Law & Order SVU “Caretaker” Recap & Review

I have mixed feelings about Law & Order SVU “Caretaker.” It featured a case different from the norm with a guest star in a lead role that was both compelling and revolting. Sasha Alexander was amazing but it felt like she was the only one who put her heart into her role,  a "family annihilator."  Despite criticisms I have about this episode, I still give it high marks, mostly for Sasha’s performance.

“Caretaker” didn’t involve a sex crime. Instead, the SVU gets involved in a case where a young boy is found wandering the street, injured and bleeding (he later dies), and his sister and father are brutally murdered in their beds. (This case is reminiscent of a Law & Order episode, “Savior”, season 6, episode 16.  Update: I forgot about Law & Order SVU "Annihilated", season 8, episode 20.) It’s an unusually bloody scene for Law & Order SVU, but this fits with SVU’s 10:00 PM air time.  I'm not convinced, however, that this fits as an SVU case.

Something rubbed me the wrong way in the first few minutes of the episode: Benson, upon seeing one of the bloody beds, comments that she was going to get that bed for Noah. This is one of those thoughts that Benson should have kept to herself. Yes, it’s a shock to see something that one was thinking about buying that is now part of a horrific crime scene, but the comment felt out of place, bordering on inappropriate. This is just the start of how the SVU framed this crime around their own personal fears. When it seems like the nanny may be a suspect, Benson and Rollins voice their worry about leaving their own children with nannies. With all the heinous sex crimes they’ve seen in their career, I guess it took a murder for them to worry about a "stranger" taking care of their children. (This included Benson trusting her son Noah with his own biological grandmother, and we all know how that worked out for her.) Carisi explains that his mother raised 4 kids with no nanny, and Fin states it’s hard to raise kids while one is working. Maybe this is a New York City – or a big city – thing, but I’ve seen countless families raise children without nannies, even families where both parents work. Yes, it is hard raising kids and working at the same time, but a nanny is an expense the average family likely cannot afford. While Benson and Rollins moan about leaving their children with a nanny, I wish someone was there to remind them how lucky they are that they can even afford one.

I suspected very early on that Anna was behind these murders; something felt wrong when Anna said that she’s was often told that her daughter was prettier and smarter than she. It sounded a bit like jealousy. Benson can’t seem to fathom a mother doing this to her children; again, Benson has blinders on when it comes to women. (We are not all pure and innocent!) Maybe she’s never seen anything like this before but surely Benson reads the news and has heard of women killing their children before. Even when they discover that Anna has been committing fraud at her legal firm, pocketing millions of dollars, Benson still seems unconvinced, saying Anna may be a thief but that doesn’t make her a murderer. She then adds that mothers don’t kill their babies.  In what universe is Benson living? It isn’t until Fin brings in blood evidence that Benson decides to turn up the heat. Here’s my big problem: I don’t think the SVU should have been called into this crime, or at least they should not have taken the lead. Imagine the 27th precinct handling this...they would have turned the screws on Anna the minute they heard about the fraud and likely not waited for blood evidence to do so.

Once Anna makes a confession, we quickly move to Stone and the trial. Anna is also examined by Dr. Abernathy while in Rikers, and Abernathy later tells Benson and Stone that Anna fits the profile of a family annihilator. This is concerning to Stone. He worries the defense attorney, Billy O’Boyle (from Stone's Chicago days) will use this to the hilt. As Stone progresses through the trial, there were a few things that puzzled me. First,  Stone meets with resistance when he shows photos of the crime scene while Anna is being cross examined. I cannot believe this was the first time the jury, or Anna, would have seen these images. Yet the jury seemed shocked and Anna looked so upset the judge told him to move on. If Stone waited until Anna was on the stand to show those photos, I think he missed the chance to show the horror of the crime scene along with the evidence found that implicates Anna. Second, we didn’t hear any mention at trial from Stone about the fraud she committed and the millions of dollars she stole. Why not? I would think that this would all provide motive for premeditated murder.  We also didn't hear Benson testify about what Anna told the nanny (goodbye versus goodnight).  I know we can't see the whole trial, but we are fed pieces of crucial information that is left dangling out there.

Stone also miscalculated when he puts Benson on the stand and she frames her answers as if she had the medical expertise to say that Anna is not legally insane. Her answers were fodder for the defense. Also, Benson states she's been a cop for 20 years. I believe that is incorrect. She’s been with SVU that long, but was probably a cop before starting in SVU.

The shoehorned scene of the week was Rollins getting a huge bouquet of roses from Al, with Benson encouraging her to keep them as sometimes they “need a little pretty.” (I rolled my eyes at this, I found it horribly corny.)

The kicker at the end of the episode was when a convicted woman -  found guilty of murdering her husband and admits she killed her children - is not put on suicide watch. The inevitable happens.

As I write this review, I’ve come to the conclusion that I may not have liked "Caretaker" after all. Sasha Alexander clearly saved part of it for me, but the story itself felt sloppy and not clearly thought through. It was one of those episodes where the cast looked tired and going through the motions. There are things going on with SVU that I DO like: more location shots which bring visual interest, more realistic interaction between the lead characters, and more out of the box story lines. The first half of the episode feels more energized. Still, something is lacking, and I’m having a hard time putting my finger on it. I think it’s a combination of story believability, clichéd dialog, and attention to detail, especially on the legal side. Regardless, I’m coming back next week for more.

Here is the recap:

A woman sees a young boy, Charlie, walking outside in his pajamas. He is bleeding and collapses. The woman screams for help. Later, police are on the scene as Benson and Fin arrive. They hear Charlie Mill has been taken to St. Vincent’s. The neighbor’s maid spotted him. They enter the home and find a bloody bed, Benson commenting she was going to get that bed for Noah for Christmas. They find the daughter and the father also dead in beds covered in blood. Benson hopes that there is no mommy.

Later, a crime scene officer explains what was found on the scene and how they were killed (while they slept). Carisi is now on the scene and Benson tells him there is no sign of forced entry, Carisi adds the coffee is on in the kitchen and there is an empty cereal bowl. Fin explains the mother is Anna Mills who works for Schwartz, Medley and Clark and the neighbors says she leaves around 8 AM. Carisi gets a call from Rollins and then tells Benson and Fin that Charlie did not make it. Benson says this is not the kind of thing a mother should hear on the phone, and Carisi says he will tell her.

At the law firm of Schwartz, Medley and Clark on Thursday, October 25, Carisi powers his way into a meeting and asks to speak with Anna Mill. He delivers the horrific news in her office. She collapses upon hearing the shocking news.

Later at SVU, Anna is speaking with Benson and Rollins. Benson explains there was no evidence her home was robbed and asks if anyone had a grudge, Anna raises her voice and says her children are dead, and, sobbing, asks what kind of a grudge would cause somebody to kill her children? Rollins suggests her husband has an enemy and Benson wonders about co-workers. Anne explains Julian works alone, he is a writer. He works from home, he would pick up the kids from school every day, make dinner, and tuck them in at night. She says everyone said Rachel looks like her but was prettier and smarter than she, and she sobs. She adds only Delores Alvarez, the nanny, had a key to their home. She lived with them for almost 10 years and she works every day but Sunday. She was supposed to work today. Anne hasn’t heard from her this morning, but says Dolores is like family, she wouldn’t hurt anyone.

At the apartment of Delores Alvarez, Bronx, New York on Thursday, October 25, Fin and Carisi get no answer so they enter and Delores is not there. Carisi comments his mom raised 4 kids and they had no nanny. Fin says it is hard raising kids while you are working. The family photo looks happy. Carisi finds a diary making a comment that the kids love their dad but need a momma and Anna doesn’t know what a sweet man she has. Fin sees a knife in the drain board that is still wet, and Carisi finds a shirt with what looks like blood on it.

Meanwhile, at SVU, Rollins speaks with the woman who found Charlie who says Delores is a good person, is happy, and loved those babies. Rollins explains they can’t find her. The woman says she has a brother, Emilio, who lives in the Bronx and Delores usually spends the day with him.

At the apartment of Emilio Alverez on Thursday, October 25, Carisi and Fin speak with Emilio who has an attitude, The detectives barge in and look around. Fin sees a closet that is covered up and moves stuff away to open it, finding Delores. Emilio says she didn’t do nothing, but Fin says she is under arrest.



Later, in SVU interrogation, Delores says they were dead when she got there, there was so much blood. She loved them. She tells Rollins and Carisi she got there at 8:30 and the door was locked, she has a key. She went to the kitchen to make breakfast and she called out to the and there was no answer, she thought they overslept. She went upstairs to Julian’s room, got no answer, went in and saw the blood and tried to shake him. Same with Rachel. She went to Charlie’s room but no one was there. She ran, she was frightened. She didn’t kill them. The knife was from Julian’s bed, she doesn’t know why she picked it up and then she realized her fingerprints were on it and they would blame her.

At the residence of Anna and Julian Mill on Friday, October 26, Benson, Fin and Carisi look to find a reason why the family was murdered. They discuss Delores and Benson reminds them Delores walked into a bloodbath and was scared out of her mind. Fin mentions the diary and he and Carisi wonder about an affair with Julian, Fin saying it wouldn’t be the first home-wrecking nanny on the upper west side. Benson tells them to talk to the other neighbors and the other nannies.

Fin speaks with one nanny who said Delores said she’d like to work with Mr. Mill forever. Rollins speaks with another who says said Julian and Delores were like an old married couple and it seemed questionable. Carisi speaks with a third nanny who said Julian and Delores at a coffee shop, drinking coffee in the middle of the day.

Later, Benson and Rollins speak to Anna about a possible relationship with Julian and Delores. Anna is upset that Delores did this as Julian may have rejected her. She said Julian didn’t want a nanny, Anna invited her into their home, saying this is her fault. She gets very upset and then asks if she can go. Benson offers to have someone drive her to her hotel but she insists she is fine and she quickly exits. Benson wonders how Anna gets through the day and Rollins says she doesn’t either. Rollins adds they let complete strangers into their home and let them take control of their children. Benson says if she went home right now she doesn’t think she could leave Noah. Rollins says they are doing this all wrong. Carisi walks in and says she finally got Julian’s voice mail from TARU and they hear a death threat on it. It’s from Tom Bernstein who lives in the lower east side.

At the apartment of Thomas Bernstein on Friday, October 26, Tom tells Fin and Carisi this can’t be happening, and Fin says it could be someone that Julian and he screwed. Tom looks stunned, asking if they think he killed them. He explains they have been friends for 20 years, ever since they both got their break in an issue of New York Quarterly. They both blew their 140 bucks on beers at the White Horse, where Dylan Thomas drank himself to death. They dreamed of writing their own lyrical ballads, that’s what that phone message was about. They were supposed to spend three months in the south of France to write. Anna pulled the plug, she didn’t want to foot the bill. He was angry, but not enough to kill. Julian told him that Anna let the ski lodge in Vail fall into foreclosure and she was trying to keep it together around him but he could tell something was up. He asks if someone killed them over money. Fin says it’s one of the top two reasons people get dead.

Back at SVU, Rollins finds that Anna has over $3 million in securities and cash after paying off the mortgage on the brownstone. Rollins says Julian has a money market account at Central work over 1.6 million, all from salaries from a GBT Legal Services. They provide supplemental legal services from major law firms since 2011. Fin wonders why would they hire a poet, and Carisi says they didn’t have a choice; Julian was the president and sole shareholder.

At the law firm of Schwartz, Medley and Clark on Saturday, October 27, they speak with a manager at the firm about GBT who wonders why they would need them. Carisi explains they wrote regular checks to them. He says they were all expensed to Anna’s clients and thinks that is what may have red-flagged the firm for an audit, she had to know that was coming. Fin asks to look at her office. He says they will need a warrant.

Back at SVU, Carisi explains to Benson that, at the amounts that were billed, the clients never noticed money was going to an outside company. Benson comments Anna owned it and Carisi corrects her, saying Julian owned it but she doesn’t think he was in on it. Carisi thinks if Julian was in on this he would have picked up the checks himself. Rollins says it would have taken a lot of trips as GBT took in over $3 million over the last 6 years. Benson says maybe Anna is a thief but that doesn’t make her a murderer. Carisi asks what if she owed money to someone who is not on the books and she was late in paying that person back. Benson states this doesn’t make sense, why kill the kids? Fin walks in with a pair of bagged tennis shoes with what looks like a spot of blood on the sole in Anna Mill’s office in her desk drawer. Benson and Rollins are stunned. Benson says mothers don’t kill their babies. Benson tells Fin to get them to the lab and Carisi says they will call Fitz to see if they missed a shoe print. Rollins asks about Delores and Benson states it is too soon to release her. Rollins says she won’t be upset it’s not the nanny and Benson asks if she’d rather it be the mother?

Later, Anna is in SVU interrogation with Benson and Fin. Fin brings out the shoes with the blood, which is Rachel’s,  and that CSU found a matching print by Rachel’s bed. Anna is silent, staring at the shoes, then she begins to cry. Benson asks that she killed them, she did this, and Anna says of course she did this. She had to. She says that they are so much better off now.

At a later date, Anna is in court and she pleads not guilty, her lawyer, William “Billy” O'Boyle, adding by reason of mental defect. Stone asks for remand. The judge asks for $2 million bail, all cash. O’Boyle states her accounts have been frozen because of other criminal proceeding, and the judge, annoyed, says then she has a problem. Afterwards, O’Boyle stops Stone and says Anna’s firm has a satellite office in Chicago and he did some work for Anna and she is a good lady. He says Stone looks distraught, and Stone comments 3 murders does that to him. He walks off.

At Rikers Island on Monday, October 29, Anna speaks with Dr. Abernathy. Anna explains what she does every day and last week she saw a cockroach scurrying up the metal hood at the grill at a diner and it could feel the heat and was doing its best not to fall into the grease and how the cockroach repeated this but finally dropped and made a sizzling sound and a pop. Anna think she was the ledge and had to save them before they dropped onto the burning grill. She couldn’t bear to watch them pop.

Later, Abernathy explains to Benson and Stone that Anna is a family annihilator, typically an upper middle class male – in this case a female – who can’t stand to see their family suffer. In Anna’s mind it is better than the alternative, usually a financial setback. Stone mentions Anna getting caught stealing from her clients. Anna’s life is over and wants to spare her husband and children from going on without her. Benson says she is sorry but isn’t buying it, saying it sounds like a made-up syndrome cooked up by a defense attorney. Abernathy thinks Anna felt the murders were necessary even though she knew it was wrong. Benson says then she is not legally insane, but Stone says to them, but not to a jury who will think she is crazy and O’Boyle will make a seven course meal out of it. Benson, frustrated, asks what can she do. Stone suggests she prove Anna planned the killing.

At the apartment of Delores Alverez on Monday, October 29, Benson speaks with her about Anna. Delores last spoke with Anna the night before and they talked about the children. She asks if Rachel did her homework but did not mention Julian or Charlie. Usually when Delores leaves, Anna says good night, but that night, Anna said goodbye and she kissed her, she never kisses her. Benson thanks her for being helpful. Delores says she would have nothing without Anna. Benson tells her to take care of herself and she exits.

Later, at a restaurant, Stone tells Benson this means Anna knew what she was going to do the night before she did it. Benson thinks they are splitting legal hairs here – insane or not insane – and Anna kissed the nanny goodbye. She planned on killing her family. Stone says she deserves to be punished. Benson questions what legal system they have if a woman like Anna Mill can end up in a hospital and not in prison. O’Boyle approaches them and says he hopes one of them had the clam chowder, saying it’s the best he’s had since he dropped his kid off at BU. He introduces himself to Benson. He offers to buy them a drink and she excuses herself, saying she has a son at home. He says he doesn’t know how she does it, he knows she is top of the line at one, but how does she rate at the other. She looks surprised and then coldly says goodbye and leaves. O’Boyle says “open mouth, insert foot” saying when will he realize the fairer sex is the more sensitive sex. He has to hand it to them these says, they have to be smart, pretty, bring home the bacon, and fry it up in a pan. Stone says that sounds like an opening statement and O’Boyle wonders why he didn’t think of that.

In Supreme Court on October 30, Benson testifies to speaking with Anna after she murdered her family, a point which O’Boyle argues the use of the term murder and that Anna’s mental defect prevented Anna from forming intent. The judge sustains the objection. Benson continues about how Anna acted, saying she was traumatized, emotional, but sane. Benson says she’s been a cop for 20 years and never in her career has she seen anything like this. Benson thinks Anna convinced herself murdering her family was her only choice and says Anna is not legally insane. Under cross, Benson of course must admit she is not a psychiatrist or psychologist she is just a cop, but brings up what Dr. Abernathy had said in her testimony. When he asks Benson about Anna’s mental state earlier than when Benson first spoke with her, describing the murder, but Benson must admit she wasn’t there. O’Boyle says that is the only moment that matters.

Back at SVU, Rollins is on the phone with Al who has sent a huge bouquet of flowers, telling him she told him not at work. After she ends the call, Benson, who has returned, says the flowers are pretty and Rollins explains she told him not at the office. She adds that Al said they are not for her, and then cradles her pregnant midsection. They talk about court and Rollins thinks that Anna should be taken from the earth. Benson mentions putting Noah to bed and how she watched him sleep for two hours. Rollins said she did the same thing. They hug each other and Benson says sometimes life sucks. Benson tells Rollins to keep those flowers, sometimes they just need a little pretty.

Back in court, Anna is testifying, being questioned by O’Boyle. She admits she loved her family and wanted to hide them from the ugliness of the world. She grew up in a basement apartment, her family had nothing and had to work for everything she had. Every where she looked, in books, magazine, movies, TV, she saw happy, successful women. She had to do it to be perfect. She was outside of herself when she killed them and watched as another woman stabbed them to save them from the pain and ugliness of a life that…O’Boyle finishes and says it wasn’t perfect. Under cross, Stone shows pictures of the crime scene and Anna becomes upset and O’Boyle objects. Stone withdraws the question. He continues to show more photos, but the judge tells him to move on so he turns off the screen. He asks if Anna said anything to the “other woman” and Anna says no, saying she wasn’t real and didn’t try to stop them as she wanted to protect them. Stone continues to press and she said she was protecting them against a life without her. When Stone says she wasn’t so great, O’Boyle objects and the judge sustains it. Anna said she sheltered them and protected them, it is a hard world and didn’t want to watch her babies get swallowed up by it. Stone asks then why didn’t she just kill herself? O’Boyle objects and the just sustains it. Anna looks distraught and Stone ends his questioning. Both the judge and O’Boyle look surprised and Anna sobs.

In Supreme Court on Wednesday, October 31, O’Boyle makes his closing argument, saying that Anna had all the pressures of what was expected of her in her head. She heard the voice of her own mother pressuring her for perfection and hears other famous women doing the same and said when she couldn’t, it was enough to drive her crazy. He says you’d have to be crazy to do what Anna did. Stone counters that he almost fell into O’Boyle’s trap, saying today’s women can do it all, but that is a lie. Women can have it all, but not all at the same time. He says the case is about what was going through Anna’s head when she killed them. She told police she wanted them dead. He brings up that she let the police think that the nanny killed them. Under case law, she is not insane. He fells for every women in the courtroom and all the unrealistic expectations society puts on women. But that doesn’t allow women to kill without consequence.

Later, the jury returns with verdicts of not guilty of murder in the second degree of Charlie and Rachel, but finds her guilty of murder in the second degree of Julian. Anna is stunned.

At SVU in Benson’s office, Stone says that the jury could not accept the same woman would kill her children. Benson asks who could? Stone says he meant legally. Benson’s phone rings and after she ends the call, she said Anna Mill hung herself in her cell. They both look at each other and say nothing 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:
Sandrine Holt - Lisa Abernathy
Sasha Alexander- Anne Mill
Gary Basaraba - Billy O'Boyle
Aida Turturro - Judge Felicia Catano
Scott Bryce - Bill Schwartz
Michael Laurence - Tom Bernstein
Dov Tiefenbach – Fitz
Soleidy Mendez - Delores Alverez
Cesar J. Rosado – Emilio Alverez
Johanna Tolentino – Ximena
Tom Coiner – Chuck Inslow
Georgia Kate Haege – Darla
Keziah John-Paul – Mavis
Alan Ariano - Judge Lee Wong
Chelsea Watts – Lilly
Cyce Sadsad – Julianna
Theresa Cantone - Foreperson
Jake Casey – Charlie Mill



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