Law & Order SVU “The Darkest Journey Home” Recap and Review

“The Darkest Journey Home” was an interesting episode about a girl who experiences a horrific sexual trauma (played expertly by Ariel Winter). It also featured Benson, Fin, and Rollins having to re-live some of their own past traumas to learn a new trauma-based interview technique.

I find it difficult to watch an episode where the SVU doesn’t seem to do anything to get the victim medical help for what may be obvious mental, self-destructive issues.  Issue 1: Raegan clearly is a party girl who enjoys getting high in various ways to the point of blackouts. Issue 2: She’s an admitted liar, thinking her made up life is better than her real one. Issue 3: She lacks maturity, thinking it's funny to  make it appear her fiance hit her. Issue 4: she’s engaging in risky behavior.    Of course, these things, either individually or combined, are not excuses for what happened to her. But they do signal someone who may need an expert - a psychologist or psychiatrist - not only to help her address possible mental "imbalances" but most immediately to help her through the trauma of a serious sexual assault of which she has little initial recall.

The episode highlights the use of the newer trauma-based interview technique, but after watching  Benson, Fin, and Rollins go through the process themselves, and then seeing Benson use it during the investigation, it doesn’t seem like anything we haven’t seen before. Fin explains it as letting the victim go back and the interviewer just staying out of the way. But we’ve seen the detectives do this many times before – even walking the victim through the incident to help them recall – both on SVU AND Law & Order. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think this episode explained what is so new or special about this technique.

Benson, now Captain, still has to be directly involved with the victims, while Fin and Rollins are stretched thin as they are apparently the only two SVU detectives at the 16th Precinct. Benson says she is working on getting help. It's hard to imagine that in a Manhattan precinct they can't get someone else to help cover immediately - at least temporarily. Benson, as Captain, should get out of front-line work.

As Benson, Fin, and Rollins go through the role playing themselves, Benson re-lives her kidnapping by William Lewis; Rollins recalls being in a situation where someone (I assume it was her boss in Atlanta, Deputy Chief Patton ) got rough with her in bed and who hit her, with her ending up bleeding; Fin recalls when his mother was shot in front of him.  I found myself wishing they relayed  a trauma that we’d never heard about before (not that I wish any new trauma on these people!).

Carisi seems more comfortable in the job, and deftly works the suspects in order to get a deal and avoid trial. This doesn’t seem to please Raegan very much, and considering that she didn’t want her behavior that day with a former boss to get dragged into the mix, she should have been grateful. Had her behavior been brought to light, along with her own friends’ testimonies, she would have been hard-pressed to get any sympathy from a jury.

Here is the recap:

Benson enters a room with Dr. Alexis Hanover, explaining her presence is mandatory by the new deputy chief. Benson comments on her 20-year experience and is familiar with trauma-based interviewing. The doctor explains this part of the training is role-playing, asking if Benson can think of a trauma in her life. Benson scoffs, and the doctor suggests something in her life she may have thought about a lot already. Benson says she is ready, and the doctor asks what brought her here, and what happened to her, what she saw or heard. Benson says she remembers she came to and he was still in her apartment. She just remember his breathing. The doctor says Benson asks her victims when they are most vulnerable to go back to a place they would rather not go. Benson nods, and says okay. She is very uncomfortable. We see flashbacks of her attack by Williams Lewis as Benson explains she remembers him pulling the duct tape off her mouth and it was burning, stinging. She felt him breathing in her ear. The whole time she kept thinking, “I’m a cop. How could I have let my guard down.” The doctor asks if she wants water, and Benson says “Sure. Thank you.”

Meanwhile, Raegan is drinking at a bar with friends. One asks where is her ring, and Raegan says she didn’t want to lose it. When asked if it is about Richard working a double shift this weekend, she says she doesn’t know what they are talking about. She says she loves Richard. Clearly they’ve been drinking a lot.

Back with the doctor, Benson recalls he gave her something to drink. It wasn’t water, it was vodka, which he forced down her throat. She felt his hand gripping her face, hard, and then he put the tape back on, and he kissed her and she couldn’t breathe. She becomes more distressed, saying she was so scared and she knew that she was going to die.

Back at the bar,  Raegan and her friends are outside to leave and Raegan says she has coke, waving it at them. One girl tells her to put that away and she calls them both pussies. She walks away from them and sees on her phone that her Quik Ride is Nick, saying he is cute. They ask if she is okay and she says she is. A car pulls up and she asks the driver if he is Nick, and he says yes. She says she is Raegan and gets in the car. As they drive away, she sees another man in the back seat who says he is Julius, a ride share. He says she is pretty, and she says Shakespeare has nothing on him. She takes some pills and he notes she is wasted. He asks the driver if she gets dropped off first, and Raegan tells him to shut up. Later, Raegan wakes up in bed and holds her head, feels the bed, and looks at her disheveled self in the mirror, knowing something bad has happened.

At SVU the next day, Benson enters and Fin and Rollins greet her, Fin calling her Lieutenant… then says, “I mean Captain.” He and Rollins smile and Rollins asks if they should throw her a party. She says please don’t, adding if they want to make her happy, sign up for their trauma informed interview training, saying it is actually quite helpful. Fin asks if this is a new chief mandate, and Benson admits it is; he wants them to be better at their jobs, asking Fin doesn’t he? Fin says if he wants them to be better, they should get them more detectives. She says they are working on that, and as they walk off, she adds nobody wants that more than she does. He responds, “I hear you.” Benson sees Raegan walk into the squad room, asking if this is Special Victims. Benson says it is, and introduces herself. Raegan gives her name, and Benson asks if something happened to her. Raegan admits she has no idea.

In Benson’s office, with Rollins, Raegan explains that she was with friends, and took a Quik Ride home, thinking she was going home. Rollins asks to see her phone, and Raegan reluctantly hands it to her. She goes on to explain that she woke up in her bed and was all sticky and sore. She thinks she was raped but doesn’t remember. Benson tells her it’s okay Raegan, they will figure that out together. Rollins comments that Raegan took a Quik Ride from Chelsea to Sheepshead Bay, and this shocks Raegan, who doesn’t know what that is. She looks at her phone and sees a charge of $140 and said it should have been $15. Rollins asks for her phone back to get a screen shot. Benson asks if she remembers anything else, and Raegan states she thinks he had his hands on my leg. She asks for some water, but Benson asks her to wait as she wants to go to the hospital to get Raegan a rape exam. Raegan explains she can’t go to Mt. Sinai. Benson says she will make a quick call and be right back.

Benson asks Fin and Rollins if they have anything, and Rollins has the information on the Quik Ride, saying she was picked up in Chelsea and explains the ride share stop, going home, but then changed her route and eventually went to a bar in Sheepshead Bay – Clemente’s Maryland Crab House. Benson tells them to check Clemente’s, her ride share, and the friends. Fin reminds her there are only the two of them, and Rollins asks who is going to take the girl to the ER. Benson says she will.



At Mercy Hospital at 365 West 32nd Street on Saturday, August 17, Benson speaks with the doctor who outlines Raegan’s injuries. Benson realizes she had been held down. Benson says she didn’t let her drink, asking the doctor if she took a mouth swab. The doctor nods, adding she took blood and urine. Benson asks if Raegan can take a break now, and the doctor says yes.

Benson enters the exam room and Raegan comments that sucked. Benson comments that she is so sorry. Raegan says it is not Benson’s fault, she hates when people say that. She asks to go home and Benson explains not yet, there are more procedures and moves to get her some water. She asks if there is anyone she can call, and Raegan doesn’t think her friends but says she thinks she can trust Benson. She admits she drank a lot of tequila and took xanax in the cab. Benson says none of that matters.

Meanwhile, Fin questions the driver. Nick, who says he dropped her off at some clam bar, she changed her route halfway through. He didn’t hang around. He dropped off the other passenger before that. He gets a different car every shift. He said she is crazy, he just did what she asked. Rollins speaks with Raegan’s friends, one asks what happened “this time.” They say they love her but she is dramatic and half the stories she is making up. Rollins explains Raegan may have been assaulted, and one girl said Raegan said the driver was cute. One said she wanted Raegan to wait for her boyfriend to drive them home, and the other said to try arguing with a drunk Raegan.

Back at the hospital, they continue with the rape kit. Benson asks Raegan if she is sure there is nobody she can call for her, and Raegan says her parents are on a cruise and she doesn’t want to worry them and she hates her sister. Benson asks why not go to Mt. Sinai, and she explains her fiancé is doing his residency there. She doesn’t want Richard to know about this, he doesn’t like her partying and he will be mad, he has anger management issues. Benson offers to call him. But Raegan says she will do it but asks Benson to be there when he arrives.

At Irving Farm New York on 88 Orchard Street on Saturday, August 17, Fin speaks with the ride share guy who says Raegan was all over him, asking if he had drugs and wanted him to go home with her. She got upset when he refused and asked the driver to take her to another bar. They dropped him off at home. She was in the back seat yelling at the driver when he left.

Back at the hospital, Benson asks Raegan what she can tell her about what she heard or saw. Raegan says she sees white, silver, it sounded like water. Raegan’s flashes back but says she doesn’t want to think about it any more. The nurse calls for Benson and when Benson approaches, the nurse points out Raegan’s fiancé, Richard Rayburn. Benson approaches him and explains Raegan has been through a trauma. Benson explains the rape kit is done and they have to collect a sample from him. He understands. He asks if she wants to see her, and Benson replies that Raegan does. He says sometimes she…he says it’s a lot. Raegan runs up and, crying, hugs him, but looks oddly at Benson.

Back at SVU in her office with Fin and Rollins, Benson explains Raegan recalls nothing. Rollins says her alcohol was .1 and there was presence of Xanax, which Benson explains Raegan disclosed. Rollins adds there were also traces of marijuana and cocaine, MDMA, and ambien. Benson says that’s a lot. There is presence of semen from two different donors, not her fiancé, Benson wonders about the driver and passenger, and Fin says not according to them. Rollins says her girlfriends implied this is not her first night as a blackout drunk. There have been 4 visits to the ER over the past year, all alcohol related. There is no family here, no siblings, her father is deceased and her mom is in an assisted living in Boca. Benson gives a quizzical look. She asks about the two suspects, and Fin replies they have no records and there is nothing on social media. The passenger’s app shows he was dropped off at his place at 1:35 AM. Benson comments that doesn’t necessarily mean that he got out of the car. She asks if anyone can put her at Clemente’s and Fin says no, nothing on security cameras. Benson asks about the DNA and Rollins explains Counselor Carisi isn’t sure they have probable cause, they have him on a short leash over there. Benson asks them to retrieve abandoned samples, have CSU run her apartment, she could have been raped there. Fin says he is on it. Rollins says Raegan reminds her of her sister, she’s the kind of girl that just craves drama. Benson explains she can see that, but something did happen to her. Rollins comments it could help if she could just remember anything. Benson admits it would and she’s had a night’s sleep and she will talk to her again. Benson explains that this interviewing technique actually helps people remember things.

At the apartment of Raegan James at 354 West 117th Street on Sunday, August 18, Fin is there with CSU. He finds sand and gravel in her shoes and there is some in the bed. Meanwhile, Rollins is at the coffee shop where the Julius is working. She says her drink doesn’t look like oat milk, and he says he made it himself. She asks if he can taste it, and he reluctantly does so when she prods him. He says it is oat milk. She thanks him and takes the cup and straw, saying “my bad.”

At the apartment of Richard Rayburn at 528 West 112th Street On Sunday, August 18, Benson enters and he tells her “good luck.” She sees broken ceramic on the floor and Raegan races out of another room, saying Richard hit her. But then she laughs, saying Benson should see her own face. She seems “off”, saying Richard didn’t hit her but he obviously doesn’t believe her. She admits he’s never even yelled at her but she knows he’s mad. She admits cheating on him and knows Benson doesn’t want to talk about this. Raegan sits down and says very seriously that she had to pee so bad and she begged them to let her up to use the bathroom but they just laughed. She flashes back and says they were raping her and she was worried about messing their bed.

Elsewhere, Rollins is trailing Nick and sees him throw out a plastic bottle. She picks it up.

At the courthouse, Benson, Fin, and Rollins speak with Carisi and they explain the what they know. The working theory is that she was assaulted by the passenger, driver, or both. They want credit cards, cell records, anything that will put Nick or Julius there when they swear they weren’t there. Rollins sees they got a hit from a military database on the DNA from neither Nick nor Julius – it’s some guy named Dennis Callahan.

Back at SVU in Benson’s office, Raegan says that is Dennis, her old boss. She tells Benson she likes her hair that way. Benson asks why they found traces of his semen from the oral swab of her Invisilign. She said she didn’t want Richard to find out. She flippantly admits she gave him a “quick blowey” that afternoon in Barney’s – she was helping him pick our something for his wife, and the dressing room was right there. She suggest to ask him. Benson says she believes her but going forward she needs her to tell her everything. Raegan asks her not to tell Richard and Benson says that is not her place. Benson asks her to tell her about her parents and her sister. Raegan asks if Benson is mad she changed a few details. She admits she exaggerates, saying life is boring and her version is a lot more interesting. She gets up to leave, saying she doesn’t need this, storming out, saying Benson betrayed her. She says she was raped and tells Benson “screw you.” Fin and Rollins look on in surprise.

Later, Benson knocks on Raegan’s door and Raegan says she doesn’t want to talk to her. Raegen lets her in and Benson wants to start over, saying she just knows she was raped. Benson asks to try something, and tries to get Raegan to retrace her route, thinking it is the best chance to figure out what happened to her.

Meanwhile, Rollins enters the room with Dr. Alexis Hanover and asks how long does it take as her Captain wants her to do the training but she’s right in the middle of a case. The doctor counters that this is not how it works. Rollins explains she is very interested in how this works, adding she’s read a lot about trauma informed questioning. The doctor states this is great but it’s about experiencing it for yourself. Rollins asks if the doctor wants her to pretend to be a victim, but the doctor clarifies that she is going to ask Rollins to think of some past trauma, some moment where she had control taken from her. Rollins suggests like giving birth, and the doctor comments that could work, but also suggests a car accident or something when she were young. Rollins says she has one, then asks if it’s okay if she’s over it? The doctor replies “Of course.”

Benson and Raegan are outside as they walk the area by the bar. She seemed to have tuned everything out then, but recalls she didn’t hesitate to get in the car.

Rollins recalls smelling Jack Daniels on his breath, he was drunk. She laid down on the bed like he asked her to. She tried to just lay there and was listening to the TV in the next room, The Price Is Right. He got rough with her and she told him to slow down. He hit her and she banged her head against the headboard and was bleeding. She begins to cry, then she stops and looks at the doctor.

Benson and Raegan are at Clemente’s and Raegan recalls being there. She was barefoot and recalls the gravel on her feet. A man started dragging her, a smell changed, it was low tide.

It’s Fin’s turn with the doctor, and he says he heard the gunshot, he knew what it was and he saw his mom fall. He tried to get to her but he was a kid and they wouldn’t let him get to her. He just wanted her to get up, that’s all he wanted. He relaxes and tells the doctor he sees what she did there; she helped the vic go back there and she just stays out of the way. She says that’s right, adding sometimes this brings up feelings they may not want to have. He says it is okay, he knows they are still there.

Back with Benson and Raegan, they still walk the area, and Raegan recalls they were singing and making fun of her, calling her uptight girl. Benson asks if it was “Uptown Girl”, seeing a boat there with that name. Raegan flashes back and begs Benson not to make her go in there, and she runs off. Benson catches up with her and Raegan says she just wants this not to have happened. Benson says they are done and she did great.

Back at SVU, Rollins explains to Carisi that the 9-9 just called and they just picked up the owner of the boat, Anthony Marino, he lives in Brooklyn and they are bringing him in now. Fin says Julius, the passenger, used to work at Marino’s restaurant and phone records show Julius calling Marino from the car. Rollins adds they have Marino on the security cams at Clemente’s with an older man and wonders if this is a forth rapist. Carisi wonders if these two guys have friends that they can call at 1 in the morning for a gang rape, wondering what kind of animals are these guys. Fin comments that low-lifes know low-lifes. Neither Nick nor Julius have asked for a lawyer, and Carisi says they should work these scumbags until they confess – nobody walks out of there tonight.

Fin questions Julius and presents him with what they know. He admits working for Marino but denies the rape. He asks for a lawyer. Meanwhile, Rollins does the same with Nick who denies everything. She continues to pressure him, and he admits he is worried about keeping track of his lies.

Fin and Carisi bring in Anthony Marino and show him that Nick and Julius are there and that Julius sold him out. He insists he is on the straight and narrow. They ask him how to find the older man in the photo.

At Raegan’s, Benson shows her a photo array and she doesn’t recall any of them. She asks about the driver and passenger and when Benson says they are being interrogated, Raegan asks what are they saying? Benson says they are lying but they will sort that out. Raegan can’t recall the older man’s face but she can recall him holding her down. Benson asks what did her body feel like, and Raegan shows that her arms were above her head, he had her pinned down and he had a tattoo on his arm. It was a flag and the face was black with a white bandana around the eyes. Benson says that is very helpful.

Fin, with Rollins knocks on the door of Frank Corso. They see a tattoo on his arm like Raegan had described. Rollins asks him to step outside, Fin adding he may not want his wife to hear this. He steps out and they arrest him.

Back at SVU, Benson shows Raegan a picture of the tattoo and she says that is it. Benson says it is a Corsican flag. Raegan says he was the one and asks if he admitted it and Benson explains not yet. They all have different stories. Raegan asks like what, she was crazy and she wanted it? Benson asks her not to get ahead of herself. Raegan asks that Benson is not going to tell them about her and her old boss, and Benson explains if this goes to trial, then everything in her rape kit goes to discovery. Raegan is stunned, thinking they will get away with this, and for Benson to promise that they won’t. Benson says she can’t promise that. Rollins walks in asking for Benson.

Rollins explains that they have Corso’s DNA on the rape kit and DNA puts all four of them on the boat. Fin says Corso is saying nothing new – the girl was wild and she couldn’t get enough of him. Carisi says Anthony still claims he wasn’t there and his DNA is not in the rape kit. Rollins says Julius and Nick lawyered up and they are digging in to Raegan’s past. Carisi asks how she thinks Raegan will hold up on the stand, and Benson admits she doesn’t know. Carisi doesn’t want all four of them to go but maybe they cut one of them a deal. She can’t tell Raegan that, but Fin thinks Carisi is right; it’s better to get three than none. Carisi reminds her Anthony is in the middle of a custody battle and has the most to lose. She agrees. Carisi enters the room with Anthony…but he asks for a lawyer.

Later, Carisi meets with Anthony and his lawyer, Evan Braun and he outlines Anthony’s involvement. Evan says the DNA was on the boat, not in the rape kit. Anthony calls the girl a bagful of crazy, but admits he was there. When he saw how messed up she was, he left. Evan says he is a Good Samaritan and if they want him to testify against the other three, he walks. Carisi says he just placed himself on the boat, and Evan says now they take him back off again. He says Carisi is new to this; they only thing that matters is what they decide right here and right now. If they want him to flip, he goes home to his family. Carisi pushes back, saying either he was there or he wasn’t. Evan says his client got a call from an old friend and he loaned them his boat. He had no idea what was going on and if he had known, he would have called the cops. Carisi says that doesn’t help his case. Evan says Anthony only realized what happened after he saw the mess on his boat. He confronted his friend who told him about the gang rape in detail, which they will provide. Carisi takes a deep breath and then say no, he is not going to have him lie on the stand. Evan says Carisi doesn’t want this to go to trial, saying that girl will be a puddle when he gets through with her.

Back at SVU with Fin present, Carisi tells Nick and his lawyer that Anthony said had he been there he would have stopped this. Nick is stunned and says Anthony was there, he is lying, he was there but couldn’t get it up. The lawyer tells Nick to hold on, saying if they tell him what happened…Carisi says they will take it into consideration. She nods to Nick to continue. Nick explains this whole thing was his passenger’s idea who called the boat guy and set it up. The boat guy called his friend. Nick claims he did not rape her. He insists he did not touch her, but says he put her shoes back on and made sure she had her purse and phone. He drove her home. If he hadn’t done that he wonders who knows what would have happened to her. Carisi says he believes him, saying he is the good guy here. He hands him some papers and says he just needs him to write out a statement, handing him a pen. He agrees, but the lawyer looks at him suspiciously.

Later, walking down the street, Benson tells Raegan that the boat owner turned first and the driver turned on the boat owner and the passenger. This isn’t going to trial and everybody is going to take a plea. Raegan asks if that is supposed to make her feel better, and Benson says this is going to take time. Raegan scoffs and asks her how many times has she told that to someone. She sits down on a park bench and Benson sits down with her. Benson explains too many. She adds it is not going to be easy but she survived the assault and she will survive this. Raegan comments Benson has said that before, too. Benson says she has, because it’s true. Raegan asks how does Benson know, and Benson, mentally flashing back to herself being rescued,  explains because she did and if she ever wants or needs to talk, she is here. Raegan admits she knows. Benson whispers it is going to be okay. Raegan nods, and as they continue to talk, we fade to black.


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

Guest stars:
Ariel Winter - Raegan James.
Amy Hargreaves - Dr. Alexis Hanover
Michael Kostroff – Evan Braun
Teo Rapp-Olsson – Julius
Nick Cordero – Anthony Marino
Yvonna Kopacz-Wright – Dr. Darby Wilder
Sophie Faulkenberry – Gwyneth Blake
Mark Puchinsky – Besnick “Nick” Pavlovic
Meadow Nguy – Celia Wang
Stephen Cefalu Jr. – Richard Rayburn
Edelen McWilliams – CSU Tech Martin
Cristina Zozoya Madero – Nurse Sonia Diaz
Martin Caputo – Frank Corso
Marisa Brau-Reyes – Edwina Myerson







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