The season 13 finale of
Law & Order SVU “Rhodium Nights” began with a dead woman at a bachelor party with high-profile attendees. This quickly turned into a more complicated case involving an undercover detective, pimp wars, and possible corruption at various levels of law enforcement and government. Amaro’s marital problems and his interactions with a witness, and Benson’s past relationship with ADA Haden could be used against them. As if that was not enough, the season ended with Captain Cragen waking up to find a dead escort in his bed, the witness in the initial murder case.
Season 14 completes the story in a two episode season premiere where Captain Cragen ends up in Rikers, Amaro finds his marriage falling apart with his wife leaving town with their daughter, and the SVU squad tries to get to the bottom of two dueling pimps and the related murder victims who are quickly piling up in their wake. We also have an interim captain who does what interim captains are supposed to do – get on everyone’s nerves at a time when everyone is always on edge.
Looking at the episodes individually, “Lost Reputation” felt a little dull. With the exception of the final scene with Amaro and Cassidy, the episode seemed devoid of suspense for me. It was also during this episode when I had the strong feeling that Foster was part of the problem. It was as if her daughter’s medical problem screamed “I would sell my soul for money.” I quickly forgot my slight disappointment in that episode after watching “Above Suspicion” which picked up the pace and brought some much needed drama and surprise. The carjacking and subsequent shooting scene was done very well and Benson’s anguish over Cassidy being shot felt very real. Despite Benson and Cassidy’s hospital kiss, I wonder if there can be any sustained romance between those two. Does Benson know enough about him to really trust Cassidy?
Count me as one person who is happy that Amaro’s wife and daughter are out of the picture (and I hope they stay out). The story lines dealing with his marriage were not even remotely interesting to me and I always felt they got in the way of the telling of special victims stories. (If it means anything, I never liked any stories dealing with Stabler’s wife and kids, either, so at least I am consistent.) I think that Danny Pino did a fine job of making Nick Amaro into an emotional ticking time bomb, but I hope Amaro doesn't hold on to the anger issues as long as Stabler.
Paget Brewster was a perfect fit as Paula Foster, who was both the tough, rational Public Integrity Unit DA and also the caring mother who worried about her child who had a serious, and expensive, medical problem. Adam Baldwin was a nice addition as the very authoritative interim captain.
All in all, this was a fine start to the Law & Order SVU’s 14th season. I’m looking forward to seeing what repercussions this case will have on the team as the season unfolds.
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
Tamara Tunie – ME Warner
Dean Winters - Detective Brian Cassidy
Adam Baldwin - Captain Steven Harris
Laura Benanti - Maria Grazie
Paget Brewster – Public Integrity Unit Bureau Chief Paula Foster
Peter Jacobson - Bart Ganzel
Ron Rifkin - Marvin Exley
Brooke Smith - Delia Wilson
Reg E. Cathey – Ganzel’s Attorney, Barry Querns
Pippa Black – Carissa Gibson
Jason Cerbone – Terrence Quinn
Amy Hargreaves – Iris Peterson
Michael Potts – Unnamed NYPD Detective
Sharon Washington – Unnamed Supreme Court Judge
Courtney Reed – Uniform Officer Alana Gonzalez
Michael Mastro – Arraignment Judge D. Serani
The episode begins with brief recap of the events of the last episode,
"Rhodium Nights". Benson is awakened by a phone call. It’s Captain Cragen. She quickly sits up and a look of shock comes over her face. The story moves 14 hours before the time where Captain Don Cragen wakes up with a dead hooker in his bed and the events leading up to Cragen waking up unfold:
Exley tells Cragen, Benson, and Amaro that Delia Wilson has the goods on everyone they work for, and he makes threats;
Amaro and Benson argue, he says Exley has had SVU in his sights for a long time and tells Benson he thinks Cassidy is the problem, and he brings up David Haden;
Cassidy tells Benson that everybody has a skeleton and there are taps on cops, he mentions the DA’s office and it goes up to Haden, calling him a self righteous asshat. He says even Cragen’s name has come up on some lists and doesn’t know if he is involved or being set up;
Outside the precinct, Carissa speaks to Amaro about the governor’s death but has cold feet and runs off;
Amaro comes home. He gets a call from Carissa and his wife Maria is upset that Amaro will talk to Carissa but not to her;
Carissa meets at a diner with Cragen and says she went to Amaro and said she was afraid, and Amaro said he could protect her if she went to a hotel with her. Later, Cragen seems out of it as he walks home from the diner. Carissa, who caught up with him to return his car keys that he left there, notices he is not okay and goes with him to his apartment;
At Ganzel’s loft, he gets a phone call and tells Cassidy to leave the room.
Back to current time:
Cragen walks into his bedroom with Benson, He said he called 911 and they are on their way. He did not touch a thing. She asks what the hell happened. Cragen shows his bloodied hands and replies he has no idea. Benson recognizes the body is Carissa's. Cragen explains that he woke up and she was dead, and blood was everywhere. He doesn’t remember how she got there. A loud knock on the door is heard and Benson calls out that they are in the bedroom. She cautions Cragen not to say anything until his lawyer gets there. Benson identifies herself to the arriving detective, who tells her this is not her case and she must wait outside. She nods, and then looks to Cragen before she exits the bedroom. The detective asks Cragen if he knows the victim, and Cragen says yes – Carissa Gibson – and she was a witness in an SVU murder investigation.
Outside, the detective walks Cragen to the car, and Benson asks Cragen if he is OK. He says yes but he is a little tense and they have to get him to the hospital. Benson tells the detective that Cragen needs to see a doctor and she will ride with him. But a woman walks up and tells Benson that she knows better than that. Benson asks who is she, and the woman identifies herself as Paula Foster from the DA’s Public Integrity Unit, and says this is her investigation, not SVU’s. Someone from CSU tells walks up and shows Foster a bagged knife, saying she found it in the bathroom sink. Foster comments that she was told that Benson was on the crime scene when the officers arrived, and asks Benson if she saw that knife or touch anything. Benson replies that she knows better than that. Foster says that Benson knows better than to interfere…and Benson cuts her off, saying that Cragen has been her Captain for 14 years. Foster doesn’t care, telling Benson whatever they talked about Benson will have to testify to a grand jury. Cragen can “take 5” but Benson can’t. Benson tersely responds that she is well aware of that. Foster asks Benson if there is anything she wants to tell her, and Benson says “Yeah. He didn’t do this.” Benson turns and watches as Cragen is taken away in a squad car.
