Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” Recap & Review


Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” tapped into today’s highly-charged political environment, with extremists battling each other for the upper hand and loudest voice in their respective positions. This was a tightly written story with dialog that felt natural, believable, and, for the most part,  fitting to the characters.  The episode highlighted the ugliness of fanatical views from both extreme right and left groups, peppered with some choice insults from the key characters. This included a jab from the defense attorney about a potential suspect’s “tiny, tiny hands” (we know who they are really skewering here) and the rape victim’s annoyance with Barba, saying he is incompetent and referring to him as a “little schnauzer.”  Barba perceives the trial as being “the Titanic meets the Hindenburg meets my first year of little league.” (It was the case that was a dog, not Barba.)

What is most surprising is that nobody wins in this episode, and I was okay with this.  This doesn't mean I didn't want justice for the victim, but SVU and Barba had a weak case, and Barba was right to cut his losses.

In this case, a loathsome, right-wing, Ann Coulter-like pundit, Martha Cobb, is raped at a protest where she is speaking. This was a Facebook event held at the forever problematic Hudson University, (the local hotbed of crime!).  But there’s no semen to be found at this rape as her attacker used a protest sign pole to assault her. There’s no video surveillance in the area where she was attacked, so the SVU detectives only have as evidence what Martha recalls (which isn’t much), a protest sign pole with her blood on it, and some DNA found under her fingernails. This was one of those unusual SVU cases where the detectives had little definitive evidence to work with, and that’s what made this story interesting. Everything that seemed like a sure thing was far from it. This also is a rare case where Benson doesn’t treat a victim like a saint, going so far to say that in Martha’s case, her assault “doesn’t endow her with sainthood.” I would have expected this comment coming from Barba, but never Benson, who, in her advocacy for a victim, usually jumps in head first before looking.

It’s protester Justin Vichinsky’s DNA under Martha’s fingernails, and he is quickly arrested by Fin and Carisi,  for menacing. Martha, who has a chip on her shoulder the size of Manhattan, gives Benson a hard time all the way through, and it’s obvious that Benson’s usual sympathetic tone doesn’t work on Martha. Justin’s’ lawyer, Jed Karey, thinks he will have an easy go of it, but Martha quickly identifies Justin from the line up as her rapist. Jed makes quick work at trying to defend his client to the press.

Benson isn’t completely sold on Martha’s identification as Martha was slightly hesitant when she made it, and Benson thinks Martha’s memory is suspect. This is also unusual for Benson as she frequently has blinders on when it comes to victims. Benson admits she loathes what Martha stands for, but knows she has to trust, but verify. She also comments that with the case getting fast tracked, they didn’t have time to rule out other suspects. I found this an interesting observation on her part, seeing that every week it seems the SVU cases are moved into the courtroom at abnormal speed. Barba encourages Benson to do her due diligence.

Benson and Rollins connect with Martha at her book signing to see if Martha can recall any more from that day. When they show her a photo array, she hesitates upon seeing a photo of Randy Platt, and then admits he’s been at a few of her speeches but her security checked him out and thinks he is completely harmless. This of course is a signal to viewers that there is trouble brewing for the case as “completely harmless” means he is likely an extremist nut job.

We later find that Randy Platt is the founder and “Grand Wizard” of the “Patriots of the American Way”. He lives at home with his mom and spends his day blogging and tweeting. (Translate: loser.) But the riots at Hudson turned Randy into an Internet celebrity via a misogynist video he posted that immediately goes viral (don’t they always go viral in the SVU world). While Carisi and Rollins are questioning Randy’s mother, someone throws a Molotov cocktail into the front window of her home. When Randy gets home to the waiting detectives, he willingly comes down to SVU when they make the request. But in SVU interrogation, when Rollins and Carisi bring up Martha’s assault at the protest, he makes a quick exit from SVU.

Benson and Rollins speak with Martha at the hotel and bring up Randy, and then add that Justin’s lawyer thinks she is a opportunist and is just looking to sell books. While there, they see a new video from the protest that Martha stated a reader sent to her. Back at SVU, Rollins looks at this video which shows Justin clearly holding the sign used to assault Martha, and Rollins thinks Martha's ID is rock-solid. This is another signal to viewers that a twist is coming!

As Barba and Benson discuss the case with Martha, she seems over-confident and Barba worries she will turn this into an info war. She says she will be who she is and tells Barba to relax, “this is in the bag”. This is yet another signal that it is NOT in the bag. After Martha leaves, Benson seems to have even more reservations with Martha. When Barba reminds Benson that the unlikable Martha has been raped Benson says, “And that doesn’t endow her with sainthood.” This, coming from Benson, made me chuckle.

No matter that Benson has issues with the victim, Barba is past the point of no return and goes to trial. Martha testifies to what happened. The defense brings up Randy Platt, and the Park Milano Hotel, where Martha is staying as a guest of the Young Conservatives club. Later, Barba runs into Jed, and over drinks, Jed tells him he doesn’t think Justin has it in him and goes to these protests to meet girls.

The next day, Justin testifies and while doing so, goes off on a rant and makes himself look bad. But Jed calls Randy Platt to the stand, and his bigotry is apparent, especially when Randy points out all the black jurors, and maybe one Jewish or homosexual juror, that Randy’s group would want to purge. Jed brings up that three witnesses heard Martha call Randy “an ignorant troll who fetishizes guns because of [his] tiny, tiny hands” at the bar at the hotel the night before her speech when he made a (failed) pass at her. Randy comes back with name calling at Jed, and Barba luckily gets time to stew over this news as the trial resumes the following day.

Barba later tells Benson this was like “the Titanic meets the Hindenburg meets my first year of little league.” The fact that Martha never mentioned she spurned a sexual overture from Randy the night before the assault is a huge problem. Benson then has a forceful heart-to-heart with Martha, and Martha admits that she remembers Justin screaming at her and his rage, but recalls nothing after she was hit on the head and maybe she conflated things. She is “pretty sure” it was Justin.

“Pretty sure” doesn’t cut it with Barba, and, in dramatic fashion while questioning Randy, he pauses and then announces that the people are unable to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Justin sexually assaulted Martha and he moves to dismiss the indictment. He adds the perpetrator of this crime will never be known to a legal certainty. Benson is stunned and everyone seems confused. The judge comments that while this is unusual, he appreciates Barba’s candor, adding that few prosecutors have the courage to make this call. The case is dismissed. Does this signal problems for Barba down the road, from those people who don’t necessarily agree with Barba’s courageous decision?

On the courthouse steps, as the discussion continues to the press who are eating up the controversy, Barba comments to Benson “Do you just love free speech? You get what you pay for.” He adds that the case stopped being a search for the truth and turned into a political Rorschach test about which side butters your political bread.

Later, Benson breaks the news to Martha, who is at the restaurant where Justin works. Martha knows she won’t be the first or the last woman who was raped at Hudson University not to get justice. (No kidding; crime at Hudson is critical to the whole Law & Order brand.) She is also writing another book, a screed on the whole criminal justice system, and she will send Benson an advance copy. Benson responds that she doesn’t have much time for reading, and tells Martha to be well and take care of herself, then exits and leaving Martha to sit there, alone.  But the person who I think needs to be well and take care of themselves is Barba; based on the next episode, “The Undiscovered Country”, I think trouble is on his doorstep.



Cast:
Mariska Hargitay - Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T - Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.

Guest stars:
Rhea Seehorn - Martha Cobb
Kurt Fuller - Jed Karey
Jonathan Judge-Russo - Randy Platt
Adam William Zastrow - Justin Vichinsky
Lee Roy Rogers - Selma Platt
Joe Grifasi - Judge Hashi Horowitz
Adam Zastrow - Justin Vichinsky
Lisa Helmi Johanson – Esme Parker
Tuck Sweeney - Henry Anderson
Maceo Oliver – Sergeant Miller
Lars Engstrom – Campus Cop
Amber Jauni – EMT
James P. Chery – Antifa Protester #1
Tam Young – Antifa Protester #2
Sophie Zucker – Female Student
Alan Kelly – Alt-Right Dude
Brocton Pierce - Juror






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

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 “The Undiscovered Country” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU, “The Undiscovered Country” which will air on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Raúl Esparza, Sam Waterston as DA Jack McCoy, Philip Winchester as Peter Stone, and Abigail Hawk as Maggie Householder.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “The Undiscovered Country” can be found at this link.





















Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC 2018 NBCUniversal Media, LLC


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.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Law & Order SVU “The Undiscovered Country” Episode Information


Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “The Undiscovered Country.”

Law & Order SVU “The Undiscovered Country” Air Date February 7, 2018 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)

SAM WATERSTON GUEST STARS AS JACK McCOY - When an infant goes missing, the SVU finds themselves taking sides in a family's right-to-die court case. Meanwhile, Barba's (Raúl Esparza) interference in the case puts the entire DA's office in jeopardy. Also starring Mariska Hargitay (Lt. Olivia Benson), Ice T (Det. Odafin Tutuola), Kelli Giddish (Det. Amanda Rollins), Peter Scanavino (Det. Sonny Carisi) and Philip Winchester (Peter Stone). Also guest starring Abigail Hawk (Maggie Householder), Joe Tapper (Aaron Householder), Peter Jacobson (Randy Dworkin) and Ami Brabson (Judge Blake

# # #


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “The Undiscovered Country” 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, January 25, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” Sneak Peeks

Here are preview clips from Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” which will air on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC. The videos feature Mariska Hargitay, Peter Scanavino, and Kelli Giddish.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” can be found at this link.



Please note: These videos have a limited life and may be removed at any time, so catch them while you can!


SVU_19012Clip2_h264_sd_16x9 from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.




SVU_19012Clip3_h264_sd_16x9 from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.


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, January 18, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” which will air on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, and Rhea Seehorn as Martha Cobb.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” can be found at this link.













Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC 2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

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 “Flight Risk” Recap & Review



“Flight Risk” was heavily promoted as SVU’s take on the Harvey Weinstein case, but the only resemblance this episode bore to that case was a man using his power to take sexual advantage of women. It seemed completely unrealistic that the whole case was investigated, went to trial, a sweetheart deal cut with the Feds on what I see as a hijacking, and a grand jury convened, all within a matter of about a week. Is Barba so good at what he does that he needs little prep time, and is scheduling a case for the grand jury to hear really that speedy?

I thought this case opened strong and they did an excellent job on the airplane scenes.  For this season,  the stories are well constructed and the scenes structured and filmed for maximum interest. But I keep getting stuck on what feels like improbable timelines.

This episode also shows Chief Dodds acting like a supportive boss and friend to Benson, but later we see Fin isn’t buying that act. I’m pleased with how Fin handled Dodds and really like how they are writing the character this season.

But first, the case, which opened with a calm plane flight, run by Optimum Air. It turned tense as the co-pilot, Tara Sidnana, locks the pilot, Logan Carter, out of the cockpit and then flies erratically in order to land, terrifying all the passengers. What surprised me about this scene was how easily the pilot, with only minor assistance, could break into the cockpit. Tara is quickly subdued and the aircraft safely landed.

Later, Rollins gets a call saying that Tara claims she was raped. Of course, the SVU must investigate the rape claim, and they speak with Tara who is being held at the airport jail. They are told they don’t think she has any link to terrorists. Tara explains she just wanted to land the plane and get the hell out. She says she was assaulted months ago and Optimum Air had told her if she kept her mouth shut she’d get fast tracked to her wings and never have to fly with Captain Carter, who she claims raped her. Carter was the pilot in this current flight. Maybe Tara is a bad pilot; if all she was doing was trying to land the plane, she certainly didn’t seem to have very good control over it. I am in no way excusing Carter raping her, but I don’t think this is any excuse for commandeering an airplane and terrifying all the passengers. It seems her answer to her being assaulted was to assault others with terror.

As the detectives investigate the case, they find that Optimum Air has a culture of objectifying their female employees and withholding promotions, docking salary, or threatening reassignment to women who don’t cooperate.

As she pursues the case, Benson gets pushback from Dodds, who says if she proceeds with this case, he suggests he get herself a big umbrella because the skies are going to open up and a lot of federal crap is going to come raining down. Benson counters that her umbrella is plenty big. As Dodds leaves her office, Fin walks in and when he sees a frustrated Benson, asks her if she wants him to cut Dodds, as he knows how to do it. Benson sees it as humor but Fin is probably serious.

In the Law & Order SVU universe, cases move at lightning speed. By January 15, the case is going to trial. Carter has been viewed as a hero, but Tara is scorned as she walks to the courthouse. She testifies that she pleaded guilty to federal charges, and she will serve two year and lose her pilot’s license. Two years for commandeering a jet and terrifying passengers seems far too light a sentence to me. I can’t imagine the Feds going easy on her, or any pilot, regardless of the explanation of her actions.

The detectives uncover another case of rape by Captain Carter and this gives Barba leverage to cut a deal with Captain Carter for two counts of rape and 10 years prison time.

When discussing the matter of the culture at Optimum Air with Barba, Benson states, with sarcasm, that being sexist, misogynist pigs isn’t a crime. But Barba thinks it should be and decides to convene a grand jury to pursue charges against Optimum Air. This begins on January 17. During part of the grand jury, one female employee testified that "Male pilots are worse than passengers. A pilot will pretend to hug you so he can look down your bra or text you “what color panties are you wearing” ". I found this testimony alarming as it lumped all male pilots into one category of being sexist pigs. She seemed just as bad as the men at Optimum Air who have negative opinions of all women.

One employee finally comes forward with evidence of an email that she typed which came from the top - Mr. Fleming – which said there is scientific data that women, no matter how well trained they are not mentally or emotionally equipped to captain an aircraft and that it is not a natural career choice for females. The memo added that the resulting anxiety can lead them to make poor decisions which may have severe consequences, including endangering lives and that women may be better suited for flight attendants. (Strangely, this is exactly what Tara did; her anxiety led her to make a poor decision that endangered lives.) Barba makes an impassioned closing argument and gets his true bill indictment charging Optimum Air and all its employees with grand larceny.

Wait, what? Charging ALL its employees? This would mean even down to the low level employees, men AND women, would get charged. This was a ridiculous statement and I am shocked that a grand jury would have bought into it. I’m surprised Barba would have cast such a wide net, even if he knew it would ultimately not be workable.

Later, Barba tells Benson that Optimum will probably make a motion to dismiss and says they will win, but he gets to appeal, but his odds of winning are 60/40 against. He thinks at least he got the wheels turning. Benson shows a New York Ledger headline which highlights the airline’s misdeeds, commenting she thought grand jury testimony was secret. Barba’s explanation is that the courthouse leaks like a sieve. He thinks the company will be declaring bankruptcy by next week, and Benson calls Barba a feminist icon.

Within this episode we see some interaction with Benson and Dodds. Benson was off 3 weeks, and Noah has returned to school – Dodds, checking on Benson in her home, offered her a few more weeks but she counters “…I think if Noah and I spend one more day together, we’d both end up in strait jackets” (which is what many fans have been saying for weeks). Dodds mentions after his son Mike died, every night for 6 months he’d go into the bar where Mike tended years ago and he’d drink too much. He could tell Benson not to beat herself up too much about Sheila, but one thing he hates is a hypocrite. So Dodds seems to be very concerned and supportive for Benson…but later Fin gets the win and shows Dodds’ true colors. At the end of the episode, when Dodds returns to SVU, Fin confronts him about Benson and says she is the only one that can do the job. Fin brings up rumors that Dodds was interviewing replacements for Benson, and Dodds explains that he wasn’t sure Benson was coming back and he had a department to run and bosses to answer to. At face value, this seems like a reasonable explanation. Dodds thinks Fin understands him and Fin does, but not the way Dodds expects, Fin shows Dodds a memo – we don’t see what it says – but the contents must be damning as Dodds is clearly rattled. Fin says he wants to make sure they DO understand each other. Dodds says he does. While we don’t see what’s in the memo, we can only assume that Dodds is not in Benson’s corner and may be actively working against her. This is one story line that would be very interesting to pursue.

Update January 20, 2018 – a deleted scene has been added below.
Update January, 21, 2018 - another deleted scene had been added.

Cast:
Mariska Hargitay - Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T - Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.

Guest stars:
Peter Gallagher - Deputy Chief William Dodds
Yasmine Al Massri –Tara Sidnana
Martin Donovan – Captain Logan Carter
Ned Eisenberg - Roger Kressler
Reg Rogers - Carl Fleming
Roxanna Hope Radja - Alexis Sidnana
Anastasia Barzee - Jeanne Howell
Ana Maria Jomolca - Ellen
Blair Busbee – Erin Kay
Tyrone Mitchell Henderson – Kevin Reed (HR)
Sonia Manzano – Judge Pepiton
Iliana Guibert - Sandy Sullivan
Tom Day – Agent Doherty
Phae Lewis – Molly Harrison
Liam Craig – Traffic Supervisor
Jennifer Dorr White – Passenger
Jonathan Schenk - Passenger #2
Felicia A. Dinwiddie - Passenger 3
Molly Crowley – Passender 4
David Scott Purdy – Air Traffic Control Employee
Sara Brophy – Ms. Mile High
Peter Saide – Mr. Mile High
Holly Holcomb – Grand Juror #4
Deja Blaise - Juror #17
John Mack – Air Marshall



Deleted Scene Added January 20, 2018



Deleted Scene Added January 21, 2018


Deleted Scene Added January 23, 2018





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

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 “Info Wars” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” which will air on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” 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.



Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” Episode Information


Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Info Wars.”

Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” Air Date January 31, 2018 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)

After a female pundit is assaulted during a protest, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Barba (Raúl Esparza) struggle to put their political beliefs aside in order to help bring the attacker to justice. Also starring Ice T (Det. Odafin Tutuola), Kelli Giddish (Det. Amanda Rollins) and Peter Scanavino (Det. Sonny Carisi). Guest starring Rhea Seehorn (Martha Cobb), Tuck Sweeney (Henry Anderson), Adam William Zastrow (Justin Vichinsky), Kurt Fuller (Jed Karey), Jonathan Judge-Russo (Randy Platt) and Lee Roy Rogers (Selma Platt).

# # #



My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Info Wars” 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, January 12, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” which will air on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T,  Raúl Esparza, Peter Gallagher as Deputy Chief William Dodds, Anastasia Barzee as Jeanne Howell, and Phae Lewis as Molly.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” can be found at this link.
















Photos by: David Giesbrecht/NBC 2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC





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, January 11, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” Sneak Peeks

Here are preview clips from Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” which will air on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC. The videos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, and Kelli Giddish.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” can be found at this link.


Please note: These videos has a limited life and may be removed at any time, so catch it while you can!


SVU 19011 Clip1_h264_sd_16x9 from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.



SVU 19011 Clip2_h264_sd_16x9 from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.


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 “Pathological” Recap & Review


Law & Order SVU “Pathological” was one of those cases Barba should have abandoned right away as a lost cause. It was obvious that the young Mariel had not only be traumatized by her mother but was also being negatively affected by medication (or medication withdrawal). Even a mediocre defense attorney could have easily won this case or blocked it from proceeding based on some sort of diminished capacity argument. I am also surprised that Benson, who always advocates for virtually every person who remotely seems like a victim, wasn’t more forceful with Barba to find a way to avoid a murder charge for Mariel before it even got to trial.

The case begins when, at a school for special needs, two teens – Mariel (15 years old) and Cody (19 years old) are discovered having sex. Mariel says she was raped, but as the detectives investigate, it is obvious that Mariel doesn’t completely understand the concept of rape, and Cody doesn’t really comprehend the overall situation. Rollins explains to Benson that the sex seems consensual and Barba does not want to pursue it. However, Rollins has issues with Mariel’s mother, Dawn, and has M.E. Warner do a tox screen on Mariel. Warner finds Mariel has drugs in her system that make sense for her treatment (such as valproate – AKA Depakote - for seizures), but also other medications or supplements that have adverse interactions. It was a treat to see M.E. Warner again helping the SVU, but as we get no explanation as to why we haven’t seen her in so long, we can only assume she’s continued to work her job but has had virtually zero interaction with the SVU team, which is a shame.

The detectives quickly realize that Dawn is a master manipulator and has been a little loose with Mariel’s medical history and going to various doctors to get various medications. The detectives get Dr. Elizabeth Olivet to asses Dawn. She determines that Dawn has Munchausen by proxy – meaning she is causing an illness in Mariel in order to get attention for herself. (This story line has been done before in both Law & Order “Precious” and Law & Order SVU “Sick”.) Having Olivet, a Law & Order favorite, come back to SVU to consult was a perfect addition to the story line. Dawn is later arrested and arraigned for reckless endangerment and she is put on ROR despite Barba’s recommendation otherwise.

Things take an ugly turn when the truth about what Dawn has done comes out to Mariel. Mariel’s father Lou comes back into the picture, and Dawn goes off the rails at the hospital where Mariel is being treated.  Dawn is arrested but makes bail. Soon after, Rollins is at SVU with Carisi and she gets a call from a frantic Mariel. The detectives race to her home, only to find Dawn dead on the floor. She’s been killed with a hammer and Mariel quickly admits to killing her. Later in SVU interrogation, Mariel is being questioned by Rollins and Barba;  Rollins mentions that Mariel is being detoxed from a lot of meds. But Mariel insists she felt good and was in control, but was concerned that her mother was never going to let her go. Her father wisely tells Mariel to stop taking and he will get a lawyer.

This brings me to my issue with the defense attorney and Barba. Even though Mariel says she was in control, after being under the influence of so many medications over such a long period of time, did Mariel really have the right mind to determine she was in control?  Even going through detox could have affected her thinking ability. For example, if they were detoxing her off the valproate, that is a drug that must be withdrawn slowly and carefully, especially if the dose is high. (I know this because my special needs nephew has been on this medication for years and even small reductions in dose has caused problems.) Depending on any drug’s half life, they can be in a person’s system for many days afterward. Considering the very short time frame from Mariel’s drugs being stopped and her killing her mom, I would think the defense could argue that Mariel was not in control as she thought. Benson (much) later suggests to Barba that he drop the charges, and Barba counters that if he does so, it’s like saying there is no rule of law and that the judicial system changes its mind and makes exception on a whim or for sympathetic defendants. I found his reasoning ludicrous.  In my opinion, the courts do make exceptions when there are compelling arguments to do so, and in this case, Mariel’s situation clearly was one.

Later, Barba, who should know better, talks about the case in an elevator with two jurors present. This brings the wrath of Judge Barth down on him, who hopes Barba didn’t do this on purpose. Barba suggests the case move to family court, and she allows it. Sometime later - we can’t really tell how much time has passed - Benson stops by to see Barba after talking to Dodds about her return to work. Barba tells Benson that family court gave Mariel a 3 year sentence, suspended to probation and community service plus regular mental health observations. Benson thinks justice was served, and Barba hopes so.

In addition to an SVU case, we see the effects on Benson and Noah from the incident with Noah’s kidnapping. I hoped that we could go an episode without any Noah drama, but my hopes were quickly dashed when the episode opened with Benson - who is on leave - having nightmares rehashing the incident with Sheila. Noah also wakes up at the same time, calling for his grandma, saying he saw her. Noah asks if he can sleep with Benson again (she is already sleeping there with him) but she allows it for one more night. Later, she admits to Rollins she is not sure she is doing that for Noah or for herself. Benson also tells Barba that Noah keeps asking about Sheila and she doesn’t know what to tell him. Why do I get this sinking feeling that the after affects of Sheila’s actions will continue to be dredged up?

Regarding the time frame this episode covers, I found it unbelievable that this case moved so quickly to trial, considering it occurred over the holidays. There was also a total absence of Christmas or holiday decorations, which, for the same reason, seemed odd.

Fin is in charge on this case, and Rollins later comments to Benson she thinks Fin loves it. It was enjoyable seeing Fin running the squad and he knew when it was time to bring in Benson and Barba.

Rollins struggled with the idea of punishing Mariel’s mother. Of course, in the SVU world, once you are a mother you have to feel sorry for all mothers. Carisi suggests to Rollins that she go home, saying he forgets she has a kid too and is a single mom and a full time cop and her life is not easy. He adds it is okay to say that out loud every once and a while. I don’t know why, but I found Carisi’s comment somewhat sexist and/or condescending. Clearly Rollins has a sitter, or daycare, for Jesse and Rollins never seems to have any difficulty juggling her job and her home life. (This is unlike Benson, whose issues with Noah constantly bombard viewers.) At the end of the episode, we see Rollins having some quality time with Jesse and then deciding to call her mother, possibly in an attempt to reconnect. Maybe after seeing how Dawn treated Mariel that Rollins decided her mother wasn’t so bad after all?


Cast:
Mariska Hargitay - Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T - Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.

Guest stars:
Tamara Tunie - M.E. Melinda Warner
Carolyn McCormick - Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
Dendrie Taylor - Dawn McLaughlin
Erin Wilhelmi - Mariel McLaughlin
Mouzam Makkar - Dara Miglani
Jenna Stern - Judge Elana Barth
George Sheffey - Lou McLaughlin
Mandi Masden –
Joanna Parson - Dr. Alexandra Levy
Jon Shaver – Randy Hill
Andrea Cirie – Alicia Flock
Conor Tague - Cody Hill
Tywan Wade – Taylor Jones
Claire Neumann – Juror #1 Susan Glase
Danielle Famble – Juror #2
Ryan Buggle – Noah Porter-Benson
Charlotte Cabell – Jesse Rollins
Vivian Cabell – Jesse Rolllins


Deleted scene added January 12, 2018




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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 “Flight Risk” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” which will air on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Flight Risk” 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, January 5, 2018

Law & Order SVU “Pathological” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU, “Pathological” which will air on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, Raúl Esparza, Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner, Erin Wilhelmi as Mariel McLaughlin, Dendrie Taylor as Dawn McLaughlin, and Mouzam Makkar as Dara Miglani.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Pathological” can be found at this link.














Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC 2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC





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.