Law & Order SVU “Man Up / Man Down” Recap & Review; Season 20 Premiere

The two hour season 20 (season 20!) premiere of Law & Order SVU brought a troubling case for the detectives. It also brought some interesting personal issues for the main characters. After 20 years of stories about sexual assault the stories begin to sound alike or feel predictable, and this one certainly was the latter. That didn’t make it any less compelling. Credit this to the writing, which gave each character dialog and interactions which fit their personalities very well and felt very natural.

In the first few minutes we got a glimpse into the key issues affecting our beloved SVU characters; I’ve listed the highlights by each person:

Benson: She’s not as young and fit as she used to be. In trying to chase down two different suspects, she gets winded and can’t catch her breath – or them. She wants to be Wonder Woman but, as Fin reminds her, “life” and “time” have happened. Did Benson spill a secret about her past to Rollins? (More on this when I discuss Rollins, below.)

Stone: He’s grieving over his sister’s death, all while drinking a lot and “entertaining” two women at a time. I am conflicted about his shirtless scene. Nothing wrong with showing off a great body, but it just something we don’t see SVU do any more for its leads. It felt odd.  But I suppose one can’t have Philip Winchester on a show without using his talents to the fullest.  I'm not sure if it's his sister's death that is causing him such grief, or difficulty with the types of cases he deals with, or both.  Regardless, it seems like anyone who works at SVU or deals with the cases winds up in a bar drinking too much, sooner or later.

Rollins: She’s pregnant. She seems ready to tell who we believe is the father of this child, a man who had a problem with “hookers” and this appears to have broken up their relationship. He swears he has changed. When Rollins makes a quick bathroom stop, upon her return she sees him flirting with the waitress. I suspect she didn’t tell him she is pregnant. She eventually tells Benson, who has noticed something is going on. Later, Rollins is struggling with going through with the pregnancy. When Benson gives her advice, telling her that regret is an awful thing to live with, Rollins assumes Benson has had an abortion. Benson does not confirm or deny. I don’t recall this issue coming up with Benson before so I don’t know if this is new – or old – news. Maybe it’s just me, but Rollins already looks very pregnant and it surprises me that Benson hadn’t asked her long before this. Fin and Carisi are either clueless or are too afraid to ask Rollins if she is pregnant or just gaining weight.

Fin: He is becoming quite adept at dishing out sage advice, and he takes a harder line with the perps than the others. When Carisi wants to avoid the victim/murderer being killed by police, Fin doesn’t agree. When Fin explains how many bullets missed their target, he calls the shooter a lousy shot. He also has zero sympathy for the young shooter, saying not everyone who are assaulted, abused and humiliated shoot up schools. What he says is true, it’s just sounds harsh when he says it. Fin usually says what viewers are probably thinking.

Carisi: He never had a massage.

Noah: Is this a psycho in the making? Or just a spoiled brat? At one point he is all kisses with Benson on the phone. At the end of the episode he gets angry and pushes her and refuses to say “I love you” back to her. Getting angry with a parent is normal but I don’t think the pushing is a good sign.

Generally, the premiere had great energy through most of both episodes. The school shooting scene was very unsettling, and I found myself wondering how school-aged kids who watch the show (and their parents) felt about this scenario. I understand that fictional television frequently mimics what is happening in the real world, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing that there are people out there who are making lots of money on TV shows (and the networks that air them) who use these horrific events to advance a story. I recognize my own hypocrisy here because I still watch shows that do this all the time.

The second hour - about halfway through - got fairly predictable. I found myself losing interest, but it may be due in part to the later hour that the episode aired and the fact that I am usually fast asleep by that time. I suspect I won’t be watching SVU live very often in this new time slot.

While I am on the second hour, I don’t think the case of the school shooter should have been handled by SVU or Peter Stone. I can understand why they were on the scene when the incident occurred – they didn’t know who was shooting and they were there to provide overall support. But once it was made clear who the shooter was – and once Carisi disarmed him – prosecution of the school shooter case should not have been handled by Peter Stone. I don’t think he should have handled the prosecution of his father as well. If anyone out there in the legal system knows how this would work in New York City, I would like to hear any input.

Should parents be responsible for the actions of their children?   It's hard to give a one-size-fits-all answer on that one.   Clearly Sam's father created a toxic environment.  But is that enough to make the parents responsible?  Along the line of what Fin said, many people have toxic parents but they don't murder. 

As with all SVU cases, both trials sailed through the legal system with lightning speed. I understand why they accelerate the pace in this fictional world, but after all these years, it still annoys me.

The episode lighting for certain scenes seemed abnormally dark. I noticed it the most in interrogation. I thought my eyes were failing me.

Update October 2, 2018 - a deleted scene has been added after the recap.

The recap of the case:

The case involved teenager Sam Conway who, after a day of hunting with his father and brother and a traumatic shooting of a rabbit, shows all the signs he has been raped. Despite the SVU’s attempts to name his attacker, he is reluctant to do so. The family wants to believe that he fell. As the detectives dig deeper, Sam’s brother Brian remains tight-lipped, and Sam’s father, John, does all he can to restrict his son from talking. Sam’s girl friend says Sam was supposed to meet her that night and when she called him, he sounded like he was in a bar. Sam also told her that he “became a man tonight.”

Benson and Carisi speak to the bartender who helps identify a man that Sam was with (they left in an Uber) – it was not his father. They speak with Gus Haverford, a senior VP at Morgan Stanley. He says he didn’t know Sam was 15. In interrogation, he says he had Uber take Sam home as he was messed up, and says he was trying to comfort him. Sam seemed more worried about his brother, and was hysterical about a rabbit and outlines that the kid didn’t want to shoot it. Benson suggests Fin speak with Brian, away from his parents. Brian knows Sam got drunk but Brain insists nothing happened to him and gets rattled when he thinks Fin believes he is gay. Benson knows without corroboration the case will be difficult.

The detectives must race to the school as Brian and Sam were fighting.  Brian tries to flee and as Benson and Carisi try to chase him, Benson can’t keep up. During the case, someone on a bike gets knocked over by Brian and is injured. Carisi apprehends Brian. Later, in interrogation, Rollins and Fin question Brian on the hunting trip while Carisi speaks with Sam and Molly. John arrives and then announces that Sam came out as gay this morning and they talked it out and they are good. As John puts words in Sam’s mouth, it’s clear John is hiding something. He cuts the interview short.

Sam’s mother eventually breaks and admits she heard sounds coming from Sam’s room – he was whimpering. When she opened the door, Sam was on the bed and she saw her husband standing there, zipping up his pants. Shocked, she pretended she didn’t see it. When John arrives home, Benson and Carisi arrest him.

Benson and Stone have an irate John in interrogation with his attorney, but they can’t get anything to hold him on. Carisi also meets up with Sam at a local baseball diamond and, while Sam practices, Carisi tries to get him to admit to what happened. No luck; Sam is in complete denial.

When Benson and Stone discuss this, Stone asks what kind of a world is this, and Benson comments that there has to be a hell so we can recognize heaven. Stone brings up the “suffer the little children” bible verse and says this baffles him, asking what kind of world is created if they have to suffer to be close to him and what kind of heaven does he reside in. Benson reads this as him being troubled by his sister Pam’s death and offers to be there if he needs to talk. He comments that she’s dead, what else is there to say? He announces that he is going to trial against John – Benson worries there is no complaining witness – but Stone says the war you can’t win is the only one worth fighting.

At trial on September 14, the testimony of a DNA expert doesn’t help Stone. When Stone tries to call Molly, the matter is discussed in chambers and Stone loses the argument.

Meanwhile, Carisi catches up with a miserable Stone in a bar and Stone has been drinking a lot, something Carisi discovers when he picks up Stone’s bar tab.

The next day in court, Stone recalls Molly to the stand. When the defense objects, Stone explains that as Molly tampered with evidence (she washed the bloody clothes) and misled the police, she was advancing a mutual criminal conspiracy. He has charged her with being an un-indicted co-conspirator. The judge says her communications are no longer protected and Stone can call her to testify. She outlines what she saw, but under cross, it comes out that she never told the police John raped Sam and never really saw what happened.

Sam testifies and refuses to say his father assaulted him. He says he was injured by a man he met and it was the first time, and he wanted him to. Under cross, Stone brings up the hunting and that it is a rite of passage. Sam gets rattled and still denies that his father assaulted him.

The jury finds John not guilty of rape in the first degree.

Afterward, Benson tries to convince Molly to get her and the kids out of the house but she refuses to listen and won’t even promise to get counseling. She adds that she and Benson never need to speak again.

The next morning, Molly wakes Sam who still wants to go to school. At breakfast, he seems very distant. As he walks to the doors of Van Hood High School, he looks around and seems to think everyone is staring at him. He pauses at the door and seems in a daze. He then steps in with a large bag and quickly begins shooting.

Later, SVU is on the scene while the kids race out of the school. Benson tells the commanding officer on scene that SVU is there to help. They find the shooter is Sam. Molly arrives and asks if Sam is okay and Benson pulls her aside. Fin and Carisi speak with Brian who explains what Sam did. He tried to stop him but he pointed the barrel at him and asks if he was happy now. He did not shoot. Brian tells him Sam squinted and said he needed to concentrate, then he dropped the rifle and left. Carisi tells Fin he thinks he knows where Sam is. Fin tells him to tell ESU, but Carisi says no, they will kill him. Fin flatly counters that maybe they should.

Carisi finds Sam at the baseball diamond, and Sam has a gun to his own head. Carisi quickly works to diffuse the situation. Sam seems to need affirmation that his father loves him. But Carisi tells Sam to accept the responsibility for what he did and go ahead and kill himself. He then uses this to say this will make his dad really sick and to hate him. Carisi tells him that’s the thing about dads - no matter how you bad you screw up they still love you. Sam pauses and lowers the gun, and Carisi tackles him and diffuses the situation. Sam says he should have just shot the rabbit.

Later, back at SVU, Benson tells Stone there are two DOA and 5 gunshot victims – 4 were students, one teacher. Sam is in custody, waiting for his father and a lawyer. Fin explains the gun was a 22 Remington semi-automatic rifle – the gun holds 15 rounds, only 13 bullets used, 7 were in victims – Fin calling Sam a lousy shot, it could have been worse. Sam also had a Smith and Wesson 9C, never fired, both guns are legal and registered to the father. Benson says Molly swears the guns were in a locked safe. The only one he had a relationship was with the girl friend, the shootings seemed random. Stone thinks this is about the father. John arrives and demands to see his son. He and Stone have terse words and Benson leads John to Sam. As they work to separate them, John punches Sam and Benson angrily tells them to escort John out.

At Floyd New York on September 18, Stone is back in the bar watching news coverage of the shooting. Benson approaches him and asks if his cell phone died. He asks how she found him and she said Carmen (his assistant) and she go way back. Benson asks if he is punishing himself. Stone moans about the current state of the country and that it will never end. He may have to take Sam to trial as he pleaded not guilty. He has been remanded to Horizon Juvenile. Sam is on suicide watch and Stone complains about shrinks going around and around. He made the decision to cross examine him and thinks he should have seen past the brave face instead of winning his case. Benson said he was trying to save him, and he said he didn’t have to cross examine Sam. Benson says he had to, his father raped him. Stone says he raped him all over again on the witness stand.

At the Horizon Juvenile Center on September 19, as they wait, Rollins asks Carisi if he is okay. He comments that aside from not sleeping... Rollins talks about worrying about your kid getting sick or breaking a bone or getting hit by a taxi, she starts to cry. She comments about holding your breath underwater every day, adding then you get to tuck them in and kiss them goodnight and you get to breathe out again. She cries even more and Carisi consoles her. She seems to be getting ready to tell him she is pregnant but they are interrupted. The state psychiatrist, Lisa Abernathy, is there, filling in for Dr. Olivet who is at a wedding in Tuscany.

Later, Abernathy speaks with Sam. She mentions she has a wife and a boy and a girl. Sam says he is not gay and he has a good dad who is tough on them sometimes. He seems to praise his father. He mentions when he was 4, he tried to stick one of his soldiers’ swords into an electrical socket and when his dad found out, he was serious and told him it would hurt him more than Sam but he never wants him to forget. He then had him pull his shorts down and lay on the bed. His father hit him with it and it hurt so bad and he was crying. He never forgot and he never tried to play with that outlet again.

Later, Abernathy explains to Benson, Fin and Stone that Sam is not legally insane and was not insane at the time of the shooting. He knew firing the gun was wrong and knew the consequences. He has remorse. He grew up in a household with a traditional view of masculinity taken to the extreme, like a toxicity. Stone comments that to be a man you have to kill animals, win ballgames, you don’t cry, you tough out whatever comes your way. Benson adds even if own your father sexually assaults you. Abernathy agrees to testify if needed but warns this boy is on the verge of collapse

In Stone’s office on September 19, Fin says a lot of kids get assaulted, abused and humiliated but they don’t shoot up schools and murder other kids. The discussion is cut short as the Conways are in Stone’s office. John and Molly say that Sam will plead guilty, thinking that going to trial would be wrong for everybody. They take responsibility for his actions and Sam does too, they do not want to put the all the kids through any more pain. Stone states he will call the DA and the judge, Sam will be treated as an adult and the time will be substantial. John extends his had to Stone but Stone refuses to shake it. As John and Molly leave, Fin asks I they will let the victims’ families know. Stone will. Benson knows that part is over but is distressed John gets to walk away. Stone says it is no over by a long shot.

Later, Stone meets with Sam and wants to hear that Sam is okay with this. He is. Stone continues to talk the situation through with Sam and Sam eventually mentions the two dead victims. No one looked at his mom at the funerals. Sam gets angry and says how his father talked to him leading up to the shooting. He storms off.

Benson gets a call from Stone and she tells the detectives Stone thinks there is a way he can go after John Conway. Carisi asks what they can do.

Later, Benson and Carisi speak with Molly about John and Benson says they think John should be prosecuted for creating an environment where Sam believed that shooting made him a man. Molly gets angry and says she can’t help anyone anymore and blames herself for even coming forward. She has her own regrets about no making Sam stay home. All John wants is for his boys to become men.

Meanwhile, Fin and Rollins continue to put the same pressure on Brian at SVU. Brian says he and Sam were raised the same way and he never went and…Fin finishes and says “shot anybody.” Brian says if it is his dad’s fault it is his too. Rollins tries to assure him it is not his fault. He thinks his life is over and angrily blames the detectives. He kicks a chair and storms out of the room.

At the courthouse, Benson tells Stone Molly will not testify and when Stone says he will subpoena him, she will lie. Brian is also out and only Sam is left, and Stone reminds her he is on suicide watch. Benson retorts so much for the fighting war we can’t win. She says this time children are dead. They already lost Sam, this is about the next Sam Conway.

Sometime later, John is at a shooting range and Carisi and Fin arrest him for murder.

At the courthouse in a meeting room, Stone discusses the matter with John and his lawyer, using pit bulls being turned into killers by their owners as an example. He adds John did not see the risk and was a gross deviation from the standard of care. It is criminally negligent homicide. The lawyer calls it a snowflake defense, saying “daddy made me do it.” They leave.

Back at SVU, Rollins looks into the refrigerator and Benson says she’s heard that if you stare at it long enough, a cheesecake will magically appear. Rollins asks how long she has to stare for a slice with strawberry topping. She discusses Sam and what they saw and how Sam was brought up and Benson reminds her they are not at fault. Rollins asks why Roe v Wade is sacrosanct but the second amendment disposable? Benson said one kills, and Rollins says in Georgia they both do. Rollins starts to worry and Benson wonders if she is not thinking…and Rollins is not sure she wants or needs another baby. Benson takes Rollins phone and shows her a video of Jesse and Rollins says she is playing dirty. Benson says Rollins said that video was the best moment of their life and this is her decision to make alone and she will defend her right to make it. But regret is an awful thing to live with. Rollins assumes this means Benson had an abortion, and Benson does not answer her when Rollins asks.

On Monday, September 24, John Conway testifies about how he raised his children. Under cross, Stone put the pressure on John about his style, saying John expects his kids to grow up with a perverse idea of men. When the testimony doesn’t get the results he wants, he later tells Benson he is calling Sam to the stand.

Later, Sam testifies and explains how his father treated him, calling him a baby, a fag, or a pussy. Stone brings up that Sam could not shoot the rabbit, and Sam says his father called him Samantha and threw one of his mother’s dresses at him to wear it. His father said he would never hit a girl. Stone asks what he was thinking when he shot his school mates and said all he could hear was to be a man. He screams it out and asks his father if he is a man now.

Closing arguments progress. John’s lawyer says we can’t make parents liable for the independent action of their kids. Stone counters about what men do, and asks what if you cry or can’t shoot a rabbit, you don’t deserve to be a son. But Sam is John’s son, and John was preaching power over others, not about being a man. That is about being a criminal.

The jury later finds John guilty of criminally negligent homicide. He is taken into custody as Molly and Brian look on with shock. Stone quickly exits the courtroom.

Later that night, at Benson’s apartment at 640 West 59th Street on Monday September 24, Benson is trying to get Noah into bed but he doesn’t want to. He pushes her away forcefully. She tells him he will never do that again. When he says “but”,  she shuts him down and orders him into bed. She tells him they will talk about this in the morning. She covers him and he pushes them off. She puts them back on and says goodnight, kissing him, saying she loves him. As she leave the room, she waits for him to say it back but he is silent, even after she prompts him. She turns away and walks off as we fade to black.


Cast:
Mariska Hargitay - Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T - Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.
Philip Winchester – ADA Peter Stone

Guest stars:
Dylan Walsh - John Conway
George Newbern - Dr. Al Pollack
Sandrine Holt - Lisa Abernathy
Sally Murphy - Molly Conway
Bryce Romero - Sam Conway
Kurt Fuller – Jed Karey
Richard Meehan - Brian Conway
John Rothman - Judge Edward Kofax
Dov Tiefenbach -
Ryan Buggle - Noah Porter Benson
Ami Brabson - Judge Karyn Blake
Robert Turano - NYPD Command Center Leader
Brian O’Brien – Gus Haverford
Jorge Luna – Chase McConnell
Lisha McKoy – Rebecca Chaster
Elizabeth Kenney – Gillian Wray
Ben Rezendes – Nate Backus
Perry Strong – Juvenile Guard #1
Matthew Streeter – Juvenile Guard #2
Kasey Walker – Sexy Blonde
Daniella Maximillian – Sexy Brunette
Sowande Tichawonna - Foreman
Autumn Guzzardi – Waitress
Michael Dennis Hill – Reporter #1
Michelle Won Park - Reporter #2
Dawn Yanek – Reporter #3
Kendra Farm – Special News Anchor
Tom Treadwell – Politician
Dani Montalvo – Grieving Female Student #1
Sean Kaufman - Grieving Male Student #1
Melodie Wolford - Grieving Mother #1
Michael J. Buoni – Grieving Father #1
Andrea Marie Daveline – Forewoman
Lauren Noble – Carmen
Charlotte Cabell / Vivian Cabell – Jesse Rollins



Deleted Scene added October 2, 2018




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