear that he’s struggling with wanting a drink in order to cope, and even imagines that he walks into a pub and sees Matt there when he opens the door. But he knows that will never happen. Later, Ronnie speaks with Sam under the watchful eye of Natalie and he recounts what he saw, but clearly Ron feels that he should have done more for Matt. It’s also evident that Ronnie doesn’t want any help from Sam.

Ronnie makes a bad situation worse for Natalie and Sam when he ignores his orders to be on leave and continues to stick his nose into trying pin down who shot Matt and why. He confronts Mark Ellis, and Ellis denies any involvement. Ronnie asks Ellis if he knows how many people are crying over Matt Devlin (I find myself wondering how many viewers are crying over him too).

Natalie has a few words with Ronnie about him sabotaging the case and possibly tainting the evidence. Ronnie doesn’t want to sit a home all day, but Natalie tells him he’s on leave – “end of!”

Meanwhile, Sam continues to work the case and gets a lead on the gun used in the shooting to a Dennis Thomas and Ronnie presses to tag along. Thomas is working a comedy club and when they question him, he says he never had a gun in real life. He also said the black jeep he had was sold to his aunt last week. They speak with his aunt who said the car was stolen but didn’t report it as she thought the police had towed it. She also mentions she has no husband and her son is dead.

As Ronnie turns the coin that is a reminder of his sobriety in his hand, Sam did some checking and found that the woman’s son Jamal Clarkson is not dead.

At the college where Jamal attends, when an instructor returns to the classroom with Jamal, once he hears they are police, he takes off running. Sam makes chase and catches up with him. Later, back at MIU, Sam questions him. Jamal does not think highly of the police, and when he gets angry with Sam, he makes a near admission that he was the one who fired the gun. When Sam presses Jamal on him killing a good copper, Jamal says the only thing he is sorry is that he didn’t kill more of them. He says he knows all about them, some rich white kid in Chelsea gets stabbed it’s in all the papers, but his big brother gets shot in Hackney and no one did anything, and no one cares but him. Jamal admits he killed Devlin to even things up. Jamal then asks for a brief.

Ronnie wants Jamal arrested immediately but Sam says Jamal wants a brief and CP Alesha Phillips (Freema Agyeman) wants to find out more about Jamal’s brother’s death. Ronnie is upset and Sam admits that Jamal’s brother’s death has nothing to do with Matt’s killing. Alesha agrees that once Jamal gets his brief he will be charged, but cautions that if there is a legitimate beef about Jamal’s brother, they need to know about it. She wants it done right and tells them to hold Jamal for another night and to check into his brother. Angela breaks things up when she tells Ronnie that Matt’s sister is there.

Ronnie spends some time with Matt’s sister, and she doesn’t understand why anyone would do this to Matt.

Afterwards, Sam tells Ronnie that 7 years ago, Hackney police investigated the murder of 18 year old Kieron Clarkson. No one was arrested or charged. No DI signed off on the case and they don’t know why the case was closed.

Ronnie and Sam head to the police archive but comes up with almost nothing. They have some information on the gun but the death certificate is missing. But according to the post mortem report, Kieron Clarkson committed suicide.

Alesha speaks with Jamal’s brief Doug Greer who tells her that he thinks it was marked a suicide so not to waste time on a black kid. They spar back and forth, and Alesha says the case is about his client killing a police officer. Greer tries to make Matt’s killing into a racial issue and urges her this is not a case to put in front of the jury. She feels that Jamal killed Matt simply because he was a cop.

At Alberto’s CafĂ©, Ronnie is still pondering his sobriety coin when Sam enters and tells Ronnie that there is no death certificate or PM report for Kieron, but one witness, who was under 18 so is referred to as Witness A, was interviewed 3 times. Sam tells Ronnie he will not believe who the witness is.

Mark Ellis comes in to MIU for questioning by Natalie and Sam for information on what he witnessed during Kieron’s death. He laughs and said he saw Kieron get shot, that it’s hard not to see when you’re the shooter.

Later, Sam thinks it’s strange that Devlin got shot at Mark Ellis’ trial by the brother of the man killed by Ellis. Ronnie does not believe in coincidences. Sam doesn’t think Jamal’s brief will allow Jamal to talk unless he is right there, but it’s clear Ronnie has his own idea to get around that. Sam wants to do it by the book, but Ronnie disagrees, saying they won’t get the truth while Jamal is in an interview room. When Sam tells Ronnie it’s too late, Natalie had him charged, Ronnie races off.

Ronnie heads over to the prisoner holding bay and he confronts Jamal. Ronnie thinks Jamal didn’t go to the Old Bailey to shoot a copper and tries to get Jamal to talk. Jamal says it’s because his brother’s killer was up in court. Jamal said his brother would not have killed himself. When Ronnie presses as to why he wanted revenge on Ellis now, he said he thought it was his last chance to get him and he thought he could but knew he was too late. Ronnie doesn’t know how shooting a copper would solve that, but Jamal thinks they were all walking around without a care in the world, when his brother is rotting in the ground, and it should have been him. As Jamal drops to the ground, Ronnie says the hardest thing when someone dies is being left behind, and that one would do anything to bring them back. Natalie sees Ronnie there and is angry that he deliberately went against her orders, and tells him to either get out of there quick or she will have him put in one of those cells.

Later, at Matt Devlin’s home, Ronnie is in Matt’s kitchen and sees Matt’s cat and when he finds the box of dry cat food empty, he goes into the refrigerator. He sees some bottles of beer in there and pauses for a minute, but then grabs the cat food and closes the door.

Meanwhile, at CPS, Greer tells Alesha and CP Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan) that he is going for an abuse argument for abuse of process as Ronnie was supposed to be on leave, not questioning witnesses. Later, in court, the point is argued in front of the judge. Jake argues that this did not impede the defendant’s ability for a fair trial and the judge agrees. The judge comments that he takes a dim view of DS Brooks behavior and has no problem with Greer raising that in evidence. Greer adds he will be introducing evidence about Jamal’s brother and the judge says he will hear his arguments at trial.

Back at CPS, Jake worries that with the wrong jury and a sympathetic judge, Jamal could be out in time for his 21st. Jake believes they have to prove that Kieron committed suicide and the police did nothing wrong. He tells her to summon whoever wielded that felt tipped pen.

At Broughton Row, Alesha speaks with Dr.Bernard who worked for the pathology department 7 years ago, and when Dr. Bernard tries to blow her off, Alesha threatens that if she doesn’t hand the files over they will charge her with theft of government property.

At the home office pathology lab, Alesha and the pathologist go over the file but there is not enough information to determine whether it was or wasn't a suicide. And there are no photos in the file. The pathologist tells her to get the skull of Kieron Clarkson and he can tell her for sure.

Later, with the casket exhumed at pathology and Kieron’s mother present, they open it and find there is no body, the casket is stuffed with something in a burlap sack – there is no body.

At MIU, Natalie tells Alesha and Jake that the funeral home at the time had been owned by Damien Haleford, who was convicted 5 years ago of flogging corpses to medical school. The investigating officer thought they had identified all the missing bodies. Natalie says this has nothing to do with Matt's death and asks them to tell her they are going to put his killer behind bars. Jakes does not know, he had no idea Ronnie had been involved in the investigation and asks if there is anything else he should be worried about,

At Crown V Clarkson, Sam is testifying about Matt’s shooting and said that Jamal confessed to killing him. But Greer cross examines him, and a flippant comment that Sam made (that the police would give him a holiday to Barbados if he beat up a black suspect) during his questioning of Jamal and Sam says he was kidding. Sam also has to admit that Ronnie did help on the investigation, and adds that he could not stop him. Greer brings up the fact that this is familiar, and mentions the police loosing the files on Kieron’s death and losing Kieron’s body. He says they may find his client guilty of manslaughter but not murder. When Jake protests, the judge tells Greer to leave the summing up to him.

Afterwards and outside, Sam is upset and tells Jake he was made to look like a racist. He asks if Jamal will still go down for this, and Jake doesn’t answer.

Later, Mark Ellis is testifying about killing Kieron and the police did question him at the time but they did not think it was him. Jake questions him and says that Ellis changes his story quite a lot on the issue, and one story was that when he found Kieron he was already dead. Jake makes it sound like Ellis admitting to the killing would give Ellis more gang cred inside.

Dr. Bernard is testifying about her post mortem report, and the detail report which is not in the file. She says she always follows the procedure and ticked the suicide box which means the case is closed. Greer asks that if a police officer was frustrated with a case going nowhere, she could help him out by making that little tick. She comments that is absurd but when Greer asks if it is possible, she does not answer.

Jake questions her about her notes on Kieron’s death and Dr. Bernard says her opinion is Kieron was shot in the front of the head, and Alesha gets a look of surprise. Bernard adds that for her to tick the suicide box there had to be other indicators that this was not a murder. When Jake concludes, Alesha tells him she thinks she may have misunderstood the pathologist she spoke to and thinks Bernard is taking liberties with the truth.

Afterwards, Bernard is in the CPS office saying after what she did for them today, she was expecting champagne. Jake is upset saying she must have already had a few if she thinks what happened today is worth celebrating. Jake said she lied, she said she embellished. Jake is livid and asks her if she has any idea of the damage this could do to the trial. Bernard said she didn’t even want to give evidence and told them she didn’t remember anything about the case. She says she did it to help her, but Jake thinks she did it for herself, and says her entire evidence could be ruled inadmissible. She asks how is she supposed to give evidence about a case she does not remember. She was overworked an exhausted the whole time she was in that job. Alesha asks if she could have ticked off that box by mistake, and Bernard said she honestly does not know. Jake says because of her, Kieron Clark’s family will not know how he died.

Later, in Jake’s office, he tells Ronnie that Greer is calling Bernard back to the witness box and when the jury hears she lied they are up a creek without a paddle. Jamal will also testify so Jamal will look like the victim and the police will be the villains. Ronnie comments that Greer said Jamal never went there to kill anyone but that is not the case, Jamal told him he went there to kill Ellis and that would be murder. But Jake says Greer will not let Jamal reveal anything like that in the witness box. Ronnie thinks someone has to make Jamal grow a conscience, and asks if Jake can get Jamal to open up in cross. Jake says he hopes so because unless he talk, the jury will acquit him for murder.

Afterwards, Ronnie tells Jamal’s mother that when his daughter was 10 his wife ordered a doll for his daughter’s birthday. When it didn’t turn up they thought it got lost in the post, but just in case, he went to a few neighbor’s houses to see if anyone had taken a package in. He got to Mrs. Riley’s house and found her granddaughter playing with the exact same doll and Mrs. Riley thought she bought in the market. A week later he got a call from school that his daughter was fighting with Mrs. Riley’s granddaughter. His daughter apparently overheard him, while he had been drinking, screaming at the grandmother. Ronnie tells Jamal's mother that  hatred is learned. He says he thinks he understands how she feels and she has every right to feel betrayed about her son’s case. He does not know if it was racism or human error. He tells her about Matt Devlin, that he was like his son. He begs her to please talk to Jamal and for him to face what he did to everyone who loved Matt, especially his sister, who wants justice just as they do.

At Crown V Clarkson, Jamal testifies that it wasn’t supposed to go like this. He says Kieron died and no one cared, and he wanted justice. He admits he went looking for Ellis and he was gone and thought if he killed the police he would feel better. When Greer tries to ask for an adjournment if Jamal was going to change his plea, Jamal tells him no, he doesn’t need any more chats with him. Greer sits down and Jamal goes on to say he thought he would feel better, but it still hurts just the same. He says he is sorry. As Matt's sister cries, Jamal says he is sorry for taking her brother away from her.

Later, as we see Ronnie’s coin spin on a table, we see Ronnie in a pub looking at a glass of scotch. Just as Ronnie looks to be reaching for it, Sam reaches over and picks it up and drinks it, and pushes Ronnie’s coin back to him, and Ronnie looks up and nods. After Sam nods back, we look at Ronnie as we fade to black.


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Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Blood Brothers” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “Blood Brothers” which will air on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10 PM ET on NBC. The episode features guest star Kyle MacLachlan.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Blood Brothers" can be found at this link.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Recap & Review


Law& Order SVU “Personal Fouls” received a lot of hype for the cameos by two basketball players, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. But these two were only window dressing for a gripping story about the sexual abuse of young boys by their coach,  and the difficulties in getting boys/men to report such abuse. Mechad Brooks did a wonderful job is playing the egocentric, tough-guy womanizing pro basketball player, yet he was also able to convey the pain his character was carrying from the abuse he faced as a child. One can only hope that the episode may encourage others to speak out against sexual abuse that they experienced, especially if it was by a person in a position of authority.

The episode introduced Danny Pino as Detective 2nd Grade Nick Amaro, and Benson immediately calls him out for his Serpico look and track record. Considering this was after Cragen warned Benson to play nice with the new kids in the squad, it’s clear that it will take a lot more that a push from Cragen to get Benson to get back in the swing of things. I like the new attitude with Benson; she’s on the edge, yet she’s still a pro at her job.

It was smart to bring in Rollins and Amaro in separate episodes, and also smart to be mixing up the detective pairings. This allows viewers to better adjust to the cast changes and give a better feel for the SVU squad undergoing changes themselves. One of the hardest things for a show to get right is the feeling that the characters behave like real co-workers, and I believe that SVU is headed in the right direction in making the new detectives fit in as if they have always been there.

I know we are only into the second episode of the season, but I am very impressed with the story lines and the writing. I was worried last season that SVU was heading towards what I call a “cheesefest” of cheesy scenarios and trite dialog (think of CSI Miami defines the term cheesefest) but these first two episodes have put my worries to rest. It seems they are taking great pains to keep things real, and so far this has delivered stories that engage viewers on many levels.


Here is the recap:


Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Detective Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Dann Florek – Captain Don Cragen
Stephanie March - ADA Alex Cabot
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino = Detective Nick Amaro

Guest Stars
Tamara Tunie – ME Melinda Warner
Dan Lauria – Coach Ray Masters
Mehcad Brooks - Prince Miller
Chris Bosh - himself
Carmelo Anthony - himself
Dwight “Heavy D” Myers – Supreme
Aaron Tveit – Stevie Harris
Mark Blum – David Arnoff

Coach Ray Masters is being inducted into the Metro Basketball Hall of Fame by former students Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. Basketball star Prince Miller could not attend, but Bosh and Anthony present Masters with a solid gold key from Prince that fits any gym in the country. As Masters begins to speak, a lone clapping comes from the crowd, and a man enters and boos Masters, saying Masters should be in jail and he should be ashamed of himself. He adds that Masters knows what he did as security hauls him away.

Back at SVU, Detective Olivia Benson questions Captain Don Cragen that they are hiring another detective. Cragen says they are short staffed, adding he is a good guy who comes out of Warrants, and he starts tomorrow. Benson complains that it’s hard to train two rookies, asking if this is a day care center. He reminds her that Elliot is not coming back. When she complains that it takes her twice as long to explain the job than to do it herself, he tersely replies it is not her call. He says if she wants to be here, she has to start working with other detectives and to let him go. He adds that she can start by packing up his desk; they can’t keep it as a shrine. She glares at him and then walks out.

As she packs up Stabler’s desk, Fin watches. He then tells her they have something. She looks at it and says it is a disorderly conduct, asking why it is with sex crimes. Fin explains that the man claims his basketball coach sexually abused him when he was a kid and he wasn’t the only one. When Benson and Fin check out the man who is in the cell, he has collapsed onto the floor - Benson says he's jonesing - and Fin calls for a bus.

The next day, Benson tells them the hospital called and the man is stable so Fin says he will get a statement. Cragen walks in with a bearded Detective 2nd Grade Nick Amaro, and Rollins says about the 2nd grade ranking that he must have caught a big fish. He says he just kissed a lot of ass. Cragen says Amaro spent two years undercover in narcotics and then in warrants, and that he took down the MS13 case. Benson pipes in to say that “Well, this is a whole different world Serpico, not everybody has a stomach for it.” While the rest of the team looks uncomfortable with Benson's comment, Cragen tells Fin to ride with Amaro to get his feet wet. Cragen also orders Amaro to clean himself up, reminding him he is not on the street any more. When Fin says he has a guy that will shape him up real quick, Cragen cautions Amaro not to let Fin take him clothes shopping.

At the hospital, a clean shaven Amaro asks Fin about Stabler. Fin calls Stabler a good cop and that he and Benson were together for 12 years and that is a decade longer than his marriage. The see the empty chair outside the hospital room and that the handcuffs are attached to the bed but the suspect, Stevie Harris, is clearly gone. The officer returns, saying he had to take a leak. After Fin chastises the cop and the cop leaves, Amaro recognizes the suspect’s name as a basketball legend and he knows where his crew hangs out.


At a basketball lot, Fin and Amaro spot Stevie and Amaro talks to him about seeing him play. Fin introduces themselves and Fin chastises him about getting up and leaving, but says they can help him and want to talk about Coach Masters. Stevie says he was just high and talking crazy, and when Amaro confronts him about lying about the allegations. Fin asks him to get it off his chest, and Stevie later explains to the detectives that when he was 9 and playing in a tournament, that Masters “messed” with him during a bed check. Fin tries to get him to go into the details, and Stevie explains what happened to him and he breaks down and cries. Amaro asks why he didn’t tell anybody at the time, and Stevie said Masters was a friend of the family and Masters promised to help him get a scholarship. It was their little secret. Masters seems disgusted and asks when Masters stopped abusing him. Stevie says he was about 15 and there with other kids he liked better, he thinks he got too old and that’s when things started falling apart of him – when Masters stopped. When Amaro asks Stevie if he has any proof, he doesn’t have anything, but says Masters was paying him off every month and it Masters stopped at his last birthday.

At Riverbank State Park, basketball practice is going on and Fin and Amaro speak with Coach Masters. Masters calls Stevie a heartbreaker, and that he thought Stevie would go far. He adds Stevie was not wired for the pressure. He says the accusations are disturbing and he would never hurt one of his kids. Masters thinks Stevie wants to blame others for his own failures. When Fin comments about the hush money, Masters says he tried to help out kids any way he can and loaned him money, but when he saw it was going up his arm, he cut him off.

Afterwards, they talk to one of the young basketball players, Devon, asking what it is like to play for him. He says if you do for Ray, he does for you, and Masters is the ticket out.

Back at SVU, Cragen tells the detectives that abuse of power cases bother him most, but there are big issues with the outcry. Fin says Masters is still coaching and they should still be sure. Cragen says there is no evidence or corroborations and that Stevie has a long list of drug arrests, and Fin reminds him that doesn’t mean something bad didn’t happen to him. Amaro says he is pulling strings to get Stevie in outpatient rehab. Benson informs Amaro that the statute of limitations has run out, as Stevie is not alleging forcible rape, and in New York, the charges only carry to age 18 + 5 years. Stevie is 24, and Fin wonders if that is why Masters stopped paying him as Masters knew he could not be charged. Cragen says if they can prove he made payments and show that they were do buy Stevie’s silence, it is an ongoing crime. Cragen says it will not be easy as Masters has no criminal record. Rollins informs them not in New York, but there was a charge against him in 1988 which was sealed and then expunged and it would be nice to find out why. Cragen comments he will make a few calls, that New Jersey leaks like a sieve.

Later, at the home of Domenica Ramos, she talks to Benson and Rollins about her son Richie and that Masters molested him. Ramos explains the abuse that occurred when her son was 12. He said the church promised to handle it and when they did not, she contacted the police and had to beg them to do their job. Two days before the grand jury, her son hung himself in his bedroom. She asks Benson if they are going to get him this time, and Benson nods yes.

Back at SVU, Benson watches as Amaro unpacks his belongings on his desk, and he takes out a picture of his daughter and then put it back, replacing it with a photo of what looks like former colleagues. Rollins comes in and says Masters has been at this a long time, then offers Amaro a donut and he refuses. Benson questions “A cop who doesn’t eat donuts. How can I trust you?” Cragen asks where they are on the case, and Rollins says his finances are clean and no payments are showing up, and he only makes $50K a year. Amaro thinks Masters has shady dealings with agents, college recruiters, etc. and Cragen wonders where he is hiding it. Rollins wonders about Masters “Ray’s Boys Foundation” and Cragen tells her to look through the foundation’s records. Cragen then sits down and asks Benson if she is doing OK then before she can really answer, he tells her to help the new guys out a little.

Later, Amaro and Benson head to Masters office and Benson presses him on Richie Ramos and the sex abuse charge. He says they are finding all the jokers in the deck, and adds that Richie had no father and his mother was abusing drugs. He got them out of the shelter and found them housing. When he met Richie he was functionally illiterate and in 5 years he set him up for a full ride in Arizona. Masters tersely says he was the one trying to save Richie and that his mother had an idea about him that she would not let go. When Amaro tries to ask a question, Benson tells him to hold on and asks Masters what idea was that. He tells her let’s not be children, it is the same one she has. She asks if she is wrong. Masters says the relationship between a coach and the star player is very intense and easily misunderstood. Most of the kids gets one chance at a future and he is in a position to help them and they get very close. Benson comments this is a lot of power, deciding who stays and who goes. He says it is his job to find the special ones. Amaro asks him what he asks for in return , and Masters says that they succeed in life and pay it forward. Benson asks if it is like him paying them to keep quiet, saying it seems the mission of the foundation is to buy silence. He glares at her, stands up, and says, “Shame on you” and he says the foundation and his life is helping those kids. Benson stands up, gets in his face, and asks Masters if he thinks the law can’t touch him. As they move to leave, he tells him to talk to any of his boys, he is the only father they ever had.

Later, Fin, Rollins, Benson and Amaro speak to other players who say great things about the coach and that he is just helping them out. One, who is in jail, gets agitated about the idea that he would let someone touch him, Afterwards, Fin comments to Rollins that the coach knew how to pick his victims, and Rollins said there wasn’t much male on male disclosure un Atlanta. Fin says they are tricky to prosecute, and they talk about the issues that men have with what people may think about what happened or the implication they are gay. Fin tells Rollins it is still a stigma in the black and Latino community, adding that his son is gay and he had to deal with that garbage on the streets every day, saying his son is the bravest man he knows.

At the Hope Town Rehabilitation Center, Benson and Amaro speak with Stevie and they tell him they have hit a brick wall and that the other guys swear the coach is just helping them out. Amaro comments that right now, it is Stevie’s word against Masters. Benson adds they just need to have somebody else come forward who is younger and not on the foundation’s dole. He tells them there is somebody, his roommate at the tournaments, he thinks he may have been raped. He is reluctant to tell them but when they press, he looks up at the nearby billboard poster of Prince Miller.

Later, Benson and Fin arrive at Prince Miller’s offices and speak with Supreme, Prince’s business manager and his cousin. They admire his custom shoes with Prince’s logo on the sole. He asks Fin about him having his 20 years in yet and suggests he come in for a job, but when Benson asks no job for her, he asks if she can dance but then he laughs. They see that Prince has arrived along with David Arnoff, and Supreme says now Prince is a free agent and he doesn’t want all that they built destroyed.

Prince later tells them the coach prepared him for success. But Fin asks not about what happened on the court, but what happened in his life. Price says nothing has gone wrong in his life. Fin asks him if he can take off his glasses so he can see his eyes, but Arnoff thanks them for coming by and ends the interview.

Back at SVU, Fin complains that Prince was guarded and he will be hard one to crack. Benson thinks some crack like Stevie while others are super achievers to make others think they are OK. Rollins comments she is not so sure that Prince is OK, and she shows them the tape from Masters’ hall of fame induction and that Prince did not attend, he just sent a gold key. Amaro gets a message on his phone and then days he has to call his wife. Fin asks if she has him on a short leash, but Amaro replies that she is in Iraq, she works in propaganda, saying she works to win hearts and minds. He adds she has 8 months to go and if anyone can do it, it is her. Stevie arrives at SVU and asks if the met with Prince. He says Prince called him and invited him to his club that night, he wants to catch up. He asks the how they want him to play it and what the hell is he going to wear? Amaro asks how about a wire?

Later, with Benson and Amaro, ADA Alex Cabot asks what Amaro is proposing, and he tells her a controlled meet so they can hear what Prince has to say. She cautions him this is sex crime not narcotics and victims can’t meet on the record like that. the defense could say the victims are trying to get their story straight. Benson thinks they think Prince got is worse than Stevie did and if they can get it on tape admitting to being raped, the statute does not apply. Cabot worries it is risky and collusionary and if Prince denies anything happened it is memorialized on tape. Amaro asks if she has a better idea, and she thinks she does. She asks if all the incidents happened in New York, but Amaro said that they were mostly on the road, and when he mentions Boston as one of the locations, she says in Boston the statute of limitations would not apply in this case as they stop the clock on a child sexual assault charge the minute the victim or perp leaves the state. She explains it was because the dioceses would assign pedophile priests to other New England states until the clock ran out. Benson adds the legislature stopped the clock retroactively. Cabot tells them to bring in Stevie Harris and she will call the Boston DA.

As Amaro moves to make the call to get Stevie, Benson walks in to Cabot’s office and Cabot says she is sorry about Elliot. Benson nods, and her voice wavering, says, “Me too.” Cabot asks how the new guy is working out, but Amaro alerts them that Stevie took off saying he had to go to a meeting, and Benson tells him to call him on his cell.

At Players Only Club, Stevie is arguing with Prince, who is telling Stevie to stop telling those lies. Stevie says the coach is still doing it. Prince calls him a junkie trick ass bitch, and Stevie takes a swing at him. Prince’s bodyguards pull him off and throw him to the ground, punching and kicking him. Benson and Amaro arrive and Amaro breaks it up. Amaro tries to calm him saying they have to talk, bit Stevie says they can arrest him and he’s had enough of this and he runs off, saying to stay the hell away from him.

Later, Fin, Amaro and Rollins are getting coffee and Amaro tells them Stevie has still not shown up at rehab and he is not answering his phone. Rollins moans that Cabot finally found away to press charges and now they lost the witness. Fin thinks Prince is losing his cool and they should try another crack at him. Amaro gets a phone call and says they will be right there.

Fin, Amaro, and Rollins arrive at a crime scene where Stevie lay dead on the ground. Rollins asks the officer to get CSU over there and he questions it thinking this is an OD. Fin asks him if he is sure it is an OD, because he is not, and says they will need a full work up of the scene.

In the morgue, Benson can’t believe when ME Warner tells her the cause of death is from circumstances undetermined because of all the heroin in his blood. Warner counters that what is not determined is whether it was a homicide or a suicide. When Benson gets annoyed with Warner, Amaro says this is why the ME is separate from the police; they don’t jump to their conclusions. Warner tells him not to play her, and he replies "never," but suggest they take a look at it. He thinks if it was a suicide, Stevie was right handed and the injection is on the left arm BUT questions that it took 3-4 attempts to hi a vein. He adds Stevie was a career junkie and one think he knew how to do is shoot up. He looks at Stevie’s toes, saying Stevie was a sharpshooter. Warner tersely says she added that in her report. Benson suggests some guys held Stevie down and had trouble injecting him and they made a mess of it. Warner thinks that is one plausible scenario. Benson continues that since he just got into a fight outside the club a few hours before where threats were made – saying that there is someone that they like for this but they can’t bring him in…and Warner says she can’t get her there. Warner suggests that, since they saw the being at the club, he may have been concussed and he got woozy and couldn’t find a vein. Benson argues that if it could go both ways to give them a break. Warner tells Benson that Benson knows better. Amaro asks for one favor – not to release the report right away and say she is backed up, and he will owe her one. She makes no comment but it is clear she will go along with it.

Back at SVU, Cragen tells Cabot and Amaro that Prince knew Stevie was going to testify about Masters’ abuse, which would have made Prince’s own abuse public and this is not an image he wants to project. Amaro thinks Prince made sure Stevie stayed quiet with a fatal hot shot of heroin. Cabot reminds them that they have motive and opportunity but no witness or evidence. Cragen tells her Prince could have ducked them but he came in on his own. When Cragen sees others in the squad room staring at Prince, he tells them Prince is not signing autographs.

In the interview room with Benson and Fin, Price, with Arnoff, says he did not kill Stevie. Arnoff says that at the time of the murder, Prince was at his club and then went to his home with a few ladies. He shows them a time stamped video of Prince in bed with the two women. Benson says time stamps can be manipulated but he shows then consent forms the women signed before and after the encounter with the times listed. When Fin asks if he always films his ladies, Prince tells him there are a lot of false accusation out there and he has to protect himself. As they move to leave, Benson comments to Prince that Stevie said Prince got it worse than he did and asks when did Coach Ray stop raping him? He tells her she needs to shut her mouth because she has no clue about what she is talking about. She asks him why he gets so upset every time she brings it up? He replies nobody touches Prince Miller. Arnoff cuts it off saying this is harassment, and they leave.

In Cragen’s office, Benson and Fin enter and Cragen thinks that was a whole lot of nothing. Benson thinks it is obvious that something happened to him. Cabot says Prince is not good for it. Amaro does not see this as an OD as he thinks Stevie was really working the program. Fin thinks Prince is all about protecting his brand and suggests they see what Rollins has on the crime scene photos.

Rollins tells Benson and Amaro that only Stevie’s prints are on t he syringe but Amaro sees a footprint that appears to have Prince’s brand marking on it.

Later, Benson and Fin stop Supreme, with Prince in the passenger seat in his car and ask for his sneakers which are the prototypes. He talks them off and gets into Fin’s car. Benson speaks with Prince who think Supreme would not have done it. Benson says Supreme and coach are the same, Coach ran him for 10 years and now it is Supreme’s turn and that neither one of them looked after him. They were looking out for themselves. He says she doesn’t know what she is taking about, and he rolls up the car window.

With Cragen, Benson, and Amaro in Cabot’s office, Benson tells her  that Supreme’s shoes were a match and Stevie’s blood was also on them. Cabot thinks this should be enough to start making a deal. Cragen comments this still leaves Coach Ray out there without Stevie to testify. Benson thinks they do back to Prince and when Amaro says good luck with that, Cabot explains they can compel Prince if they empanel a grand jury as they are not asking him to incriminate himself, just the coach. Benson questions forcing him to testify under threat of contempt, saying that is not the way to get it. Cabot seems surprised that she is trying to help resurrect Benson's case and Benson is questioning her tactics. Cragen says Prince put up the wall when he was 14 and had lied to them and wonders what makes him tell the truth now? Benson thinks they need to remind him what life was like before the wall went up.

Later, with Prince in the back seat of the car with Benson and Amaro, they take him to a street court were a summer league is playing. The kids surround him, and then Prince sees Coach Masters there. Masters tells Prince that of all his players,  Prince was his favorite, and touches Prince's hand that he has holding onto the fence. Masters has Devon standing next to him and he tells him to get back to play. As Masters walks off, Benson comments that they are so impressionable at that age, Amaro adding that he’s got it, smooth as silk, and is a natural leader. Benson comments that Price must see a little of himself in that boy, all the talent in the world and the coach that can show him all the right moves. She adds the coach is going to a tournament on Friday in California with Devon and the boys and he will be doing bed checks and everything. Prince looks on, shaken yet silent.

Later, at the grand jury, Prince is being sworn in to testify. Afterwards, Prince holds a press conference and he talks about how they trust coaches at a very early age and sometimes they hold their dreams in their hands. He says one coach betrayed that trust. Prince tells them all he made an important decision – he told the grand jury the truth about Ray Masters and how he recruited him for the Baby Barons, the summer league team, when he was 10 years old, and how he started sexually abusing him on their first road trip, and continued until he was 15. Meanwhile, the SVU team watches the press conference at SVU, and Domenica Ramos watches from her home. Prince adds that he did not come forward then because he was just a little confused kid who was ashamed and he did not want to jeopardize his chances at basketball. He apologizes for keeping his secret so long because many could have been victimized after him. Devon also is watching at home with his mother, and as he leans over to her and cries, she asks what is wrong. Prince goes on to say he hopes the others come forward and tell their stories too, as he knows they are hurting. He voice waivers as he says truth can be the best medicine. AS he continue to talk, Coach Masters is being arrested by Fin and Amaro. Prince adds that they have to remember that shame is not theirs, it’s his. As his colleagues stand beside him, and as he looks on sadly to the press, we fade to black.


All Text Content (Recaps, Review, Commentary) © allthingslawandorder.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted


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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Law & Order SVU “Blood Brothers” Advance Photos

Here are a few advance photos from Law & Order SVU “Blood Brothers” which will air on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 10 PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Richard Belzer, Danny Pino, and guest star Kyle MacLachlan (as Andrew Raines).

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Blood Brothers" can be found at this link.







Photos by: Will Hart/NBC © NBCUniversal, Inc.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

New SVU Gallery Photos: Ice-T, Richard Belzer, Dann Florek

Here are the new Law & Order SVU gallery photos for Ice-T, Richard Belzer, and Dann Florek. (Hopefully new gallery photos will be available for the rest of the cast.)



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.



Mariska Hargitay on The Today Show (Video & Photo)

Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC © NBCUniversal, Inc

If you missed Mariska Hargitay on The Today Show this morning, you can still catch her appearance in the video below.  She talks about tonight’s episode of Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls ” and her Joyful Heart Foundation.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Law & Order UK “Survivor’s Guilt” Preview Clip

Here is a preview of Law & Order UK “Survivor’s Guilt” which will air on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 on BBC America (check your local listings). ***Stop reading here if you don’t want to be spoiled.***

Paul Nicholls is joining the cast as DS Sam Casey, replacing Jamie Bamber.






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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.


Photos: Mariska Hargitay On Location for SVU

Here are a few photos of Mariska Hargitay filming on location for Law & Order SVU on September 26, 2011 on the streets of Manhattan in New York City.




Photos by WireImage


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Cast Interviews

Here are cast interviews for Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls ” which will air on September 28, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. The interviews feature Ice-T, Danny Pino, Dann Florek, plus guest stars Dan Lauria, Chris Bosh, Mechad Brooks, and Aaron Tveit.

More videos can be found here:
All Things Law & Order: Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Sneak Peek Videos
All Things Law & Order: Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Behind The Scenes

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Personal Fouls" can be found at this link.


















Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Behind the Scenes Video

Here is a behind the scenes video from Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls ” which will air on September 28, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. The video features guest stars Chris Bosh and Dan Lauria.

More videos can be found here:
All Things Law & Order: Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Sneak Peek Videos
All Things Law & Order: Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Cast Interviews


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Personal Fouls" can be found at this link.






Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Sneak Peeks

Here are some sneak peeks from Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” which will air on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. The clips feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Danny Pino, Dann Florek, Kelli Giddish, and guest stars Dan Lauria and Chris Bosh.

More videos can be found here:
All Things Law & Order: Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Cast Interviews
All Things Law & Order: Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Behind The Scenes

Please be aware that I am only permitted to keep these videos up for one week after the episode originally airs, so please catch them while you can!

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Personal Fouls" can be found at this link.











Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.



Friday, September 23, 2011

Law & Order SVU “Double Strands” Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU “Double Strands”. (Preview clips and promo below.)

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Double Strands" can be found at this link.

Law & Order SVU “Double Strands” Air Date October 12, 2011 (10 PM ET/9C Wednesday NBC)

WHEN A BEAUTIFUL DANCER IS RAPED, THE SUSPECT'S (GUEST STAR T.R. KNIGHT) M.O. REMINDS DETECTIVE AMANDA ROLLINS (KELLI GIDDISH) OF AN UNSOLVED CASE FROM ATLANTA

A dancer is followed home and raped by a man with a distinctive tattoo and the details of the attack remind Rollins (Giddish) of a serial rapist she was tracking back home. The detectives arrest Gabriel Thomas (Knight), a family man who maintains his innocence, but his description and DNA match this assault and the string of rapes across multiple states that Rollins had been investigating. Although the evidence supports the arrest, the more Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Amaro (Danny Pino) dig into Thomas' past, the more they begin to believe his story. Also starring: Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen) and Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch.) Special appearance by Diane Neal (ADA Casey Novak).







Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.



Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls” Advance Photos

Here are advance photos from Law & Order SVU “Personal Fouls ” which will air on September 28, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. The photos feature Ice-T, Danny Pino, and guest star Dan Lauria (as Coach Ray Masters).

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Personal Fouls" can be found at this link.




Photos by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC © NBCUniversal, Inc.

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.
Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.