Law & Order SVU “Part 33” Recap & Review

Law & Order SVU “Part 33” was an excellent "day-in-the-life" type episode, done in a format that is out-of-the-box for the series. Written by SVU showrunner Michael Chernuchin, it was a compelling look into the minds of SVU detectives and their lieutenant as they wait for their turn in the witness box in a controversial case. Peter Stone is prosecuting a woman who killed her cop  husband – and who has admitted to this – but we discover the team members aren't all on the same page regarding what they will say when testifying. The issues in contention: what is considered abuse; how much can they color or embellish the truth and still be truthful; is this a situation where a lie would still serve justice?

The tension is already evident as each detective and Benson arrive at the courthouse waiting room. It’s bad enough that the team is festering strong feelings about the case, but this is amplified by putting them into a lower-level room which is steaming hot, and where the coffee is so hot it can burn hands. And to heighten the viewer impatience, the time clock is running down to the seconds, and the opening credits don’t start to run until 10 minutes in. Everyone is being asked to wait, and it’s only a matter of time before tempers in the room reach the boiling point.

Viewers have seen the team disagree in the past, but this was an entire episode where everyone is at odds. Rollins arrives and finds the coffee is too hot to the touch. Fin starts by arriving with donuts to share but limiting the choice. Fin pours himself a cup of coffee and then drops it when he finds it too hot. The room is too hot. As their discomfort grows, their anger flares. Rollins clearly wants to tell the truth and be done with it. Carisi knew the murder victim and seems all too willing to color the truth to help the defendant, Annabeth Pearl. Fin looks at this situation as just a job. Carisi worries that for $80 grand a year, they have a lot of power, questioning “who the hell are we?”

When Benson arrives, things get even hotter, and soon, Benson and Rollins are in each other’s faces. Rollins has experience with domestic abuse with her parents, and Benson has, unfortunately, experienced the terror of both mental and physical abuse at the hands of William Lewis. She understands all too well about taking matters in to one’s own hands.  This has colored both their opinions.   The difficult part of this case is that there was no obvious physical abuse, it was presented as psychological abuse. The defendant describes being forced to have sex with her husband when she didn’t want to – for years – and Peter Stone says this is not rape as the defendant never refused him. I admit I was shocked at Stone’s attitude here, but he must have information that we weren’t shown to make him take that stance.

Benson is the last to testify, but before she does so, Fin comes close to asking Benson to lie. He even uses flawed logic,  relaying a fish story to say that anything that’s willing to fight that hard to stay alive deserves to live.  Benson, who seems close to tanking the case for Stone, decides to grudgingly answer Stone’s question truthfully. We don’t see how the trial ends, but we are left to assume that her truthful answer was devastating to the defendant's case.

If I was sitting on the jury and heard the testimony presented, I could only deliver a guilty verdict. We never saw any evidence – such as a medical expert – to indicate there was any mental abuse. I’m of the opinion that mental abuse is questionable justification for murder. Mental abuse is hard to quantify, especially if you’re the one being abused. How much mental abuse warrants killing the abuser? That said, had I heard expert medical testimony that the defendant does show signs of being severely mentally abused, I could be swayed to show leniency.

I thought this episode was one of the best SVU episodes in its long history. I also think that this case was one of the most poorly handled and that the detectives behaved badly. Here’s why:

1. The conflict between the detectives should have been flushed out in Stone’s pre-trial prep. He thought he had a slam dunk case, but clearly not everyone was on the same page. How did he get so blindsided? I can understand that the cases the SVU work can invoke deep emotions. But when it comes down to it, their job in testifying is to state the facts, or only answer the question that have been asked. If Stone would have been aware of the inner conflict with the team, he could have better prepared by asking pointed or yes-or-no answer questions. For how often they depend on Stone to bring perps to justice with flimsy evidence,  it was lousy the way that they sandbagged him. Stone had every right to be upset and to lash out at Benson about keeping her “bleeding heart” out of the courtroom - although it wasn't all her fault.

2. Along that line, if there was an issue with the defendant being psychologically abused, where was a psychologist testimony in all this? In the past, Dr. Huang or Dr. Olivet would have been called in for an opinion if the SVU felt that, despite a confession, that there was a chance there was mental abuse or other mental issues. If Benson and her team felt so strongly about whether Annabeth was a victim of mental abuse, why didn’t they ask for a medical opinion? It’s clear the defense was making this an issue, so the SVU and Stone should have gotten their own medical opinion so they could better prepare for the case. If anything, if there was even a hint of marital rape, a psychologist should have been consulted. Benson told Rollins that somebody has to stand up for Annabeth and tell her she survived and she is going to be okay. That somebody doesn’t need to be anyone with SVU, it could have been a doctor or a social worker, and it should have happened before the trial.

3. I’ve mentioned this many times before and it’s only been done maybe once or twice on SVU, but why don’t they record their interrogations? It’s a lot easier to stick to the truth when there is a video or audio recording of the questioning. Is this not done in new York City, if so, why not?

As I watched the detective argue between themselves, it sounded very much like commentary from fans that I read after an episode airs. It was like watching SVU fans argue, played out as an episode. I suspect that this episode will only bring out more discussion, and that’s a good thing.

A+ !

A side note: this episode was originally named “The Flying Dutchman and EP Julie Martin had tweeted that this episode was nicknamed “The Box.”

Update February 15, 2019 - a deleted scene with Kelli Giddish has been added after the recap.

Here is the recap:

Annabeth Pearl walks into a bar and patrons stare at her with a stunned look, She sits down and the patrons quickly exit the bar. Annabeth is in her nightie and spattered with blood, and she places a gun on the table and takes off her wedding ring.

Later at SVU, Rollins questions Annabeth, who is now covered in a jacket,  asking if there is anything else she wants to tell her. Annabeth nods but says nothing. Rollins says they are done here. Fin leads Annabeth into interrogation and Benson enters.

In Supreme Court Part 33 on Thursday, February 7 at 9:13:09am, Stone speaks to the jury: “This is a very simple case. The defendant, Annabeth Pearl, hosted a dinner party with her husband Thomas at their apartment on West 26th Street. Three people ate a New York strip, baked potatoes, and creamed spinach. Three hours later, when the guests had left, and the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher, Annabeth put on her nightie, walked into the den, picked up the gun that was sitting on the coffee table and shot her husband Thomas three times while he was watching TV.” As Rollins is outside, racing to the courthouse, Stone continues: “The detectives assigned to this case will tell you how they arrested Annabeth an hour later at a local eatery – with the murder weapon still in her possession.” Rollins is now walking quickly inside the courthouse main hall, and Stone continues: “They’ll tell you how, without provocation, she confessed to the murder. Now, the defense will play on your emotions. They’ll tell you about a bad marriage, an abused wife, but what they can’t tell you is that Thomas ever hit Annabeth, or that she was ever in imminent fear of physical harm. This is a very simple case. Annabeth Pearl is guilty of murder, in the second degree.”

Rollins continues into the courthouse building, and enters a room at the lower level where Detective Frank Bucci from the 2-8 is waiting, and he cautions her against drinking the coffee, unless her tongue is made of asbestos. She comments he should have told her before she burned her fingers. She explains she is there for a “husband and wife thing” and he explains he is there for a bodega robbery. She hates the waiting but he does not. The court officer calls Bucci to Part 21 and Bucci quickly exits.

Fin walks in, carrying a box of donuts, and says:

Fin: You alone?
Rollins: Yep. Whatcha got?
Fin, opening the box of donuts, offers it to Rollins and says: Alright, anything but the jellies
Rollins: Ooo, thank you
Fin: No sign of Liv?
Rollins: No, I was hoping you heard something.
Fin: (Sighing) Scruples are a hard thing to live with.
Rollins: What if she doesn’t show?
Fin: Then she doesn’t show. (He pours himself a cup of coffee)
Rollins: Her testimony will be the nails in Annabeth’s coffin. Without it, Stone…
Fin (reacting to touching the hot coffee, drops the cup on the floor): …will be hot as that cup of coffee.



In the courtroom, the defense attorney, speaks to the jury: “What Mr. Stone didn’t tell you was that Thomas took one bite of his New York strip, spit it out, and then told Annabeth he was going to give the rest to the neighbor’s beagle. What Mr. Stone didn’t tell you was that that dinner was the culmination of six years of continuous psychological abuse. The straw that crippled the camel, if you will: criticism, insult, blame, all of which served to diminish Annabeth’s dignity, destroy her self-worth, and erase her self-confidence. Now, Mr. Stone may call what Annabeth did murder, but I call it self-preservation. I’m sure you will too.”

Carisi has arrived in the room where Fin and Rollins wait. He hangs up his coat and says the room gives him the willies. Fin comments “The belly of the beast.” Carisi says his belly feels like the professor is about to hand out the final exam. Rollins comments that it is Annabeth that should be nervous, not him. But Carisi says "This is wrong," Carisi says. Rollins retorts "Don't go all Liv on us, alright? The woman shot her husband because he didn't like her dinner." Fin moans, “Life should be so easy.” When Rollins comments, “you too?”, Fin states that he doesn’t judge, then asks if it is hot in here. Carisi replies that hell always is, to which Rollins says that he is going full Liv. Carisi sees a pipe steaming. Fin thinks somebody has to. Rollins say that somebody interrogated Annabeth, she wonders who that could be? Carisi worries that Benson won’t show, and Fin states "Look, man, we can only do our job." Carisi question that is all this is to Fin, but Fin comments that he gets up in the morning, gets dressed, comes to the office, and after that, goes home. At the end of the week, he gets a check and the check clears, adding “That's called a job." Rollins argues with Carisi it is not all on them, they do their part but the rest is up to a judge and jury. Carisi wonders what happens upstairs doesn’t concern them, and Fin comments that short and sweet is fine with him. Carisi gets testy with Fin, saying this is coming from the guy who flew to Cuba on his own nickel to catch a fugitive rapist. He comments to Rollins about the Labott girl…Rollins, angry, cuts him off and says “Enough.” Fin tells Carisi to have a donut, and Carisi asks if they are telling him they never think about this, the responsibility, the power that they have. He could get up on that stand and lie and say Annabeth told him she planned on killing Thomas for the past 6 months and if he does that she is done, no question. Or, he could say that he doesn’t recall to anything Stone asks him and maybe she gets to live a nice, peaceful, safe life in a Chelsea apartment. Rollins shouts “Door number 3: You tell the truth.” Carisi counters that all he is saying is it’s a lot of power, and “who the hell are we?” The court officer enters and calls for Fin to Part 33. Fin jumps up and tells Carisi to chill out and have some donuts.

In Supreme Court Part 33 on Thursday, February 7 at 10:26:08am, Fin testifies the bartender at the Tatum, Jerry Griffin, knows Annabeth and her husband who were regulars, says Annabeth was inside with a gun. He describes seeing her covered with blood, the gun and the wedding ring on the table.

Meanwhile, Carisi tells Rollins he knew Thomas Pearl from the Academy and describes what a prick he was – a macho, cheating, sexist piece of crap. Rollins says Thomas may have been a dick but if he was going to take a bullet it should have been from a yahoo hawking heroin or robbing a bank, not from his wife. Carisi asks if it’s because of wedding vows, and Rollins counters it is because he was a cop. She tries to calm him, telling him to loosen up. He asks where the hell is Benson, and Rollins replies he should be happy; if she doesn’t show up, Annabeth will probably walk.

Outside the courthouse, Benson stands facing it, taking a few breaths and looking slightly apprehensive.

Later, inside the waiting room, Benson pours herself some coffee as Carisi states he wasn’t sure she was going to show up. She comments that neither was she. He suggests on this one there may be ways she can color her testimony – not out and out lie, but maybe she emphasize certain parts, what Annabeth told her and other parts not so much. Rollins hears this and gets a strange look on her face. Benson quickly steps away from Carisi and Rollins reminds Benson she is the one that interrogated Annabeth so people will be pretty interested in what she has to say. Benson comments, “If I say.” Carisi states he is not feeling okay about this case and maybe he feels that SOBs like Tommy Pearl get exactly what they deserve. Rollins argues when a cop gets killed it is an itch she can’t scratch. Carisi shouts it is a cop who abused his wife, and Rollins reminds him it's his words, Annabeth did not have to listen. Benson tells them to stop. They get quiet. Benson tells Rollins that law without empathy doesn’t help anyone. Rollins says she is all about empathy, it’s coming out of her ears. She adds that for 8 years she’s been drowning in it. Carisi asks what about Tommy’s gun, he just puts it on the table? Rollins says he left it out, asking if he ever pointed it at her or threatened her? She adds this is not freshman English, they don’t have to read between the lines, it’s not their job. Benson wonders maybe it is, maybe they shouldn’t ignore the fact that Annabeth was a victim. Rollins thinks that doesn’t work, because Annabeth’s husband is the one in the casket, adding he was a cop and wore the same shield they do.

Meanwhile, being questioned by the defense, Fin states that his Lieutenant was convinced there was domestic abuse. She asks “Was there?” and Fin says her husband never hit her, if that’s what she means. She asks if that is the only kind of abuse contemplated by the statute, and Stone objects, saying Fin is not an attorney. She withdraws the question. She asks how many times Thomas was shot, and Fin replies 3, two in the chest and one in the crotch. She comments, “Interesting” and says he has nothing further. Stone redirects, asking if Annabeth ever claimed that she was raped by her husband. Fin answers not that he is aware of.

In the room, Carisi asks a janitor, who is mopping the floor, if there is anything he can do about the heat. The man explains he will tell someone but he doubts it will change as there is one thermostat for the whole floor, Judge Finkle likes it this way. Benson asks if he can see what he can do, and he says he sure will, and tells them to have a nice day. After the man leaves, Carisi says sometimes he wishes he had a job like that guy, and Rollins wonders it’s so he can listen to cops bitch all day long. Carisi says it’s something without consequence, and Benson counters that she thinks what he means to say is that he wishes he weren’t cursed with a conscience. Carisi says it is definitely a burden, but Benson thinks it also makes them human. Rollins thinks unless you’re a sociopath. Carisi gets upset, asking if she actually thinks Annabeth is a sociopath. Rollins thinks she knew what she was doing and thinks she doesn’t care. Benson suggests she didn’t see another way out, and Carisi agrees. Rollins, her arms folded in disagreement, comments that luckily they don’t have to read Annabeth’s mind. Carisi says they do, adding $80 grand a year and they get to determining they spend t he rest of their lives in a cage and whose going to eat dinner at DelFriscos. Rollins shouts back that worrying about it is way above their pay grade, but Benson says they DO worry about it, at least they usually do. Rollins questions that Benson never wanted to put a couple pops between some guys eyes. Benson says nothing, and Rollins says she wanted to and would have really enjoyed it, but she didn’t…and Benson says because Rollins knew it was wrong. Rollins counters she knew the consequences and chose not to. Benson stands up and gets in Rollins’ face, shouting that maybe Annabeth didn’t have that luxury. Rollins shouts back that Annabeth chose it, she chose to end that man’s life – to take someone’s life, to break the law…it’s free will. She adds they all learn about it in Sunday school. Carisi comments sarcastically that they are free alright – free to believe in the guy upstairs or not, it’s like a perjury trap. Rollins yells that all they have to do is go up on the stand and say what happened; there’s no choices, no consequences to him. Carisi counters they put a crown of thorns on Jesus but that did not make him king. Rollins asks Benson what is he talking about, and Benson says neither does their shields. Carisi explains that what they say and how they feel – this game could be over before it starts. Rollins shouts that if he wants to commit perjury because Tommy hurt Annabeth’s feelings, and Carisi shouts back it is more complicated than that and she knows it. He shouts, “Perjury? I’m talking about the truth here and I’m gonna make sure the jury sees it!” Rollins says Benson’s testimony will turn them the other way. Benson, looking conflicted, replies IF she tells them exactly – verbatim – what Annabeth told her. Carisi comments he knows the law better than anybody in the room but he also knows his moral responsibility. Killing Tommy was Annabeth’s only option and the law says that’s wrong but morally…Rollins cuts him off and says he is not a priest…and Carisi says morally the result is just. Rollins has one question – why didn’t Annabeth walk out the door and leave the damn bastard? Benson asks with incredulity if Rollins is kidding her. Rollins replies no, for it to be a justifiable homicide there had to be an imminent threat of death or serious physical harm. Was Tommy about to beat Annabeth – NO. Was he about to rape her – NO. She says she knows that is because that is what Annabeth told Benson. Carisi states when he was in the bag, he took a domestic disturbance call, the neighbor was claiming the couple was screaming at each other all night, cursing, so he showed up and calmed them all down and he could see the smug in the guys eyes. He told the woman she has to stand up to the guy and leave him but there was no sign of physical violence. A month later he gets a call to the same house and same complaint but this time the husband bashed the wife’s head against the wall and she is dead. He stands up and screams for Rollins not to say all she had to do was walk out the door. The court officer comes into the room and calls Carisi to Part 33. He storms out.

On the stand, Carisi testifies that Griffin, the bartender, said Annabeth lived across the street and based on the way she was dressed he assumed she came from home so he went over there. He knocked and rang the bell and there was no answer, the door was unlocked and he went inside. Stone asks if there were signs of a fight, and Carisi states it was impossible to tell. Stone says, “Excuse me?” and Carisi replies that the defendant could have easily straightened up before she left the apartment or even before she shot her husband. Stone cuts him off and states that is not what he asked. Stone asks that once Carisi was inside the apartment, were there signs of a fight? Carisi says no. Stone replies “okay.”

Back in the room, Rollins tells Benson she loves and respects her more than anyone she has even met in her life but not to take this the wrong way: sometimes she sees victims where there aren’t any. Benson raises her voice and says Annabeth was abused by her husband. Rollins disagrees, but Benson says nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors of a marriage. Rollins counters including Benson, all she has is Annabeth’s word. Benson whispers that she is sorry what Rollins’ father did to her mother and Rollins smiles, saying “See? That’s exactly what I am talking about. My mother didn’t have to be a victim.” Benson says she is not talking about her mother, she’s talking about Rollins. She asks if she really thinks that her father beating the hell out of her mother in front of her didn’t color her whole universe? Rollins replies sure it did but not in the way she thinks. She remembers sitting in her room and staring out the window after one of their knock-down, drag-outs and seeing a street lamp on the corner and was watching and waiting, praying for her dad to come back. She wanted him home. Benson says all children want their parents together no matter what. Rollins explains her mother could have called the sheriff and they had a gun locker in the house but she had to be a martyr and wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she wasn’t suffering and cowering. Benson says it’s because he made her like that. Rollins screams that Benson doesn’t know; there was weakness in her and it was there before they ever even met. Benson challenges how Rollins knows that, and Rollins holds up two different things, indicating they are not the same.  Rollins angrily says she knows because she was the one staring out the window waiting for her daddy to come back into their house. She was the one that was petrified that she would end up weak like her mom if he didn’t come back. Benson says that is not a reason to hate her mother and whispers maybe it’s time for her to come up from underneath that shadow.

In Supreme Court Part 33 on Thursday, February 7 at 12:19:08pm, Carisi is being cross examined and states and EMS team determined Annabeth had no injuries but that she was in shock. They didn’t say how long she was in shock but says she may have been in shock before she fired the weapon. Stone objects but he is overruled by the judge who tells Stone that is his own witness. Carisi goes on to say it is not unusual for a victim to go in survival mode once they are threatened and she may not have known what she is doing. The defense attorney shows a photo of the room where Thomas is sitting dead and asks if this is exactly what the room looked like when he entered. Carisi says no, the television was on. She says the apartment is not that big, if the TV was on she thinks he would have heard it. He says the volume was muted. She says it is almost as if Tommy and Annabeth spoke before she shot Tommy. He says he doesn’t know about that, and she suggests they might have, that Tommy may have said he loved her, and Carisi says it’s possible but it’s also possible he said “you ruined my dinner, bitch, now I’m gonna kill you.” Stone leaps up and says, “Your honor!” but the judge says nothing and the defense ends her questioning. The judge decides to break for lunch. Stone glares at Carisi, who leaves the witness box. The defense attorney tells Stone it looks like his witness just committed treason. Stone looks displeased.

In the hall, Stone stops Benson and asks what the hell is going on down there. He says when he walked into the courtroom this morning he had a no-lose case and two witnesses later he is treading water and gasping for air. She says, “So Carisi got creative” and Stone, upset, says “he got creative? He's a cop! He’s supposed to get on that stand and tell the truth, that’s it.” Benson asks if he lied, and he says they both know the truth comes in many colors. Benson thinks Carisi picked the one he could live with. Stone gets more angry and says, “I knew it. I knew you were behind this. You wanna do me a favor? Keep your bleeding heart out of my courtroom.” He storms off and Benson stands there, shaking her head, stunned.

Back in the room, Rollins asks Benson what is her dilemma? Do what Carisi said – fudge it, generalize, minimize, prevaricate. Benson wonders what if she is wrong, adding Annabeth told her she didn’t regret killing him for a minute. Rollins states that lack of remorse is not an element of the crime. Benson wonders that the jury gives a damn; if she testifies truthfully this becomes a revenge killing that is never justified and Annabeth goes to prison for a very long time. Rollins comments the truth is a bitch. Benson knows in her gut she was powerless to leave him. Rollins counters she was strong enough to pull the trigger, Benson calling this naïve. Benson asks what about the gun, he didn’t leave it out for show. Rollins asks if Annabeth said he threatened her with it, but Benson thinks she didn’t have to because he left it out and she saw it when she woke up in the morning, when she made dinner, and last thing before she went to bed. Rollins thinks Annabeth read between the lines. Benson says they both know what he was telling her with that gun – that he could kill her any minute and would probably get away with it. Rollins states Tommy is the one who ended up with bullets in him. Benson reminds her he took two shots in the heart and one in the groin, saying that last one was not a mistake or a miss. Rollins asks if Annabeth said that to her, and Benson says she didn’t have to. Rollins shakes her head. Benson leans down and gets in Rollin’s face and says Rollins has no idea what utter terror is, what pure and utter terror is. She moves away and sits back down. Benson comments they say your heart beats faster but that’s not true, it stops, everything stops. You don’t breathe because you’re scared it might upset him and if you get a cramp in your foot you let it throb because you can live through that pain and that’s a hell of a lot better than what he’ll do to you. Benson’s voice wavers as she says the pain is so complete and overwhelming you can go without food for three days and you don’t close your eyes because you’re scared you will never open them again. She says, “You pray. You pray, please god, don’t let him climb on top of me again.” Rollins moves to console her, saying she is sorry. Benson says nobody should have to live like that, nobody. Rollins says Tommy Pearl is not William Lewis and Annabeth was not held hostage. Benson asks wasn’t she? Annabeth lived with that fear every day for six years. Maybe they are all victims and maybe we are all victims of the past. She says the good news is she is just a rebuttal witness and only used if needed. Rollins asks what if Stone needs her, and Benson says she doesn’t know but somebody has to stand up for Annabeth and tell her she survived and she is going to be okay. The court officer enters and calls Rollins to Part 33. She says she hasn’t finished he apple pie yet, and then says she is pulling his leg. Benson tells her to go and the officer sees the remaining donuts and asks if she doesn’t want them to go to waste. She allows him to take them and he says his name is Charlie, he’s had a sweet tooth since he was a kid and asks if he can take a cruller home to his wife, she loves them Benson laughs and she asks how long he has been married. He replies 34 years next Tuesday. She says he is a good husband and he says it is easy, all it takes is a little love.

Rollins, on the stand, says she took Annabeth’s initial statement and she said she killed her husband. Rollins asked if she wanted a lawyer present and Annabeth told her she did it, why would she need a lawyer. Annabeth said she killed him as he didn’t like his dinner. Carisi is watching from the gallery.

Annabeth is on the stand and her attorney brings out the gun. Annabeth said he cleaned is gun every night and left it out. He refused to put it away, saying he was a cop and it was a part of it. Seeing it made him feel strong. The defense attorney puts the gun right by the jury box and the jury is stunned. Stone voices objection and the judge says what’s a trial without good old fashioned histrionics? He tells the defense she made her point. She doesn’t remove the gun as she asks Annabeth how the gun made her feel. She said it made her feel weak and scared, like a lion showing its teeth to a zebra. He is king and she is less than. She describes her constant anxieties and how Tommy treated her. She did not tell anyone, saying she used to have friends but Tommy said they weren’t good enough and all they have were his friends.

Stone cross examines, and Annabeth must state Tommy never hit her. They had sex lots of times when she didn’t want to but was too scared to tell him. He asks that in six years of marriage she never said “not in the mood” or am too tired I have a headache or I just don’t want to. She replies no. Stone states he is sorry, but says that is not rape. The defense attorney leaps up and screams an objection and the judge chides him, saying Stone knows better, Annabeth yells that the man was raping her from the moment she said “I do”. Stone looks at a stone-faced jury and Fin watches from the gallery. Annabeth looks devastated.

Back in the waiting room, Fin catches up with Benson. He looks at the donut box and asked who ate his jellies? He asks Benson if she is okay. She says she is fine, an asks what is happening upstairs. He said it is a bloodbath, and when she asks whose blood, Fin comments, “You know how they say you only die once? Well. that’s a lie, at least for Tommy Pearl.” Benson thinks Stone will call her. Fin says if he has any shot of winning the case, he will. Benson looks conflicted, then asks what is she going to do. He asks if running is not an option, and when she gives him a look, he says he didn’t think so. He comments this is just another case to him, but she counters his BS doesn’t fly with her. He admits he should know that by now. She asks if he thinks Annabeth belongs in prison. He says half the guys he grew up with are in prison, and do they belong there? They don’t think so. She asks if he does, and he replies it is not his place to judge. Exasperated, she says, “Again with your BS.” He says last Sunday he went fishing off Sheepshead Bay, 4 hours passed without a nibble and when he’s ready to pack it up his rod jerks and he starts reeling it in. He never had a perp fight that hard, a 35-pound bluefish, the most beautiful thing he’s seen in his life. Benson says that’s great. He explains he threw it back in the bay. He says anything that’s willing to fight that hard to stay alive deserves to live. Benson looks at him, saying like Annabeth. She asks if he is telling him to lie, and he says that blue is not going to get hooked again, but that’s just him. She says she guesses he didn’t come here to get some donuts. The court officer calls Benson – it’s her time to go to Part 33. She looks at Fin and walks out.

She makes the long walk up to Part 33, clearly thinking about what is to come. She enters the courtroom and takes the stand, looking at everyone in the courtroom whose eyes are trained on her, She puts her hand on the bible to take the oath. Stone questions her about interrogating Annabeth after her confession. He asks if she expressed remorse for what she did. As Benson starts to say he has to understand, he cuts her off and says to please answer the question. She says “Taken out of context, her words can be misconstrued.” Stone stops her and says she just reached out and put her hand on the bible and swore to tell them the truth. She looks at him and he asks if the defendant express remorse for what she did. Benson hesitates and looks to Annabeth, shakes her head, and says no. Annabeth looks shocked. Stone asks what, if anything, did she say in that regard, and Benson replies, “She said that…she said that she was glad that her husband was dead and that she prayed about it for years.” Annabeth looks devastated, and Benson looks crushed, and as Stone walks away, she shakes her head 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:
Paula Malcomson - Stella Russell
Nicholas Turturro - Det. Frank Bucci
Vincent Curatola – Judge Al Bertuccio
Amy Rutberg - Annabeth Pearl
Art McFarland – Charlie
Manny Galan – Maintenance Man
Rachel Green – Court Clerk
Liam James Daniels – Bartender
Mike Funk – Patron #1
Lucille Hansen – Patron #2


Deleted scene titled "Rollins Still Got It"




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