Law & Order SVU seemed to be on hiatus for so long I was worried that viewers would forget about it. “Justice Denied” was an episode that was clearly worth the wait. It begins with a flashback taken from the episode “Quarry” that first aired in January 2005 (from a 2004 case). While this dialog was taken from “Quarry,” I do not believe that “Justice Denied” is an actual revisiting of the primary case in “Quarry”. I am sure there are nitpickers out there who can help confirm or refute this.
It seems the entire season so far has been building to this episode. This was a well crafted story where Olivia Benson’s work, her friendship with Bayard Ellis, and her romantic relationship with EADA David Haden would collide in spectacular fashion. Sadly, it’s Benson who winds up losing at the end. Her relationship with Haden goes by the wayside as he isn’t willing to sacrifice his new promotion. She understands, but my suspicious nature wonders if David wasn’t just using her – and her access to controversial cases - just to find a way to advance his own career. It seemed all too easy for him to turn on his professional persona when needed. It was either that, or the fact that Harry Connick Jr. comes across cold even in scenes where he should be personable. (I actually feel bad for saying anything negative about Harry’s acting because I really enjoy his singing and music.) Andre Braugher is perfect as Bayard Elllis, a lawyer driven to defend people who have been wronged. At the same time, he maintains a good working friendship with Benson, despite her being in a job with which Ellis, or other lawyers like him, can sometimes be at odds.
“Justice Denied” was an exceptional episode where Mariska showed the breadth of her acting ability. One of the biggest improvements with SVU this season has been the writing; each story seems completely believable and the dialog seems very true to the characters. Fans should feel proud of the work that the entire SVU production team is doing this season.
Here is the recap:
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Detective Olivia Benson
Ice T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Richard Belzer – Sergeant John Munch
Dann Florek – Captain Don Cragen
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro
Guest stars:
Andre Braugher – Bayard Ellis
Harry Connick Jr. – EADA David Haden
Guillermo Diaz – Omar Pena
Mark Consuelos -Mike Martinez
Cynthia LaForte - Gina Logan
David Harris – the Warden
Ramon Fernandez - Javier
Tabitha Holbert – ADA Rose Callay
Max Baker – Rope Guy
Ami Brabson – Judge K. Blake
Samantha Soule - Ariel Baskins
Story by: Stuart Feldman, Warren Leight
Teleplay: Stuart Feldman
Back in 2004, Omar Pena is in SVU interrogation with Detective Olivia Benson, and he is breathing heavily. Afterwards, Captain Don Cragen asks if she got her confession, and Benson nods, saying he held out for 9 hours. He hands her an envelope and says the desk sergeant asked him to bring this up, and then asks her if she wants any coffee. She says yes, then adds two eggs over easy, hash browns, and toast. Cragen turns and looks back at her, but she smiles and says coffee is fine.
In the present day at Green Haven Correctional Facility, the warden arrives at Omar Pena’s cell, and the guard tells Pena is it judgment day. The other inmates clap for Pena as he walks out but the man tells Pena not to get his hopes up.
In the courtroom, the judge confirms that Pena wants to represent himself and he has a motion to vacate his conviction based on new evidence, and asks what new evidence. Pena says the evidence is pending a retesting of the DNA at the crime scene. The prosecutor says there was no DNA at the crime scene, and Pena says none based on the technology of the time but new techniques can obtain DNA from much smaller amounts of trace evidence. The prosecutor tersely argues that Pena wants then to overturn a conviction based on evidence Pena does not have. Pena states that the state has the means at their disposal to prove that he is not the man who committed this horrible crime. The judge asks if he means the crime he confessed to – the rape and torture of Ariel Baskins, whom he tied up, stabbed, and tried to blind her with ammonia. Pena says he has maintained for 8 years that confession was elicited under extreme duress. He says he recanted, but the judge interrupts and says it was after he pleaded guilty and the victim ID’d him. She rules that he failed to make the standard to overturn his conviction and denies the motion.
Outside a bar – it’s fleet week – a woman stumbles out with a Navy officer and tells her female friend they are going dancing but her friend Gina decides to pass. When Gina gets to her apartment she is immediately attacked as she tries to open the door. Later. she is bound to her bed, gagged, and bleeding, and she reaches for the phone and pulls it toward her.
Later, Benson arrives at the scene and is on the phone with EADA David Haden, and she is apologizing for sneaking out on him, saying she would have woken him but then probably would not have left. She enters the apartment and Detective Nick Amaro tells her the victim is Gina Logan, and explains the unis responded to her 911 call and found her tied to the bed. Her attacker forced her inside and was wearing a sailor’s uniform. EMS took her to Mercy and is still in serious condition Benson notices a bottle of ammonia cleaner on the floor and Amaro says the attacker poured ammonia in her eyes and tried to blind her. Benson asked if she was gagged, and when Amaro confirms that, Benson asks if he cut her below the chest, and Amaro says three slashes. Benson knows the attacker – adding they put him away for life 8 years ago, but thinks this is him.
Back at SVU, Benson asks Rollins if she is sure, and Rollins explains that she spoke to the warden herself; Pena was in his cell as of 10 minutes ago. Benson insists this is Pena’s MO, mentioning the Navy uniform, fleet week, torture, the ammonia. Benson says if Rollins told her someone took his place in prison, she would believe it. Rollins says it is possible. Pena had a hearing in New York a week ago to get his conviction overturned and he lost but maybe he staged a flip. Cragen approaches and tells them to back up, asking if they are talking about last night’s attack, and asks how is the victim. Amaro says that Gina Logan has chemical burns to the eyes and she has slash wounds, the attacker did a number on her. There are no leads and CSU is still checking for prints and running the rape kit. Cragen asks if Benson thinks he knows this guy, and Benson explains that they put Omar Pena away in 2004 and he confessed and the victim, Ariel Baskins, ID’d him. Pena spent the last 8 years recanting. Rollins asks if he had an accomplice and Fin says he remembers this case, the victim was alone with him for 10 hours in hell and was gagged with her own scarf and bound in rope and the guy never said a word and there was no partner. Cragen asks if Pena switched with a doppelganger when he was being transferred for the hearing, and Benson thinks maybe he got somebody on the outside to mimic his MO. Amaro wonders if a copycat would through suspicion on his conviction. Cragen tells Benson and Amaro to head up to Green Haven and talk to whoever is in his cell and tells Fin and Rollins to go to the hospital and see if the doctors will let them interview Gina
At Mercy Hospital, Rollins speaks with Gina and asks her if she saw the man before who attacked her. Gina, struggling to talk, says no, and tells Rollins the man was Hispanic in a white Navy uniform. He never spoke. The nurse enters the room and tells Rollins the doctor told Rollins to come back tomorrow. Meanwhile, Fin speaks with Gina’s friend Courtney and asks where was the bar the two girls were hanging out. She explains it was a dive they go to when the ships are in. When Rollins approaches and asks if any Hispanic guys talk to them, Courtney says it was fleet week, it was like the UN in there. She last saw Gina outside the bar around midnight. She hooked up with an officer and they were headed to a club and Gina felt like the third wheel so she walked home and Gina was drunk. Courtney feels she should have never left her alone. Fin says the rope guy at CSU has something, and Rollins seems surprised that that they have a rope guy. Fin shrugs, saying “Yeah. Guess I’ve been on this job too long.”
At the CSU lab, the rope guy is more interested in the knot, they guy used a clove hitch on the wrist and a bowline to tie her to the bed. This is something taught in Navy training. He demonstrates how he wrapped the working end around and finishes on the inside, and says whoever tied these knots finished on the outside, meaning the attacker is left handed.
