Law & Order SVU relies heavily on real life news to craft fictional versions; it's a writer’s version of manna from heaven. The ripped from the headlines stories were obvious in “Nationwide Manhunt,” using recent stories of a prison break (Clinton Correctional) and a contraband drone drop (Mansfield Correctional). But these events helped to craft an excellent story about two of SVUs repeat offenders - Doctors Greg Yates and Carl Rudnick - and again bring in SVU’s favorite crazy lady, Bronwyn Wilkins (née Freed). This episode spent very little time in the SVU squad room and had plenty of action, giving everyone the opportunity get out of their element and perform at their best. (Ice-T did not appear in this episode; no reason was given for Fin's absence.) It was also a perfect opportunity to close the books on creepy Greg Yates; not in this episode, but in the second half of the crossover. (Update February 12, 2016: I was originally going to do a brief recap of the second half of the crossover, Chicago PD’s “The Song of Gregory Williams Yates,” but I’ve decided against it. I thought that episode fell flat and I didn’t want to spend the time to watch it again to recap it. For those who are interested in what happens to Yates, Erin Lindsay goes after him on her own; she shoots and kills him when it appears he is coming at her with an awl.)
Benson loses it when she encounters Bronwyn, who was directly responsible for William Lewis’ escape and now has helped two other serial killers break out of jail. Benson rightfully has zero tolerance for this deluded woman and it was great to see Benson show fiery anger. I’m surprised that Barba couldn’t make any of the charges stick against Bronwyn from the Lewis escape. I’m starting to wonder if Barba is losing his mojo. He also seemed on edge from the moment he arrived at the prison. One would think that as ADA he’s made plenty of prison visits, so why he would seem so skittish at this one? Maybe he is breaking under pressures from his job? Maybe he needs more fiber in his diet? Or is there more going on?
While at the prison, Dodds states that his father knows everybody and that his father makes a point of it, yet it seemed that Dodds was the one who wanted to make the point. I am sure his father casts a long shadow but I’m not convinced that Dodds really objects to it as he implies. Maybe there is some insecurity there which gives him the need to invoke his father's name at times, but to his credit, Dodds operates with the proper authority when Benson is not there, and is fully capable of taking charge. In one situation, however, he loses control by letting Erin Lindsay do the driving, and, when they fail to return to SVU as instructed, he gets shot. Lindsay then ignores his instructions to stay put and leaves him wounded as she runs off to chase William Yates. Not nice, Lindsay! Next time, he should probably do the driving in his home state so he has control over a situation with an out-of-jurisdiction detective. (By the way, in the opening scene of the Chicago PD episode, Dawson says Dodds will make a full recovery.)
Rollins blames herself for allowing Yates to play her, but she wasn’t at fault at all. Rudnick was going to get out with or without Yates, and I can see why Rollins would want to get Yates into the honor block in exchange for more information about the remains in question. I can understand Rollins’ frustration with being coddled (as she called it), and while Carisi didn’t mean to be demeaning, just because she was frustrated doesn’t mean she is suffering from postpartum depression! No wonder she is annoyed.
Carisi also appeared to have blinders on when it came to Rudnick, seemingly showing him much sympathy when he was captured and again while he was in the hospital. But I was thrilled when Carisi pulled back so quickly once he got the information he wanted out of Rudnick. It seems Carisi was playing Rudnick. Well done!
A mistake – and this kind of error really annoys me because it is so easily preventable or fixable– is the date on the photo of Rudnick and Bronwyn from the bridge. The date was nowhere near the date that they said the image was taken. It was dated January 21, and Rudnick and Yates were both in prison on that date. They made a similar error in “Townhouse Incident.” These kinds of mistakes reflect poorly on a production that makes such a big deal of posting the timeline multiple times in every episode.
All in all, this was an excellent episode and the director, actors, and writers delivered an exciting hour!
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:
Andy Karl - Sgt. Mike Dodds
Sophia Bush - Erin Lindsay
Jon Seda - Antonio Dawson
Jason Beghe – Hank Voight
Dallas Roberts - Greg Yates
Jefferson Mays - Dr. Carl Rudnick
Anna Deavere Smith – Prison Warden
Kevin Kane – Major Bowman
Robin de Jesus – Jose Silva
Stella Maeve – Nadia Cotis
Sarah Bisman Storm – Bronwyn Wilkins
Jamil Mena – Corrections Officer #1
Stephen Tenner – Corrections Officer #2
Kazy Tauginas – Corrections Officer #3
Alvin Crawford – Corrections Officer #4
Phillip JM Chroba – Kyle Wilkins
Tony Rossi – Librarian
Laoina Micheele – Gate Guard
Pat Kiernan – as Himself
Cheryl Wills – as Herself
Marley Haley – as Little Girl
“In the criminal justice system, some killers are so depraved that it takes multiple police agencies to bring them to justice. This is one of those investigations.”
A woman viewers know as Bronwyn Freed bakes lasagna and hides money, a cell phone, cutting blades, and nail polish and makeup utensils in it.
Meanwhile, Benson is at SVU on the phone with Chicago PD’s Hank Voight. She tells him Dr. Greg Yates is now claiming some of the bones they found in Pelham Bay – vics they never ID’d – may be the remains of runaway Midwestern girls. Voight states they do have some open missing persons cases from when Yates was in Chicago who fit his M.O. This is why Benson is calling, and Voight asks with sarcasm if Yates is offering this up for humanitarian reasons. Benson explains Yates wants to discuss this with Rollins, but Benson just doesn’t want her anywhere near him, and these are Chicago vics. Voight asks if she wants him to send Lindsay, and Benson thinks Yates will talk to her. Voight comments that Lindsay still hasn’t forgiven herself for what Yates did to Nadia. Benson wonders if Lindsay can use that, and Benson adds that they will keep each other posted, Voight mumbles “hmm” in agreement and Benson thanks him. As Benson looks at the photos of Nadia, we see Erin Lindsay and Antonio Dawson get in a New York City taxi. As they drive, Lindsay flashes back to her times with Nadia.
At Green Haven Correctional Facility on Thursday, February 4, Yates looks through photos of the remains and when Yates says nothing, Lindsay prompts him to answer. He says yes, these are disturbing - fractured skulls, broken hyoid bones. He comments these girls were driven all the way from Chicago to that bleak Bronx bone yard, that same place that her friend Nadia was found. Lindsay reminds him: “After you murdered her.” Dawson states they are here because they heard Yates may have information on these victims. Yates, in a mocking voice, says “who they were, how they got there, where did they come from?” Dawson suggests Yates start with who they are. Yates, looking away from the detectives, says these are just bones, they can’t find any DNA on them so he will guess they came from working girls. Dawson reminds Yates he told SVU some of those victims might be from Chicago. He mumbles “did I?” and Dawson gives him some missing persons photos they want him to look at. Yates does so and comments that they girls are so young, and he doesn’t imagine that’s what they looked like when the killer encountered them. Lindsay, looking impatient, asks where. Yates replies maybe at a truck stop whoring themselves out for cocaine. He looks at Lindsay and says she must know the power of addiction. She stares back at him and says they are here to talk about these girls, not her. Yates counters that Nadia talked a lot about her on their drive; how Sergeant Voight took her off the street, mentored her. Yates comments that Voight has a lot of anger; it must have been very scary growing up in his home. Lindsay, looking angry, stands up and says there are done . As Dawson picks up the photos, Yates says he is sorry they wasted their trip, and to tell the warden he’d be much more comfortable talking with Detective Rollins. Dawson states she is not coming up here. Yates asks why not, then stands up, realizing she must have had her baby by now. He asks if it is a boy or a girl, and Lindsay says that is none of his business. Yates says if they want closure for those families, get her here – by tomorrow.
With Lindsay and Dawson at SVU, Rollins tells Benson she should have gone up, there, adding that he didn’t give them anything. Lindsay doesn’t think he has anything to give. Rollins counters that Yates never shows his cards on the first pass, and nothing is for free. She asks what Yates asked for, and Dawson says Yates wants to speak with Rollins. Benson raises her voice, saying Yates is bored and he gets off on pulling everybody’s strings. Rollins states Yates gave them Rudnick, and he knows more about those bones than he’s ever led on. Carisi adds with sarcasm that Yates is still claiming those bodies might be from the Chicago girls. Dawson states that they do have 4 women who went missing when Yates moved to Chicago and one of them is a working girl who was a patient at his urgent care center. Lindsay adds Yates did seem to recognize her and he could have driven her east like he did with Nadia. Dodds asks isn’t Yates appealing that conviction, wondering why would he confess to more crimes. Rollins says that Yates doesn’t confess; she keeps the conversation hypothetical and he just fills in the blanks. Lindsay suggests that Sergeant Voight would really like to give these girls’ families some answers, and Benson says she knows. Benson tells Carisi to go with. As they group breaks up, Rollins chases after Benson and says there is no point of sending him, Yates isn’t going even going to make eye contact with him and there are CO’s everywhere. Benson says they know Yates and he has probably been playing them since the moment he got there.
Back at Green Haven, Mrs. Wilkins – we know her as Bronwyn Freed – is running a support group with the prisoners. Dr. Rudnick and Jose Silva sit next to each other in the group. As the group breaks into pairs, Yates comes into the room and apologizes for being late. Rudnick looks less than thrilled. Yates tells Jose that he and Rudnick have issues they need to work through, and Jose lets him pair up with Rudnick. Yates asks Rudnick if Mrs. Wilkins is still bringing those deep pan trays of lasagna. And Rudnick says that shouldn’t concern him. But Yates says it does, saying home cooking – you just can’t beat it.
Later, Rollins and Carisi arrive at Green Haven and speak with the warden about Yates. She says there are no problems, he volunteers in the law library at the hospital and is a model inmate. She adds that sometimes the lifers get Zen and try to make the best of it, or they want to get transferred further upstate. Either way, he has settled in. As they enter the gates, Carisi comments to Rollins that Yates has charmed the warden – a classic sociopath. Rollins says she knows.
Inside, as Rollins and Carisi enter the prison meeting room, Yates is waiting and tells Rollins that motherhood becomes her. She smiles and says thank you. He asks how she lost the baby weight so fast, adding that she is glowing. He asks if she is breastfeeding, says that the hormones can do wonders…Carisi angrily cuts Yates off, saying that is enough. Rollins tells him it is okay. Yates says he supposes it was too much for him to expect Rollins to come alone, and he was a bit hurt that she sent the Chicago detectives in her stead. Carisi, his voice testy, says that she is here now so get on with it. Rollins brings out photos of the girls from Chicago, showing one photo that Yates had said could have been a working girl. Yates looks at the photo and makes a comment about the girls blue eyes. He doubts she ended up in Pelham Bay. Rollins thinks he does have a theory about where she did end up. Yates replies that if he had to guess, she was turning tricks at a truck stop between Chicago and Gary, I-90 most likely, but if something happened to her out there in the dark at night, she is probably just waiting in the weeds. He says this with a faint smile, and Rollins face gets an uncomfortable look. Carisi comments now they are getting somewhere. Rollins asks if the other girls are in Pelham Bay. Yates says possibly, but she knows how this works: to get, you gave to give.
Back at SVU, Carisi and Rollins are on a video call and Benson hears that Yates wants to be transferred to honor block. Dodds says Yates is a serial killer and that is not happening, but Carisi explains that when you are in prison, whatever you did to get there doesn’t really matter and they use the carrot of the honor block to encourage good behavior. Lindsay thinks he is not capable of good behavior. Rollins explains Yates did make a show of good faith: Siobhan Kelly, the patient at his urgent care center, Yates suggested they check truck stops outside of Gary. As Dawson says he will loop in Voight, Rollins adds Yates may know more but won’t say anything until he is transferred. Benson comments of course he won’t, and Lindsay asks her if this is a good idea. Dodds doubts the warden would approve that, but Benson tells Rollins and Carisi to find out and she wants the both back in New York tonight.
