Monday, December 30, 2019

Law & Order SVU “She Paints For Vengeance” Episode Information



Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “She Paints For Vengeance”.

Law & Order SVU “She Paints For Vengeance” Air Date January 16, 2020 (10 PM ET/9C Thursday NBC)


After a sexual assault investigation is stalled for months, a woman puts her accusations against a popular athlete on a billboard. Starring Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino and Jamie Gray Hyder. Guest starring Tonya Glanz and Wolé Parks. Directed by Mariska Hargitay.


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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “She Paints For Vengeance” 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.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Law & Order SVU “The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU” Episode Information

Here are the details for “The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU” which will air on Thursday, December 2, 2020 at 9PM ET on NBC. Note: Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” will re-air immediately after, at 10PM ET.


Law & Order SVU “The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU” Air Date January 2, 2020 (9 PM ET/8C Thursday NBC)

Go back to the beginning of television's longest-running primetime drama with behind-the-scenes footage, memorable scenes and exclusive interviews with the actors, creators and crew members who bring "SVU's" emotional and impactful stories to life each week. Featuring Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice T and more.


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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.




Friday, December 13, 2019

Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” Episode Information



Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Must Be Held Accountable.”


Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” Air Date January 9, 2020 (10 PM ET/9C Thursday NBC)

A desperate father (guest star Nicholas Turturro) takes matters into his own hands in the case against his daughter’s rapist. Starring Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino and Jamie Gray Hyder. Also guest starring Vincent Kartheiser and Demore Barnes.

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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” 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.


Thursday, December 12, 2019

"The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU" Celebrates TV's Longest-Running Drama (NBC Press Release)


NBC Press Release

"THE PALEY CENTER SALUTES LAW & ORDER: SVU" 
CELEBRATES TV'S LONGEST-RUNNING DRAMA

Hour long Special on Thursday, Jan. 2 Goes Behind the Scenes and Examines What Makes "SVU" Such an Enduring and Beloved Series


UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Dec. 12, 2019 - Celebrating the longest-running primetime drama in television history, the Paley Center for Media and NBC are jointly announcing the hourlong special "The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU," set for Thursday, Jan. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

"Law & Order: SVU," created and executive produced by Dick Wolf, aired its first episode on Sept. 20, 1999 and features the longest-running primetime drama character, Olivia Benson, played by Emmy Award winner Mariska Hargitay. In total, Hargitay has been Emmy nominated eight times, winning in 2006. She is also a Golden Globe Award winner, taking home a trophy in 2005.

"We thank the Paley Center and NBC for making this special acknowledging 'SVU's historic 21st season," Wolf said. "We're excited for viewers to see this retrospective, which chronicles over two decades of groundbreaking television."

"Since 1999, 'SVU' has made remarkable social impact through emotional and skillful storytelling," said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center's President & CEO. "We're honored to partner with NBC to present fans with this special behind-the-scenes look at this historic series."

With the series now in its record-breaking 21st season, it's time to go back to the beginning, take a look behind the scenes and hear from the stars, creators and crew members who have brought incredibly impactful stories to life week after week. The special also includes many of the most memorable scenes and features interviews with some of the famous guests who have stopped by to take part in the show.

"Law & Order: SVU" has had a remarkable social impact. The series has received numerous accolades for its handling of very sensitive issues and Hargitay has taken her onscreen work offscreen, founding the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 to help victims of sexual abuse.

"SVU" won the Imagen Foundation Award in 2015 for Best Primetime Program, recognizing the positive portrayal of Latinos in media. The series was honored with the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2012. Fourteen episodes of "SVU" were nominated for the Prism Award and six have won, recognizing their accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental illness. Four episodes have been nominated by the GLAAD Media Awards for outstanding representation of the LGBTQ community, and the show was honored with 11 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominations and two wins for Best Television episode.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is a Wolf Entertainment production in association with Universal Television. Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer. Warren Leight, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.

"The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU" will be produced by The Paley Center for Media in association with Brad Lachman Productions. Maureen J. Reidy, Brad Lachman and Diane Lewis will executive produce. Bill Bracken will co-executive produce.

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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 “Must Be Held Accountable” Photos

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” which will air on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 10PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder, Nicholas Turturro as Detective Frank Bucci, and Grace Narducci as Ivy Bucci.

Note: Don't miss "The Paley Center Salutes Law & Order: SVU" special airing on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 9PM ET on NBC.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” can be found at this link.















Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2019 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.


Friday, November 22, 2019

Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” Recap & Review


A “ripped from the headlines” (Jeffrey Epstein) story unfolds in “Can’t Be Held Accountable”, and this is definitely one story that needs more than one episode to tell.  As we see the pervert of the week, Steve Getz, hang himself at the beginning of this episode, we know what befalls him two months down the road. (Unless the sheet became untied!) It’s the process of getting to that point that will be very interesting if part 2 - airing when SVU returns in January - has the pacing and intensity of this well-constructed episode.

I was a little concerned early on when we find Rollins talking to Dr. Hanover about Carisi, seemingly wanting to place some sort of blame on him for why their relationship is troubled. She whines that Carisi didn’t even know there was a problem and when the doctor asks if Rollins told Carisi, Rollins thinks he should have known. I rolled my eyes. Typical Rollins, thinking the world revolves around her. I’m one of those people who see zero romantic chemistry between Carisi and Rollins, and still wonder if Rollins is upset because Carisi is not around to do her bidding. Rollins also lies again this week when she tells Benson she was at the shooting range when she really was with the doctor. If this happened on Rollins’ personal time, she doesn’t owe Benson an explanation of what she was doing, but if it’s work time, she should have at least told Benson it was a doctor’s appointment and leave it at that. Lying comes too easy to Rollins. Also, when a point was made of showing Rollins pulling her gun out of her car’s glove compartment, I knew this error in judgment was going to come back to haunt her. I’m not a big fan of Rollins, and it seems every week I find myself liking her even less. (This has nothing to do with Kelli Giddish, it’s Rollins that annoys me to no end.)

The case involves a rich businessman, Steve Getz, and his predilection for young girls. He’s got his eyes on Ivy Bucci and then later, her younger sister Milly. These girls are the daughter of Frank Bucci, who we first met in passing in the Law & Order SVU episode “Part 33” from season 20 (episode 14). He met Rollins while they waited to testify in court, so he now enlists her help – and the SVU’s – as he worries his daughter Ivy is the victim of a predator – Steve Getz. Bucci is unhinged most of the episode, and it’s obvious his anger and frustration will not end well.

Kat also creates some waves when she goes off-book and decides to pose as Ivy’s aunt – and Frank Bucci’s sister – trying to get an in as someone looking for a piece of the action with Getz. I can fully understand why Kat felt it easy to fall into this persona, seeing that her background is vice and she went undercover for SVU before she officially worked with them. Benson isn’t happy with this – Kat apparently likes to throw the rulebook out the window. It’s Rollins’ reaction to Kat changing plans that felt almost like jealousy, especially when Fin didn’t seem to react in the same manner as Rollins.

Carisi gets thrown off the deep end again with this case involving Getz - a rich man who apparently has deep connections with powerful or influential people. Hadid was right when she said he was to “green” for this case, but it’s more than Carisi’s inexperience. This is a case that had high probability that powerful people would be affected and subsequently try to derail it. Should SVU had staked out the place to see who walked in and out of Getz’s building to see who was compromised? Could they have installed someone undercover that looked very young but really was of age so they could at least get an idea of what was really going on in there? Kat going in as an adult wasn’t going to get much as far as seeing the real "action". When Getz was in SVU interrogation and his lawyer said they had parental permission, could SVU have asked to see that permission for Ivy Bucci? It’s clear they got the mother’s permission at the end of the episode, but I suspect they didn’t have any permission from Ivy’s mother for the initial encounters. Most importantly, if they said they had obtained parental permission, is that not an admission that they knew that Ivy and the other girls are underage? This confused me a bit.

The shocker to everyone is when the judge decides to make a nonsensical connection between the age of consent for sex (statutory rape) with the issue of the age for not needing parental permission for abortions. He gives Getz a pass on almost everything and then time served on prostitution, which can only make one wonder if the judge is either on the take or likes to enjoy Getz’s services as well.

Rollins’ leaving her gun in the car comes back at her when Bucci holds her at gunpoint in the doctor’s office. Bucci wants something done with Getz and we’ll have to wait until January to find out how Rollins – maybe with the doctor’s help – can talk their way out of this. The upside is, once Rollins gets Bucci calmed down, maybe SVU and the ADA will take some time to actually build a solid case and not rush it to an arrest and court within a period of only 3 days.

Stay tuned for part 2 when SVU returns on January 9, 2020.



Here is the recap:

Steve Getz sits in a prison cell and watches a cockroach crawl across his food. He ties his sheet around his neck and hangs himself.

Two months earlier, Ivy Bucci is walking down the street sees a dog and stops to pet it. A woman, the owner of the dog, stops Ivy and suggests she be a model, saying she is a scout for Steve Getz from “Gimme That Body Fitness.” She says he likes fresh healthy girls like her. Ivy tells the stranger her parents are separated and she is just with her dad. She also sounds interested in the modeling prospect and the woman gives her a business card.

Later at home, Ivy explains to her sister Milly and explains she is going to audition and says she can’t tell dad. Dad - Detective Frank Bucci -  enters and the girls clam up. They sit down to dinner.

Later, Steve Getz and the woman photograph Ivy with a group of young girls. The woman tells Ivy that Steve really likes her, and Steve tells Ivy they think she is their “Gimme That Body” girl.

Ivy attends a “Gimme That Body” party with the woman scout who introduces her to a man at the party with Steve.

Ivy keeps coming back, looking sadder every time. Along with other girls, she steps on a scale to be weighed. Steve continues to photograph her, having her remove more and more of her clothes. She balks when he asks her to drop her hands which are covering her breasts. Eventually she drops her hands. Later, she is laying down, crying, as Steve puts on a robe and puts $100 on her body. She cries.

Later, at home, Frank reminds her to take her lunch but she says she will just get something at school.

Back at Steve’s, Ivy, dressed in a clingy black dress, brings in another man, asking that he works with Steve. She tells him to sit and then guzzles some wine. She moves back to the man and starts to remove his tie.

Afterward, as Ivy races out of the house, the scout runs after her, telling Ivy she is looking good. Ivy says the diet is working. The woman asks that Ivy has a little sister, and when Ivy says her name is Milly, the woman says that Steve wants her to bring her next time. She hands Ivy more money.

At a later time, Ivy returns to Steve’s house with Milly in tow, another party in progress. Milly says the place is like a palace, and Steve asks her how old she is. She replies she is almost 13 and Steve looks thrilled, thinking this is wonderful. Ivy smiles.

Elsewhere, Rollins is in a session with Dr. Hanover. The doctor comments that he’s smart, kind, funny, and Rollins enjoys his company and he is good with her kids, then asks what is she missing? Rollins explains it is not like that, they are friends, and were partners until he left for the DA’s office. The doctor senses Rollins has unresolved feeling about this, but Rollins states she is over it, not that he even knew there was a problem. When the doctor asks if she told him, Rollins thinks he should have known. The doctor comments if that is because he knows her. Rollins sees what he doctor is doing, and when her phone buzzes, she tells the doctor she sees the doctor has another session and gets ready to leave. Rollins suggests next week they should talk about her dad; he called this morning. The doctor comments they haven’t spoke in…Rollins finishes the sentence, stating 15 years. As Rollins heads toward the door, the doctor calls it a “doorknob comment” that might have been worth being brought up earlier in the session. Rollins says nothing and leaves.

Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU, “Must Be Held Accountable” airing on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 10PM ET on NBC.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Must Be Held Accountable” 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.


Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” Sneak Peeks

Here are sneak peeks from Law & Order SVU, “Can’t Be Held Accountable” airing on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC. This is the fall finale. The videos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Jamie Gray Hyder, Nicholas Turturro as Detective Frank Bucci, and Vincent Kartheiser as Steve Getz.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” can be found at this link.


Please note: These videos have a limited life and may be removed at any time so catch them while you can!



SVU_2109_112119_Clip 2_ from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.



SVU_2109_112119_Clip 3_ from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.


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 “Can’t Be Held Accountable” Photos, Updated Cast Photo

Here are advance photos for Law & Order SVU, “Can’t Be Held Accountable” airing on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC. This is the fall finale. Also included is a season 21 updated cast photo. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder, Nicholas Turturro as Detective Frank Bucci, Aida Turturro as Judge Felicia Catano, Fina Strazza as Milly Bucci, Grace Narducci as Ivy Bucci, Bree Turner as Granya Marcil, Paul Ben-Victor as Counselor Peter Abrams, Zuleikha Robinson as Bureau Chief Vanessa Hadid, and Vincent Kartheiser as Steve Getz.



My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” can be found at this link.


Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2019 NBCUniversal Media, LLC










Photos by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2019 NBCUniversal Media, LLC





Photo by: Karolina Wojtasik/NBC 2019 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.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Law & Order SVU “We Dream Of Machine Elves” Recap & Review



Despite the Wizard of Oz references peppered in “We Dream Of Machine Elves”, we’re nowhere near Kansas. In this unsettling episode, Rollins pulls back the curtain – literally and figuratively – to see a former psych professor for what he truly is - mentally disturbed. Adam Arkin captured the essence of a creepy doctor who bought into his own hype, and who was also tormented by his own failures to solve his wife’s psychosis. Benson says that Rollins has a blind spot for men that she thinks are smarter than she, but I think it’s more complex than that. Rollins’ initial encounter was with Julius Adler while he was a guest professor in Atlanta for a psych course Rollins took. Maybe at that time, Rollins viewed him through rose-colored glasses and she is still wearing them in the present. Did something happen between them that he would recall Rollins attending his class in Atlanta after all this time? She seemed enamored with him.   Her experience with previous SVU cases should have told her that where there is smoke, there is fire. Yet Rollins naively can’t believe that Adler could be involved in such horrific behaviors. Luckily, Kat is the only one that had the smarts to check Adler’s background to find his wife was not dead, which was the beginning of unraveling Adler’s story.

Did Rollins lie to Benson when claiming she didn’t inhale during the session at the brownstone? Immediately after the raid, Rollins starts to have mild hallucinations. It’s clear she inhaled or ingested *something*. I have no idea why she didn’t say anything about this; even if she didn’t inhale as she said, somehow *something* got into her body. Likely she didn’t want to admit she DID inhale, maybe thinking that Adler’s methods could help her with her own problems. Still, this is no excuse for lying, or at minimum hiding the fact she was hallucinating.  I certainly hope she didn't get behind the wheel of a car.

The episode featured a very colorful depiction of the infamous DMT machine elves. One thing didn’t ring true right off the bat: Meghan knew what these hallucinations she saw were called, even though she didn’t seem the type to be familiar with DMT and its affects. If one is clued in enough to know what machine elves are, one should have been smart enough not to go with strangers OR accept any food or beverages from them. I also can’t believe she dug that huge hole in the ground with that shovel AND without anyone seeing them.

I laughed when Fin tells Carisi to trust them, and Carisi says he does but every time he goes out on a limb for them, somebody saws it off. I am sure Carisi regrets some of the "barbs" he threw at ADA Rafael Barba all those years.

Kat continues to be a a loose cannon, blurting out questions to Adler despite Fin outlining his more slow-paced approach. We’ve seen evidence that she is a bit confrontational and I suspect that this trait will come back to bite her in the near future. On a related note, a new title card in the opening credits has been added, reflecting Jamie Gray Hyder as a full cast member.

One burning – and amusing - question: For people who already wear glasses – what do they use to make themselves look smart, or go undercover, or both? This isn’t just an SVU thing, but it seems fairly common that eyeglasses are the go-to disguise for SVU when someone wants to NOT look like law enforcement.

As usual, I'm still proofreading the recap, please bear with me!





Here is the recap:

At night in the city, Meghan – from Kansas - looses track of her friends. Another young woman – a stranger – bumps into her, then offers to help her find her friends, saying she is local and says her name is Anais. After Anais talks Meghan into taking a pedicab with her, the pedicab driver offers Meghan a bottle of water which she accepts and drinks. Meghan realizes her phone is dead and Anais offers to have her come to her place to charge it. She accepts and then accepts something to smoke. Soon after, she is sitting on the floor inside a room, listening to a white-haired man talk, her vision blurry. A young man offers her something to smoke. Meghan later wakes up tied to a bed, breathing something from a mask. She sees bright colors and weird sights, and she calls for Anais. Anais walks into the room with three other people, and Meghan is shocked to see them turn into weird colorful beings with many eyes. She is horrified.

Later, she is in the park, digging a hole, and sees four colorful beings who tell her she spent her life as one of the walking dead and to climb out of her grave and find her true self.


In the morning, Meghan’s vision is still altered, and she collapses and falls in the park. Sometime later, Rollins and EMTs are on the scene and Rollins attempts to calm a terrified Meghan, who is babbling about elves who want to take her back to her world and they had her digging her own grave. Rollins assures her they will take care of her and then asks the EMTs to get a tox screen and pysch evaluation. Fin approaches and asks if the girl gave her anything, and Rollins explains she went on about machine elves, thinking it is drugs or a psychotic break or both. Fin hears Kat on the radio say she has something, and they find Kat standing at a huge hole, saying they tried to bury the girl alive. Rollins explains they got her to do it; she mentioned digging her own grave. Fin asks what the hell did they do to this girl?

Benson steps out of the elevator to a waiting Rollins and Benson questions the“machine elves.” Rollins explains Meghan is being tested for DMT and this is a common hallucination among users, Benson mentions it is a powerful psychedelic and she hasn’t seen this in years. She has ligature marks and she may be concussed and is not lucid enough to consent to a rape kit. Benson explains the Chief has called twice and she needs to find out what they are looking for. They ask a nurse how is Meghan doing and he explains she is still having a lot of terror and anxiety. They gave her diazepam to calm her down and they had to restrain her as they were afraid she would hurt herself.

In the room, restrained to the bed, Meghan asks where is she, commenting it is so light in there. Benson explains she is in Mercy Hospital in Manhattan. The girl is surprised she is still in New York, then says she wants to go home. When Benson asks if she knows where her home is, the girl answers it is at 190 Forest Avenue, Great Bend, Kansas, and her name is Meghan Gale. Rollins texts this information. At SVU, Fin gets the text and calls out to Kat that he has a name and address, and he hands her his phone. Kat tells him she is on it. Back at the hospital. Meghan explains it was dark, and they held her down. She cries as Benson and Rollins remove her restraints. Benson asks her to tell her about “they”, and Meghan mentions the machine elves. Benson and Rollins say nothing and Meghan continues to explain that before they came in, the room spun, flowers bursting. She mentions all the eyes, and when Rollins asks that the elves had eyes, Megan, crying, says they had a hundred, with purple yellow faces. They crawled all over her and inside her. It was like they were having sex with her. She tried to get away.

Back at the SVU, Kat is on the phone with Meghan’s mother to inform her. After she ends the call, Fin asks what was she doing in New York, and Kat says it was a bachelorette party and Fin wonders that they didn’t report her missing.

At Rixton Suites Express at 164 West 27th Street on Monday, October 28, Fin and Kat inform the friends. They has saw her at Fiddlesticks in Greenwich Village. They were just doing fireball shots and Meghan went to call her boyfriend and never showed up. Fin asks that they didn’t call police, and one girl explains they were there to party, it was their first time in new York.

Back at the hospital, Meghan explains she saw a hawk above her and she tried to jump on its back and fly away. Her hands melted into the headboard. Benson comments that she was on a bed, and as Rollins takes notes, Meghan says a woman brought her there and she thought she was helping her. She got them a chariot without a horse, The driver sat on a leopard and gave her water.


Elsewhere, Fin gets off the phone with Benson and tells Kat that Meghan is still not making sense and she said she got into a chariot with no horse. Kat shows him a picture of a pedicab with leopard printed seats. She says traffic cams caught them at Greenwich and 7th and it may make them easier to find. Fin tells her to send the still to Rollins and he can Kat will start walking.

Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU, “Can’t Be Held Accountable” airing on Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” 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.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Law & Order SVU “We Dream Of Machine Elves” Photos

Here are advance photos from Law & Order SVU, “We Dream Of Machine Elves” airing on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Adam Arkin as Dr. Gideon Adler, Eve O'Brien as Anais Adler, and Annie Hagg as Freja Bergdahl.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “We Dream Of Machine Elves” can be found at this link.












Photos by: Heidi Gutman/NBC 2019 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.


Friday, November 8, 2019

Law & Order SVU “Counselor, It's Chinatown” Recap & Review


This was one of those episodes that left me with mixed feelings. The subject matter was more far-reaching than their normal “one victim per episode” routine, which kept it interesting. The downside:
once the case greatly expanded from the original “Operation Dragon Slay”,  it should have been escalated to a higher authority. It didn't make sense for SVU to take the lead.  With evidence of international human trafficking, sex slavery, extortion, money laundering, and rich people with deep connections, the Feds should have been consulted before going to court or cutting a deal, which would have prevented any surprises for Carisi or Hadid. I can understand Carisi's naĂŻvetĂ©, but if the Changs were as high-profile as Hadid indicated, I don’t understand why she didn’t cover all her bases before walking into the courtroom with Carisi.

It's fine that Carisi is still very involved with the SVU but was it really necessary that he participate in the surveillance of the spa at the beginning of the episode? He had no business chasing down one of the women – Mei Mei – as she attempted to flee; he's not a detective any longer.  Worse yet, he used bad judgment by trying to climb up the fire escape, causing her to attempt another way to flee, only to slip and and then dangle over the railing. Had he just waited at the bottom, she would have either had to come down to the street, go up, or go back inside, ultimately trapping her at some point anyway. If the task force had prepared for this take down correctly, they would have planned for having some runners and had officers planted at, or very close to, any exit from the building (including fire escapes). Sloppy police work.

Somewhat predictable was poor Lily getting an intimidating message before she’s set to testify. Her request to use the bathroom marked her for certain death, either by someone waiting in there for her, or by her somehow doing it to herself. I don’t know what the protocol is here, but I’m somewhat surprised that Kat didn’t at least walk into the bathroom with her, considering Lily just got a phone message right before asking to use the facilities.

The DA throws a wrench into Carisi’s case by cutting a deal behind his – and Hadid’s – back. We don’t know if Jack McCoy is still the DA or not, but I can’t believe he would have cut a deal with the Feds, at least not without looping in the Bureau Chief who was in charge of the case. Carisi is obviously pissed that his case was blocked  right at the goal line,  but clearly Hadid was also less than thrilled she wasn’t given a heads up that the Feds were given the case. Who knows, maybe the DA – whoever he or she is – doesn’t trust or like Hadid? Again, had either of them recognized the magnitude of  who and what they were dealing with before they walked into the arraignment, they would have saved themselves the embarrassment.

I was a little confused at the end of the episode when Carisi mentioned that Mrs. Chang agreed to pay off Mei Mei’s debt. Was that part of the original agreement he made with her and is that agreement no longer valid once the case was suspended and given to the Feds? How can he be sure that Mrs. Chang will keep up her end of that deal – or had it already happened before Carisi got to the arraignment?

I was amused during the scene where Benson mentions the languages of which Kat has some knowledge. As I was rolling my eyes at the coincidence that she just so happened to have the exact skills they needed, I said “Of course she does” right as Fin was saying the same thing. It's as if the writers knew the fans would be thinking the same thing.


Here is the recap:

Mei Mei Li speaks on the phone with a man who tells her to speak in English as she must practice. She tells him she misses him. He suggests she come to San Francisco, saying it is beautiful. He says he will send her a ticket. But another woman enters Mei Mei’s room, telling her they must go. A man comes in an orders her to go, and Mei Mei explains to her caller that she has to go, she must teach, and she says goodbye and hangs up the phone and leaves the room.

Outside the building across the street at a table for POW/MIAs,Fin takes a photograph of her and the other girl and man and says they are heading south, toward division. He continues to photograph them. They are out shopping and Rollins, walking her dog, photographs them as they walk around. Later, the two women are on a park bench and the man tells them they should go. One asks for 10 more minutes and he sits down on the bench as Kat is there, posing as a jogger, also taking photographs.


Back at the SVU, Benson welcomes everyone to operation Dragon Slay and Sergeant Joe Chin from the Human Trafficking Task Force. Sgt. Chin says the focus is massage parlors that are fronts for sex slavery and debt servitude; undocumented women are being forced to pay off their families’ debts to smugglers. Benson explains that SVU has been tasked with investigating the Sweet Joy relax spa down on Eldridge. Carisi asks how long they have had them under watch, and Fin replies this one a week; the girls are let out one hour a day, always escorted by Charlie Hu. He’s illegal with ties to Chinatown gangs. Rollins adds they estimate that off-menu extras bring the spa about $50K in cash weekly. Kat says the women keep the bare minimum for food and the rest they turn over to the spa’s mamasan, Evelyn Lee, Korean-Chinese. Carisi comments that she is the manager, wondering who they lease the space from. As Benson shakes her head no, Rollins replies not yet, the buildings and spas are hidden behind a web of offshore LLCs. Chin explains the UCs will pose as clients, the goal is to arrest the johns and management, flip them, and follow the money and they get the owners. Benson states emphatically that they do not arrest the girls; if they talk, great, if not, they offer them immigration, legal, and medical assistance and take them to social services.

At the Sweet Joy Relax Spa on 35 Eldridge Street on Thursday, October 10, Fin poses as a customer while Benson and Carisi listen in the nearby surveillance van, and when the woman says the right words, Benson says that’s it and radios to all units “game on.” They move in and begin to make arrests, and when Rollins tells one girl she does not have to be scared, the girl runs. Rollins radios they have a runner and she is going out the window. Carisi runs out of the van and Benson steps out behind him. Carisi orders one officer to put his gun down as he races to try to catch the girl. He leaps up onto the ladder for the fire escape and climbs up. As the girl tries to escape, she slips her grip on the fire escape and hangs over the edge. He instructs her to grab onto another bar and as she does so, he holds on to her and pulls her back onto the fire escape. Benson, waiting by the van, breathes a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Fin arrests Evelyn Lee who protests the arrest. Kat and Rollins attend to the girls. Carisi speaks with Chin, who tells him a Chinese proverb says if you save a life, you are responsible for that life.

At the SVU, Benson tells Carisi that they arrested four johns who all claim they were getting a massage. Carisi adds that is tough to prove otherwise, and asks who else? Chin mentions Charlie Hu, bodyguard’s last muscle was carrying a .45. Carisi comments they can work with that. Fin says mamasan Evelyn Lee is hanging tough. Carisi comments that there is no surprise there, and, walking up to the observation window from another interrogation room where Evelyn Lee waits, wonders about the women waiting in the squad room. Benson explains they are waiting on a translator for those that don’t speak English and Kat and Rollins are with two who speak some English. She adds that Kat states she’s not fluent but she does have some Cantonese, Mandarin, and Hokkien. Fin states dryly, “Course she does.”

At Corlears Hook Park on Thursday, October 10, Rollins speaks with Mei Mei who says she worked there the last 4 years at different spas. She denies the girls give sex. She says she works hard every day and owes money to mamasan and she is paying for her brother who is in San Francisco. She told him she teaches Chinese to kids and he can’t know.

Law & Order SVU “We Dream Of Machine Elves” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU, “We Dream Of Machine Elves” airing on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “We Dream Of Machine Elves” 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.



Monday, November 4, 2019

Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” Episode Information


Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Can’t Be Held Accountable.”


Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” Air Date November 21, 2019 (10 PM ET/9C Thursday NBC)

A fellow detective asks the SVU for help when he suspects his two daughters are being groomed by a serial predator. Kat disobeys the Captain's orders. Starring Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino and Jamie Gray Hyder. Guest starring Nicholas Turturro, Vincent Kartheiser, Zuleikha Robinson and Amy Hargreaves.



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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable” 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.