Law & Order SVU “Wednesday’s Child” Recap & Review

“Wednesday’s Child” started with Benson, away in her imagination, thinking of William Lewis holding a ticking metronome, and ended with Benson in Family Court with the same ticking sound invading her thoughts. Her biological clock is ticking like mad. She suspected a pregnancy,  which drove her to get a OTC pregnancy test, and then to Dr. Lindstrom’s office to confess that the possibilities of a pregnancy made her imagine another life. While some fans hope and pray for Benson to have (or adopt) a child, this episode likely left them disappointed as in the end, there is no baby for Benson, at least for now. I’m thrilled, however, that there is no baby and I hope the Benson baby story line drops into oblivion. Full disclosure: I have no children by choice.  I wanted a career and I worked hard to get a great one, and I simply did not want my life complicated by children. I continue to be amazed at, over the decades, how many women have told me they wished they’d made the decision to be childless. Each person has to make their own choices and I am not saying mine is better than others, I am only explaining why I cannot relate to the Benson baby story lines one bit; I’ve never felt that biological clock ticking in my head.  The whole baby story line bores me, but I do accept that it is important to some fans.

Benson also admits she is unprepared for the caretaking required in her new role as Sergeant. That surprises me, seeing that she worked in the same squad for so long and should have already been aware of the dynamics of the group and how each person dealt with Cragen. Still, I can imagine it is daunting for Benson as now she is responsible for making everyone play nice and do their jobs, while before it was Cragen’s problem. (Welcome to management!)

Like last week, this was another episode where the ADA didn’t seem to be on top of their game. It should have been obvious that, despite the law in Connecticut, that both parents had to agree to “re-home” a child. I like my ADAs with brains and a backbone, not ADAs who look for excuses to avoid getting involved.

The episode also didn’t have much to grab my interest, and I admit that I fell asleep about a half hour in while watching it.

In my opinion, this episode had a major continuity flaw. I thought at first that the episode was aired out of sequence but after checking, I don’t think that was the problem. (Bear with me here.) In this episode, the first date I saw while they were working the case was January 21, with Fin and Rollins at the child care center. Then, on January 22, Rollins was at the Pearson's home with Amaro and Fin, Later that same day,  Benson and Rollins were at the Cross Island Motor Lodge. Last week’s episode “Betrayal’s Climax” happened in early February.  In the episode previous to “Betrayal’s Climax” - “Jersey Breakdown” -  the team was at the Federal Task Force with Connie Rubirosa on January 22 and later that same day,  Rollins was at the jail where the young girl was being held in New Jersey.  I don’t see how Rollins could have worked both those cases at all those places at the same time. And, wasn’t there tension between Amaro and Benson in “Jersey Breakdown” because he was on desk duty, yet in this episode he was clearly not on desk duty yet the dates are the same? Confusing...or am I missing something?

There is one thing that makes me crazy with SVU (although it happens on other crime shows too): why do the police announce themselves when they are so far away from the perp? Why not wait until you are almost right behind them? Why didn’t Fin and Rollins split up in the store so if the perp bolts, they would have a better chance of catching them at another exit point?

Here is the recap:

Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Sergeant Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba


Guest stars:
Rosanna Arquette - Alexa Pearson
John Benjamin Hickey - Dr. Tom Moore
Jodie Markell - Lisa Moore
Jessica Phillips - ADA Pippa Cox
Jayne Houdyshell – Judge Linden
Pablo Schrieber – William Lewis
Constance Shulman – Daycare Manager
Andre De Shields – Keys
Giselle Eisenberg - Madison
Mark Boone Junior - Roger Pearson
Josh Pais – Commissioner Hank Abraham
Bill Irwin - Dr. Peter Lindstrom
Duncan Nicholson - Nicky Moore
John Sousa - Lenny
Giselle Eisenberg – Madison
Mark Doherty – Lt. Frank Ryan
Mimi Quillin – Abby Stans
John Sousa – Lenny
Misha Seo – Caitlin
Shania Li - Stella
Nayab Hussain – Jhumpa (Pharmacist)



William Lewis is standing in a room holding a working metronome, and saying “tick tock tick tock” and smirking. A teapot whistles at 4:48AM and Benson snaps herself back to reality and pours the hot water into a mug. She has a strange smile on her face.

Later, at the Wexton Drug Store, Benson reaches for the drug store brand pregnancy test.

Elsewhere, Tom Moore is buying a gift at an airport gift shop in Finland, complaining on the phone to his wife  Lisa that his flight from Bangkok got diverted to Helsinki, saying hopefully he will be home before Nicky gets to college. He asks how he did last night and Lisa replies better, a little, he was up all hours and adds he is still sleeping, thank god. He tells her to hang in there, he loves them both and will be home as soon as he can.

Benson arrives at SVU with her bag from Wexton Drug Store and Fin hands her his mileage and log book, saying he is all caught up. Benson says great and asks Rollins about hers, and she replies she is working on it. Amaro approaches and hands her a cup of coffee and she thanks him as she puts the bag in her desk drawer. Amaro asks if everything is OK, and she looks up and says “Yeah, everything’s fine” as she quickly closes the desk drawer. She takes a deep breath,

Later and outside, she is on the phone with Cassidy, telling his she tried calling earlier and asks if now is a good time.

Afterwards, Benson is in Dr. Lindstrom’s office, who comments that it sounds challenging. She tells him she can handle the job but she wasn’t prepared for the caretaking; everybody needs her attention and if she focuses on one, the other acts out. Lindstrom comments that the boss if often a parent figure, and they may be projecting their feelings towards their mothers on to her. She looks at him and says nothing, and he asks her what’s up. Benson replies nothing, she wasn’t going to mention it but these last few days she thought she was pregnant. She held off on taking the test. Lindstrom comments “until today” and Benson informs him it turns out she is not, she guesses she should be relieved, adding that Brian is. Lindstrom suggests that instead of telling him how he feels and how she should feel, can she tell him how she DOES feel? Benson smiles and says, getting emotional, that these last few days – waiting, thinking that door wasn’t closed - she just imagined this whole other life.

Elsewhere, Tom arrives home and find Nicky’s bed empty. He finds Lisa in bed asleep and he wakes her, asking where is Nicky. She sleepily says he is in bed, but Tom says no he is not, he’s gone. Lisa becomes alert and looks surprised.

Later, outside the Moore home, Amaro tells Benson that she didn’t have to come he told her they had it under control. Benson counters that the father works at the U.N. and is high profile. She asks what they’ve got. Amaro informs her is it Nicky Moore, 7, there is no ransom demand or forced entry; the mother, Lisa, is a stay at home mom and the father is Dr. Tom Moore who just won a humanitarian award for third world neonatal care who flew in early this morning. Benson adds he discovered his own kid was missing. Rollins and Fin speak with a neighbor who says Nicky is lost, adding she hopes he didn’t run into traffic again, adding that little boy has been hell on wheels since they moved in. She’s seen him almost tear Lisa’s arm off screaming “you’re not my mommy, I wanna go home.” Rollins looks at Fin and then asks “Home?

Inside, Lisa tells Benson that Nicky is from Georgia – what they used to call Soviet Georgia - and the adopted him 2 years ago, they tried everything to get pregnant. Tom found Nicky at the orphanage and it was a godsend. Benson asks if Nicky adjusted well and were there any problems, asking if he ran away before. Lisa replies that sometime on the street he bolts ahead but never in the middle of the night. Benson asks if Lisa opened a window, and Lisa says yes, because of the heat. She wonders if someone came in and took him. Benson informs her that stranger abductions are rare but this is a ground floor apartment and it’s possible Nicky climbed out himself. Lisa asks why would he do that, but Benson asks what he was wearing. Lisa says it was blue pajamas with trains, and Benson notices his winter coat hanging on the coat rack. Benson asks if she has any idea where he would go. Lisa sighs.

Meanwhile, Amaro speaks with Tom who says Nicky doesn’t have a lot of friends, he is a little wild. Amaro says he is a 7 year old, but Tom says this is different, he spent 5 years in an orphanage and has ongoing socialization and developmental issues; global delays in gross motor and fine motor language, insecure attachment issues, it is difficult for him to bond with other kids and even with him and his mother. Tom says if he did wander away, he has this indiscriminate friendliness; they tried to teach him social order – first family, then friends, and then neighbors. Amaro asks if this means he has no fear of strangers, and Tom replies just the opposite. On top of that, there is his medical condition.

Lisa explains to Benson that Nicky did have a bad day but she just though he was keyed up. They were at their house in Connecticut, they had been there all week. She home schools him and it is easier there when his father is away, he is calmer. Benson asks if she taught Nicky his phone number or address and Lisa says she is trying but…Amaro interrupts and says they have another issue. Tom, upset, questions Lisa that she did not tell them about his pump? Lisa says she did not think. Tom explains he is type 1 diabetic and his pump only holds enough insulin for 3 days.

Outside, as police put up a missing sign on a tree, Rollins tells Benson that CSU says the only prints outside the bedroom window belong to the family. Fin informs Benson there are no street cams on that block, it is all residential, and there was no sign of the kid on the avenue. Amaro adds they are covering parks and subways, Nicky likes trains and boats. Benson tells him to put in a call to harbor patrol, and asks Rollins if there is any way to track his insulin device, and Rollins explains it sends an alert to the parents’ cell phone when his blood sugar gets too high but there is no GPS. A man calls out to Benson and says he is Hank Abraham, acting Deputy Commissioner for Public Information. Fin comments that he landed on his feet, and Amaro asks didn’t he manage the losing campaign? Abraham comments that “he not busy being reborn is busy dying. “ He adds that the new mayor believes in keeping his enemies close. Benson tersely asks what they can do for him, and he explains that they all want the same thing here, to get the word out about this missing kid and they are 10 minutes away from a news conference. Benson informs him she will brief him, but Abraham says she will brief the press and he will be right behind her. Rollins pipes up and says there is a doorman around the corner who saw Nicky talk to a street guy called Keys and he might come back around as he moves cars for alternate site parking. Benson tells Rollins and Fin to go and Amaro to see if the parents know him. As they others walk off, Abraham comments to Benson about some street guy and a diabetic kid with an attachment disorder out in the freezing cold – tell him there is a happy ending here. Benson gets a call and walks off.

Elsewhere, Rollins and Fin catch up with Keys and he knows Nicky. He last saw him Tuesday afternoon last week, right before he went away with his mom. Rollins questions how he knows that, and Keys explains that is his job, he needs that spot; she left on Tuesday and opened up a spot that is good until Friday morning, and she came back Sunday night. Fin says the last time he saw the kid was Tuesday, and Keys explains that SHE came back Sunday and took a Monday spot but Monday was he holiday and it was good until Thursday and damn near killed him when she pulled in. Rollins asks where was Nicky, and Keys doesn’t know. Fin asks if he is sure he wasn’t in the car, and Keys explains she took some groceries from the front seat and did not check the back seat or the trunk. He tells them to check it out, her Bimmer is parked right where she left it – not on this block but around the corner.

Rollins and Fin check out the car and find the usual kid stuff in the back seat and an empty trunk. Rollins says Lisa came in from Connecticut, Manhattan is an island and she has an EZ pass, this won’t be hard.

Back at SVU, Tom worries that it has been 12 hours and still no sign of Nicky, and Fin explains this is why they are going through his wife’s timeline again, Rollins adding there may be something significant they missed. Tom says he should be in there with her, but Rollins stops him, saying not just yet.

Benson and Amaro are in the interview room with Lisa and press her about the details of her timeline. She admits she made a stop along the way for groceries. Amaro presses on how she got him in the house and how many bags of groceries, and Lisa doesn’t know, asking what difference does it make. They continue to press her on how exactly she got Nicky into the house and Lisa get rattled. Benson asks her if it is possible Nicky was not in the car when she drove back from Connecticut. Lisa insists he was in the car and when Amaro presses her on coming in on the Tri Borough bridge, Benson shows her a photo taken from the bridge camera and Nicky is not in the car. Benson asks Lisa again when was the last time she saw Nicky. Lisa begins to sob, saying she had to do it and they would have done the same thing. She repeats that she had to.

Afterwards, in the captain’s office, Rollins says Lisa still won’t say what happened to Nicky. Benson replies Lisa kept repeating she had to do it. Amaro questions that the husband has no idea, and Fin thinks not a chance. Benson tells them to show him the photo and put them both in the box and see if he can get her talking.

Later, in an interrogation room with Amaro, Tom, holding the photo of Lisa behind the wheel of the car, tells Lisa he does not understand and asks what does this mean? She looks distraught and states that she had no choice, she couldn’t take it, she was losing her mind. Tom asks where is Nicky, and Lisa says NOW he want to know, where were YOU, saving the children of the world” She adds that she was alone with him for six weeks. Tom shouts back, asking if she is crazy, he told her they could have hired some help. Lisa asks who, an armed guard, saying he was out of control and throwing things, biting and banging his head. She tells him he opened the car door when she was doing 70 and nearly killed them both. Tom counters he can’t help how he acts, nobody held him for the first 5 years of his life. Lisa screams back asking if he thinks she wanted it this way and asks if he knows how hard she tried. Amaro asks her if Nicky is still alive, and Tom is stunned at the question. Lisa quietly says she could never harm a child. Benson, also in the room, calmly asks Lisa to just tell them where he is. Lisa said she gave him to someone who said they could handle him – Tom is outraged – and Lisa explains the orphanage wouldn’t take him back, even though they never told them about all the problems he had. She says he is with a family who knows how to raise boys like that, it is a strict religious family and “she” wouldn’t let me know their names and a clean break was best. Benson presses on who is “she” and Lisa explains it is a woman who runs a service that she found on line. She told her she should come in right away and it is all legit and she gave her power of attorney and she was nice. Tom is appalled,

Later, in Abraham’s office with ADA Pippa Cox, Benson has explained what has happened and that the broker’s voice mail is full and Fin and Rollins are on the way to East Haven to speak with her in person. Abraham says maybe she will be arrested with the mother, and Cox replies maybe they charge the mother with filing a false report but otherwise it is out of their hands. Abraham is shocked at this and Benson adds that Lisa dropped the kid off like a kitten on the highway and Cox is not going to tell her it’s not endangering the welfare of a child. Cox explains that there are laws on the books and ways around them; Connecticut allows for these non-legal transfers of children. People find middlemen on the internet and they use them to place their adopted kids in other homes. Abraham calls it re-gifting but Cox says the term is re-homing. Benson asks that no one is tracking where these children are placed, and Cox replies there is no state or federal law that acknowledges this is going on. Abraham says they’ve told the city this kid is missing and they have to find them, but Cox counters they have no jurisdiction. Abraham argues if she wants to explain that to the public and the mayor, but Benson interrupts, asking if on these re-homings, don’t both parents have to sign off? Cox says if they are both legal custodians, yes. Benson says if the father reported him missing, that’s a case they can work. Abraham says he wants an Amber alert out on this kid, but Cox says that’s for children who have been abducted. Abraham says she gave the kid to a broker she found on the internet and they don’t know where he can end up. Benson shakes her head towards Cox.

At the Quinnipiac Child Care Center in East Haven, CT., the manager says Lisa brought Nicky in on Tuesday, found a family on line on Wednesday and they came to pick him up that night. Lisa told her the father was not in the picture. Rollins asks for information on the family that took him and reminds her Nicky needs insulin. The manager says Lisa brought in more insulin and the family that took him is aware of that. She says the father has issues of his own and is in wheelchair which is why they couldn’t adopt through normal channels. They had references and a home study form from the Department of Family Service. Rollins looks at the paperwork and sees the names as Alexa and Robert Smith, in the Bronx. Fin says he didn’t know anyone lived at Yankee stadium. Rollins says the home study form can be printed off the internet. The manager says she feels sick out this and they seemed like good people. Rollins says they are not good people and they need anything else she has on them, drivers license or photos. The manager sheepishly says she can draw a sketch for her. Fin, frustrated, asks about what kind of car they were in, and the manager says it was a church lady van, blue, for handicapped driver, and the license plate frame showed a dealer in Mr. Vernon who made her think of George Washington.

Back at SVU, Rollins explains they did manage to track down the couple through a car dealership in Mt. Vernon, there the police know them by another alias, Roger and Alexa Pearson, when they evicted them from their apartment. Fin adds that it was for living too close to a school, they are both on the sex offender registry. Benson asks what for, and Amaro explains he is a producer and she is a former porn star, 15 years ago they were busted for their “Just Became Legal” series. Fin adds it turns out most of the girls hadn’t; he did 8 years and she got probation and she waited on him. Benson comments now they have adopted Nicky. Amaro comments he may not be the only one, Rodger had at least 4 others alias and she had 3 and he found those names on some re-homing bulletin boards and web sites. Benson speculates that they troll for unwanted adopted kids, and Fin thinks it is probably to star in their movies. Benson says they need to find these people yesterday, and tells them to track every alias and any known family or friends and to put Nicky through the FBI database. Amaro says he already did that, Nicky hasn’t turned up in any videos yet, and Rollins adds they may not be videos, they may be streaming live from webcam feeds. Benson tells them to keep searching; these people are grifters and to look for disability payments, unemployment, welfare.

The next day, at 1-21 Beach 96th Street in Rockaway Queens, Fin comments to Amaro that the VA has been sending Roger Pearson’s checks to this address, meanwhile there are real vets that have been struggling to make ends meet. Rollins runs up and asks if they found anything. Fin explains that it looks empty but there is a plywood ramp in the back. Rollins informs them the neighbors said they saw kids playing and the real owners moved out after Sandy but Alexa told them they were relatives. Amaro bangs on the plywood covering the door, announcing they are NYPD and they have a warrant. There is no answer so Amaro bangs the door in. They call for Nicky as they check out the various rooms. The house is a mess and Fin says they must have seen the Amber alert on the news and left in a hurry. Rollins finds three girls’ sleeping bags and Amaro sees boys’ clothing with train designs by a makeshift photo backdrop. Rollins finds a box of blank DVDs but also sees one in the machine. They see Alexa prepping 2 young girls for videos and when the recording starts, one girl says she is Stella and she is 9, and Madison just turned 7, asking if they want a play date with them. Alexa says off camera to tell them about their new brother, and Alexa comes on screen to tell Nicky to look at the camera. Again, Stella asks if they want a play date together and if they want to watch, it would be a lot of fun. Amaro comments that they left this disk behind and wonders what is on the disk they took with them.

Back at SVU, Benson whines there is an Amber alert out and how hard could it be to find with a license plate for the disabled? Fin thinks he’s smart enough that he changed the plates. Benson asks if they know anything about the little girls and Amaro explains they are working on DNA and right now they don’t match photos or descriptions of any missing children. Rollins says they do turn up in the database, screen grabs of web porn, and they are trying to track the servers but cautions them not to hold their breath. Tom and Lisa approach and Tom asks if those are the people that have Nicky. Benson tells them they shouldn’t be here and she told them she would call them as soon as they made any progress, Tom says he’s done a lot of work overseas, he knows what child exploitation looks like. Lisa moans – what has she done? Tom snaps back that it is not all about her right now, it’s about finding Nicky if he is even still alive. Benson urges them to calms down, they don’t know what this is yet and he might be okay. But Tom explains that is why they are here, the system sent out a warning that his blood sugar levels are way too high and his pump is almost empty. As Tom outlines the problems, Benson looks at the phone and whispers something to Amaro. Benson says they are doing everything they can to find their little boy, and Lisa asks if those people would take care of him if his body shuts down. Benson replies you never know what somebody will do in a crisis so the best thing is to go home and take care of each other and they will call them if they make any progress. As they leave, Benson tells the other to get those photos out to every pharmacy in the area with an alert on anyone who asks for insulin and make sure they are detained until they get there.

Later, at Crossbay Pharmacy in Howard Beach, Queens, Alexa is bitching to the pharmacist about the hold up and Fin and Rollins walk up behind her. While several feet away, Fin calls out they are police and to stop as Alexa runs off and they chase her. She runs out a back door and throws something in a dumpster. A car almost hits her and she stops, allowing Rollins to catch up with her and slam her to the ground. Rollins cuffs her as Alexa calls out in pain.

Back at SVU, Fin and Rollins have Alexa in interrogation and Benson knocks on the window from the other room. Fin and Rollins walk out and Fin tells Benson Alexa is tight as a drum. The van was found across the street from the pharmacy, empty, and there is no GPS. Benson comments there is no way to track it back to Roger, and Rollins says there is no cell phone either; the pharmacist said she had one but it was gone by the time they grabbed her and they are searching for it now. Benson asks if Alexa had time to tip him off, and Rollins replies they were right behind her. Fin thinks if Roger does not hear from her soon, he will catch on. Benson wants to take a run at her, but Amaro tells her that he may have something they can use, from a pre-sentence investigation from 15 years ago, there is a reason they went easy on her. Benson looks surprised.

In the interrogation room, Benson comments to Alexa that she had a good run and Amaro brings up child porn, identity theft and pandering, now they can throw in child endangerment and kidnapping. Alexa says she doesn’t know what she is talking about but Benson brings up the 2 girls in the video. Alexa says it is about play dates and they give homes to kids that no one wants and they haven’t broken the law, they just care for the kids. Amaro brings up Nicky’s glucose levels and she says that is on them, he would have had his insulin had they not picked her up. She tells them to let her go and she will make sure he gets his insulin. Benson comments that bargaining while the kid is dying is hardcore. Alexa says anything these kids have had to do she’s had to do backwards and in high heels since she was six. Benson talks about Alexa’s hard life and arrest report and that she was abused at home, a runaway at 15 and doing porn on year after that. Benson says that life and living on the street was as hard as loosing….what was her baby’s name, Charlie? When Alexa tells them not to talk about him, Amaro says Charlie was an extremely premature with fetal alcohol syndrome, one pound 4 ounces and needed around the clock care for 2 years. He thinks this is why she wanted to help Nicky. Alexa says they do not know what it is like to lose one, it leaves a hole in your heart. Benson asks where is Nicky and Alexa says he is okay as Roger is making sure he eats but Amaro explains why this is not enough. Benson continues to press and Alexa asks they not tell Roger she gave it up to easy.

At the Cross Island Motor Lodge, Benson and Rollins arrive with more police backing them up and Benson stands at the door listening for sounds. She puts the key in the lock and motions the others to hold back. They find Stella and Madison and show they are the police. Stella comments they are looking for Nicky, and that he is not there, mommy went to get his medicine and she did not come back so Uncle Roger took him out for a treat. Benson comments that he left them there alone with no one to take care of them, and the girls say nothing but look to another room. Rollins asks if there is somebody in the other room, and as Rollins make a move toward it, the girls say no don’t. Another girl opens the door and says they can’t go in there and they have to be quiet, he’s sleeping. They move her out of the room and go in anyway and find a baby sleeping in an open dresser drawer. Benson picks up the baby who begins to cry and she calms the baby, smiling.

Later, as the girls are put into a patrol car, Fin and Amaro speak with the manager who explains they are hourly rates, he doesn’t know all the guests. He recognizes Roger as a guest saying he had a big family for one so he put them in the presidential suite on the first floor because of the wheelchair. The wife took the van in the afternoon then left with the buggy kid when the son was going down, he rolled out into the street holding the kid’s arm. The manager jokes that the good news is he won’t get far on foot. Amaro glares at him. He thinks they went to the bus stop.

Meanwhile, Benson still has the baby and tells a woman for ACS that she changed his diaper and gave him a little formula. As the ACS worker takes the baby, Benson comments he is such a sweet baby. Rollins tells Benson that Caitlin was telling her that Roger and Alexa don’t let them get out that much. Caitlin explains how they are told to stay inside and not go near the windows. She does not know how long she has lived with them, she is not so good at time. Her tenth birthday was a while ago and Roger said she was too old for webcam stuff. Now he makes the other girls do it and she helps Alexa take care of them. When Rollins asks if Nicky does web can stuff, Caitlin explains that Nicky is not so good at listening, Benson asks about the baby and Caitlin says he is not on camera, Roger brought him home as a Christmas present for Alexa and it made he really happy.

Back at SVU, Benson explains who they all found at the hotel and asks where the cane from. Alexa replies where they all come from – parents who don’t want them anymore. Benson asks if someone just handed over their baby to a stranger in a wheelchair. Alexa says Roger said he found him in a train station bathroom and she learned a long time ago not to ask too many question. She thinks he was not going to be like the other ones, C.J. was her baby. Rollins knocks on the door and asks Benson if she has a minute. Benson walks out and Rollins tells her that Fin and Amaro found a witness who saw Roger and Nicky on a bus heading to the airport.

At JFK Airport, police distribute photos of Nicky with no luck. Amaro and Fin are in a room with surveillance cameras, they had a sighting a half hour ago but nothing since and there are no tickets in his name. They are also looking for men in wheelchairs. Amaro sees a video with Roger on it moving to a restroom but Nicky is not with him, and Amaro asks where is that bathroom.

Fin and Amaro enter the restroom with guns drawn and quietly motion for other occupants to leave. They see the wheelchair as they look under the stall but open the door to find the wheelchair empty.

Back at SVU, Benson and ADA Cox show Alexa video footage of Roger walking out of the airport on his own two feet, with a small suitcase. Alexa looks stunned. She leaps up and yells, asking that the son of a bitch can walk? Alexa says she never say him take one step and he made her do everything. Benson asks what would Roger have done with Nicky and Alexa doesn’t know, saying she doesn’t know who that man is now. Benson asks her to stay focused, wondering if Roger may have had another accomplice that he could have handed Nicky off to at the airport. Alexa wails no, she swears it has always been Roger and her all these years, they were never apart. Cox asks her to help herself now, wondering if Roger has friends who would protect him. Alexa asks if she is kidding her, Roger stepped on everyone he knew to get to the gutter. Benson asks if he were in trouble, where would he go or what would he do?

Amaro and Fin are at a restaurant and find Roger at a table full of food, eating like there is no tomorrow. They announce he is under arrest and when asked about Nicky, he feigns ignorance. As they take him off, he asks are they going to leave all that food there.

At SVU in interrogation, Amaro questions Roger about Nicky and he claims he doesn’t know who they are talking about. Fin shows him a surveillance photo of Roger with Nicky and Roger caves and says he doesn’t know where he is, it’s the god’s honest truth. Fin counters with it being like the truth he couldn’t walk, and Roger says it’s all good bro’, you can park anywhere and your woman gives you sponge baths. Fin gets in his face and Roger says there is no crime here, wondering if the folks who gave Nicky away are complaining and do they want him back now? Amaro explains that Alexa gave him up, there is identity theft and defrauding the VA, sex trafficking, web cam porn which is virtual rape of minors. He scoffs at them, saying they can’t even make her testify because of spousal privilege. Amaro laughs, saying he has to know that doesn’t apply to joint participants n a criminal venture. Roger thinks she will not turn, she’s still loyal. Fin counters with the fact she’s seen the photo of him walking, and Roger is upset they showed her that. Fin replies that is the least of his problems. Amaro adds he has one chance of staying out of gen pop with a pedophile tag and says to tell them where Nicky is. Roger asks how is he supposed to know, he gave him some juice to calm him down and dumped him off and one of those cinnamon donut places, and not for nothing, adding that kid is a pain in the ass.

Back at the airport, an airport officer tells Benson and Rollins they checked every donut place and coffee shop in the airport and re-canvassing bathrooms and dumpsters and have port authority police posted at cab stands and bus stops. Rollins asks about the departure gates and the officer says these days, no one gets on a plane without a ticket. Benson counters that if he hasn’t checked to start now. He asks where, he has hundreds of flights and half of them are delayed. Rollins explains that Nicky is lost and confused and abandoned by everyone, he just might want to go home. The officer asks where is home, and Benson realizes it’s the Republic of Georgia. He tells them good luck to him, this terminal is domestic flights only. Rollins notices a flight at 8:30 to Atlanta Georgia –noting  it will say that on the gate.

Soon afterwards, Benson and Rollins find Nicky in an airplane bathroom, collapsed and unconscious. Benson calls out for a doctor on the plane or asks if anyone has insulin.

Later, at the hospital, Tom and Lisa are waiting and Lisa asks if they can see him now, Benson explains he has been through a lot and tells them to take it slow. Tom suggests he go first. Benson turns away from Lisa and Lisa says she knows what she is thinking, but she was having a breakdown. Benson says she is sure she was, but you call someone and ask for help, you don’t just discard a child. Lisa says she knows that now, and Benson asks does she, and does she know how lucky she is her child came back alive unharmed. She adds if there are any better options for Nicky she would recommend Lisa not get him back. Benson walks off and Lisa comments that it is going to be different, and Benson counters that she hopes so.

Rollins is in the room with Nicky as Tom walks in and they reunite and he tells Nicky it is okay, he is back now and it is alright. He says things will be different now and he will not be away so much. He asks if they can try this again? Nicky looks at his mother who walks in the room.

As Benson walks down the hospital hall with Cox and Abraham, Cox asks how the boy is doing. Benson replies that it is as well as cold be expected. Abraham says it is great, it’s a heartwarming ending for the new administration, and rescuing these other girls and the baby – the mayor wants them both at his side when he gives the press conference. Benson and Cox look at each other and Benson says please send their apologies, there is still quite a lot of work that has to be done. Cox explains they have to charge Roger and Alexa and make sure they go away for a long time. Benson adds they have to find the parents of the other children. Abraham asks if anyone has come forward for those kids and the baby and Benson replies not yet. He asks what is wrong with people, and says he will get the word out…that baby belongs to someone.

In Family Court, Benson explains to the judge that Baby Boy Doe was found in the custody of two known criminals who also had possession of 4 other children. The judge asks what has happened to the other children, and Cox explains Nicky Moore is in the custody of his adoptive parents and the 3 rescued girls are in foster care awaiting permanent placement. The judge questions that, despite the extensive news coverage, no one has come forward to claim Baby Boy Doe who was also found in the motel? Benson explains no, they have checked hospital records and databases for all reports on missing children and mo matches have been found. Cox says that is why they are making this motion today. The judge comments that it is tragic that at a time when so many year to have a child that a perfectly healthy and beautiful infant like this goes unclaimed. She adds that the baby, declared as a destitute child, will remain in the custody of Children’s Services…as the judge continues to talk, her voice gets quieter as Benson’s mind seems to drift, a ticking noise sounding in her head as we fade to black.






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