Thursday, May 19, 2011

Law & Order SVU “Smoked” Recap & Review

There were some things that I really liked about Law & Order SVU “Smoked”. The location scenes and camera work gave the feel of early SVU episodes and added much visual interest. It was also nice to hear that Jack McCoy is still alive and well and serving as the District Attorney, despite SVU seemingly going out of their way to avoid invoking his name in the past. The guest stars also were well suited for their roles and there were lots of players in this episode, which kept the story moving.

But that’s about all the good that I can say about "Smoked".

The much hyped death of a character turned out to be a minor recurring character, Sister Peg (Charlayne Woodard) who hasn’t been in an episode since season 8. This was a clear case of the hype not matching what was delivered, a common occurrence for SVU and of great annoyance to fans. Also, Munch (Richard Belzer), Cragen (Dann Florek), Huang (BD Wong), and Warner (Tamara Tunie) were all missing from this episode which spared them from the squadroom gunfire, and spared the actors from officially appearing in this train wreck of an episode.

The story was a conglomeration of an old rape case, a new murder, witness intimidation, a Federal cigarette smuggling undercover case, an incompetent AFT agent who botches his job more than once, a weapon getting past police security, the resulting shooting/killing in the SVU squad room, and a detective killing a kid.  I can see why they called the episode “Smoked” because clearly someone was smoking “wacky tobacky” while they wrote it.

The biggest, most ridiculous thing of all was how a kid - or anyone else for that matter -  can get a gun into the squad room. They must have the most lax security in the country at SVU, since apparently they don’t use any metal detectors. I used to think that the steps of the courthouse on 60 Centre Street was the deadliest place in the Law & Order Universe, but I think the SVU Squad room now deserves that honor. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Here is the recap:

Annette Fox is murdered on the street, shot in the head in an apparent mugging, while out shopping with her daughter Jenna (Hayley McFarland ) for a prom dress. Detectives Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) are called to the scene and find that the victim was a rape victim who was scheduled to testify against her rapist the following week.


At SVU while Benson consoles Jenna, Stabler and Fin (Ice-T) speak with ADA West (Francie Swift) about Annette’s rapist, Luke Ronson and that Ronson said it was not rape, it was consensual. They knew that once Annette testified it would end the question but Ronson’s attorney Hashi Horowitz has been stalling the trial. They don’t believe Annette’s killing is a coincidence. They see on security video that Annette was shot after her purse was taken and it looks like an execution.

Jenna speaks to Benson and says she doesn’t recall seeing anything. Her mother was ready for this trial. She tells Benson and Stabler that Luke Ronson killed her mother. She adds that her mother saw someone outside in the dark staring at her, but Jenna did not see the person. Her mother also got some weird phone calls, the person would just call and hang up. The last time the person called,  her mother went off on the caller, yelling and calling him a gutless prick.

Afterwards, Fin tells Stabler he found 83 calls to Annette, all from the same number. The calls were made from a disposable phone purchased from Big Russ’ Electronic Emporium which is ½ block away from Ronson’s salon.

Benson and Stabler head to Ronson’s Xcelerator Salon and question Ronson (Andrew Howard). He says they are harassing him. He doesn’t seem to know Annette was killed, and before he starts to talk, his lawyer Hashi Horowitz (Joe Grifasi) enters and says he knew they would try to pin Annette’s death on Luke. Ronson said he was with his publicist so the detectives decide to retrace Luke’s steps.

Benson speaks with the publicist who said she was with Luke and he went to a homeless shelter to volunteer and adds they are wrong about Luke.

With Stabler at Sister Peg’s Mission, Sister Peg (Charlayne Woodard) speaks highly of Luke. He cuts hair and checks the homeless for lice and treated them. She says she has to take all the help he can get. Luke left the mission very suddenly last night. His last customer was Eddie Skinner.

Stabler speaks with Eddie Skinner (Michael Raymond-James ) who says Luke did not cut his hair. He said Luke seemed preoccupied and said he thinks Luke had a gun on him.

At Luke’s residence, Benson, Stabler and Fin are there with a search team. Fin finds a bag with a gun, shell casings, and a black hooded sweatshirt. Benson and Stabler head back to the salon and arrest Luke.

In SVU interrogation, Luke denies killing Annette. He has no permit for the gun in New York and says he has a permit for the gun in Arizona. Benson brings up Horowitz filing many motions for Luke’s stress disorders and calls it a smokescreen. Horowitz says Luke is unjustly accused and the gun they found was not loaded which is a misdemeanor. They challenge him about the gun, and Luke says he was going shooting at a gun range but decided not to go. The detectives continue to press Luke over Horowitz’s objections. Luke looks ready to say something when ADA West enters and tells the detectives she needs a word. She tells them Luke is not the killers, and CSU Sung (James Chen) says he tested Luke’s gun and it does not match the shell casings from the killer’s gun. The black hoodie also does not match. They have to cut him loose. Stabler comments to Benson that the look on Luke’s face tells him Luke is guilty of something.

Benson follows Luke and Horowitz out the door of the 16th precinct. Jenna is there and sees that Luke is being released and she becomes upset. But Stabler, with Fin, drives past them in his car to tail Luke. Jenna is still upset and says she trusted them and they have no clue who killed her mother. As she storms off, Benson promises that they will get Luke.

Stabler and Fin tail Luke to the Sister Peg’s Mission but it’s not Luke’s normal haircutting day. Fin decides to go in and check it out. He speaks with Sister Peg and Fin sees him arguing with Eddie and Fin snaps a photo. He calls Stabler and sends him the photo and Stabler  tells Fin that Eddie is the guy who saw Luke’s gun in the bag. Eddie spots Fin approaching and makes a run for it, but Stabler catches him outside and cuffs him. Eddie also has a disposable phone on him. Fin and Stabler take Luke and Eddie away in cuffs.

With Eddie in interrogation, Stabler questions him. Fin has Luke in another room, and when Fin asks if Luke is sure he doesn’t want his lawyer, Luke says he needs to tell the truth now. He hired Eddie to harass Annette but never said to kill her. He admits to buying the phone, he just wanted to scare her and paid Eddie to do it. Eddie denies getting paid or doing in. Luke admits the gun was in his bag because he was going to the shooting range and Eddie was squeezing him for more money. Eddie wanted to kill her because she yelled at him. Stabler continues to press at Eddie who asks for his phone call.

Afterwards, Benson says she believes Luke. Stabler says Eddie is their shooter and ADA West agrees. But they don’t have the gun. She tells them to arrest Luke for witness tampering and Eddie for assaulting a police officer but not to lock them up together to allow them to concoct a story before they get to central booking.

Stabler gives Eddie his phone call and Eddie is screaming at someone on the other line. As Stabler takes Eddie away, Eddie says once they find he is being falsely accused, he and Stabler will be best friends.

Meanwhile, Benson calls Jenna to give her a progress report. Stabler gets a call to take Luke to central booking. When Stabler gets to the transport, Eddie is not there, and he finds that Eddie was not in the lock up. Stabler looks stunned and wonders who let Eddie out.

Benson and Stabler find that Eddie was signed out about an hour after he got in there because a an ATF man took him, and he had orders from One PP, the chief of organized crime patrol.

At BATFE, NY Field Division, Benson and Stabler, along with ADA West, speak with Special Agent Greer (Pedro Pascal) who refuses to hand Eddie over. Eddie is their inside man to bust a cigarette smuggling ring. When he refuses to release him, Stabler barges in and cuffs Eddie to himself and when West makes a call to DA Jack McCoy, Greer offers to work it out.

Later, both Stabler and Eddie are working undercover to help on the Feds cigarette case, while Benson and Greer watch from the surveillance camera. A car drives up and Phil and his men approach them and Stabler is frisked. Stabler complains about the cigarette taxes. Phil outlines the agreement and Stabler says he is taking the risk and wants to see the product. Phil has it stored there and Stabler seems shocked at the amount. Stabler checks it out and while doing so, Benson and Greer get interference on the video feed. Greer tells all units to move in, but Benson says Stabler did not give the signal. Greer tells her this is his op, not hers.

As AFT races in, Phil’s people draw their guns and in the confusion, Eddie takes off. Greer and Stabler run after him and Eddie strikes Greer with a pipe and flees. Greer is happy he made the bust, but Stabler is unhappy because he just lost his killer.

At the hospital where Greer was taken,  Benson and Stabler talk about what to tell Jenna now. Greer is apologetic. Benson gets a call from Fin saying they checked the shelter and Eddie’s gun is not there and Sister Peg hasn’t seen Eddie since they picked him up. Stabler thinks Eddie will go back to Luke Ronson for the money Luke owed him.


Later, at Luke’s, Benson and Stabler see Eddie with a gun on Luke forcing Luke to get him money. Stabler orders Eddie to drop the gun but Eddie uses Luke as a shield. Stabler has a clear shot and uses this to convince Eddie to drop the gun and let Luke go. They are arrested.

Back at SVU, they tell Eddie they matched his gun to the one that killed Annette. When Eddie says he can give them Luke for Annette’s rape, the detectives think this is a lie but ADA West enters and asks for details. She says she can have Annette’s previous testimony read to the jury at trial. She need his corroboration. She makes him a deal and he thinks she can do better than that. But Eddie caves and tells them that Luke told him about the rape in great detail. Eddie killed Annette all on his own. She says if they drop the charge down to murder 3 he will tell them a juicier story – where he got the gun he used to shoot her.

Back at BATFE, Benson and Stabler confront Greer for giving Eddie the gun. In their interrogation room, Benson and Stabler and Greer’s boss question him about giving Eddie the gun. The gun was taken from a previous ATF op that went bad and the gun was from that op. The detectives are irate with Greer and say that Greer set up Eddie hitting him so Eddie could get away with the gun. They says Greer is as responsible for Annette’s death as Eddie, and his boss takes his gun and credentials. Benson and Stabler arrest him.

Back at SVU, Stabler puts Greer in the cell with Eddie and Luke. Sister Peg is there and she gives Benson and Stabler a photo of Annette and Jenna with their addressed in Eddie’s handwriting. Benson thinks Jenna can now have closure, and Fin says they can tell her in person as she is on her way up.

Benson meets Jenna and explains that they have her mother’s killer and that they also have Luke and the rape trial is back on. Jenna asks where they are, and Benson says they are in the cage. Benson takes Jenna in to the main room and she sees them all in the cage. She asks who the other guy is, and Benson says that is a Federal Agent who gave Eddie the gun. Jenna says she is OK and begins to walk back to the elevator. As Benson walks back into the squad room, she does not realize that Jenna has walked back in with a gun. Jenna opens fire on the three men in the cell and then shoots wildly. As everyone ducks for cover, Sister Peg is hit and falls to the ground. She stops and Stabler orders her to put the gun down. Eddie calls her a bitch and says he should have killed her with her mother. Jenna raises the gun and when she moves to shoot Eddie, Stabler fires back and hits her. He races to her and kicks the gun away and as she lay there bleeding she tells him she bought the gun off the street, and it was easy. She dies. Benson is in shock as Sister Peg is also dead. Benson and Stabler remain stunned, Fin gets on the phone and others in the squad race around to check on the others. We fade to black.

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93 comments:

xfool said...

Painful to watch. Simply painful. They threw in everything but the kitchen sink. I agree the location shots were great and was happy with joy to hear McCoy finally mentioned. But this episode tried too hard.

It is ridiculous to think how a gun could get past SVU security. They seemed to be making a point about how easy it is to GET a gun, but they aren't worried about someone waltzing into their squad room with one? Their poor security is what got Sister Ped killed and who knows who else besides Jenna.

I am also insulted that yet again, they make a big hype about something that turns out to be nothing close to what they promised. Sister Peg has always been an inconsequential character. I am so glad that Neal Baer is off this show. He's ruined it.

Esaul said...

Well, getting the gun past security didn't bother me. It's the fact that Olivia didn't use her cop instincts to realize she was greatly disturbed and acting totally out of it. Hell, even if I didn't know someone was gonna die, I would've guessed she was gonna shoot them. :\

Anonymous said...

With you all the way. This was a terrible, terrible episode.

The second time that I saw the girl appear in the ep, I *knew* that she was going to be the one to shoot up the squad room. I loved how the girl just happens to be standing on the other side of the street when the suspect hops into a cab.

nygma619 said...

Eh, I didn't mind the episode too much (probably because I didn't go in with high expectations), but yeah I agree that the ending was dumb. Personally I thought last weeks episode was a lot dumber and I still don't get what people saw in THAT episode. I feel the entire cast appearing clouded everyone's judgement.

As far as the death not matching the hype, it did if you took tptb's words in context. The fans built it up more than what it was worth. And also NBC always builds up episodes with ridiculous hype. Remember the words used to describe LA's return? A television event not seen in 20 years? Um, yeah.

Catherine said...

Smoked did for police procedure what Screwed did for criminal trials. It is so messed up that you have to wonder if you are in another universe.
The old station had metal detectors and lockers for the detectives to lock their guns away. The new one doesn't?
This was a straight homicide that would not have been handled by SVU. They would have worked with the Homicide detectives. Ans what ATF commander is going to hand off the sting operation that was two years running to an NYPD detective who doesn't want to work with their overcover operative?
Bringing Sister Peg just to kill her. Didn't they just do this with Sonya Paxton?
And could Olivia not notice Jenna walking back up the hall right behind her? More evidence that she has no cop instincts.

Neal Baer shot himself in the foot with this one. Thank God that takes him out of service with SVU.

Esaul said...

@nygma619 - The promo for LA was actually an excellent way to try and draw in viewers, especially avid fans of the franchise. When Winters died, he was but the second DETECTIVE to die in the show, the first being twenty years ago with Max Greevey. This is not talking about the deaths of the ADAs or even Captain Ross from Criminal Intent. There were quite a bit of people who misinterpreted what it meant. But hey, it was a well built up hype. And it makes me sad to think that NBC won't give Wolf another chance with the show. But I digress - since this is about SVU and not LOLA.

I think they should've saved the episode with Jeremy Irons as the finale instead - that was a great episode, well both of his appearances were. This season wasn't terrible, just a few episodes that missed the mark. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out next year with a new show runner, and with Mariska slated for 13 episodes. Let's hope for the best.

sirmikelogan said...

I liked this episode more than you guys did. Was it excellent? No, but this has been a pretty subpar year for SVU. For me Smoked places in the top half of the season pretty much by default, since this is the only episode I can recall all year that was actually exciting and a bit suspenseful at parts.

Now, I knew that girl would be the one shooting up the squadroom after she blamed Olivia for the evidence not agreeing with whats-his-face being the guy who shot her mom. But when sister peg showed up on screen, I instantly knew she'd be going down, and I think I said out loud for Neal Baer to go fuck himself.

That cigarettes thing was an eyebrow raiser. I originally thought that this would be another one of those 'SVU shifts gears to a completely different story halfway through the episode' things. Thank god that was just a 5 minute gag to set up the fed guy's downfall.

The gun in the squadroom thing speaks for itself, but we all knew that was coming anyway. It is annoying though that all the writers seem to have collectively decided that SVU stories can no longer advance unless the police and/or detectives have a gigantic brain fart that even academy trainees would laugh at.

Overall I'd compare this one to Zebras, which I know allthings and others absolutely hate. It was littered with plot holes, but was entertaining nonetheless. Same with Smoked IMO.

sirmikelogan said...

Also, I hate to drop the stink bomb in this thread, but it was just a little odd that NOW the show, after the mothership's replacement is done after the season, mentions Jack McCoy by name after referring to him as 'the DA' all season. Last minute addition to the episode maybe, to hint at future things?

Esaul said...

First - I actually enjoyed Zebras, quite more than I enjoyed Smoked. *shrugs*

Second - I just think it's pure coincidence. I mean mentioning someone as the DA, it can still be assumed by the average L&O fan that they mean Jack. I don't think they meant to create a hype over a small detail. And as for her mentioning Jack now, I still think it's just a coincidence. Maybe they can get him to appear in an episode next season. I read that there's a rumor that they're trying to revive the original L&O for a final season, especially since LOLA was cancelled. However, I wouldn't look into it too much, I've only seen one site mention that, and it was a few weeks back before it was announced LOLA was cancelled. I wouldn't look too much into it right now.

William said...

Since there have to be changes next year, I think that "Smoked" should have been the episode that turned Law & Order SVU into a comedy, with Stabler and Benson as the straight man or woman.

This is what they would have had to add:

1. They should have added to the opening scene. Not only does the criminal take forever to grab Annette Fox's purse, but he should actually look through it and count the money before shooting Annette in the head, execution-style. Jenna keeps saying things like, "Mom! Can't we run away now? Please - I have to go to my prom!"

2. Luke Ronson is cutting people's hair, shaving their backs, and carefully checking for lice - while Sister Peg looks on approvingly, but subtly trying to find some homeless idiot to scare Annette Fox for a discount price.

3. Annette yells something pretty innocuous at Eddie, who is doing a very bad job of trying to scare her. He inexplicably darkens and decides to kill the "bitch."

4. Eddie asks Greer for a gun. Greer says no. Eddie reminds him of all those cigarettes. Greer just can't resist ...

5. Eddie gets signed out by an ATF agent because the agent "talked like a gentleman" and "there was this guy on the phone."

6. The cigarette smuggling ring is worth millions of dollars. They're so sophisticated and brutal that it takes years to bring them down. But when told by Eddie that the new buyer is this guy "Elliot," who owns multiple "bodegas," they're cool with that and show him all the merchandise.

7. When Eddie hits Greer in the face in the staged escape, it's really bad. Greer shouts out, "In the eye? With a crowbar? Are you f---ing kidding me?"

8. Jenna keeps reappearing and tearfully saying things like, "I was going to get drunk during Senior Week but now I have to ..."

9. When Jenna shoots Sister Peg, Sister Peg is in full Catholic nun regalia. She is also holding a very large rosary.

10. Jenna's dying words are even more of a public service announcement, "Did you know (gasp) that every day five children are killed in gun related accidents and suicides?"

That's the future of the show - now with Jennifer Love Hewitt ...

sirmikelogan said...

Lol William. Maybe for next season they have special guest star Peter Griffin in interrogation, and something like this can unfold:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184&feature=related

Just switch Brian for Stabler.

Anonymous said...

6, 8, 9, and 10 did me in. Lol.

Anonymous said...

Another failure I noticed. I thought the L&O franchises had consultants that went over criminal law with them. The guy asked Sherri West for Murder 3 and she agreed...one problem, though: NY does not use Murder 3.

Chris Zimmer said...

William & sirmikelogan, loved your comments!

William - you mean it's not a comedy now???

sirmike - that song was big hit when I was a kid (yeah I'm that old) and it still makes me laugh.

nygma619 said...

"William - you mean it's not a comedy now???"

You didn't think it was last week?

Yeah the show has fallen pretty far, but I'll be honest in saying that I enjoyed the hell out of the first half of this season.

@ Esaul: I'm sure a cop has been shot on some other network television show.

Faceless Prophet said...

You guys! I LIKED it, well I liked aspects of it! I loved the feel as the post originally pointed out. I missed Cragen and Munch and the two docs, but I liked how disturbing it was... One of my favorites to not love. I thought this one was great! I will give you one point- in retrospect the gun in the precinct was bogus... But all of you screaming about how much you hate this season, SURELY you have to admit that is one of the best in a long time! You guys are just living in the past. :)

Faceless Prophet said...

By the way- my all time LEAST favorite is Dirty. It dragged and dragged. Too much talking not enough acting. And the speech making was hard to understand. I love the unconventional types of people included as characters- wheelchair bound people, deaf people, and so on, but I felt like Dirty was the worst SVU train wreck of all time....

Faceless Prophet said...

Ok. Since no one ever responds to my comments on this site, I will discuss it with myself. Meet Golem, my argument self: HYE! Ok Golem, I Liked the show- Golem: I HATED EVERY EPISODE SINCE SEASON THREE! But Golem, didn't you GET the point with this one? ELLIOT SHOT A CHILD! It is the first important thing that has happened all season. GOLEM: YESSSS! I see your point- nothing of real IMPORT has occurred. Just some decent acting and flat characters and it has WARMED UP all season! Yes Golem NOW you get it! I did like that one with the girl who was raped by three men and quoted Emily Dickinson though. She was an AWESOME actress and I CARED about JUSTICE for her. HEY GOLEM ISN'T THAT WHAT LAW AND ORDER IS ABOUT? JUSTICE? AND LOOK- EVERYONE DIED EXCEPT THE BAD GUY! So poignant.... With the little girl and the true victim SHOT by Elliot to save the life of her mother's killer....

Mark said...

Annie Z., you're funny! And you do bring up a good point. Killing a girl who had just lost her mother, in his squad room of all places, is bound to weigh heavily on Stabler -- despite the weapon in her hands.

Providing Chris Meloni signs on, I'll be interested to see how the events of the episode will play out next season.

Faceless Prophet said...

Yeah Mark, I felt like the length of time it took for what he had done to dawn on both Stabler and Benson, I would say repercussions are POSSIBLE. Or it could just disappear and hang like a question mark every time you see the re-run, "Why DIDNT anything happen when..."

One of the commenters above made a joke that also was, no doubt part of the purpose of the poignant moment, and that of course is gun control. But I see it more of a profound even Dickinsian theme that surfaced here. I think the fresh blood brought in this season has muddied the waters with a deeper intent. Is that good or bad? I dunno. It is different than before which is why some people dont like it. I also loved the one about the monkeys...
Thanks for speaking. It is nice to be human. Kinda why I watch the show!

Jan said...

Wasn't Sr Peg killed off some years ago? And didn't that seem to be a different actress last night?

Faceless Prophet said...

Hey I noticed that too. There was a sister killed after she had been in maybe three or four episodes handing out condoms. I think she was featured in the one about the "family" that lived in the park. And she was definitely killed in an episode. I just figured she had a different name and was not intended to be the same character.

Btw- I wanted to say, I dont think the main characters have mediocre acting- I was referring to the occasional poor acting of guests. I LOVE the acting quality on this show in general!

Anonymous said...

Link to the critique

Moderator, can you please delete the above comment? Sorry about that.

Faceless Prophet said...

@eddie: "Final thought: I wouldn’t have shot the girl. I would have let her plug the scumbag, then tackled her. But that’s just me"

I think herein lies the recurrent theme of all L&O always: the disparity of the sincere desire to bring justice and uphold the law juxtaposed against the reality of the "system". Occasionally the Constitution gets a beating, but for the most part the drama lies in regular good ppl trying to bring justice to the innocent, and the system that protects the scumbags. IE- I agree with you. His reflexes were too fast, he should have just let her shoot him...

Anonymous said...

Sister Peg is the nun who was handing out condoms and working with the sex workers. The last episode she was in was Underbelly (11/14/2006). But she wasn't killed then although she was by the nasty pimp. And she hasn't been mentioned on the show since.

Faceless Prophet said...

Charlayne Woodard is the name of the original Sister Peg. I just finished watching ALL of the episodes on Hulu and Netflix, skipping the ones I have seen recently and those I just dont like for some reason. Still searching for the one I was pretty sure she was killed in. I would like to see that one again to see why I thought she had been killed.

Arleen said...

This entire season has been like a ship with holes in the bottom, sinking fast. It's sad because it was once a very well done program, and even provided a bit of a public service for real sex-crime victims. This season has been really awful overall, with only a few watchable episodes. This last episode is another one where SVU detectives should not have been the main investigators - homicides like this are investigated by the Homicide unit, NOT the SVU.

Some advice (which I'm sure will be ignored) - Instead of spending all that money on big-named, overacting celebrity guest-stars, how about getting some new writers who have a clue as to what a real SVU police unit does? Some suggestions for stories: child pornography, child prostitution and human trafficking are mainstays of real SVU police, along with rape. Why does this program have so few episodes about these real SVU crimes?

Also, I understand that Benson and Stabler are the main characters of the show, but where are the other SVU detectives? Why don't they interact with just a few more of their own people? Where are the meetings, briefings, assignments? Who's in charge of whom? At least make it look a little bit like a real SVU police unit.

Chris Zimmer said...

Charlayne Woodward has played Sister Peg in every episode that the character has appeared. I have a vague recollection of her being brutally attacked and injured in one episode, but I don't recall her being killed.

Esaul said...

@nygma619 - They're not saying this is the first time happening in 20 years on ANY show, they're talking about just within the L&O franchise, and Max Greevey was the only detective killed before Winters. Honestly it's not that hard of a concept to grasp. :\

It's the same actress too, I'd recognize her voice from anywhere. And she was just seriously injured, she never died at all.

Faceless Prophet said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Faceless Prophet said...

OOPs Sorry! That should have read PURE #6 18. My bad :)

Faceless Prophet said...

Ok as near as I can tell she has been raped, abducted, tortured and had the stuffing beat out of her, but she was very much alive! Poor sister Peg after so much abuse to meet her end this way!

Chris Zimmer said...

Yes, it's pretty clear that working with SVU has NOT been a good thing for poor Sister Peg!

Faceless Prophet said...

I just watched the end of the last episode and froze the pic where Sis Peg was. It is the same woman, but she looks older, perhaps a bit heavier and her hair is completely different. I could not see the credits on this copy but I think it is her. Dang. One of my favorite characters gone....

And one of the themes is almost certainly gun control. Where they are interviewing the ATF guy, Stabler tells him it is HIS fault hand guns kill people. Connected no doubt to those weirdos trying to control the border crossing of drug cartels. Now that is where I go cross eyed. I kind am hating on the political agenda stuff like that. Like the lady said before- we want more of them buss up human traffickers and helping rape victims!

K&B said...

It was a terrible episode, primiarily that I'm really tired of four main cast members always missing -- I mean seriously, where the hell was Cragen?

THE BEST PART of the whole show was when West mentioned Jack McCoy. They had PAINFULLY left his name out all year even when it was obvious to insert it...perhaps a good sign?

Faceless Prophet said...

Oh dont get me wrong, I LOVED the episode! I think a little new blood in the writing pool is a good thing...

When I re watched the end just now I could not help thinking, "Is the end of Stabler?" I mean, he shot a barely adult child....

Esaul said...

Well, he didn't exactly have much of a choice. She went in there with a loaded gun, fired at three suspects, and the sister. She wasn't exactly in the right state of mind, and what if talking doesn't work and she panicked? Stabler reacted to the situation.

Faceless Prophet said...

Don't be going Sister Peg is just a minor character! She had quite a cult following- (ME for instance)!

http://www.feeltiptop.com/Sister+Peg/

Alicja Buczkowska said...

This episode just sucked. NBC over-exasperated the preview, the only good part of the episode was the mention of Jack McCoy, but that's about it for me. Where the hell was Cragen and Munch in all this? I just hope that maybe they'll bring back the mothership, NBC shouldn't ruin perfectly good SVU episodes with murder. Perhaps the mention of Jack McCoy is a sign from the Gods of Good TV Drama that the all holy Mothership will rise from the dead and save us from bad TV?

Faceless Prophet said...

WOW! Hundreds of p'd off ppl mad about Sister PEG! Gotta love it...
And ANYWAYS DUDE do you not get it? EVERYBODY WAS KILLED BUT THE SCUMBAG NOBODY CARED ABOUT! Stabler could have let her shoot him. He shot her to save the life of a scummmy scumbag. And WHY DID SVU bring back Sister Peg to kill her?

Esaul said...

I'm not supporting the decision to kill her, but would you rather her die or one of the main characters? I will miss her, but I am honestly relived it's none of the core characters of the show.

Channon Zane said...

If you want the Mothership and LOLA back (on TNT) sign the petition and pass it to friends like everybody else:

http://t.co/WyDPJn7

SVU's finale sucked, and Neal Baer intended for it to go down like it did. Look at Pursuit, poor Sonya Paxton bit the dust.

Esaul said...

I'm sorry but these petitions aren't going to do any good. TNT already passed on the original, and if LOLA is too expensive for USA, TNT won't pick it up either, especially with a show like Falling Skies in their line up.

Alicja Buczkowska said...

If NBC was smart, they'd pick it up. L&O was the longest surviving drama series, killing it off just gave NBC room for shows that didn't even last a season.

Faceless Prophet said...

Did anybody go to the Sister Peg tweet page?
http://www.feeltiptop.com/Sister+Peg/
They are going off on SVU over there for killing her!

Alex said...

So happy George didn't die! :D

Arleen said...

Annie Z,

There was no medical person putting a blanket over Sister Peg's body and pronouncing her "dead", so you never know - it's possible she'll have a "miraculous" recovery at the hospital. It is Hollywood after all.

Personally I think she was one of the more interesting characters in the show, and the writers should "revive" her and give her a much bigger role. They need more down-to-earth people and less celebrity types.

And why did Stabler shoot the girl "to kill"? He could have shot her in the arm or shoulder - to knock the gun away. It made absolutely no sense.

Channon Zane said...

@Esaul

It's that kind of attitude that won't get you anywhere. TNT just needs to be proved that a L&O fanbase is out there to watch the series, all they care about are the viewers/$$$. Which most TNT dramas (excluding Rizzoli & Isles last year, which did outstanding) are pulling between 1.98-4.32 million. (Southland's last 5 episodes between 1.80 and 2.34 mil viewers & 0.8 & 0.9% out of a 2 & 3% in the 18-49 age demo.

If L&O/L&O: LA pulls those numbers (but likely better), TNT would be renewing the shows each together at LEAST 4-5 10-13 episode seasons. But it mostly comes down to budget (on behalf of TNT and Dick Wolf) and whether fans would be willing to tune in (I bet they would).

It could happen in 2012 if fans could prove to TNT and Wolf they are willing to fight for the two L&O shows and continue to watch them; if new episodes were to be produced.

Faceless Prophet said...

@ Arleen- my thought exactly. We never saw any confirmation she deceased except her head kind of relaxed and Olivia pulled her hands back. So I would not be at all surprised if she was not gone after all.

I honestly think the point of Eliott shooting her was a reflex action to uphold the law and it causes us to think about the irony of the good passing while, and the one who was spared was the evilest one... I dont care what anyone says, that is great drama!

Esaul said...

I really don't need be lectured on how ratings work. Someone from USA directly said they are not interested in renewing LOLA. If people cared about that show, they would've watched to begin with. However, I blame NBC for that show's demise. It did fine on Wednesday over Monday. But that's not the issue at hand, is it? USA said the show does not have the ratings they want, and it's far too expensive. Falling Skies on its own is costing TNT, a CABLE company a pretty penny to make. They CANNOT afford to pick up Los Angeles, and once more they already turned down the original. I love this franchise more than anything else, more than you will realize. If I saw even a sliver of hope, I'd be right there too, doing what I can to bring the show back. Twenty years is a long time. Though it shouldn't have gotten cancelled, it did and that's the fact of life. There's nothing we can do about it at this point, it is out of our control.

Channon Zane said...

@Esaul;

I know what Ted Linhart said, I'm on Twitter and I follow the Facebook to #SAVELOLA. I KNOW USA's not going to take LOLA, nor do I want them too after all that's gone on w/ LOCI.

But it is not out of our control... if it was Rene Balcer wouldn't be making YouTube videos urging fans to save the show.

Take it from someone who has loved a lot of shows that got canceled (some of those renewed).

1 Example: Family Guy was "officially" canceled by Fox in 2002 - never to return again; fan viewership of reruns (on Adult Swim), high DVD sales, and fan petitioning GOT THAT SHOW BACK! And now look at it, 2011 and it entering a 10th season.

[DEDICATED] FANS saved that show, NOT FOX - like NBC about L&O/L&O: LA - they didn't give a damn until fans stepped up! If NBC and it's execs. cared about either show in the first place, LOLA would have premiered in February as the mothership would have been ending it's 21st season (and having possible renewal). Though this all goes back to NBC Mondays last year really. L&O was falling, NBC couldn't (wouldn't) deal with Wolf so it got axed. History repeating because they've basically done the same thing twice.

True, there are some crazy politics in television, but crazier things have happened!

If TNT was to deal w/ Wolf for both shows; I see Rachel Ticotin, Sam Waterston, and whomever playing the C.O. role in L&O; dropping to the kind of role Peter Coyote is in, a recurring one; plus a lack of "big name" guests every week.

For L&O; it's about the stories. Which is why the season finale of SVU should have been titled "Bomb"; it was a stink bomb towards the end. I knew Sis. Peg was out. But hopefully with Warren Leight this killing of recurring characters will end!

nygma619 said...

Revive Law & Order LA:

Family Guy sold tremendously well with the season DVD's and did good-great ratings on Adult Swim; Law & Order, and LA just don't have that.

You forget this little thing called MONEY is the reason they're not reviving EITHER. Both are too expensive, and there's not enough upside in spending money on it.

Esaul said...

There is a very small rumor going around that the original may come back for a final season to give the fans closure. But as I've been saying, take that rumor with a very fine grain of salt.

TNT is not interested in reviving L&O. They were only obligated to run it through 2012, with season 20. If TNT didn't have so many original programing, then sure it's a distinct possibility. But that isn't the case. And NBC didn't cancel L&O because of Wolf, that had nothing to do with it. They were going to renew it originally, but then the whole Leno/Conan fiasco blew up and then L&O got the axe. I would give anything to have LOLA continue, but It's time to be realistic. It's not coming back. And I would love to see more of the original L&O too, but again that's not happening. You may not be aware, but I made a comment to a post Allthings wrote when she urged fans to watch LOLA. I stated that television will never be the same again without the original. It was and will forevermore be the best.

The L&O's will never do well with DVD sales, that's just a sad little fact of life as well. You can tune in same time every day to catch a repeat of the original. SVU and CI are aired every Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday for the most part as well. SVU and CI are available on Netflix instant, so no need to buy the dvds when you can just pay ten bucks to watch as much as you want in a month. Lastly, CI is actually doing extremely well on USA with Goren and Eames back.

nygma619 said...

@ Arleen, I thought the first half was really good, though not perfect. The second half was very hit or miss.

And as far as SVU being like a real Special Victims Unit? You mean just like Major Case Squad on Criminal Intent has VERY little in common with the REAL New York Major Case squad? Major Case DOESN'T investigate homicide, how many people are complaining about THAT?

Aside from the ending, I don't get how people hated this episode and ACTUALLY liked last weeks? Oh yeah, right the main cast being used, makes up for the flaws.

Also @ Esaul, they never specifically said "not seen on Law & Order".

Esaul said...

Well I'm sorry that you couldn't put two and two together. It's what they call "assumed" which isn't hard to follow. It did follow it and say Law & Order loses one of its own. I didn't hear the advert claim it's the first time in twenty years in television history or anything remotely like that either.

Channon Zane said...

All I have to say is this:

Warren Leight better pull SVU out of this gutter Neal Baer has left it in or the words "Law & Order" and "Dick Wolf" are going to be a thing of the past.

SVU doesn't have a dadbladd thing to do with Chris/Mariska, they are just the stars, who are not going to stay on the show forever. SVU just should end if Mariska is weaning her role (or if Chris or Ice even return).

I'm getting good vibes from Warren Leight on SVU, but then again I get that gut feeling about something not being right.

I live to see it, I'll know in September I suppose.

Esaul said...

Chris is the only one who hasn't signed his contract, but NBC is confident he will. And they're already speculating about a season 14 as well. They want to see if the show can continue with Mariska.

Esaul said...

Or without, I should say.

Chris Zimmer said...

Arlene & Annie Z. Sister Peg is dead. Benson removes her hand off Sister Peg;s chest, as if she feels no pulse and there is no need to continue to try to stop the bleeding. At the last scene when the camera pulls back, Benson is doing nothing, staring at her hands, and another officer behind Benson looks at Peg and shakes his head. If she isn't dead, then Benson was extremely negligent in not continuing to help her, and I can't believe Benson would behave that way.

Arleen said...

@ All Things Law and Order,
OK, you have me convinced (somewhat). It's a shame because Sister Peg was their link to the grit and realities of "the street" that they seriously need, instead of these Hollywood fantasy stories they've come up with lately. I've been trying to figure out the differences between the first 6-7 years and now; how and where they lost their heart and soul. Here's a few ideas:

1. The Victims - Once upon a time we cared about and empathized with the victims. Some of them were a bit odd, but they were like real people. Lately the victims have been unreal and even freakish. Their stories and motivations are contrived. They lack a sense of humanity. This past season had many episodes where I found myself not caring whether they found "the perp" or not. SVU, please bring back some "real people" victims.
2. Too many overacting celebrity guest-stars looking for Emmy nominations. Enough said.
3. The main characters have lost their edginess. Look at Olivia Benson's first 6 years. She was constantly edgy and tormented. Stabler was obsessed. Munch had a bitter, sarcastic humor we could all identify with. Fin had his street cred and some interesting personal issues. This past year it's like they've all lost touch with their characters. Also, for some reason the writers seem determined to punish and torment Olivia Benson for not having children.
4. What happened to the court scenes? How about a male ADA for a change? Whoever the ADA is, make them part of the show, not a prop.
5. Pandering to teenagers, E&Os, lesbians, and whoever they think the fanbase is. Teens can go watch Glee. If the SVU writers will write good realistic stories, people will watch and they will get their awards they crave. Write crappy stories with silly "teasers" and lose all credibility as a serious crime drama.

CLA said...

Great episode. I do not care about details. The story was gripping and held my attention from beginning to end. All the characters were wonderful. SVU is just based on real events. Some episodes. But it is a fiction. What is the problem of Sister Peg die? she was neither a permanent character. I found everything perfect. It was a brilliant end. SVU rocked with 9 million viewers and a leader in the schedule. Criminal Minds Suspect sent to the hole. Thanks SVU. You're great and Chris and Mariska are the best. Always.

gahks said...

Just when I was wondering when Sister Peg might show up, she reappears in the season 12 finale only to get killed off... Go figure ^^

So. For someone like me who has the first eight seasons of 'SVU' on DVD and is somewhat keen on purchasing the remainder... what were the highs and lows of season 12? Which episodes should I look out for and which should I avoid? Would it even be worth getting the season 12 set at all?

Faceless Prophet said...

Hey I LIKED a lot of season 12... My faves were, Behave, Merchandise, Branded, Penetration, Flight, Pursuit, and the last one where sis Peg meets Jesus. Also, the one with that HOT guy who has long dark curly hair and is Indian or something is in season 12, I liked that one too. Why did he do only ONE show? Dang. Bring that guy back!

Anyway, I think overall there was a lot of great stuff in season 12. Alot of folks dont like change, which is what happened. Things were different, which is GOOD overall, even though I did not like all of it. Some was Lame-O like the one about the cutter who was pushed over the ledge or whatever. But I think it is definitely worth watching most of it.

Happy Perp hunting!

Faceless Prophet said...

OOPS I meant to say IF the guy was in season 12...

He may have been from season 11.. Anyway they should bring him back. Love interest for Benson? They CANT end this show without ever hooking her UP. ALSO- I LOVED her brother! Why did they let that go? They should have put more into her personal life too, like Stabler....

Faceless Prophet said...

The one about the Monkeys was good too...

Alicja Buczkowska said...

I agree with Arlene above, but SVU would get a lot more views if they did give Olivia Benson a child one way or another. We need more episodes like the ones from season 1. Real people, real emotions, realistic cases.

sirmikelogan said...

"So. For someone like me who has the first eight seasons of 'SVU' on DVD and is somewhat keen on purchasing the remainder... what were the highs and lows of season 12? Which episodes should I look out for and which should I avoid? Would it even be worth getting the season 12 set at all?"

Season 12:

Good: Branded, Totem, Mask, Locum, Flight (I guess)

Very bad: Rescue, Wet, Bang, Bombshell, Spectacle, Bully (challenges Paternity for the title of worst SVU ever)

Anything I didn't mention is most likely just boring. I don't know how much of seasons 10 or 11 you already seen but those are definitely better.

Faceless Prophet said...

@ Sirmikelogan...I LOVED Paternity! It was one of the rare cases that Olivia and Kathy bond. It was PERFECT!

Faceless Prophet said...

Hey two of my ALL time very best favorites came this season: Merchandise about sex slave trafficking, Branded. I cry everytime I see the both of those episodes!

Alicja Buczkowska said...

Most of the episodes before the Christmas break were really well made. Not all of them were really suspenseful, but they were good. I don't know what happened after the break, but the writing got REALLY bad after that.

Anonymous said...

Branded? Good? No wonder you guys like the finale. That ep was another one where Olivia defied her police training (and common sense and NY State law).

PossumManor said...

I thought it was a poor episode to leave us with. Blah.

and I swear Sister Peg died once before. It was not the episode she was beaten, but it was one where she was sheltering a witness of some kind.

Faceless Prophet said...

@ PossumManor- You know I tend to agree about Sis Peg. I Wonder if it is possible that they could have "expunged" the scene from an episode. I could have sworn she died too. If ANYONE has old copies of DVDs and runs across Sis Peg dying before, please let us know.... I remember where I was standing, when I said, "Oh no! They did not just do that to Sis Peg!" I was at a former employer's house in the kitchen... So I think there is something fishy here...
And YES I loved Branded. The character compelled me to care about her! And JUSTICE! ALSO regarding state law and stuff- I DO NOT watch SVU for correct LAW- I watch SVU for compelling DRAMA! And to me, the episode Branded was compelling. You know it could be, due to the nature of this L&O, that different ones of us are moved by different things. SOME ppl could have identified with her, and you should not shame ppl for doing so! ISNT THAT WHAT THE BLEEPING SHOW IS ABOUT? OPENING PEOPLES EYES TO THE REALITY OF RAPE AND SEX CRIMES!?

Arleen said...

@ PossumManor - You might be thinking of the episode "Streetwise" (season 9), about the gang of homeless street kids that kill a rich girl and one of them (an 8-year-old) becomes a witness and ends up staying with a woman who is very much like Sister Peg (but not her). She ends up getting killed by the gang when they kidnaps the girl back.

AniBlair said...

Wow! You are right. It is a worker named PAIGE, not Peg! I thought it was Peg that was killed in that one...

Mad Monkey said...

I actually thought it was decent up until the end of the episode gunfire. It feels like almost every episode ends with a victim killing a suspect either in the suspect's house or in the squadroom. Can they come up with a less idiotic stock ending? It's starting to become a twist when it DOESN'T happen!

Faceless Prophet said...

I have to agree there. I mean, even though I liked that one, I knew she was going to do that. It was kind of obvious. Just not the Sis dying, ya know...

And not the perp living and every other single person not a major role in the room croaking...

nygma619 said...

@ Alicja Buczkowska:

I agree that almost all the 2010 episodes from season 12 were pretty enjoyable.

And yeah I really don't get what happened after the break either.

I mean there's a couple episodes in 2011 that I enjoyed: like Pop, Masked, Flight, Pursuit, Reparations, and Totem(one of my season 12 favorites).

But it also has some total stinkers that really question my loyalty to the show sometimes: Spectacle, Bully, Bang, Delinquent(Dawn Denoon's WORST script). And then there's some that are just missing that certain something, or just somewhat overwrought, but not total disasters: Possessed, Dirty, Bombshell, & Smoked.

The show is in need of consistency, not just a good to great episode here and there; among other things.

Chris Zimmer said...

Annie Z - I looked at an old copy of Sister Peg's previous appearance in the episode "Underbelly". She was beaten up and hospitalized but she ws very much alive. "Underbelly" was the last she was in previous to "Smoked" so I don't think she would have died in any other episode before Underbelly, either!

In other words - case closed.

Faceless Prophet said...

Wow I am sorry if I offended anyone. I thought we were having fun discussing our favorite show. My apologies.....

Chris Zimmer said...

Annie - to whom are you speaking? If to me...you asked: "I Wonder if it is possible that they could have "expunged" the scene from an episode. I could have sworn she died too. If ANYONE has old copies of DVDs and runs across Sis Peg dying before, please let us know.... I remember where I was standing, when I said, "Oh no! They did not just do that to Sis Peg!" I was at a former employer's house in the kitchen... So I think there is something fishy here..."

I provided the answer to your question. I don't think we need to discuss whether Sister Peg died before, because she clearly did not. That's what I meant by "case closed."

Joanne said...

I was wondering whether a few days time would make me somehow see the episode in a different light, but unfortunately no. I still think it was a poor one to leave us with. I didn't even know that someone was dying and I still felt underwhelmed. Poor Sister Peg, I've always liked her.

msmariah said...

I can't believe this was the season finale and now Chris won't be back. 12 years of SVU and now this is what we get. I hope they bring him back for at least a few wrap up episodes. Seriously. This sucks. The fans deserve better.

Faceless Prophet said...

So it is for sure he is not coming back next season? I thought that was still undecided...

What makes you say that?

Laura said...

The only thing that surprised me was that this clunker wasn't written by Speed Weed. But we do have him to thank for "Bang" and the concept of "reproductive abusers."

Faceless Prophet said...

Ok I found the piece on Chris Meloni is leaving for sure. There is a link on the ATL&O page for today.

Yikes. Now this does it for me. Stick the fork in me I'm done.

Holly said...

What killed me about this episode is the same thing that's always frustrated me in other episodes. And you hit the nail on the head: HOW DO PEOPLE GET GUNS INTO A FREAKING POLICE PRECINCT!!! It just doesn't happen! I love SVU, but they pulled this same crap in the episode, 'Fat' where a young man in who had been attacked by some high school students brought a gun in and shot the prep school white boy that kicked him. Ridiculous.

Unknown said...

I didn't see any commercials about this episode or read about it online, so I had no expectations, but when Jenna showed up at the police station I just *knew* she was there to get revenge, especially since all 3 of the criminals where sitting ducks in the same cage in the middle of the squadroom. It is absolutely ridiculous that she went OUT OF HER WAY to shoot Sister Peg. And then her dying words were a sermonette on gun control! Do people really make their living writing this stuff?

Amazee said...

How many people died? Just Jenna and Sister Peg? Or did the three scumbags also die?

Retail Reject said...

I was pretty upset with the season as a whole. Overall, almost all the outcomes were stupid rather than shocking or sad. If most of the stories were pretty weak and the workings of over imaginative writers rather than writer who are after something serious. I first noticed this odd out-of-place feeling in season 10 with the season opener with a line-up of guest stars. Between season 10 and 12, there just too many stupid episodes. Most of them were just repeating most of the same topics already covered in past seasons. Stabler goes undercover and SVU plays Ace Ventura. SVU uncovers bad meat. SVU goes after female only child version of the Menendez brothers.
Season 13 had way better epiosdes and the fresh faces as well as the return of a few familiar faces helped much. Season 14 could be a little better, but it is still better than those three seasons between 2008-2011. Those three seasons were like season 9 of Criminal Intent.

Unknown said...

on the "smoked" episode: exactly what weapon was it that Jenna "bought on the street. it was easy." that she could smuggle into the squad room that has a 20+ round clip? that's how many she got off before she turned to fire another round (21?) requiring Stabler to kill her in defense of a scumbag that he wouldn't have minded killing himself. who wrote this?

Chris Zimmer said...

Anthony Terlizzi - yes. that was a seriously ridiculous scenario, not to mention the seriously ridiculous security at SVU!

the sacred romantic said...

for someone who supposedly loves this feanchise you rarely have anything positive to write about the shows.