Thursday, January 31, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Secrets Exhumed” Advance Photos

Here are advance photos from Law & Order SVU “Secrets Exhumed” which will air on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, and guest stars Harold Perrineau (as Brian Traymor) and Marcia Gay Harden (as FBI Agent Dana Lewis).


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












Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC © NBC Universal, Inc.




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 “Monster’s Legacy” Advance Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU, “Monster’s Legacy” which will air on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T, and guest stars Susanne Shepherd (as Olga Dubcek), Peter Scenario (as Johnny Dubcek), Dario Hardeman (as Kassandra Rhodes), Eve Plumb (as Angela Brooks) and Mike Tyson (as Reggie Rhodes).


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Monster’s Legacy " can be found at this link.










Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC © NBC Universal, Inc.




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 “Criminal Hatred” Recap & Review


Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred” began with the SVU team chasing down a gay man who was hooking up with men and then raping, beating, and robbing them. Once they had their man but had weak evidence, ADA Barba tried to go the hate crime route in order to get a stiffer penalty. Barba finds himself up against an attorney who at first meeting he seems to condescend, maybe thinking her abilities are no match for his. She later turns out to be a formidable opponent. Nia Vardalos was enjoyable to watch as her character continued to find ways to foil the usually confident Barba. In fact, I thought the two had great chemistry as legal opponents.

The episode was light on action and fairly predictable, but as I have always been a big fan of the legal aspects of all the Law & Order shows, I enjoyed the courtroom scenes. Raúl Esparza is a bit of a scene stealer – I mean this in a good way.  It’s hard not to focus on him. It’s not just because Barba is a sharp dressed ADA or that he has a cocky air about him. Esparza physically takes charge of the scene by simply using interesting facial expressions and/or body movements to punctuate his lines. Sometimes it's even the use of a prop such as a glass of scotch or tapping on a chair. When the story tends to be a little dull, as this one was, it’s good to have a character that brings a spark to the screen.

I am a little fuzzy on the argument about the crime not being a hate crime as it involved a subset of a protected class. I suppose I have to do a little more reading on the issue.

Again, no Cragen and no Munch. At least we got a passing explanation for Cragen’s absence. While the writers are doing a great job developing the witty banter between Fin and Rollins, I really miss Munch’s commentary.



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:
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Nia Vardalos – Counselor Minnona Efron
Paul Fitzgerald – Charles Murphy
Victoria Rowell - Judge Delilah Hawkins
Max Carpenter – Jeremy Jones
Jenny Bacon – Laurel Dunleavy
Annika Boras – Melissa Murphy
Wass Stevens – Strip Club Owner
Fred Norris – Leon
Andres Quintero – Mason Clark
Jeff Talbot – Curtis Armstrong
James Lloyd Reynolds – Ethan Jackson
Greg Connolly – Todd Wyman
Miguel Pinzon – Jace
Tationna Bosier – Ingrid
Anna-Marie Cusson - Jury Forewoman
Connor Priest – Hunter Murphy



Fin and Amaro are working undercover, cruising a gay bar while Benson and Rollins watch from their nearby car. Benson says the suspect is a fit looking male, white, between 25-40 with blonde hair, hitting on other men. Benson says it will take cop instincts and Fin and Amaro will just have to sort through them.

Elsewhere,  Melissa leaves the house with the kids and complains to her husband, Charles Murphy, that someone asked to meet him on a Friday night.  Charles says it is an acquisition and they can’t be seen talking to the other side’s lawyer. Later, Charles walks into a gay bar and scopes things out. He locks eyes with a man with slicked back hair sitting at the bar. They later are in a hotel room and when Charles asks how he would like his drink, the man says “straight, like you.” Charles replies if he were straight they wouldn’t be there, and he is glad they are. He also says that the man has nice eyes, and the man says he has some other nice parts too, asking if he wants to see them. Charles swigs down his drink and puts down his phone.

Sometime later, Melissa is calling him on his cell but Charles is laying in the bed, beaten and groaning, and gagged.

Later, Benson and Rollins are in the hotel room as Charles Murphy is being taken by EMS. Rollins says the hotel only has cameras in front and Charles checked in alone and thinks his company used a side door, and she thinks he may have walked right by them last night. Benson calls it bad luck; whoever picked him up did his usual number. Rollins says he tied him up, rear entry, and stole his wallet. As Charles was beaten up, Benson thinks their perp is escalating. Benson looks at his phone and sees 5 missed calls from his wife, guessing he was supposed to be with them.

Back at SVU, Benson says Cragen is at One PP and they want to know how this could have happened when they were on the scene. Fin thinks it was because there was only 4 of them and 400 gay bars. Rollins adds that none of the previous vics want to talk about it. Benson says they are closeted gay men and the perp knows how to pick them. Rollins thinks there are more that never reported it/ Amaro gets off the phone and says that Charles Murphy just woke up.

Amaro and Benson walk into the hospital room and Melissa Murphy asks them if they found the man who attacked his husband. Benson says they are working on it. Melissa wonders why the attacker hurt Charles, he would have just given him his wallet, and  she asks if he did this to other people. Benson asks if she can give her a list of the credit cards Charles had in his wallet. He tells her he has it at home and despite his wife not wanting to leave him, Benson says it would be a help.  Melissa leaves the room. When Amaro questions the “mugger” excuse, Charles asks him what was he supposed to say, he’s been married for 16 years with 3 kids. Amaro asks if he can at least tell them what happened, and Charles states he will not be able to testify. Amaro says to worry about that later and to just help to get this guy. Charles says he doesn’t remember much and had a lot to drink. Benson says the man has done this to 4 others that they know of, hurting them worse as he goes along. Amaro says the man targets people like him, in places where they were not supposed to be. Charles says he gets these urges and tries to fight them and when Benson says they are not judging him, he says his firm is not gay friendly. If he loses his wife and his family he loses everything. He says to leave him alone, he is sorry he can’t help them. Benson and Amaro leave.

At a smoke shop, Fin and Rollins tell the owner that Charles Murphy bought a $200 water pipe and charged it to his Amex last night at 2AM. Rollins asks for surveillance video and of course he doesn’t have any. He describes the buyer as 5’10”, blond hair, and "gay face."  Fin tells the guy he is coming to the station to help make a sketch. When he balks and as another man walks in, Rollins makes her badge obvious and the guy leaves. Rollins says they will stay there and keep him company till closing time. He grudgingly agrees to come with them.


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Ice-T, Richard Belzer Appear in “30 Rock” Series Finale

Law & Order SVU's Ice-T and Richard Belzer will appear in the series finale of “30 Rock: Hogcock!” – a 1 hour finale which will begin airing at 8:00 PM ET on Thursday, January 31, 2013 on NBC. Here are photos, with Jane Krakowski, set in what looks like an SVU-themed scene.



Photo by: Ali Goldstein/NBC © NBC Universal, Inc.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Photos: Mariska Hargitay On Location for SVU

Mariska Hargitay was in the rain filming scenes for Law & Order: SVU in New York City, New York on January 28, 2013. Here are a few photos














Photos by: FameFlynet Pictures




Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Monster’s Legacy” Episode Information



Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Monster’s Legacy", now set to air on February 6:


Law & Order SVU “Monster’s Legacy” Air Date February 6, 2013 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)


DETECTIVE BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) ASKS BAYARD ELLIS (GUEST STAR ANDRE BRAUGHER) TO REOPEN THE CASE OF A MURDERER ON DEATH ROW (GUEST STAR MIKE TYSON) WHEN SECRETS ABOUT HIS PAST ARE REVEALED. ED ASNER ALSO GUEST STARS.

When a janitor brutally attacks an athletic coach, the SVU connects his violent behavior to a history of sexual abuse by someone he trusted. The detectives soon uncover more victims of the same predator, including a prisoner on death row (guest star Tyson). When the truth finally comes out, Detective Benson (Hargitay) enlists Bayard Ellis (guest star Braugher) to dig into the case before the looming execution date. Also starring Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Danny Pino (Detective Nick Amaro) and Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins).


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Monster’s Legacy " can be found at this link.



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred which will air on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 9PM ET on NBC. The episode features guest stars Nia Vardalos and Raúl Esparza.


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





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Secrets Exhumed” Episode Information




Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU “Secrets Exhumed”, now set to air on February 13:



Law & Order SVU “Secrets Exhumed” Air Date February 13, 2013 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)


IN A POWERFUL NEW EPISODE, FBI AGENT DANA LEWIS (GUEST STAR MARCIA GAY HARDEN) RETURNS TO PARTNER WITH THE SVU

When FBI Agent Dana Lewis (guest star Harden) suspects that a 25 year-old rape-murder case in New York is connected to several unsolved cases across the country, she joins the SVU in investigating the crimes. As Lewis relentlessly pursues her prime suspect (guest star Harold Perrineau), Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Amaro (Danny Pino) have their doubts about his guilt. Also starring Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Richard Belzer (Sergeant John Munch) and Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins.) Also guest starring Jay Karnes.


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









Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Law & Order SVU – UK – LA Promos (Netherlands)

Here are 3 promos for Law & Order SVU, Law & Order UK, and Law & Order LA from the Netherlands.













Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred” Advance Photos

Here are advance photos from Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred" which will air on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Danny Pino, and guest stars Nia Vardalos (as Counselor Minonna Efron), Max Carpenter (as Jeremy Jones), and Paul Fitzgerald (as Charles Murphy).











Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC © NBC Universal, Inc.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred” Episode Information



Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Criminal Hatred”:


Law & Order SVU “Criminal Hatred” Air Date January 30, 2013 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)

ADA BARBA TRIES A MURDER CASE AGAINST AN UNPREDICTABLE DEFENSE ATTORNEY (GUEST STAR NIA VARDALOS) IN A SHOWDOWN THAT STRETCHES THE BOUNDARIES OF THE LAW.

The SVU detectives go undercover to arrest a man who targets and brutally attacks other men. They gather enough evidence for ADA Barba (Raúl Esparza) to file charges, but the case begins to spiral as he contends with a deceptively tough defense attorney (guest star Vardalos.) Also starring Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Danny Pino (Detective Nick Amaro), and Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins). Also guest starring Victoria Rowell ("The Young and The Restless") and Fred Norris ("The Howard Stern Show")


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









Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Law & Order SVU “Beautiful Frame” Recap & Review


Law & Order SVU “Beautiful Frame” was an intriguing episode that felt more like a Law & Order episode than an SVU episode. Mind you, I am not complaining; I liked this episode. As Law & Order is always first and foremost in my heart, any SVU episode that offers a good legal story line is always enjoyable. Raúl Esparza adds a much needed spark, and I find myself waiting with bated breath to find out what color or patterned suspenders he will be wearing next.

I won’t complain that the primary case wasn’t really an SVU case. The connection between a past rape case and a current murder case was made by the use of flashbacks, well suited for this episode. I have never been a big fan of shows that use flashbacks, and while it isn’t a normal part of the SVU formula, in this instance it enhanced the story and provided a believable explanation for SVU’s involvement. But, had Cragen been there, the SVU team may not have spent as much time on this case. (Where are Cragen and Munch?)

The outcome of the cases left me unsatisfied. As DA James was so protective of Provo, I assumed that somewhere she would be implicated either in Tommy’s death, or in the cover up, or in some other dirty dealings with Provo which got her elected. The fact that Barba made a deal to drop charges against Provo  - allowing James to prosecute him and permit Jesse to get released -  was a huge let down. The promo tease for the episode said the SVU team would “uncover one of the biggest conspiracies they’ve ever seen” and I don’t think the episode delivered a conspiracy of that magnitude. If they went after DA James head-on for her involvement in any cover up or framing of a suspect, then I would agree that would be big. But clearly Barba folded before they even got started on any direct investigation of James. Jane Kaczmarek was perfect as the prickly DA; it was reminiscent of her role on the short-lived TNT legal series “Raising The Bar” where she played a prickly judge.

This episode – along with Raúl Esparza as ADA – makes me miss Law & Order only that much more.


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:
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Jane Kaczmarek – DA Pam James
Enver Gjokaj - Michael Provo
Yvonne Zima - Jesse Sturgis
Renee Goldsberry – Defense Attorney
Shamika Cotton – Carol McEwan
Todd Gearhart – David Elias
Craig “mums” Grant - Eddie Baker
Robert Lupone - Gabriel Gorromini
Aida Turtutto – Judge Catano
Dan Debenport – Suffolk County Judge
Tony Campisi - Lawyer
Jonathan C. Kaplan – Sgt. Richie Russo
Joseph Masi – Tommy Bandolce
Matthew Foster – Counselor Gunther
Aymee Garcia – Operator #1
Antonia de Marco – Shep Morrisey
Bridget Megan Clark – Ally
Carson Grant – Larry Banks
Nicholas Damiano – Matthew Sturgis



Jesse is getting her son Matthew ready for bed as the babysitter Ally arrives. She tells Tommy she is leaving now to the address he gave her, 52 Cormack Court. Ally comments that she thought Jesse and Tommy broke up, but Jesse says Tommy wants to talk. While Jesse drives to the location she calls Tommy, frustrated she got his voice mail. She says she is 5 minutes away.

Elsewhere, a 911 operator  has a male caller who says he is hearing a couple fighting and she is screaming at 52 Cormack Court, Babylon. The 911 operator radios a Suffolk Police patrol car and the office says he is on his way. The 911 operator gets another call from a woman who says she was driving down Cormack court and she heard gunshots. The officer gets the report of gunshots and arrives on the scene, along with other patrol cars. They approach the address with guns drawn, and find Jesse standing over Tommy, who is bleeding and dead. She explains she was the one who called them, and said just Tommy was in the house. She explains she just got there and he was shot when she pulled up. The officer asks if she heard arguing or screaming and she says no. She screamed when she saw him. She give him her name, and the officer arrests her despite her protests that she didn’t do it.

At SVU, Fin gets off the phone and asks Benson when was the last time she heard from Jesse Sturgis. Benson recalls her as the single mom who was raped in the Meatpacking District. Rollins recalls it was over the Labor Day weekend and has still not gone to trial yet. Amaro says the DA’s office hated that case, Jesse was drunk and her story was a mess. Benson says she was raped, and when Amaro says he wasn’t arguing that, Benson goes on to say that she knew her assailant and was afraid her boyfriend Tommy would find out. Fin explains that last night, Jesse was arrested for killing him, and as the detectives show collective shock, Fin says ADA Barba wants to see them now.

At ADA Barba’s office while Benson, Amaro and Rollins wait, Suffolk County DA Pam James storms out of Barba’s office, tersely telling him that she is arraigning Sturgis today, and to get back to her. He calmly says he just needs to go over the case files with the SVU detectives, and tells her to have a good day.

As the detectives enter Barba’s office, Rollins expresses her surprise that the Suffolk County DA drove in to see him about Jesse Sturgis. He explains to pay no attention to James’ icy demeanor, underneath she is all steel. Benson questions why she is rushing to charge Jesse, if Jesse did shoot Tommy, it had to be self defense. Barba says that Tommy was unarmed and Jesse brought a gun, an odd scenario for self defense. Fin asks what this had to do with their rape case, and Barba replies he was just going to ask them the same thing, and to walk him through it. Benson recaps that 4 months ago, Jesse was raped by Michael Provo, Amaro saying Provo said it was consensual sex and she lied because she was afraid of her boyfriend. To that, Barba says Tommy Bandolce, the guy she was accused of murdering last night. He says that is why James wants to see her case, she wants background on Jesse, and is also worried Provo was falsely accused. Benson asks if James told him that Provo is a CI for her office and helped make her the DA, adding James is looking to protect her own. Barba notes that it didn’t come up, and either way she wants them to “open our kimono” and when Fin doesn’t seem to understand what that means, Rollins says James wants to see all of their case work and all the DA’s files. Benson finishes the statement saying James wants to build a case against Jesse, and assumes Barba told her no. Barba informs her there is a protocol among DAs and he can’t just say no. He told James he was new to the office when the case broke and he has to get up to speed, and tells them to get him up to speed. Rollins brings out the file and he notes it was over Labor Day weekend and asks if the local precinct got the first call. Benson said it was EMS, Jesse had been out partying with her girlfriend and she collapsed on the street and was taken to Mercy hospital.