Law & Order UK Clip Reel

Here’s a promotional clip reel for Law & Order UK, which airs on ITV in the UK, and on BBC America in the US (check your local listings).



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 “True Believers” Cast Interviews

Here are the cast interviews for Law & Order SVU “True Believers”
which will air on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 10 PM ET on NBC. The interviews feature Ice-T, Danny Pinto and guest stars Linus Roache, Andre Braugher, and Sofia Vassilieva. Don't miss it!


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

Also see:
Law & Order SVU “True Believers” Entended Promo & Behind the Scenes Video

Law & Order SVU “True Believers” Sneak Peeks















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 “True Believers” Sneak Peeks

Here are a few sneak peeks from Law & Order SVU “True Believers” which will air on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 10 PM ET on NBC. The preview clips feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, and guest stars Linus Roache, Andre Braugher, and Sofia Vassilieva. ("Homicide: Life on the Streets" fans should get a chuckle from clip #2.)


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

Also see:
Law & Order SVU “True Believers” Entended Promo & Behind the Scenes Video

Law & Order SVU “True Believers” Cast Interviews


Please note: I am only permitted to keep these previews up for one week after the episode originally airs, so please catch them while you can!











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 “True Believers” Extended Promo & Behind The Scenes Video

Here is an extended promo and behind the scenes video for Law & Order SVU “True Believers” which will air on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at 10 PM ET on NBC. The videos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, and guest stars Linus Roache and Andre Braugher.

I can’t wait!


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

Also see:
Law & Order SVU “True Believers” Sneak Peeks
Law & Order SVU “True Believers” Cast Interviews








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 UK “Line Up” Recap & Review

Alesha is the lead on a tough case in Law & Order UK “Line Up” which was based on the original Law & Order episode “Performance” from season 5. It looks like it may be a murder case at first when a video shows a girl being raped and then shot with a gun. But when  Detectives Brooks and Casey find the girl very much alive, they believe they still have a clear cut case of rape.

The case threatens to get complicated for Alesha when she gets Justice Reynolds for the case, and Jake offers to trade her for something a little less difficult. Alesha is not one to scare easily, and despite getting a judge who takes a “she asked for it” approach to rape cases, Alesha forges ahead. Unfortunately for Alesha, her biggest and most damning piece of evidence is thrown out early on. This episode was a nice feature for Freema Agyeman, as it allowed her character to do more than just work a case behind the scenes.

Paul Nicholls is proving to be a fine addition to the cast, and his character DS Sam Casey was given the lead on the investigation. Nicholls was able to show both his tough side (when he made the arrest) and his soft side (when he worked to convince the rape victim to testify). Paul is the perfect replacement for Jamie Bamber, and while his character has a personality all his own, he still plays off DS Ronnie Brooks in a similar comfortable manner as did DS Matt Devlin.

What continues to impress me about Law & Order UK is the exceptional writing which makes every character believable and relatable. This episode was written by lead writer Emilia di Girolamo and I know that when I see her name in the opening credits that the episode will really be worth watching. Again, I was not disappointed!

(Photos to be added at a later date.)

Here is the recap:

Cast:
Bradley Walsh: DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls: DS Sam Casey
Harriet Walter: DI Natalie Chandler
Freema Agyeman: CP Alesha Phillips
Dominic Rowan: Senior CP Jake Thorne
Peter Davison: Director CPS

Guest Stars:
Eva Pope – Renay Everett
Laurie Duncan – Danny Heywood
Rachel Clarke – Wendy Heywood
Jessica Lester – Anna Russo
Dorian Lougher – Gino Russo
Sara Stephens – Rita Russo
Reece Leighwood – Reece Beaumont
Philip Voss – Justice Reynolds
Jade Camille = Monique
Jessica Gunning – Angela
Mark Straker – Morgan Braithe
Will Ashcroft – Tristan Forbes-Langton

At the home of Wendy Heywood, her son Danny arrives home and she chides him for breaking curfew and confiscates his mobile phone. Later, when she looks at what is on the phone, she sees a video of a man putting a pillow over a girl’s face and shooting her.

Later, Wendy and Danny are at MIU speaking with DS Ronnie Brooks and DS Sam Casey about the video. They have no idea who sent the video – or so Danny claims. When Wendy and Danny leave, Sam asks Ronnie if he thinks the girl in the video could be acting, and Ronnie replies, “Not a chance.”

They review the information with DI Natalie Chandler and explain that the message on the video said “shhh” so as to not pass along the video or tell from where they got it. There is a date on the video and it was recorded 3 weeks ago. There are 2 different blokes who swapped being cameraman, they all have hoods on and only one shot shows part of a face. Angela is trying to identify the location but all they can see is a mattress and they think it could be a crack house or a squat. Natalie tells Angela to try to get a decent picture of the murder victim.

As Ronnie and Sam walk down the street, Sam gets a call saying that a concerned banker called and reported the video was uploaded to a DIY porn site last night. There was a contest and the video was in a “rape fantasy” category.

They speak with the owner of the web site who tells them the video has been downloaded 20,000 times over the past 14 hours. Ronnie asks where he plans on sending the prize money, and the site owner says that is confidential. Sam says if he doesn’t tell he will be arrested for obstruction. All he has is a user name and email address.

Back at MIU, Angela tells them the email address belongs to Christian Preston, and adds that his profile says he is 18.

At the Preston household, Ronnie and Sam speak to Christian’s mother and they tell her about the video and she says Christian is 13 years old. She takes the head[phones off Christian’s head and tells him to tell the police where he got the video. He said he got it at school and the video has gone viral.

Back at MIU Ronnie informs them that a uniform is at the school checking in the video. They ask Angela who has printed off a close up photo of the girl and a T-shit photo which has KaC on it. Ronnie shows it to Natalie and tells her they don’t think it a range of clothing but something more specific. Sam enters and tells them it is from Kidbrooke Athletics Club.

At the athletic club, Ronnie and Sam speak with a track coach who identifies the girl as Anna Russo. He last saw her 3-4 weeks ago. She loved running.

At Chapeltown Estates, Ronnie and Sam approach the front door to notify the parents, and after San rings the buzzer, they are both shocked to see Anna Russo open the door.

At MIU, Ronnie and Sam speak with Anna’s parents, her father is highly agitated so Ronnie asks to take a break and escorts him out of the room. Sam speaks with Anna and her mother and tells her she is not in trouble with them and asks her to tell him what happened. He asked if she consented to sex with the lads and she shakes her head no. She says he was in the park with her mate Jadie. The boys came over and asked if they wanted to go to a party. They went and found out there wasn’t a party it was just their flat. They went inside and it was empty and dirty and there were no lights. Jadie went off with Mark and she chatted with the other boy, and suddenly they are there around her.

Meanwhile, Ronnie is still trying to calm Mr. Russo.

Sam continues to question Anna who says the boys were older than her and drinking and smoking weed. When Sam asks if she was drinking and smoking as well, Anna asks if her dad can see her or hear her. Sam says no, and she admits to having one drink before, but does not smoke weed or do drugs. When Sam continues to question her on that issue, she become agitated that he does not believe her. He tells her he needs to know everything so it can be used against her in court, and she is shocked at the idea of court. Anna then says she does not want to do this or press charges and she runs out of the room.

Afterwards, and while walking down the street, Ronnie asks Natalie as this is no longer a murder investigation, shouldn’t they hand this over to Sapphire. Natalie says they are sending a SOIT to work with Anna but they are keeping the case. She tells Sam to take the lead and when he worries that Anna will walk out on him again, Natalie tells him he started the investigation so he should see it through. Natalie says the gun was real and worries whoever made the video may take it a stage further the next time.

Back at Chapeltown Estates, Sam speaks with Anna who tells Sam he does not get it. The boys are bragging about it and everyone thinks she is fair game. She does not want to be that girl. He says if no one stands up to him things will not change and she has to stand up to them so they don’t do it again. She wants to forget about it but he says she can’t forget about something like that. She insists she can’t. Sam asks her to look at him, and they says when she told him what happened to him that took real guts. He tells her she is not a victim, she is a fighter. He says if she finishes her statement, he will do everything in his power to put hose lad where they belong.

Back at MIU, Sam tells Natalie that Anna does not know who the boys are and Ronnie says Jadie and her boyfriend are apparently suffering from amnesia as their descriptions of the boys are white teens with short hair. Angela calls them over and says they need to hear something. Angela plays back a phone recording says there is a girl being attacked and they need to come quickly and they also have a gun. The operator asks for the address and the caller responds that it is 55B Rabans Park. The caller hangs up. Angela tells them the call came in the night of the attack and a dispatch car was sent but the place was empty when they got there so they thought it was a hoax.

At Rabans Park House, Ronnie and Sam enter the flat and find the mattress with a lot of junk scattered around, and Sam finds a pin that has a “D” which he assumes is for “Danny.”

Back at MIU in interrogation, Sam and Ronnie ask Danny if he was the one that made the phone call, and he denies it. They remind him it was the location of the video that was sent to his mobile phone and to half the school. He admits he and Anna are mates but says he has never been to that flat. They show him the pin and say his other said it was like the one she got him for Christmas and the one he lost the night Anna was attacked. Ronnie says they are testing it now and he bets his DNA is all over it. Sam adds they also retrieved several used condoms from the scene and when Sam asks if any will have his DNA on it, Danny says no. He says he likes Anna and he was going to ask her out. Danny says he can’t tell him who the others were. Sam says loyalty is one thing but what his mates did to that girl was sick. Danny replies they don’t know what they are like, they had a gun. Sam says if they witnessed what they did and doesn’t do anything about it, he is guilty too, it is called joint enterprise. Ronnie tells him he could go to prison. Danny said he tried to help her and Sam says they need names – NOW.

At the Video Identification Suite at MIU, Anna is looking at a photo lineup on the screen and identifies 3 men, saying the clothes on one stank like weed and the one who had the gun who was in control the whole time, telling the others what to do. She sees Danny’s face in the line up and says no. CP Alesha Phillips is observing the photo lineup, along with Ronnie and Sam.

Sam walks into the interrogation room and asks why she would like to them, they know Danny was there and Danny is backing her up and he saw the whole thing. She replies that she knew they would talk to Danny and if anyone talked they would be dead. She says Danny tried to stop them and help her but Sam angrily says Danny left the scene and he walked away. Anna says she liked him and she thought he liked her too. Sam says it is not her job to protect him, he is a witness and they will make sure he is safe. She asks what happens now, and Sam says they will bring them in and charge them with rape.

Later, Sam and Ronnie arrest Reese Leighwood, Garret Evens and Callum Morden for suspicion of the rape of Anna Russo. Sam reads their rights.

While walking down the street, CP Jake Thorne speaks with CPS Director Henry Sharpe about the case. Jake says what they boys lack in intelligence they are making up for in loyally – with a collective “No comment.” Jake also says Alesha wants to head up the case.

Back at CPS, Alesha asks Jake to guess which judge they got, and Jake asks “Not Robert “she asked for it’ Reynolds?” Alesha says yes. Jake comments that Reynolds was pulled off a case last month and hope he is overzealous to make up for it, Alesha tells him not to count on it. Jake says he would be happy to switch and would trade her for an aggravated burglary, he thought he would spare her the hassle as these cases are not fun. Alesha tells him he is a crap liar.

At Crown v Leighwood, Evans, and Morden, Alesha argues bail, that the boys may interfere with witnesses. The 3 defense barristers reply the gun was fake and that Anna Russo was happy to have this filmed, that this was normal teenage sex. The judge adds there was no sign of a struggle or never any use of the word “no” , calling this a “he said – she said”. He grants bail. He does impose a curfew between 7 Am and 7 PM, and also witness and location bans.

When Jake and Alesha return to the office, Miss Everett - Reece Leighwood’s barrister - is waiting with an application to exclude the mobile phone footage. She adds that one more rape case and she can turn them down but for now she is stuck defending Reece. She said Reynolds summed it up, there was no sign of rape and her client pulled out a toy gun, Alesha said that if she believes that she would want the video in. Alesha says she is scared the jury will see her client and his friends wanted a bit of fun. Everett adds that the jury will see Anna Russo is alive and the rape is every bit as fake as the murder. Jake replies it is not about the video, he thinks she is worried about the additional charges. She walks out of the office.

At Crown v Leighwood, Evans, and Morden, Alesha argues that Everett wants the video excluded to avoid the weapons and indecent images charges which are proven by the footage. Everett says the video will prejudice her client. Alesha reminds her the client is the one who sent the video, but Everett counters that her client is a child and he made the video and sent it to his mate, calling it bragging, not child porn. Judge Reynolds agrees with Everett, saying there was no sinister intent on sending out the video. He excludes the video.

Back at CPS, Alesha tells Jake and Henry that without the mobile phone footage they have to drop the distribution of child abuse images and weapons charges. The gun can’t be found. Jake reminds them that the boys did not clear the scene of their DNA. Alesha thinks that if the jury saw the video they would convict without question. Henry reminds them they still have the ID, the evidence, the witness and the DNA which is usually more than they get. Jake says if they really want to piss of Renay there is another way: they could adduce bad character evidence, Alesha adding “other victims.” The boys filmed and distributed that attack and there is no way this is their first time. Alesha said the police checked, but Henry said it just means they haven’t been caught. Jake adds that Anna is the exception, Alesha needs to find the rule.

At Chapeltown Estate, Alesha speaks with Danny. He asks how many other girls are out there too scared to report what Reece and the others did to them. Danny hesitates, and says there was one girl who Reece said was up for it and he sent out a text about the girl wanting a line up, He said he saw the video and the girl laid there just like Anna. She asks Danny if he knows her name.

At Gallion Park Comprehensive, Alesha speaks with Monique who said he didn’t know Reece filmed it and Reece later told her if she told anyone he would send the video to her mum. She thought Reece liked her and after they did it, his mates came in to have a go too. She couldn’t fight them off and did not know how to stop it. Alesha tells her it will be OK.

Later, Alesha tries to convince Anna to testify. Alesha reminds her there were three of them and she couldn’t fight or run, and she froze to protect herself and that is a normal response and a survival instinct. It worked, she is there and she is alive. Alesha tells her it now is the time to fight.

At Crown v Leighwood, Evans, and Morden, Anna testifies from a remote location and she describes the attack. She also said she was frightened and embarrassed and she wanted her dad to come save her. She continues to describe the attack, saying that he raped her.

Everett cross examines her and asks if force was used, and Anna says she could not move. Everett asked if she was threatened with a knife, and Anna said they had a gun. Everett asked if she saw the gun before she had sex with the boys, and Anna replies no they still had it in. Everett asks if her client ever threatened her with the gun, and as Everett continues to go on, Alesha jumps up and asks the judge if that is a question or a statement. He says to treat it like a question, and then asks Anna to go ahead. Anna says there were three of them and she could not stop them or move. Everett asks if they handcuffed her or tied her up, and Anna says no. Everett brings up the 3 condoms and that her client’s DNA was on the inside and hers on the outside, and Anna says that proves he did it, as DNA does not lie. Everett asks how can they believe that in a dark room, this boy could put on a condom without this so called victim running off? Anna says she does not know what it is like and she is making her sound like a sket. Everett asks if a sket is a prostitute or a girl who has sex with a lot of boys. Alesha and Jake turn their heads and glare towards Everett.

Later, outside the courtroom, Anna’s father asks Alesha why they didn’t ask the judge to do something, and Alesha tells him the defense barrister’s job is to discredit the witness. She says she knows it seems wrong but that is the system. Rape victims are witnesses in their own trial. Anna’s father hopes Anna does not regret it. Alesha tells him that Anna is a fighter and is a lot stronger than he gives credit for. She adds he will have to be strong with her as the defense has just started with her.

Back in court, Everett is questioning Anna about her statement where Anna used the word “cotching” to describe what she was told Jadie and Mark were doing and she asks what that word meant. Anna said it means to chill or hang out. Everett says it is from the French word choucher meaning to lie down or to have sex. Everett asks if cotching would mean to have sex, and Anna says she does not know, she just wanted to find her mates. As Everett accuses Anna of wanting to have sex with her client, Alesha objects to the questioning about the origin or slang words, and the judge agrees with her and tells Everett to rein it in.

Another barrister questions Anna, saying that Anna lied to prevent getting in trouble with her dad. The other barrister also questions her about going to the flat without planning to have sex with the boys and that she couldn’t say no. Anna replies she could not speak – and the barrister says she means she didn’t. As he presses her on the fact that she did not say no, Anna says she is not listening to this, and she storms off. One of the boys smiles and Anna’s father races out of the courtroom to aid his daughter. Anna runs out into the hallway, and passes Danny who is waiting there, and stops as her father calls out to her. Jake and Alesha also exit the courtroom and watch as her father consoles her. He asks them if they still don’t think she won’t regret this.

At Kidbrooke Athletics Track, Alesha speaks with Anna who talks about her dreams of winning medals. Alesha tells Anna that her dreams aren’t over because of what they did. She adds she knows how hard it is to keep going and see it though but she has to cross the finish line. She will find the strength to carry on.

At CPS, Danny is standing at the door to Alesha’s office and comments that they don’t believe her. Alesha replies that he doesn’t know that. She asks Danny if is mom knows he is there, and Danny says he can’t stop thinking about how upset Anna was. Alesha tells him to worry about his own evidence and Anna has given her already. Danny says they are going to walk, but she says at the end of the day it all comes down to consent. Juries want to hear about strangers with knives not schoolboys with condoms. Danny says they have to go down for what they did to Anna. Alesha says unless one of them changes their plea to guilty – and that’s not going to happen – it could go either way. Danny asks that if one of them says they were guilty then all of them would go down? Alesha tells him most likely, yes. When he asks if she is sure, Alesha stops and asks what is he telling her?

Back at Crown v Leighwood, Evans, and Morden, Danny testifies that he tried to stop them but they wouldn’t listen. He adds that Reece asks that Anna wasn’t screaming, was she and that she wasn’t struggling and she was enjoying it. He said he told Reece they were hurting her and had to let he go. He testified that Reece laughed. Danny adds he tried to leave but Reece had the gun and that one was blank and the rest were real. He adds Reece pointed the gun at him and said that Danny had to do what he asked. He said everyone in the room had to do it so there would be no witnesses and they would all be the same – meaning they would all equally be guilty and not "grass" (inform) on each other. Danny admits to raping Anna while he was at gunpoint, adding that she just lay there. He sobs that he is so sorry.

Later, at Crown v Leighwood, Evans, and Morden, all three defendants are found guilty of rape . Because of their age, the judge asks for pre-sentence reports, but says the offense is a grave one and they will go to prison.

At a later time, Jake is sipping a beer at the pub and Alesha enters, saying that Reece got 6 years and the other two got 4. For Danny, Reynolds knocked off a year for the guilty plea and two for the gun in the back, and he gave him 12 months. Jake asks Alesha if she is happy with that, and she complains about the inconsistencies with other offenses. Jake reminds her it was Reynolds and she did well. He adds that at least Anna Russo can try to put it behind her for now.

At Kidbrooke Athletics Track, Alesha watches as Anna runs the track with her father there for support. Alesha smiles and walks away…and 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.

Law & Order UK “Line Up" Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order UK:


Law & Order UK “Line Up” Air Date October 26, 2011 (9 PM ET Wednesday BBC America)

A murder investigation is launched when a concerned citizen alerts the police to a shocking video that is spreading like wildfire on the web, in which a teenage girl is attacked and shot. Starring Bradley Walsh, Paul Nicholls, Harriet Walter, Freema Agyeman, Dominic Rowan, and Peter Davison.

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Line Up" 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 “Russian Brides” Episode Information

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



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


Law & Order SVU “Russian Brides ” Air Date November 9, 2011 (10 PM ET/9C Wednesday NBC)

CAPTAIN CRAGEN GOES UNDERCOVER WHEN A MURDER IN BRIGHTON BEACH REVEALS A THRIVING BUT DEADLY FOREIGN BRIDE BUSINESS. IZABELLA MIKO AND TIMOTHY BUSFIELD GUEST STAR.

When a young woman is found brutally murdered, the SVU detectives use her distinctive tattoos to identify her as a recently engaged Russian mail-order bride (guest star Izabella Miko). Upon questioning her distraught fiancé (guest star Timothy Busfield), they learn that she was kidnapped and held for ransom the night of their engagement party. While the detectives follow the money to a deadly blackmail scam run by the Russian Mafia, Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) goes undercover as a sad and lonely suitor to lure out a killer. Also starring: Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Danny Pino (Detective Nick Amaro) and Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins.) Special appearances by Stephanie March (ADA Alex Cabot) and Tamara Tunie (M.E. Melinda Warner.)




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 UK “Trial” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK “Trial” wasn’t about a legal trial, it was about a drug trial and a doctor who fudged the results with grave consequences. The episode is based on an original Law & Order episode “Double Blind” from season 7.

A murder of a janitor looks like it could have ties to terrorism, but as Ronnie and Sam investigate, they find the killing was done at the hand of a man who is believed to be schizophrenic and who is a patient in a drug trial. Legal wrangling occurs regarding the mental stability of the patient and raises question about the drug trial itself. It’s during that process that we discover the killer is not schizophrenic, but has another fatal illness.

Law & Order UK is masterful at weaving in snippets of the characters personalities and their personal lives into the story. In this episode, we see another instance where Sam Casey has a short fuse and seems unafraid to get in peoples' faces. We also find that Jake’s mother also has an illness affecting her brain. It is very touching at the end when Jake lovingly and reassuringly strokes his mother’s hand. All these little touches help to make the characters seem like real people that viewers can care about and to which they can relate. While this episode wasn’t anything spectacular, it was still an hour well spent and a story well told.

Here is the recap:

Cast
Bradley Walsh: DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls: DS Sam Casey
Harriet Walter: DI Natalie Chandler
Freema Agyeman: CP Alesha Phillips
Dominic Rowan: Senior CP Jake Thorne
Peter Davison: Director CPS

Guest Stars
Tobey Stephens – Profession Martin Middlebrook
Penny Downie – Rachel Matheson
Arthur Wilson - Simon Wells
Jeany Spark - Julia Anstiss

As a postman delivers the mail, he gets harassed by the local hoods. While he is up delivering a package,  the hoods takes more packages out of the mail cart. As the postman fights to get the packages back, a loud explosion emanates from the apartment to which the postman just delivered the package.

Later, DS Ronnie Brooks and DS Sam Casey are on the scene of the explosion and Jonathan Waldman is dead. He was an office cleaner. His daughter Sara arrives and Sam suggests she goes downstairs, and says he is sorry. Anti-terrorism is on the scene, and Ronnie tells Sam to brace himself.

In the forensics lab, the lab technician says the bomb is a simple mechanism with what looks like a firing mechanism from a .22 caliber gun. The explosion was caused by fulminated mercury, very lethal. Ronnie asks if you can just get it from cracking open a few thermometers, but she tells them mercury is now banned in thermometers. There is no DNA or fingerprints. She has a scrap of paper that says 20G on it which Ronnie recognizes as ZOG which stands for Zionist Occupation Government.

Back at MIU, Ronnie and Sam are looking over the ZOG website. DI Natalie Chandler asks why  Waldman, and Sam asks apart from being Jewish? Ronnie said Waldman was well liked and Natalie suggests they talk to his daughter Sara.

They speak with Sara, who said she was close to her father, especially after her mom died. He did not associate with political groups as extremism made him despair.

Back at MIU, Sam tells Ronnie that his boss at Cleansfield said Waldman was conscientious and even took a pay cut when he started. Before that, he worked at Thameside University working at the science lab. He had to clean out rat cages and he didn’t like it so he quit. But he did have a massive row with a geezer called Tony Wright who doesn’t like Jewish people. He tried to get Waldman fired but he was the one who ended up getting the boot.

The detectives speak with Tony and they ask him if this was revenge. Tony has a clueless look on his face and asks if something happened.
Later, Sam asks Ronnie if he thinks Tony really didn’t know what happened to Waldman. Ronnie thinks his reaction was authentic. He thinks whoever did this was not stupid and wonder who would have the sense to put all those bomb components together. Ronnie thinks that all the bomb components are signatures.

Back at the lab, the technician tells them that nothing like this has been used in recent years.. She went way back into the anti-terrorism squad records and found him. It’s Cal Donnally, who did a stretch for letter bombs in 1972.

The detectives speak with Donnally who is wheelchair bound from the after affects of the mercury, both from the bombs and a waste job that he had which dealt with items that contained mercury. He explains that someone took his bomb making techniques and made into a book – The Direct Action Cookbook – and it was done by “Storm of Steel.”

Ronnie and Sam speak to  “Storm of Steel” who says it was one of his best sellers. He’s an obvious racist. The ask for the names of the people who ordered the book. The guy taunts Sam and Sam gets in his face. Ronnie say he is going to get a production order on section 5 of the terrorist act and if he refuses he will arrest him. The guy tells him to do it, and Sam says then they will have the list AND they will let everyone know how helpful he was. Ronnie says maybe some in his “army” will check his book and send him a “letter of complaint.” He hands over the list, Ronnie thanks him, and Sam pushes him as he walks past him. The guy tells them to laugh now, but get ready, they are coming. Ronnie says they will ring in advance and bang the kettle on.

Back at MIU, Ronnie and Sam go over the list of names. Sam sees that someone at Thameside University ordered the cookbook two weeks ago – Jonathan Waldman.

The detectives head to the university’s janitor’s office and the man there says there was an anonymous tip that Waldman had been steeling tranquilizers from the psychiatrist department. The man doesn’t believe Waldman did it but the university had to make an example. Waldman told him that someone was out to get him. Ronnie wonders if someone was stealing the pills and Waldman saw them, and that person pays Waldman off which he uses to pay Sara’s tuition. Sam thinks it’s a stretch, but Ronnie said something made him leave and it likely wasn’t the rats. Sam wonders if once Waldman came under suspicion, he took the fall and asked the thief for money…and then boom.

At the post room of the university and find that the post that comes in for staff that has left goes into another bin to be forwarded, within a week or a little longer. They ask for a list of staff and volunteers who work the office. They realize that someone could have easily sent it to Waldman knowing it would sit in the bin, and they could pull it out later. There are 53 people on the list of those who have access, and they decide to focus on the ones doing chemistry.

At the Bowl-A-Rama, Ronnie and Sam speak with a chemistry student who does not know Waldman. She knows how to fulminate mercury. She explains the process. She suggests they speak with a student that she went out with a couple times who asked a lot of questions about mercury, who said it was for an essay he was writing. She said it doesn’t make sense as he studies history and he works in the postal room. His name is Simon Wells,

The detectives speak with Simon outside a classroom and he said he was writing an essay on the corporate response to environmental disaster over the last 50. He included the mercury disaster in Japan in 1968. He says he does not know Waldman. Simon excuses himself to go to another lecture, and Sam notes to Ronnie that Simon has an answer for everything. Ronnie adds it is like he’s worked it all out beforehand – Sam commenting this usually means he has.

At the Halls of Residence at Thameside Campus, they question a guy who is trying to fix a thermostat. He says Simon is weird and is an attention seeker. He said Simon was making soup at 3 in the morning the other day and stunk the place up. He tells them Simon goes to the psychiatry department every night to help someone out,’’

At the psychiatry department, Ronnie and Sam speak with Professor Middlebrook who says Simon was helping with a research project. He does not know if Simon knew Waldman. Ronnie asks if under the right circumstances could Simon kill someone, and he says couldn’t anyone?

With Simon in interrogation, he says he never saw the book and knows he is there voluntarily. Ronnie tells him they are tearing his room apart now. Sam calls Ronnie and says they have nothing, and no traces of mercury. He later steps into the hall and sees the guy who was fixing the thermostat the other day, and then Sam looks at the thermostat. He asks one of the forensics guys for a screwdriver.

Meanwhile, Ronnie is back in interrogation with Simon and suggests that Simon was being blackmailed by Waldman about stealing the tranquilizers, Natalie walks in and asks Simon to tell them about the thermostat. She says they know that is where he got the mercury and when they finish dusting for prints, whose does he think they will find? Simon becomes silent and Ronnie tells him it is over. Simon admits it is true, he did it, all of it. He stole the drugs and made sure Waldman got fired. He ordered the book and made the bomb and killed him. He said Waldman knew how to enter his dreams and mess with the architecture and steal his secrets. He put thoughts into his head, bad things.

Later, Jake Thorne speaks with Rachel Matheson who says he is not guilty, and Jake asks if due to mental illness. She tells him Simon hears voices. Jake said this was planned an executed in cold blood but she says Simon is not responsible for his own actions. Alesha says Waldman caught him stealing tranquilizers. Matheson says Simon is a schizophrenic and she tells them to talk to his doctor Professor Martin Middlebrook.

In Professor Middlebrook’s office, he tells Alesha she should understand why he couldn’t talk to the police. Simon has been his patient for 6 months and he put him on a double blind trial for a new drug. The double blind is so no one knows whether the patient is getting the drug or the placebo. The drug has been a success. He says whatever made Simon do what he did is not because of his illness.

In the Old Bailey Robing Room, Alesha tells Jake she got something from Rachel Matheson, Jake commenting that Middlebrook blew her mental illness defense out of the water. He then looks at the paperwork.

In court, Matheson brings up her application to have Simon’s confession excluded under section 78 of Pace. Prior to his arrest, Simon was told he was under caution, but was told he could get legal advice only after he was arrested. Jake tries to argue the point but the judge rules in Matheson’s favor. She also asks that all charges be dropped, saying the Crown has no case. Jake tries to argue the evidence they have, but the judge agrees with Matheson.

In Natalie’s office, Ronnie gives Natalie and Sam the bad news. Later, Natalie checks up on Ronnie, who tells her that Simon’s father had a .22 caliber rifle like the firing pin in the bomb. She tells him to tell Jake and Alesha in the morning and then go home, adding “nice catch.”

At the home of Gordon and Mary Wells, Gordon admits to Alesha that he had a the rifle and uses it for shooting rabbits. The rifle went missing 6 weeks ago, he did not report it. When Gordon stammers when Alesha asks when Simon was last there, Mary says to Gordon that this is not helping. He says he was last there six weeks ago. Mary said Simon was staying with them and she came down in the morning and he was sitting in the corner naked. Middlebrook said Simon was having a panic attack. Mary said it was not a panic attack - the drugs aren’t working and no one seems to care.

Back at CPS, Director Henry Sharpe says it won’t stick, and Jake asks why not, the firing pin matches the dad’s gun. Henry says you can’t prove that Simon took it. Jake said no but it went “missing” (making air quotes with his hands) while Simon was there. Jake thinks Simon showed intent weeks before. Henry asks is it in the interest of justice to proceed and to they have a realistic prospect of a conviction, and asks if Jake just did a pair of rabbit ears? Henry answers his own questions by saying “No, no, and yes, don’t do it again.” Jake is frustrated that Simon just blows up Waldman and they would just let him go. Henry asks what else they could do, and Alesha suggests having him committed. She thinks Simon is a sick man and a danger to others and this would get him off the streets. She says he needs help and who else is going to see that he gets it? Henry comments that this morning she wanted to lock him up, and she counters that this morning she met his parents. Alesha feels that it might not be justice, but it is something. Jake thinks it won’t happen as Middlebrook will say he is fine as long as he takes his meds. Alesha counters that is not what his parents would say, and neither would Sara Waldman. Henry tells her to talk to Simon’s parents and if this is what they want, there will have to be a tribunal.

At the Mental Health Tribunal, Middlebrook is in front of the panel and lists all his credentials and his career experience. He adds he was at the Kronfeld Institute for Psychiatric Research in Munich. Matheson questions him and Middlebrook says as long as Simon continues to take his medication that he is not a threat. Alesha counters this is not what two other equally expert psychiatrists have said, but Middlebrook says they were only interviewing him for an hour and a half like a tag team and is not sure they should attach much weight to that. Alesha brings up his parents seeing him naked and crying, and Middlebrook says seeing a loved one in distress affects their perception of what is happening, When she asks him if he is saying that Simon’s parents are exaggerating, he says he is saying they are parent’s not doctors. When Alesha asks if it is possible he is mistaken, Middlebrook answers that the letter after his name are not there by accident and it is not likely.

Afterwards, while she walks down the street with Jake, Alesha fumes over Middleton’s statement. Jake doesn’t understand why Middlebrook would put himself on the line like that? Alesha adds that Middleton didn’t carry out the evaluations, his research assistant did. Simon's scores the day after the panic attack were perfect 10s. Jake wonders why she wasn’t the one giving evidence?

Alesha speaks with Miss Anstiss who says she conducted all of Simon’s evaluations after Middlebrook did the initial one and made a selection. She has been with Middlebrook with 18 years and was with him in Munich. Alesha mentions the panic attack and Antiss said she discussed with Middlebrook who said it wasn’t relevant.

Alesha chases down Jake in the courthouse hall and tells him that he just got off the phone with the place that Middlebrook was at in Munich. She found out that he was in charge of another drug test there about 7 years ago. One of his subjects started well but then his condition started to return. Middlebrook did nothing, even though the girl’s parent begged him to take he off the meds. After a while Middlebrook stopped returning their calls. Three weeks after that, the girl stepped in front of the Nuremburg-Munich Express. Jake says that Mister Infallible has form.

In Henry Sharpe’s office, Jake and Alesha have explained what they learned. Henry says once is a misfortune and twice is carelessness. Alesha thinks Middlebrook is covering up something, that Middlebrook stated T489 is a wonder drug and it isn’t. Henry said they know what Middlebrook states publicly, and tells them to talk to the company and see what he says privately.

At FRKL Pharma, Jake and Alesha speak with company representatives and Alesha asks if Middlebrook broke the double blind cover early and knew Simon was on the drug. Jake also asks if they were worried that the data for the double blind study was being gathered by his assistant. One man says they have the highest regard for Miss Anstiss. They even asked her to set up and in-house testing division,

Later, Jake and Alesha speak with Miss Anstiss who says Middlebrook said there was no conflict of interest. Jake tells her he is setting her up and she doesn’t even know it, and he is making her look responsible and giving her the motive to massage the data. He tells her to wake up, when this hits the fan Middlebrook will duck and she will get it full in the face. Jake tells her it wasn’t a panic attack and Alesha adds that they know about Munich and why that girl stepped in front of the train. Anstiss looks stunned and sits down. She says that Munich was one of those…it sometimes happens. She told Middlebrook that Simon’s symptoms were getting worse and he told her to alter the results. She thinks he already broke the double blind code an knew Simon was on the T489. Middlebrook told FRKL that Simon was a poster boy for the drug and how could he tell them it had all gone wrong. Jake asks that she just went along with it, and she replies that Martin is brilliant. He felt Simon would pull through. Simon did mention that Waldman was out to get him and that he was going to stop him once and for all. She told Middlebrook and he laughed and said that was just Simon and couldn’t she see the joke?

At CPS, Jake and Alesha speak with Middlebrook and his lawyer. Middlebrook said he thought Simon would pull through and he was wrong. He takes a condescending tone and says dealing with experimental drugs is never plain sailing and there will always be glitches. Jake tells the lawyer that Middlebrook knew the risks and did nothing. Jake said Middlebrook falsified data so it would look good in the eyes of the drug company. Jake says that make is manslaughter.

Later, Alesha is buried in files from FRKL. Jake says it is a snow job and now he knows they have something to hide.

As Jake and Alesha look through the files, Jake asks if she has anything that mentions Simon having a PET scan. Alesha says no. Jake says Middlebrook charged FRKL for 40 scans at a grand a pop, which is two for every patient. Alesha says he pocketed FRKL’s money and said they will love that. But Jake wants to be sure.

At the Maudsley Hospital, Simon tells her it was like he was living in someone else’s body. He can’t believe what he did but Alesha says he was sick. He says he was given a PET scan and Middlebrook took him himself, somewhere expensive in Marylebone.

Later, at BHI Health Services in Marylebone, Alesha sees the PET scan. The technician says whoever told her that Simon was schizophrenic never looked at the scan.

In the CPS conference room, Jake and Alesha – and Simon - are waiting as Middlebrook and his lawyer arrive. Jake explains they found out something important and Simon wanted to be there when they told them. Jake shows them a PET scan, which are used to make sure that a patient is not suffering from anything else before starting a drug test. Jake asks Middlebrook to tell him what an area on the PET scan means, and Simon answers for him, saying it means he is going to die – he has a tumor and is not schizophrenic. Alesha said Middlebrook would have found this out if he weren’t so busy cutting corners. Jake says the Middlebrook ignored Simon’s other symptoms of headaches and vomiting which are not from schizophrenia. Middlebrook says he did not have the time, that FRKL wanted to get the drug to market and the others on the drug were getting their lives back. He says the drug will make a difference for many. Alesha comments that he should have known the truth would come out. Middlebrook flippantly asks if she thinks he had some kind of master plan. Jake says no, he thinks at that stage he was only interested in saving his precious reputation. Middlebrook argues that he had a department to fund and a university and rug company on his back. He gets upset, asking if they know what that kind of pressure means. Simon asks if Middlebrook knows what inoperable means. Jake says that Middlebrook got the scan when his Simon’s symptoms returned and knew what it meant, and if he admitted he knew about the tumor he would have to admit about not having the scan done in the first place. Alesha adds that Simon could have received treatment right then and even made a full recovery, but instead he falsified the data. Simon says that Middlebrook sentenced him to death. Jake sarcastically asks if Middlebrook is sure the letters after his name are not there by accident. His lawyer says they are done. Simon orders Middlebrook to look at him, and he says he has three months if he is lucky. He adds that he killed that poor man and now he is dead too, and he knew. Simon gets up and leaves.

Jake tells Middlebrook that for the death of Waldman it is manslaughter and gross negligence, and that he will answer for Simon Wells, too. When the time comes, he will be charging him with murder.

Later, Simon’s parents are in Jake’s office, and they explain that Simon told them. His mother thanks them for making Middlebrook pay. Alesha says they don’t have to thank them, but Simon’s father says it is about all they can do. Jake tells them they can be strong for Simon and that the tumor will change him. Jakes says to just love him.

Elsewhere, Jake is speaking with a nurse, who tells them now that they have released some of the pressure, the pain is manageable. Later, Jake is sitting with his mother and she has a large bandage on her head. He strokes her hand and says it is OK, he is right there. We fade to black.


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Law & Order SVU “Missing Pieces” Recap & Review

Law & Order SVU “Missing Pieces” was sure missing something. The episode was dull and predictable, and all the actors seemed like they were going through the motions. This was the first episode that I got the feeling that they were cramming  as many actors in the scene as possible in order to get the feel that the whole team is on the case,  and at the same time get the audience acclimated to the newer additions to the cast. An example is the scene at the beach (where 4 detectives stood around and waited for the body to be located) and even at the end, where they were standing around watching Tim and Ali hugging each other.  Casey Novak's  presence was not much more than window dressing.

I also became bored quickly with the scenes of the parents in for questioning. Too many scenes of one person questioning another slows the   momentum. It doesn’t make a difference to me whether they switch back and forth between the characters being questioned – I have a tendency to mentally “drift” when there are too many scenes in interrogation or interview rooms,  which themselves are visually boring.

While the SVU squad is involved in the missing baby case, we get constant reminders of how much time has passed. Sadly, it felt like the same amount of time passed while I watched this episode…hours and hours and hours. I know that the detectives wanted to soft pedal their interrogation tactics with the parents to avoid getting lawyers involved, but there were times that I felt that taking a tougher stance may have been more effective and gotten to the truth faster.

I have to echo Rollins’ question at the end when she said “Really?” when Benson said they had to let them go. This action made no sense whatsoever. Sure, these parents did not kill the baby, but they lied and led police and the media on a wild goose chase. Amaro’s comment that they are going to be paying for it for the rest of their lives was laughable. My youngest sister died in her crib in 1966 and yes, this death has affected the whole family for our lifetime. But my parents didn’t cover it up – in fact, the first reaction was to call for medical help to try to save my sister. Tim and Ali  abused the Amber Alert process to cover what they thought was a death by their own negligence. They also buried a body on the beach! I can’t believe they weren’t charged with something just to make a point that what they did was wrong.

There was a scene where Benson and Amaro left the morgue that seemed  off.   Benson asks Amaro if they should tell the parents that the baby died of natural causes and Amaro says no, the ME is not positive. Benson is supposed to be the experienced one and she should know that you don’t tip your hand until you have the facts. I can understand if their dialog was reversed and Amaro had asked that question…but it seemed uncharacteristic for Benson to not know that she should keep her mouth shut about the ME's suspicions.

Here is the recap:

Cast
Mariska Hargitay – Detective Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Richard Belzer – Sergeant John Munch (did not appear)
Dann Florek – Captain Don Cragen
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro

Guest Stars
Tamara Tunie – Dr. Melinda Warner
Diane Neal – ADA Casey Novak
Lisa Joyce – Ali Martel
Dennis Flanagan - Dennis Flanagan
Charlie Tahan - Calvin


It’s Halloween and Benson is out for Halloween festivities with Calvin and Amaro is out with his daughter and his mother. Fin and Rollins are checking up on sex offenders to make sure they are not opening the doors for trick or treaters.

Ali Martel walks into a store looking for organic diapers, and suddenly she runs out of the store and screams. The detectives all get phone calls and have to cut the Halloween activities short.

Ali tells the officers that they stole her car and her son was in the back seat. She cries out that someone stole her baby, her son.

Later, Captain Cragen, Benson and Amaro are on the scene. Benson tells them that Ali said that her car was stolen with her 3 month old in the back seat. There were no witnesses and nothing on the traffic cams. Amaro says the parents, Ali Martel and her boyfriend Tim Holland are tourists from Buffalo. Tim went to check out a rental apartment and Ali won’t go to the precinct without him. Cragen does not want to give her a choice.

Benson and Amaro approach Ali and she is frantically trying to reach Tim by phone. She last spoke with him an hour ago. Meanwhile. Fin and Rollins speak with the store manager who never saw a baby.

As Benson and Amaro strongly coax Ali to go to the station, Tim approaches. Ali tells him that Nate was in the car when it was stolen. He becomes very upset and explodes. Benson and Amaro separate Ali and Tim. Amaro speaks with Tim. Tim says he was out meeting a jerk who screwed them out of $200 for a rental for an apartment Tim made on Craigslist because the apartment already had 6 gay guys staying there. Tim said they were a day late and got a slow start and they were tired so he pulled over and slept in the car. Ali tells Benson that the baby was sleeping and Tim parked the car and said he would be right back. Ali says they need to find Nate as he is lactose intolerant and only drinks soy formula. Benson assures her they will find her baby.

Back at SVU, with Nate missing 3 hours, Cragen, Fin, and Rollins watch TV coverage on the missing baby. Cragen complains that is just what the city needs, another tourist horror story, and he asks Fin and Rollins to tell him they have a lead. Fin says “stone cold no.” There is nothing on the surveillance camera and no witnesses to the car theft. Rollins adds that they have an alarm out of the Accord but there have been no hits at the toll booths. As Benson walks in with Ali, she asks where it Tim, and Benson explains he with Detective Amaro. Benson asks if she can get her anything, and Ali says she guesses she can’t smoke in there. Benson offers to have someone take her outside, but Ali replies she has to quit anyway, Nate started to grab the butts out of the ashtray,

Meanwhile, Tim is in an interrogation room with Amaro, and when Tim asks why he is there, Amaro says it is to give Tim privacy. Tim asks if Ali is OK and Amaro says to give them a minute.

Cragen tells the detectives to verify the parents’ version of their stories and to pull their cell records, credit cards, and track their route into the city. He asks if there are any holes in the story, and Benson says they are backing each other up, but Amaro says Tim has some issues. Cragen says he will get in touch with Buffalo so see what’s not on paper and tells Fin and Rollins to talk to the Craigslist renter.

Later, Amaro is on the phone with his daughter, and when he hangs up, he tells Benson everything with his daughter is a negotiation. Benson comments that she wonders where she gets that from. There is no sign of Nate, Benson asks Amaro what is his gut on Tim, and Amaro says they got off to a bad start and he got Tim’s ego up. Benson said Ali saw him as protecting her. They decide “do-se-do” and switch who they question. Cragen tells them he just heard from the precinct captain in Buffalo saying that Tim Holland has a domestic violence report from 6 months ago. It was called in by Ali’s sister as Ali refused to cooperate. No charges were filed.. Cragen is sending Fin and Rollins to Buffalo and tells Benson and Amaro to get Ali and Tim’s version.

At 4 hours missing, Fin and Rollins are at The Stuffed Monkey walking to the Craigslist guy. He tells them that Ali and Tim showed up a day late. He only met the guy. Fin gets a message and tells Rollins they are on the next plane to Buffalo.

Back in the interview room, Amaro speaks with Ali about the domestic violence issue and she says he never hit he. Tim found out she had a drink with an ex and Tim found out and twisted her arm and her sister overreacted. She says she can handle Tim and his moves is like waves. She says Tim fell in love with Nate and shows him a photo of Tim in the delivery room, saying Tim was bawling at the time.

Meanwhile, Benson speaks with an agitated Tim. He says the report from Buffalo was a misunderstanding. He said her bitch sister hates him. He loves Ali and she knows it. He apologized about it and he was on his knees. Benson asks if he apologized when he get angry and does things he regrets, and she hears a knock and moves to leave the room. Tim jumps up and says he wants to talk to Ali and asks what are they putting in her head. Benson calmly tells him to sit tight.

Cragen tells Benson and Amaro they have a lead on the car, it was abandoned at the Willis Avenue Bridge.

Benson and Amaro race to the car and sees that the window to the car is broken. They pop the trunk and there is no baby. Benson calls out that they need a level one mobilization to check the hillside, woods, and the river.

Back at SVU, Cragen comments it has been 16 hours since Nate went missing and there are no leads. There is no sign of could play with the car and the only prints on the steering wheel were Tim’s. Cragen comments that either the car thief wore gloves or this did not go down as they say. He tells Benson and Amaro to keep them talking.

Amaro speaks with Ali and tells her they found the car but not Nate. He asks about Nate being on the car seat. He begins to question her about why they made the trip and other small talk about her life. He also asks about Tim and his job and she indicated work is sparse but it is hard for everyone up there.

At 17 hours missing and at the home of Ali’s sister Moira Martell, Fin and Rollins, Moira explains that Tim stays with his mom and Ali stays with her. She has never seen him abuse Tim. She said that Tim twisted Ali’s arm so bad it was purple for a week. She says Tim is in Ali’s blind spot. Fin asks to look in Nate’s bedroom, and he sleeps with Ali. She last saw Nate on Sunday before they left. They got a late start as the car needed a new fan belt. She saw them put Nate in the car, sucking on his toy key and holding his dinosaur.

Back at SVU, Tim asks Benson when are they going to find his son? She tries to reassure him but he doesn’t understand why all the questions. She explains that anything he remembers may help them. But he claims he wasn’t even there. She knows he was meeting about the Craigslist rental, and adds that she talked to the guy. He claims he is not lying about that. She continues to try to calm him but he is upset he was not there to protect his boy. He says he screwed it up, and Benson whispers that it is OK. He says it is not and that she doesn’t think so and that Ali doesn’t think so. He thinks Ali will find a way to blame him.

A man walks in to SVU with a car seat and says he needs to talk to somebody, adding that he didn’t do anything. Later, Cragen tells Benson and Amaro that Mr. Hernandez bought the car seat from a peddler in Tompkins Square Park and his wife recognized it as the one from the news. The car seat matches their photo, down to the toys. Cragen adds CSU is processing it and he has officers canvassing the park. Cragen tells them to take Hernandez to the park to find the peddler.

At Tompkins Square Park, the peddler is located and he is selling baby items. Benson asks him where he got the stuff and when he says he has suppliers, Amaro asks for their names. The man says it is confidential, and Benson tells him to have it his way and Benson arrests him for larceny.

Back at SVU in interrogation with Amaro and Benson, Mr. Coogan says he didn’t see a baby and won’t admit to breaking into the car. He realizes that they don’t care about the stolen items - this is about a baby. He then admits to breaking the window and taking the items, but no baby. The car was locked. It was just as it was getting dark. He then asks for a lawyer.

Afterwards, Amaro tells Cragen that guy did not take the kid, and ADA Casey Nowak asks where are they with the parents. Benson says that neither of them are hard core criminals but something happened between there and Buffalo but though they would come up with a better story. Novak instructs them to keep them talking as they don’t have enough probable cause for an arrest. Amaro has the prelim report on the items in the car – the lab found traces of fecal matter and soy formula in the cooler. When Benson asks if they put the baby in the cooler, Cragen adds it was the baby’s body.

Later, Amaro walks into the interview room where Ali is sleeping. He stares at her and then closes the door loudly enough to wake her. She knows that they haven’t found Nate yet and asks if he is dead. He asks if that is what she thinks, and she says he would have found him by now. He asks her to go back to Buffalo and retell her recollection of events, saying that sometimes the smallest detail makes a difference.

Meanwhile, Benson is with Tim and she shows him photos of the recovered items and he says they are his but when she shows him the photos of the cooler he gets quiet. He then says the coolers all look alike. He starts to evade her but she says this one has his fingerprints on it. She also tells him what the lab found in the cooler. He wonders if Ali put a diaper in there, but Benson counters that no mother pouts a dirty diaper in a cooler. Benson tells him he has two choices – the good outcome would be that this was an accident, that the baby fell and hit his head, and the bad outcome would be that he lost his temper and maybe shook Nate. When he says that did not happen, she asks him to tell him what happened. He becomes irate and gets in her face and tells her not to attack him. She glares right back at him and he begin to cry and calmly says he is sorry. Benson whispers that that doesn’t matter and asks how did Nate end up in the cooler. He doesn’t answer.

Later, Benson tells Cragen that Tim is overloaded and he shut down. Cragen tells her that Amaro and Ali “haven’t left Buffalo yet.”

Amaro continues to talk to Ali about what happened that day. When Amaro brings up them getting into New York late, Ali mentions that Tim was too tired to drive so they slept at a rest stop. Amaro coldly tells her to stop it, saying so far she has been telling the truth, but the thing with sleeping in the car is a lie. She say it is not but he tells her again to stop. She explains they had to sleep in a motel, the Binghamton Motor Lodge. Tim did not want her sister to know. Amaro looks out to Cragen and Benson who are observing behind the mirrored glass, and Cragen moves to make a phone call, saying that is the first lie. He gets Fin on the phone and asks where is he.

At the Binghamton Motor Lodge, Fin and Rollins speak to the motel manager and he says he saw Ali and Tim in there, and Nate was there in the car seat under the table. Ali and Tim acted like he wasn’t even there. They were arguing about Nate’s Halloween costume. They were there until closing time at 4:00.

Back at SVU, Amaro questions Ali about what they found out about her being in the bar at the motel. She said they had to bring Nate in, there was no one to watch him. Meanwhile, Tim tells Benson Ali lies sometimes and likes to tell people what she thinks they want to hear. Benson question him about the motel, adding whatever happened was not his fault, it was the alcohol. She does not think he left the house with the intent to hurt his son. She thinks it was not intentional. Tim cries and said he didn’t do it. Benson said it was Ali and that they had been arguing in the bar. Amaro is trying to get Ali to admit that Tim did it, but she says she just wants to go back and make it not happen. She says she is so sorry. Tim tells Benson that Ali is smarter than he, and she talks faster and sometimes he needs her to shut up. Benson tries to push Tim, and he mentions the stupid costume. When Benson quietly suggests that Tim was frustrated and he took that out on Nate, he says no. he says that Nate was in his car seat and the car got stolen, like Ali said. Benson reminds him he just said Ali is a liar and asked which one is it.

Observing, Novak asks Cragen when is this guy going to give it up and Cragen says Liv is getting to him and he is going to go. Novak asks if they have been Mirandized, and Cragen replies early on. Amaro walks in and says Ali is going to draw a map of where they buried the baby.

At Twin Island on Orchard Beach at 39 hours missing, the baby is found buried with his blanket and his toy. Amaro says Ali did not want him to be alone.

In the morgue, ME Warner tells Benson and Amaro that Nate was healthy and well developed an there were no signs of abuse and the way he was buried indicate he was loved. She does not know how he died. There is no signs of trauma, no needle marks. They will have to wait for the tox screen. She says it would help to know where he died, and Benson says they are working on it. Benson catches up to Amaro who is walking away and asks if he is OK. He doesn’t answer, but says whatever happened Ali and Tim are covering for each other. Benson says they aren’t going anywhere and suggests that Amaro go home and hug his daughter. He says she is taking a nap.  Benson tells him she used to be him, and he says he knows. She said she is the last person giving parental advice. He says this kid needs them.

Back at SVU, Amaro and Rollins speak with Ali who comments that they found him and if he was OK. Rollins asks Ali to tell them what happened. Meanwhile, Tim tells Benson and Fin that he did not kill his son and Ali would not either. Benson asks how this happened and he says he does not know. He wants to talk to Ali. Amaro and Rollins continue to work on Ali to turn on Tim, but she won’t. Fin presses Tim to make a decision and when Tim asks if maybe he should call a lawyer, Fin says a lawyer will only tell him to stop talking and look out for himself and that Tim is not that kind of man. Tim says he asked Ali to marry him when she was pregnant but she did not want to do it like that. He didn’t feel obligated. Benson says he loves her and that is why he is going to do the right thing. Benson asks him to tell them what happened in the hotel room.

Ali tells Amaro that she didn’t take care of Nate, but Amaro says the ME said Nate was loved and cared for and that she will tell him what Tim did to Nate. Tim tells Benson that Nate would not stop crying and he just wanted him to stop so he could close his eyes. Tim cries and said he picked him up and shook him. Ali was screaming at him. But he kept shaking him until he stopped crying. Buy Ali says it was not Tim’s fault, and says she did it. Nate was crying and she thought if she gave him a bath he would quiet down. She put him in the tub and dozed off, and when she woke up he was under water.

Outside of interrogation, Cragen comments to the detectives and Novak that Ali and Tim are still protecting each other. Benson reminds them Warner saw no signs of trauma. Amaro said that Warner said there were no water in the lungs but what Ali said seemed real. Rollins wonder if they are playing them to create reasonable doubt. Benson does not think they are that sophisticated. Novak says they have two confessions and she will charge them both and let a jury decide. Cragen asks on what – there is no cause of death, and suggests if she wants to help, she should lean on the ME.

Warner tells Amaro and Benson if that is what the parents told them, they are both lying. The baby was not dropped, shaken, drowned, or smothered. There is nothing on the tox screen and it was not murder or an accident. Warner needs to examine the motel room and the home, and asks if the mother was a smoker. Amaro answers yes. Warner indicates that is a risk factor for SIDS – sudden infant death syndrome. It will take a while to confirm but that is what her gut is telling her.

Afterwards, Benson tells Amaro that they each confessed to killing Nate because they love each other. Benson asks if they tell them the baby died of natural causes. Amaro says no, the ME is not positive, and they need to tell them what really happened and until they do, they will never know for sure.

Back at SVU, Tim admits he did not shake him and the truth is he does not know what happened. He passed out and when he work up Ali was holding Nate on the bed. Separately, Ali tells Amaro Nate was fussy and wouldn’t settle and she was afraid she would wake Tim so she put him in their bed on his back. She was careful. No covers, no pillows. She work up and Nate was not breathing. Tim said she was rocking him and singing to him and he asked her what was wrong. She did not answer him, and she just kept signing. Ali said she tried to get him to wake up and tried to breathe into his mouth. She did not call for help as she doesn’t know who would believe them. She said it was her idea to put Nate in the cooler and drive to New York and bury him. Tim left the car under the bridge and then she told the police that the baby was taken as everyone knows in New York City bad things happen all the time. She says she did it, and she must have rolled over on him or something. She cries and said she killed her baby. But Amaro tells her that the ME says that Nate died of SIDS and that sometimes babies just die. She asks if he is sure, and he says yes. Ali says that the three of them lying in bed together – Tim snoring – it wasn’t perfect but it was good and she was happy. She asks why us. She said when Amaro woke her up before, she was dreaming Nate was dead and then when she woke up she thought maybe it was just a nightmare and he was just asleep and everything was fine. Then she remembered. She asks if she can talk to Tim now, and Amaro says yes.

As Tim is led into the room, Benson, Amaro, Fin, Rollins and Cragen watch as he and Ali embrace.  Cragen asks now what. Benson says they let them go. Rollins asks, “Really?” and Fin adds “After what they put the city through?” Amaro says they will be paying for this for the rest of their lives. Benson shakes her head, and says “Just send them home.” Tim and Ali hug each other and Benson and Amaro watch as we fade to black.





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