Law & Order SVU Universal Channel UK Promo

Here is a new promo from Universal Channel UK titled “100% Character” highlighting Law & Order SVU’s Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).







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 “Patrimonial Burden” Preview

Here is a preview clip for Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” which will air on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC. The preview features Mariska Hargitay and Andy Karl.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” 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 “Depravity Standard” Episode Information

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

Law & Order SVU “Depravity Standard” Air Date November 18, 2015 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)

Lt. Benson (Mariska Hargitay) seeks justice in the trial of child abductor Lewis Hodda (returning guest star Tom Sizemore), but when a plea deal is rejected, Barba (Raúl Esparza) must rely on decades-old evidence to make his case and faces off against former SVU colleague Dr. Huang (guest star BD Wong). Also starring Ice T, Kelli Giddish and Peter Scanavino. Also guest starring Robin Weigert, Alex Karpovsky, Liza Colon-Zayas, Mili Avital and Jenna Wolfe.

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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Depravity Standard” 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 “Melancholy Pursuit” Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Melancholy Pursuit”


Law & Order SVU “Melancholy Pursuit” Air Date November 11, 2015 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)

The hunt for a missing teenage girl takes an emotional toll on Sgt. Dodds (Andy Karl), and DNA evidence becomes a crucial lead in finding the girl's abductor. Starring Mariska Hargitay, Ice T and Peter Scanavino. Guest starring Tamara Tunie, Brian Avers, Jonathan Judge-Russo, Nick Cordero, Carolee Carmello and Ali Wentworth.

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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Melancholy Pursuit” 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 “Patrimonial Burden” Photos

Here are advance photos for  Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” which will air on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, Andy Karl, Chris Elliot (as Pete Matthews), Christopher Sieber (as Frank Baker), Geneva Carr (as Pam Baker), Ryan Devlin (as Pastor Gregory Evans), and Victoria Leigh (as Lane Baker).

Update October 27, 2015 - 5 pics added below.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” can be found at this link.

Added October 27, 2015

Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC 2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

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 “Maternal Instincts” Recap & Review

“Maternal Instincts” was a nightmare for Amanda Rollins. Her mother comes into town to help with the impending birth of Rollins’ baby. Rollins isn't aware that tagging along is her train wreck of a sister, Kim. Kim wastes no time getting herself, and Rollins, into trouble. Kim is working as an "escort" and robs a musical artist, Anton,  of his money and his $50,000 flute. Making matters worse, there are signs that she drugged him, and, while he was under the influence, he raped one of his musical colleagues. Clearly, the woman he attacked was a victim. Viewers know that Kim definitely robbed Anton, so we can only assume that she drugged him too. There appears to be no hard evidence to prove that Anton was drugged, but all signs point in that direction. Sadly, this is another episode where we have possibly two special victims and we don’t see either of them get justice.

Instead, we get a deeper look into the dysfunctional Rollins family, with a mother, Beth Anne, who apparently loves to drink and a sister, Kim, who is on the run from a manslaughter charge. Let’s not forget the last time we saw Kim, she robbed Rollins of everything in her apartment,  and this was after Kim set up Rollins for shooting her boyfriend there.  So it is a complete mystery as to why Amanda Rollins would want to cover up in any way for her sister. It shows a lack of judgment on Rollins’ part. Not only has her sister robbed her in the past, but now Rollins is going to cover her sister’s tracks in what looks like another theft. Family is one thing, but one would think Rollins would have some sort of sense of self preservation. Here she is a single mother, already showing questionable judgment on the job in the past, plus possible trust issues with her boss, and her first instinct is to try to solve the family matter herself? If this was the first time Rollins tried to fix things on her own I would say they could try to blame her behavior on her pregnancy, but I doubt this is the case.  Despite what Beth Anne Rollins thinks, Amanda is putting family first, and this is the one case where she shouldn't have.

To make matters worse, Kim has access to Rollins’ apartment and stabs her pimp there. If I were Rollins, I would find another place to live and never let her family inside that place. Kim’s case is still unresolved at the close of this episode, but Kim made it clear that she will use whatever dirt she can on her own sister in order to avoid much jail time. Hopefully, Rollins won’t buy into that kind of blackmail.

Benson began to show signs that she is becoming more comfortable in the leadership role, giving very clear directions and using an authoritative tone to her staff. Now that Rollins and Fin have kept vital information about a case from her, she may be less afraid to be firm with them in the future. I was glad that she called out Fin for not taking the Sergeant’s exam. He made his choice, now he has to learn to live with the repercussions. But strangely, when Kim, who is naturally over talkative, seems to want to spout off information, Benson tells Kim more than once to be silent. The tone was different than just reading a person their rights. Even Benson seemed to want to protect Rollins by having Kim shut up. Had Benson just read Kim her rights as she would for anyone else being arrested, it would have felt less like her trying to protect her detective.

Having Sergeant Mike Dodds joining the group is a welcome addition. He promises that what happens at SVU will stay at SVU, and I suppose only time will tell if he really means this. His father, Deputy Chief Dodds, seems to be keeping a close watch on SVU, and I still don’t know if it’s because he lacks confidence in them, or if he has a thing for Benson. Andy Karl fits in very well and I am looking forward to seeing more of him.

We saw no Rafael Barba in this episode, and instead got a fill in generic ADA. I would think that if Anton was a true international celebrity that they would bring out someone like Barba to handle the case.  I don’t understand SVU sometimes – they give Raúl Esparza billing in the main credits and then don’t use him for the legal aspect of the show. It seems like such a waste,

This episode seemed a bit comedic to me. The whole flute thing started it but then I found myself laughing more at the Rollins family drama than taking it seriously. I am not sure if that was the intent. Regardless, the episode was well written and I enjoyed it.

Here is the recap: 

Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.


Guest stars:
Peter Gallagher – Deputy Chief Dodds
Andy Karl – Sergeant Mike Dodds
Virginia Madsen – Beth Anne Rollins
Lindsay Pulsipher - Kim Rollins
Zach McGowan - Anton Krasnikov
Wass Stevens - Slice
Jason Cerbone - Counselor Lorenzo Desappio
Elizabeth A. Davis - Alessandra Bay
Tabitha Holbert – ADA Rose Caliay
Mary E. Hodges – Judge Anita Wright
Tony Campisi – Counselor Steve Roth
Kate Elizabeth Young – Melora
Bradley Dubow – Noah Porter Benson


The group, Bella Donne – women playing violins and a man with a flute, entertain the crowd.

At another time, at a baby show for Rollins, her mother Beth Anne laughs with Fin as Carisi approaches, gift in hand, and apologizes for being late. Beth Anne asks who is this charming young man, touching his arm. Carisi introduces himself and Beth Anne thanks him for coming and offers him Champagne, giving him a glass. Rollin points Carisi to where to put the gift. As her mother drinks her Champagne, Rollins tells her mother it is so early. Beth Anne looks at Fin and counters it is a special occasion, and she loves Champagne and those little bubbles. She tells Rollins don’t worry, she will have a diet cola after every glass, she promises. As her mother walks off, Rollins makes a face and comments “”cause that works.”

Benson is sitting at a table, holding Noah, and she tells Rollins’ mother that she thinks it is great that she came here to help Rollins with the baby. She replies that she knows she wouldn’t want to miss much work when there is a possibility of that Sergeant’s job. Benson looks surprised and when Rollins says, “mother!” , Beth Anne says that she told her that Benson was promoted to the Lieutenant’s job and that she was going to…Benson cuts her off and says Rollins would be great but the new Sergeant is coming tomorrow. Beth Anne comments maybe that is for the best, Rollins can focus on being a mother. Rollins and says “Yeah” while Benson looks slightly uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the flautist from Bella Donne, saying his name is Mr. Smith and asks to be called Anton, sits at a bar having a drink and is approached by a woman with dark hair who says her name is Savannah. She works his way into getting into his room, and while he is asleep, she steals money out of his wallet and then takes his flute.

In the SVU break room, Fin is sitting at a table while Rollins stands nearby. Carisi walks in and says her mother seemed really nice. And Rollins, sounding slightly sarcastic, says, “Doesn’t she?” He adds that having her here must be a relief, and she mumbles in the same tone “Mmm hmm.” He asks if she liked the heated diaper wipes caddy that he got her, because his sister swears by it. Fin looks up at him with an odd face and Rollins says flatly, “That was you.”Rollins looks out and comments that must be their new Sergeant, and Carisi comments he is Dodds’ oldest son. Fin wonders how he got his job, and Rollins and Carisi give Fin a look.

In Benson’s office, Sergeant Mike Dodds introduces himself to Benson, saying he is privileged to meet her and his father speaks highly of her. She replies “You too” and that they are lucky to have him, and Deputy Chief Dodds comments he has plenty of experience in anti-crime in Crown Heights, and before that he was in special forces, signing up out of college after 9/11. Dodds adds he can’t tell her how proud he is of this kid. Sgt. Dodds thanks him, but says he is new to “Special Vics” and he has a lot to learn. Benson says it is a whole different world here. Rollins enters and apologizes for interrupting. Benson introduces her to Sgt. Dodds and then asks what is going on. Rollins informs them that Alessandra Bay, the lead violinist for the group “Bella Donne” was assaulted in her room at the Park Milano, and asks if it alright if she meets Fin and Carisi down there. Chief Dodds asks isn’t she on desk duty, and she says yes, but that it is a four star hotel. Benson tells Rollins that she and Sgt. Dodds should stay there and hold down the fort, but Chief Dodds tells her better yet, take the Mike with her. Sgt. Dodds comments “No time like the present.” Benson says, “Okay then” and moves out the door. Chief Dodds comments to hi s son to “ sink or swim.”

At the Park Milano Hotel on 90 West 56th Street on Tuesday, August 25, Carisi and Fin give Benson and Dodds the info that the vic is Alessandra Bay, the maid found her on the floor and hotel security called 911 and the EMTs are with her now. Fin says they are getting security footage and key card logs. Dodds jumps in and says the head of security here is an old friend of his dad’s and Fin can tell him they need that footage ASAP, and Fin stares and says it is taken care of. Dodds looks slightly intimidated and walks off with Benson. He tells her if the vic is conscious he can take the statement, and she explains they call it a disclosure and suggests they talk to her together, patting him on the back.

In the room, a very injured Alessandra Bay explains the attack and rape. She begins to cough as she talks and when Dodds suggests he get her a glass of water, Benson tells him not to because there could be DNA. Benson asks is she can describe this man, and Alessandra Bay says she knows him. It was Anton Krasnikov. He is touring with them. Benson looks at Dodds.

Later, Fin and Carisi knock on Anton’s hotel room door and call out his name. Anton opens the door and Fin identifies himself as NYPD, showing his badge. Anton says they got their fast, he just called 911; his flute is missing. Fin, surprised, ands “Your flute?” and Anton explains it is a $50,000 Miyazawa. He adds someone ransacked his room while he slept and his flute is gone. They see this as an opportunity and ask him to come down to the station and file a report.

At SVU in the interview room, Fin and Carisi tell Anton they put out an APB for his flute to pawn shops. He explains he performed that night with the group and took his flute back to the hotel. He had a nightcap at a bar with a “fan” named “Savannah” - he asks they not write down as he is married – that she came to his room. He had a drink from the mini bar and feel asleep and when he woke up, she and his flute was gone. He seems clueless about Alessandra’s assault. They continue to press him on the issue and Benson and Rollins observe from her office. Benson thinks he is using being a celebrity as an excuse and Rollins explains his apparently impeccable background and reputation. Benson asks Rollins if she remembers her first case here – the Italian diplomat. Rollins thinks if Anton was guilty he would be more guarded and his affect does not match the profile. Dodds walks in and says he may not fit the profile, and showing Rollins hotel footage, says that is Anton’s naked Russian ass pounding on Alessandra’s door at 2:30 in the morning. He stays 15 minutes then he wanders back out again, out of breath and still naked as a jaybird. He asks Benson if she wants to watch, and she holds up her hand and says no, she will take his word for it. Rollins comments he is completely out of it and knows that Alessandra is a victim, but Anton may be a victim too. Benson says they have to send him to the hospital to get swabs and have blood an urine as well. Dodds tells Benson he will secure the room and have CSU check for drug residue. Rollins adds prints, maybe off a glass she gave him, she needs to figure out who this fan was that he hooked up with. Benson tells Dodds to have his friend at security pull the footage from Anton’s floor. He says he is on it. Rollins comments that Anton wasn’t lying about the flute, it showed up in a Harlem pawn shop. Dodds says good, pawn shops have cameras and asks if they sent any footage. Rollins replies yes, she is opening the file now. Rollins looks at the screen, pauses, and then says it is buffering, she will look at it on her laptop. Benson gets a questioning look on her face.

Rollins sits back down at her desk and looks around. She then looks at the video and we see a woman at the pawn shop with the flute, and it is her sister Kim. She covers her mouth with her hand in shock. Rollins says out loud, “Oh, don’t do this to me Kim.” Rollins looks troubled.

Fin approaches her and she quickly closes her laptop when he asks her about the pawn shot footage. She says she couldn’t open the file and he seems skeptical and asks if she sent it to TARU. She gets evasive and Fin thinks Anton was drugged, adding that that girl “played his flute and stole his flute.” Rollins thinks he is not a victim, and he asks again about the video, and she insists there is nothing. He gets a quizzical look on his face and he asks if she is okay. She looks back and Dodds who is at his desk on the phone, and then explains she is just a little hungry and asks him to walk her to the break room.

In the break room, Rolllins shows Fin the pawn shop video of Kim and he asks if she knew Kim was in New York. She replies of course not, thinking this is why her mom kept talking about her, wanting them to all be together. Fin urges her to stay away, the last time she set Rollins up and now Kim will take her down for good, and says she has to tell Benson. Rollins states she can’t, especially with mini-Dodds hovering around, he will go straight to his daddy or IAB. Fin comments they will want to see the footage, and she knows he doesn’t get in trouble. She gets an angry face and barks for Fin to stall them. She adds her mother must know where she is, they have always been as thick as thieves. She will bring Kim in herself . Fin, looking reluctant, says alright.

Meanwhile, walking into Benson’s office, Dodds explains that his buddy at the hotel recognized Anton’s date. She is a working girl and Benson asks to see if they have footage from the bar. Fin walks in and states Rollins is doing facial recognition on the video from the pawn shop. Benson asks Fin if everything is okay with her, she seems off. Fin explains she hadn’t had lunch and he sent her to get a bite. Benson gives Fin a look, and Dodds asks about the footage, wondering if Anton can ID this girl. Fin explains there is some kind of tech glitch, it shouldn’t be long. Benson continues to stare at Fin, clearly wondering what is really going on. Dodds says they know she is a hooker, maybe if Anton comes clean on that, it will loosen him up, asking how long with the DNA take. Benson says it depends, then tells Dodds to tell Anton they already have it.

Meanwhile, Rollins races out of SVU and call her mother, who is staying in Rollins' apartment, telling her not to lie to her and asking here is Kim? She explains there is an APB out for Kim for robbing a john last night. He mother acts ignorant but Rollins forcefully tells her mother that either Kim meets her now or the cops will take her down, and Rollins says her mother wouldn’t want headlines in the paper about her daughter being a prostitute. She tells her to get Kim to show. Beth Anne says she will see what she can do to get a message to her. But when they hang up the call, Beth Anne is sitting in Rollins’ apartment and Kim is also there, paying with Rollins’ dog Frannie. She asks Kim if she is in trouble, but Kim thinks Rollins is just putting her down just to build herself up. Beth Anne says she sounds upset and she will have to talk to her.

Back at SVU, Dodds and Carisi confront Anton with a photo of him at Alessandra’s hotel room door, and he doesn’t recall any of this. He realizes that “Savannah” may have drugged him. It is him in the photo but would never rape. He asks if he needs to call a lawyer or his embassy, but Carisi tries to convince him to go to the ER to run some tests and he will have to tell him how he got in touch with the escort. When he says he doesn’t want his wife to find out, Dodds states they have enough to arrest him right now, and she will definitely find out about that, if he works with SVU, they will try to work with him.

Later, Dodds is showing Benson that Anton found the escort through Craigslist, paid cash, and used a fake name. Dodds says he called the number and booked an afternoon date with Savannah. When Benson looks surprised, Dodds asks that he hopes he didn’t overstep. Benson explains she is more interested in closing out the rape case than tracking down some escort. Dodds counters if they don’t find her, Anton could claim that NYPD ignored exculpatory evidence. Benson comments as a general note, she prefers to be kept in the loop. As she walks off, Dodds follows her and says his dad says he was there to take some of the pressure off her but if she is not comfortable delegating, he can respect that. She stops and gives a forced smile, saying it is day 1 so for the time being, to check in with each other.

Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” which will air on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” 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 “Maternal Instincts” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU, “Maternal Instincts” which will air on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargiaty, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Andy Karl (as Sgt. Mike Dodds), Wass Stevens (as Slice), Zach McGowan (as Anton Krasnikov), Jason Cerbone (as Couns. Lorenzo Desappio), Virginia Madsen (as Beth Anne Rollins), and Lindsay Pulsipher (as Kim Rollins).


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Maternal Instincts” can be found at this link.

Photos by: Peter Kramer/NBC 2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Photos by: Will Hart/NBC 2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

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 “Patrimonial Burden” Episode Information

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

Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” Air Date November 4, 2015 (9 PM ET/8C Wednesday NBC)


The SVU investigates an unraveling web of secrets when the virtuous 13 year-old daughter of a famous reality TV family discovers she's pregnant. Starring Mariska Hargitay (Lt. Benson), Ice T (Det. Tutuola), Kelli Giddish (Det. Rollins) and Peter Scanavino (Det. Carisi). Guest starring Andy Karl (Sgt. Mike Dodds), Ryan Devlin (Pastor Eldon), Geneva Carr (Pam Baker), Christopher Sieber (Frank Baker), Victoria Leigh (Lane Baker) and Chris Elliott (Pete Matthews).

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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Patrimonial Burden” 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 “Maternal Instincts” Previews

Here are previews from Law & Order SVU “Maternal Instincts” which will air on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC. The previews feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, and Peter Scanavino.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Maternal Instincts” can be found at this link.


Please note: These clips have a limited life so catch them while you can!


SVU_17006Clip1_16x9 by tvwatchr



SVU_17006Clip2_16x9 by tvwatchr



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 “Community Policing” Recap & Review

Law & Order SVU takes many of its story lines from real life headlines, so it was only a matter of time before it used the (too) many incidents of black people being killed in police encounters as a foundation for an episode. The episode has only 42 minutes of storytelling time to try to make its statement on this issue, so it painted its picture with a very broad brush.

Benson and her team are involved in apprehending what may be a serial rapist. Some detectives from the 27th precinct get the initial call on a home invasion/rape and then bring in the SVU. The 2-7 continues to assist in the case with the SVU in apprehending the rapist. Thinking they have their man, the detectives from the 2-7 chase down and shoot a suspect multiple times, thinking he has a gun. The episode takes a predictable course of the detectives having to explain their actions to IAB and the grand jury, and with the typical arguments from the rest of law enforcement defending their actions. Benson, because she is running point on the serial rapist case, finds herself drawn into legal end of the case against the officers and defends their actions. It’s Captain Reece, however, who may have fueled the fire by telling his people -  before the chase - that time, distance, and cover is their friend, adding he doesn’t care if this scumbag makes it through the night but cares if his people do. Clearly the detectives ignored the part of the message about time, distance and cover.  Despite what appears to be damning video evidence of police wrongdoing,  Benson, Reece, and the detectives continue to support their own.

Oddly, the legal case against the officers is given to Barba, with the explanation that it’s his last chance to get back in the good graces of City Hall. While I enjoyed Raúl Esparza’s performance immensely, I find it hard to believe that, in the real world, Barba would be given such a high profile case that had nothing to do with a special victim. If anything, had the original Law & Order series still existed, this would be a case that likely would have elevated to the level of the Executive Assistant District Attorney. I also find it unbelievable that a grand jury would be convened so quickly. Again, there are only so many minutes in the hour for them to tell the story, so events are greatly accelerated. But in this case it's almost to the point of being laughable.  It’s times like these that I don’t like when they put dates on the scene cards. I simply cannot believe this case would have gotten to a grand jury and be resolved within only a few days from when the shooting occurred, high profile or not.

With the glares that Benson and Barba were giving each other at the Grand Jury, and Benson's door slamming incident afterward,  things could be a little tense between them going forward.  Clearly Barba was caught between a rock and a hard place and maybe Benson will eventually come to understand this.

As there have been so many tragic shootings like this over the last few years, this topic has been discussed ad nauseam.  This episode added nothing new to the discussion and only continued the misconception that these cases can be solved easily and quickly.

The serial rapist case is still unsolved.  I assume this is not the last we've seen of the "push-in" rapist.  I would think it would be a high priority - especially after killing an innocent man in the process of working the case - that they find the real perp.

Awkwardly shoehorned into this episode – and taking time from telling the more important story of an innocent man being shot – is the big reveal of who is the father of Rollins’ baby: Declan Murphy. We last saw him working undercover in the episode “Undercover Mother” and those events took place in February, apparently around the time when Rollins and Murphy had their hookup. I admit that I have no feelings either way about this, but I still was happy to see Donal Logue in the episode, and that the speculation was finally over.

Here is the recap:

Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.

Guest stars:
Donal Logue – Declan Murphy
Scott William Winters – Detective Joe "Doom" Dumas
Isiah Whitlock Jr. - Capt. Reece
Dashiell Eaves - Sgt. Kevin Donlan
Mary McCann – Delegate Didi Denzler
Jason Cerbone – Attorney Desappio
Jolly Abraham – Doctor
Krista Braun – Mrs. Harris
Christopher Domig – Mr. Harris
Daveed Diggs - Louis Henderson
Josh Pais - Hank Abraham
Robert John Burke - Ed Tucker
Caris Vujcec - Det. Louise Campesi
Leslie Odom Jr. - Reverend Curtis Scott
Michael Potts - Sgt. Draper
Chandra Thomas - Patricia Reynolds
Neal Lerner – Richard Wallace
Jared Kemp - Jeff
Edwin Lugo – Juan
Latifah Johnson - Leslie
Raekwon Haynes – Damian
Cristina Pitter – Alma Hernandez
Lauren Noble – Carmen
Kylie McVey – Sophie Harris
Therell Spires – Latrell
J.J. Wynder - Jahill
Maria Desimone - Weeping Widow
Storm Chambers – Old Man

Benson and Fin are called to the scene of a “push-in” rape where the wife was raped and the husband pistol-whipped. Sgt. Donlon explains there was a similar rape before but in this case the attacker stayed longer. The suspect left them tied up. The wife is still conscious.

Benson enters the apartments and sees Detectives “Doom” Dumas and Campesi on the scene. Benson finds out the attacker was black, tall, and that her 12 year old daughter Sophie is missing. Benson orders the detectives to lock the building down. The detectives and officers search the area and Carisi finds her in the laundry room stuffed into a washing machine. He pulls her out and takes her outside for medical attention. Benson tries to console her and decides to ride in the ambulance with her, telling the others to find this guy.

In the hospital, Benson explains the situation to Dr. Patel who is also attending to Sophie’s parents. Captain Reece arrives and Benson updates him. It is the same MO as last week. She explains she is still short staffed and he tells her whatever she needs, just ask. She asks if she can address his next roll call and she will need to borrow a couple detectives to interview the vics when they are ready to talk. He tells her she has it.

Fin and Dumas speak with Mr. Harris who recalls what he can from the attack. The attacker was big and black, late 20s, with an afro and wearing a team jersey. Dumas shows him a sketch and he say maybe, asking if that is the push-in rapist and that his brother warned him about him. His brother is on the job at the 1-2.

Benson and Carisi speak with Mrs. Harris who describes her attack. She gave him her purse and pin number and feels she should have screamed. Benson reminds her everyone survived. The doctor enters and tells them she has to do the rape kit now.

At the 27th precinct at 204 West 119th Street on Tuesday, August 18, Fin speaks with Campesi and Donlon who says some of their guys know the husband’s brother. Carisi and Dumas confer and Dumas comments god help this guy when they catch him. Rollins is leaning on the ME for DNA info and Dumas says he worked with Rollins on a case in Brooklyn a few years back and they kind of hit it off. He walks over to her to say hello and when she turns around, he sees she is pregnant. He tells her congratulations and asks who is the lucky dad, asking if it is someone he knows. She doesn’t think so. Captain Reece explains to the group about the pattern rapist and that SVU will walk through the details. Benson explains what happened to the Harrises and Reece says the victims are related to a brother officer and this is family. Rollins explains the first vic worked up a sketch and they are still waiting for last night’s DNA but one of those vics gave them details that matched the sketch. He took the wife’s credit cards so they have flagged them. Reece tells them to canvass the neighborhood and lean on their CIs and there is no problem for stop and frisk tonight. He hit the precinct twice this week so he has roots here and someone knows him. Benson reminds them he is armed and extremely dangerous and is looking at serious time. Reece adds that he knows it is hot but to wear their vests tonight. Time, distance, and cover is their friend. He doesn’t care if this scumbag makes it through the night but he cares if they do.

Later, Fin and Dumas stop two men to frisk them and asks if they’ve seen the guy. Campesi and Donlon speak with a store clerk while Benson and Carisi speak with a woman who doesn’t want to help until they explain the situation. Much later, Dumas and Fin get a lead from a guy who says the man may have been there a half hour ago wearing a pro jersey, number 23. Benson and Carisi come up with nothing but Benson finds Rollins just got a hit on the bank card.

At a store, Campesi, shows a store worker the sketch of the suspect. He has the man on video and shows it to Benson, Fin, Dumas and Campesi and says this was about 15 minutes ago. The man is wearing a number 23 jersey and a cap. He says the man took out $200; he wanted more but he told him that was the max. He thought he was going to shoot him. Donlon asks if he had a gun, and he says he saw something on his right side. Benson tells them to lock the neighborhood down. Donlon radios the instructions and Dumas says they are on it. Benson tells Carisi and Fin to have the unis lock down any ATM in their sector; he maxed out here but he could be trying others. Fin says got it and he and Carisi race off.

Captain Reece drives up to Benson and Carisi and she explains the suspect was spotted in a bodega about 15 minutes ago.  Reece hears on the radio that the suspect was spotted near the Clayton Powell houses and he radios to central to get aviation up, and Benson, Fin, and Carisi race off.

Meanwhile, Dumas, Campesi, and Donlon chase the suspect, and Capt. Reece, in the car, spots the suspect and points him out to the driver and orders him to cut him off. While the others chase on foot, Benson arrives in the car that Fin is driving, as Carisi also reaches the area. They hear multiple gun shots and Benson tells Carisi to call it in. Carisi does so, saying there are shots fired at Clayton Powell houses.

Law & Order SVU “Maternal Instincts” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU, “Maternal Instincts” which will air on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC.



My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Maternal Instincts” 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 “Community Policing” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU, “Community Policing” which will air on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Ice-T, Kylie McVey (as Sophie Harris), Scott Williams (as Detective "Doom" Dumas), Caris Vujec (as Detective Campesi), and Isiah Whitlock Jr. (as Captain Reece).

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Community Policing” can be found at this link.

Photos by: Michael Parmelee/NBC 2015 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

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 “Community Policing” Previews

Here are preview clips for Law & Order SVU, “Community Policing” which will air on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 9PM ET on NBC. The videos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Raúl Esparza, Peter Scanavino, Scott William Winters (as Detective Joe Dumas), and Leslie Odom, Jr. ( as Reverend Curtis Scott).



My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Community Policing” can be found at this link.

These previews have a limited life so catch them while you can!




SVU_17005Clip1_16x9 by tvwatchr



SVU_17005Clip2_16x9 by tvwatchr



SVU_17005Clip3_16x9 by tvwatchr




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 “Institutional Fail” Recap & Review

Stories about neglected or abused children always bother me more than others, and this one was no exception. Maybe it’s because I see children as being completely powerless to change a bad situation, it makes those who neglect them, such as parents and social supporters, as being particularly heinous when they shirk their responsibilities. The failure here was not just with Child Services, but also with the city officials who are more worried about how things look to the public than protecting the public it is paid to serve.

In this case, abusive and mostly absent parenting, coupled with a bunch of bureaucrats who are more worried about their statistics and keeping their jobs, contributed to the death of an innocent child, and endangered the life of another. The SVU gets involved in the case and find themselves hitting a brick wall when higher ups at One PP would rather handle this internally than make a public spectacle. While Benson finds her hands tied, it’s Rafael Barba who comes to the rescue, as he doesn’t have to toe the One PP line. I found myself cheering inside during his press conference. As usual, Raúl Esparza brought the real emotional footnote to the case when, while cross examining Janette Grayson (Whoopi Goldberg), his voice sounded like it was cracking with horror and disgust for this woman’s incompetence and for what happened to other children. In fact, I think Raúl completely stole that scene. While I recognize Whoopi’s many acting awards, I thought that the performance could have been just as good with another actor.

It was a bit of a surprise, however, when Barba told Benson and Rollins that to go after the caseworker he would need more than maternal outrage to make a case. I know Barba has a sharp tongue but that comment was sexist. He could have just omitted the word “maternal” and still made his point.

Rollins took a pregnancy test in early June and she barely looked pregnant at that time. It is now early August and she looks much farther along than one would expect for that 2 month time frame. I do understand the timing with Kelli’s real life pregnancy and the filming schedule, but it still seems to me that the episode time frame is off.

I enjoy having Peter Gallagher as Dodds. He brings the right amount of tension to the story line and keeps Benson on her toes. He is correct when he tells her she doesn’t have a political bone in her body. It’s good that Benson looks out for what is right for the victims, but she does need to be mindful of internal politics and USE them to get what she needs done. It’s interesting that Benson and Dodds both were very quick to tell Fin they weren’t on a date;  based on their body language as they left what was likely a work event together,  it looked a little more than just a work relationship (or maybe Dodds wishes!).   I think they would make an interesting couple; she and Dodds seem to have good chemistry, even though they don’t always agree. It will be interesting to see how the work dynamic changes when Dodd’s son becomes Benson’s #2!

This was a solid story, nicely told!

Here is the recap:

Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Sergeant Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.

Guest stars:
Whoopi Goldberg - Janette Grayson
John Magaro - Keith Musio
Peter Gallagher: Deputy Chief William Dodds
Joseph Lyle Taylor - Counselor Mickey D'Angelo
Josh Pais - Hank Abraham
Yvonna Kopaca-Wright - Dr. Wilder
Josh Mercantel - Matt Sheridan
Scott William Winters – Detective Joe Dumas
Jessica Pimental - Manuela Ozuna
Michael Mastro – Judge Serani
Steve Rosen – Public Defender Guthrie
Caris Vujcec - Detective Campesi
Marissa Matrone – Judge Mariana DeFeceo
Lynne Marie Rosenberg – Counselor Belitta Schwartz
Delius Doherty - Ross
Elijah Rivera – Tito Morales
LaToya Edwards – Denaya
Alexa Butler – Grandma
Jaime Fernandez – Dario
Christopher Roach – Frank
Issam Mikaiki – Bruno Ozuna


A young boy, home alone, manages to get himself out of the apartment, cross a busy street, and into a store to buy some food. The store clerk sees the small boy alone and asks where his mom is at.

Meanwhile, Benson is leaving an evening event with Deputy Chief William Dodds. She comments it was not as horrible as she thought. He tells her she is going to be a Lieutenant and she will need to practice kissing those rings. She asks, “Lieutenant? So I passed? “ He adds and then some, when it is official she can pick any command in the city. She comments she is happy where she is. He says okay and then asks if she is up for a nightcap; they need to talk about finding her a #2. Her phone buzzes and he asks doesn’t she ever turn that thing off? She explains she can’t; they are short staffed. She takes the call and says she is on her way. Dodds asks where to, he will drop her. She gets in his car.

Benson and Dodds arrive at the store where the boy was found. Fin is there and apologizes for breaking up their date. They say in unison that it wasn’t a date. Detective Dumas is also there, saying that he and Detective Campesi took the call from patrol;  their Sergeant suggested SVU would be better equipped to handle a lost kid. Dodds comments that the detective is passing the buck, but Det. Campisi says the boy wouldn’t talk and walked in all by himself. Benson, concerned, sees him sitting sadly near the counter and asks where are the parents. Fin comments that is why they are here.

Later, in the hospital waiting area while the boy plays with toys, Benson, changed from her evening attire, tries to make a connection to get the boy to talk, and eventually hears him say his name is Bruno. He does not know his last name or how old he is. She sees Doctor Wilder approach and walks over to tell the doctor she got his name and thinks he is about 3 years old. She asks if he should be talking by now and The doctor comments it is delayed speech, no one is taking care of him. He was filthy and had several cavities and his vitamin D levels were low as he was not getting out much. There are no broken bones or any signs of sexual trauma. She wants to run more tests and would like to talk to the parents. Benson states so would they.

At Conyers Houses on Friday August 7, Rollins speaks to a woman sitting outside with her child, who tells Rollins on how she is carrying her weight that it is a girl. She has also seen Bruno in the courtyard at all hours. She has called 911 and 311 and got nothing. She says the mother is a mess, all hopped up. Carisi speaks to another woman and shows her Bruno’s picture who says the boys. mother's name is Manuela with a last name like a one of those Dominican baseball playing brothers. Fin catches up with another guy who may be running drugs who does not know the kid or the mother. He grabs his phone and says he is Tito Morales and is recording all this. Fin says loudly so the others can hear that if Tito keep snitching they will drop all the charges. Tito says he is no snitch and Fin tells him then start talking.

Back at SVU, Benson gets off a call and says they are all over it and she races into the squad room. She tells the others that was Dodds and he is asking about Bruno and what can she tell him? Fin hears the mom has been copping once a day, Carisi has a list of possible last names, something Dominican, and Rollins says the housing authority is checking but her contact said not to expect much. They have to go through 2,000 leases, Carisi adds not to mention the illegal sublets, etc. Carisi called child services and the guy told him where he could go, so Benson decides to do a drop in. Rollins, looking very pregnant, gets up slowly and says she and Fin have this, but Benson, seeing Rollins' discomfort, says Rollins and Fin should stay there and work the phones, she and Carisi will go.

At the department of Child Services at 108 Fulton Street on Friday, August 7, as Benson and Carisi arrive, they see an officer removing a man who is giving a case worker - Keith Musio - some trouble. Janette Grayson, his boss, comments “Welcome to the jungle.” Janette makes the introductions. Janette moves off to help get rid of the other man. The discuss Bruno and he finds the file for Bruno Ozuna. They explain Bruno’s situation.

Later, Keith is taking Benson and Carisi to Bruno’s home, walking up many flights of stairs as the elevator is broken. He says he last saw Bruno a couple weeks ago and both kids were fine. They get to the apartment and see the door is not even locked, and Benson calls out for Manuela and enters the apartment. The apartment is a mess and the TV is on and the apartment is like a furnace. Manuela is not there. They are shocked to find Keisha locked in a dog cage, with barely a pulse. Keith is stunned. Benson is shocked that Keisha is so tiny and challenges Keith on her age, but he states she is almost nine. Carisi calls for a bus as Benson gets her out of the cage and holds her and consoles her.

Benson and Carisi are at the hospital and Dr. Wilder says that Keisha is starving and is so dehydrated her organs are shutting down. When Carisi asks if she will make it, the doctor says she wishes they found her sooner.

At 3169 Broadway on Friday, August 7, Fin finds Manuela sitting on the sidewalk begging and says he has her kids. They arrest her and as she protests, Fin tells her to shut up.

Back at the hospital, Carisi asks Keith if he is feeling better, and he says yeah. He adds that when he was a rookie he used to puke all the time. The way Keisha looked…Carisi comments that Keith was just there a few weeks ago and asks how did she look then? Keith comments he is trying to remember, he has so many visits in a day – at least 8 or 9 – he never has enough time. Carisi asks that he did see Keisha two weeks ago, and Keith replies he must have, he’d have to check his notes. He adds this isn’t even his family to begin with, his colleague has been on maternity leave so now he has twice the workload. Frustrated, he states he is doing 12-hour turns here, rushing through visits, and all the paperwork and court appearances… Carisi says he gets it, but states that Keith knows where he is going with this, right? Keith looks stunned and Carisi says they just picked up Keisha’s mother and there is going to be more questions.