Friday, November 1, 2019

Law & Order SVU “Murdered At A Bad Address” Recap & Review


“Murdered At A Bad Address” had more layers than a Dagwood sandwich, and this is what made this episode so compelling. It started with one rape case, which uncovered a serial rapist, and two men who were unjustly sent to prison for one of those rapes and murder. Complicating matters was the Queens district attorney, who made career advancements on those unjust convictions, and who now has dementia. It will take some sleight of hand to get those convictions overturned.

A few layers of this sandwich also included some personal drama for Benson when her half-brother Simon makes a surprise appearance. Simon has been nothing but bad news for Benson in the past. We last saw him in the Law & Order SVU episode “Child’s Welfare” (season 13, episode 16, 2012), and things weren’t working out very well for him at that time. He wants to reconnect with her and get to know Noah, and Benson, likely still stinging from her past encounters with Simon, agrees. But when he stands her up for their lunch date, she fires off a voice mail to him which basically severs all ties. It isn’t long before Simon is laying on a slab in the morgue of our favorite medical examiner Melinda Warner. Now Benson is feeling regret for that voice mail message. It was a perfect closing of the loop for Simon’s story, and it gave fans a chance to have the much respected Melinda Warner back, even if it was only for a short scene. I was never much of a fan of Simon Marsden so I felt nothing for him upon hearing of his death. But I do understand why Benson is regretting that terse message she gave to the only blood relative that she had left in the world. Whether he actually got that message...

The story of the rape victim worked well as it wasn’t just about finding justice for her, but also for finding justice for someone falsely accused and later imprisoned for other rapes and a murder. We got to see Fin acting with confidence, more like a sergeant. Carisi has settled in quite well in as an ADA, making it seem like he’s been in that job much longer than in actuality.

Wentworth Miller makes another SVU appearance, but not in his previous incarnation as Detective Nate Kendall, as last seen in the SVU episode “Unstable” (season 11, episode 1, in 2009). In “Murdered At A Bad Address”, Wentworth plays ADA Isaiah Holmes, who was a former law professor at Fordham.  Holmes - who happens to mention he is gay – uses some trickery with a DA suffering from dementia in order to get an unjust conviction overturned for Carisi. Will this ever come back to haunt him or Carisi? Probably not, as this would like expose the manner in which the DA’s deputies are covering up for the clearly mentally incapacitated DA. One does have to wonder, however, with that huge pile of untouched paperwork in the DA’s office, just how exactly are these deputies covering for the DA? If they truly were covering, they would have never allowed Holmes and Carisi to even get an audience and they'd make sure that paperwork would get done.

This episode reflects improved story telling this season, and the writers did an excellent job in balancing the investigative part of the case with the legal aspects, all while adding personal drama for Benson. I've been enjoying the full use of the cast, the expanded legal coverage,  and the overall visually-interesting production.  The rape victim got justice, and the wrongly convicted was freed, giving those people some closure; normally this would be a happy ending for an SVU episode. But it was hard not to feel deep sadness toward the end of this episode, both for the freed man who stands over the grave of his family, and for Benson, who regrets what may have been her last cutting words to her brother. She can only hope that he never got that message. But we have to wonder – what drove him back to drugs? Benson will likely be asking herself that question for some time, and she may never find the answer.






Here is the recap:

Benson is walking outside with Noah and asks him if he is ready to teach her some of his dance moves. He says yes, asks if they can get some ice cream as they are right by the cart. Benson questions it as it is before dinner, and Noah says he won’t have dessert after. Benson hears her name called, and turns to see it is her brother, Simon. He says hello and introduces himself for Noah. Benson tells Noah to go ahead and pick a flavor. Simon asks who is Noah, and Benson explains he is her son. Simon is surprised he has a nephew and she didn’t tell him, but he admits that is on him as he hasn’t been in touch. Benson asks what he is doing there, and he replies he moved back to Jersey a few years ago, working at the Carpet King. She asks about his family and children, and he explains he doesn’t know, Tracy took the kids and he hasn’t seen her or them since he last saw Benson. She comments she is sorry. He adds that he thought about asking her to help him track them down but he always ends up making more trouble for her. He just wants to make it up to her and asks if maybe he can take her and Noah out to lunch. She says she doesn’t think that’s such a…as she tries to move away, he moves in front of her and tells her “don’t say no.” He adds he has been clean five years and she is his only family. He wants to get to know his nephew. Benson smiles, and Simon suggests Wednesday lunch, his day off, and she picks the place and time, he can be anywhere. Benson looks at Noah who is sampling ice cream, and she pauses.

At a hospital, Lupe tends to a patient, then later after work is walking home eating ice cream. She hears noises as she walks up the stairs to her apartment in the projects and suddenly is attacked from behind, her mouth covered by the attacker’s hand.

Later, Fin and Rollins arrive on the scene, the crowd taunting them, but Fin informs them they are SVU, not the warrant squad. Inside, Rollins and Fin see the EMTs who are taking away Lupe Perez. Kat is waiting with an officer. Kat explains that Lupe, 14, was assaulted in a stairwell, and she is still in shock. She didn’t want to leave her little sister alone so Kat put a uni with her. Fin comments that Kat got there fast, and she explains it was the 2 train, faster than lights and sirens every time. She adds that CSU is on the way. Rollins asks about Lupe’s parents, and Kat states that her mom works the night shift at the Double Dutch Donuts on 125th. Fin asks about cameras, and Kat replies they are busted, like the elevator, like always. Fin asks if she is a former projects kid, and Kat tells him Gowanus, there is no such thing as a former projects kid. Rollins raises her eyebrows in response and Fin says okay, asking if the girl is comfortable with her, and when Kat nods yes, Fin suggests Kat ride with her to CAC. Kat moves to leave.

At the Child Advocacy Center at 207 East 130th Street on Monday, September 30, Benson observes Kat speaking with Lupe as Carisi enters the room. He asks if there were any witnesses and Benson explains Fin is still canvassing and there is nothing on the rape kit, no semen or hairs. Carisi thinks they are looking at a pro. When Carisi questions that she is giving Kat the lead, Benson states she is giving her a shot; Kat was first on the scene, she rode with Lupe and took the disclosure and Benson is there if she needs her. Carisi comments that Kat doesn’t miss a trick; somebody must have stolen her lunch money once, and Benson adds “or tried to.” Lupe explains the attack to Kat, saying the man smelled bad, like a woody smell, like pencil sharpeners. He said “Ok Chiquita, do it nice for Poppy.” She explains her real Poppy died, and she cries. She says he said if she didn’t, he would go to her little sister. Benson realizes the attacker knows Lupe’s family, Carisi adding this is why he wouldn’t let Lupe look at him. Lupe doesn’t want anyone to know he pulled down her pants. Rollins enters the room and tells Benson that Lupe’s mom is there.

Benson and Rollins speak with Lupe's mother who says she was working; her husband died two years ago so she works extra shifts. She cries and Benson assures her this is not her fault. Rollins explains they think the attacker knew Lupe, and her mom explains she is always in the library or at the school or babysitting her little sister. She asks to see Lupe.





Back at the SVU, Rollins has cleared all the registered sex offenders in Lupe’s projects and Fin says there are no leads on the canvas. Kat adds that Lupe said the perp’s hands were calloused and smelled like wood shavings, Kat thinks maybe a projects worker. Fin instructs them to give him of the maintenance guys from the Jacob Lawrence Houses. Rollins states she just got a weird hit on the touch DNA from Lupe’s headphones – it matches a double homicide in the Wave View Projects in Far Rockaway from 2003.

In Benson’s office, she questions they had a closed rape and a double murder from 16 years ago, and they had the DNA and they never did anything with it? Rollins explains it was tested by mistake and swept out when they were going through the backlog. Benson asks that the touch DNA on Lupe’s headphones match the DNA found under the fingernails of which victim, and Rollins replies both, Nydia Hernandez, strangled with an electric cord and her daughter Jacinta was sexually assaulted and then strangled. Kat adds that two teenagers confessed: Ricardo Torres, 15 at the time; he turned states on Carlos Hernandez, 18, the son and brother of the vic’s. Benson asks which DNA matches Lupe’s, and Rollins replies neither. Benson asks what does that mean, that they are looking at a third accomplice? Fin says someone who was never caught. Benson says they will need to talk with Ricardo and Carlos, asking where are they now. Kat replies Hernandez is still serving 25 to life in Green Haven, and Fin comments that 25 to life and he never gave up the third guy – he’s not talking. Benson instructs Fin to take Carisi with him, thinking if he sees a DA, maybe he will think he can cut a deal. Benson asks about Ricardo, and Kat explains he finished his 15 a year ago and his last known is Wave View Houses in Far Rockaway and his parole officer is on vacation. Benson thinks this is leverage. She instructs Rollins and Kat to lean on him, hard. Rollins comments just to be clear, they have a guy doing life for murdering his mother and his sister and there was someone else’s DNA on the victim. Fin states why check DNA, they had confessions. Kat adds it’s the projects, they were murdered at a bad address.

At Green Haven Correctional Facility at 594 New York 216, Summerville, New York on October 1, Fin and Carisi question Carlos about the third DNA hit. He doesn’t know who killed them and swears they never did it, they were just hanging that night. But Carisi mentions Ricky’s confession, and said the detective convinced Ricky if he turned state’s on him, Ricky would get man 2 and he would do 15. The DA told him if he didn’t confess, he would get the sayonara syringe. He was 18 and he had no mother to help him. Carisi says if they work with him now and give up his accomplice, Carisi will go to the board. But Carlos says he had no accomplice. Fin continues press but Carlos swears that he came home and saw them laying there like that. Fin thinks they are wasting their time, but Carisi asks where Carlos and Ricky were hanging. Carlos looks over to a nearby guard and then says he can’t say. He pulls out a piece of paper and says after Ricky was released, he sent Carlos information that apologizes for putting him away, he was just saving himself. Back then, they weren’t angels but his mother was all his hand. Fin says unless he has an alibi for that night, this goes nowhere, Carlos motions to the guard to take him out and he leaves. Carisi looks over the paper that Carlos gave him.

Rollins and Kat speak with Savannah “Moms” Baker looking for Ricardo. She says he paid his debt and says Carlos would not hurt his family. He was a momma’s boy and if Ricky threw himself on the floor he would miss. She mentions they were railroaded and says Detective Monte and the prosecutor had the wrong boys but they didn’t care. She mentions Ricky came back there nut got AIDS in prison. He lied to save his own skin. He just passed last week and asked her to scatter his ashes out there where he and Carlos skipped stones. She says that detective killed Ricky and to talk to him.

At the home of Detective Monte at 157 Virginia Avenue, Staten Island New York on Tuesday, October 1, Rollins and Carisi speak with him. He speaks with slurs about the victims and the suspects, wondering why they care. Rollins explains the third DNA found and he says he had no other suspects, He mentions other rapes at other projects and says they were stupid enough to hit their own home.

Back at SVU, Rollins opens a bakery box and tells the others that Carisi sent them cannolis from his favorite bakery in Staten Island. As Kat digs in, Benson asks aside from the baked goods did they get anything out there? Rollins says as they suspected, Monte wasn’t interested in other suspects and Carisi thinks both confessions were coerced. Benson says they are not looking for the third guy, they are looking for the ONLY guy. Fin says it’s the one who got away with it. Rollins though Monte was just trying to justify what he did but he did say there had been other rapes in the projects around the same time. Benson thinks they could be looking at a serial who has been out there for 16 years. She tells them to go back to unsolved project rapes and to check MOs. She tells Kat to cross check the maintenance records from Lupe’s projects and see if any of them also worked at Wave View 16 years ago.

At the office of the District Attorney at 1 Hogan Place on Wednesday, October 2, Benson tells Carisi they found 12 project rapes but two most closely fit the pattern. Rollins points out Maria Negron, 13, in 2010, and Angela Lopez, 12, in 2011. Both loved at the Jersey Street projects. No DNA and both were assaulted from behind, strangled with a cord, and neither saw his face. Eighteen maintenance workers worked at all three projects during that timeline, 7 are black, are deceased, one is disabled. Benson says they will need DNA warrants on 8 guys. Carisi suggest to make in 9, a ball team. Carisi says no judge is going to sign off on this, they have to narrow it down for him. Benson suggests that they ask them to volunteer for exclusion and if they are innocent they shouldn’t have a problem with that. Carisi says if anybody barks, he will get her a warrant. As Carisi readies to leave, Rollins asks if he is leaving them again. Carisi explains he has a pre-trial motion and tells them to feel free to stay as long as they want. He exits. Benson tells Rollins to coordinate with Fin and Kat and make sure she talks to all 8 guys. She puts on her jacket and says she will meet Rollins back at the squad room – she has a lunch with her brother Simon. Rollins comments it’s been a while, wondering what does he want. Benson replies he says he wants to get to know Noah, and Rollins asks if she believes him. Benson says she does. She leaves.

At Jacob Lawrence Houses, Building 5, 2021 Lexington Avenue on Wednesday, October 2, Fin and Rollins speak with Tim Stanton about the assault. They ask him to check out mug shots but he says he doesn’t have a head for faces. They ask for his DNA to exclude him and he balks. He feels sorry for the girl but says he has places to be, He makes a quick exit. Rollins comments he is the first guy to say no and she well call Carisi for a warrant, but Fin picks up a used glove from the ground that Tim used and says he will save her the trouble. Rollins comments she will call Benson.

Benson, waiting at an outside restaurant table with Noah, asks Rollins on the phone that the lab knows it’s a rush. She thanks her for the nice work and hangs up. Noah is impatient, asking when her friend is going to get there, and, looking at her watch, tells Noah she doesn’t know. He does not want to be late for dance class. Benson speaks to a member of the wait and describes Simon, who says she will check again to see if he is there. Benson, frustrated, asks Noah to give her a second, and she moves away to make a call. She gets Simon’s voice mail, and says she and Noah are here waiting for him and says she knew this was a bad idea so don’t bother calling her back. She adds don’t every call her. She hangs up.

Back at SVU, Benson is arriving and Kat tells her they have a DNA match with Tim Stanton, matching the touch DNA on Lupe’s headphones and the DNA found under the nails of Jacinta and Nydia. Benson wants to see Lupe make a positive ID, and Rollins says he pretended he wanted to help. Benson suggests they tell him they collared a sex offender they know who is good for this and they just need help with the lineup. Kat wonders if he will go for that, and Benson thinks he let Hernandez and Torres take the fall before, he will just think they screwed up again, telling them to see if Lupe is up for a line up.

As Rollins follows Benson into her office, Benson comments that Lupe said she didn’t see him but she did hear his voice so if she can’t do a line up, see if she can do a voice ID. Rollins explains she was out of line what she said about her brother, and Benson comments no she wasn’t. She adds Noah doesn’t need any more confusion in his life, that door stays closed. Rollins says okay and turns to leave.

Later, Tim is in the line up and Lupe says she didn’t see his face. They have each person say the line that Lupe recalls him saying, and when Tim balks at saying the line, saying he is not comfortable saying this, Lupe says it is him. He finally repeats the line and she says it is him, hugging her mother, crying.

With Tim in interrogation with Fin and Rollins, he admits to doing work for them and says he moved the kid’s headphones out of the way. Fin mentions the 16 year old attack in Far Rockaway, and Tim says the son and his buddy confessed, saying it’s double jeopardy or something. He says even if his DNA was there, he probably worked on that apartment too. Fin mentions the blood and skin under the victim’s fingernails, and Tim says it is time for him to shut down and lawyer up. Benson, in her office observing with Carisi, says it will be hard to pin a double murder on him with someone still in prison for it. Carisi says to arrest and hold him on Lupe’s voice ID and he will go and see Carlos Hernandez and see if he can ID this scumbag.

In the prison, Fin and Carisi do a photo array and Carlos says the maintenance guys hardly ever came around. He sees Tim and says they waited over a year for him to fix his mother’s kitchen cabinet. He was sure he was in the apartment. He says Tim plugged the mice holes and fixed the cabinet and he talked them into teaching her Shakira dance moves. Carisi wonders, as there was no sign of forced entry, if his sister let him in, and Carlos replies any time those guys came around you let them in, you never knew if you’d see someone again for six months. He wonders why he would kill them, and Fin suggests Tim was raping his sister and her mother came home. Fin says he did not confess and Tim hopes that the DNA and Ricky’s testifying…they have to explain Ricky died. Carisi said with the letter and the new DNA, Carisi is confident that with the Queens DA, and Carlos asks if it is Keane, Fin says he is still there, 16 years, like the mummy’s hand. Carlos said he got himself elected by putting him away, Carisi says he can’t promise him anything but he knows a high ranking DA, and Carlos asks why is he working for Keane?

Later, Carisi meets with his former law professor ADA Isaiah Holmes who congratulates Carisi from going to DA from detective. Carisi says he misses his gun and the pay cut’s no fun but he still remembers what he said in his first year at Fordham law – better 100 guilty men go free than one innocent man be condemned. Holmes says he was quoting Voltaire, but Carisi says it was the way he said it, like he believed in it, which is why he brought the case to him. They talk about the difficulty getting the case overturned, especially one that the DA built his career on. Carisi explains the new DA and that Ricky recanted in a dying declaration. Carisi thinks once Keane hears the preponderance of exculpatory evidence…and Holmes comments that Carisi hasn’t heard about Keane.

At the Office of the Queens District Attorney at 80-02 Kew Gardens Road in Kew Gardens, New York on Friday, October 4, Carisi and Holmes meet with Keane, who is in a wheelchair. He seems feeble-minded. Carisi tries to get him to sign paperwork to vacate Carlos’ conviction but Keane tells him to put it on the table, he is very busy. Carisi looks at a huge stack of papers on that table. Keane tells them not to leave law school, it can be a rewarding career. Carisi says okay but keeps the paperwork.

At SVU, Carisi explains the situation with Keane to Benson and that Keane’s deputies have covered up his dementia for years. Benson asks if his deputies can step up as they have three more rape kit hits from Tim’s DNA plus an eyewitness. Carisi says Keane can’t even undo his tie, never mind a sixteen year old double homicide. His former law professor works in the DA’s office and he can try to get Carlos a retrial. An officer knocks on Benson’s door and says Tim’s lawyer is there and needs a word.

Tim’s lawyer says his client will agree to forcible touching but Benson says forcefully that he raped her. Carisi mentions the voice ID but the lawyer says there were no eye witnesses, only an ear witness and he will convince the jury that little Lupe is deaf and blind. Benson says little Lupe is tougher than he thinks. He replies the juries love him and they don’t like cops, and looking at Carisi, says it is double for cops who turn into prosecutors – they will hate Carisi. Carisi thinks maybe not, after they find out Tim’s DNA was in three different scenes. Benson say they have three project-strong girls like Lupe who will follow her on the stand. Carisi adds they are going after his client for all six rapes, including the Far Rockaway rape and double murder. The lawyer says they are chasing a sixteen year old murder case with two confessions and a DA who is playing poker with tarot cards. Carisi says if he cuts a deal and Tim confesses to the Hernandez murders, maybe he can swing criminally negligent homicide and rape 2 on the other six. Tim gets angry and starts saying he won’t cop to that and his lawyer tries to silence him. He calls Torres and Hernandez “Mos” and says they did those killings. When Carisi asks what he knows about those, Tim says Carlos has lasted 16 years in Green Haven as he is a fag. His lawyer cut him off and says they are done and he is taking Tim back to processing. He tells Carisi if he insists to murder and child rapes, he will go to the mat – in HIS ring. After they leave, Benson tells Carisi not to let them get to him, and Carisi says he didn’t, it was something that Stanton said. Carlos told him that he had a alibi for the murders, but he wouldn’t talk about it. Now he knows why.

Later, Carisi and Fin are back speaking with Carlos who says he can’t do a retrial with a DA asking him questions. Carisi starts to explain and Fin asks the guard if they can have a few minutes, and the guard exits. Carisi tells Carlos whatever he says would not leave the room unless he wants it to. Carisi asks where Carlos was that night, and he says at the beach – Plum Beach in Brooklyn. Carisi calls it a boy-meets-boy beach, and Carlos explains it was his first time with Ricky, a beautiful night, until he got home and found his mom and Jacinta dead on the floor. Carlos worries what will happen to him in prison if they find out he is gay. He’d get bitched out until he got the bug like Ricky. He wonders where his mother and sister are buried, thinking they are in a worse place than him, like Potter’s Field or unmarked grave, lost souls. He asks them to find out where his family is buried.

Carisi speaks with Holmes who understands Carlos and Ricky were gay lovers and Carlos can’t use this alibi as he will be raped inside. Holmes thinks Carisi brought this happy news to him because he (Holmes) is gay. Carisi says no, but it doesn’t hurt, and knows he has a justice gene buried underneath that jaded Queens Boulevard veneer. Holmes suggests protective custody while he is awaiting trial. Carisi thinks with his history, Carlos could suicide. Carisi begs him to help him spring an innocent man. Holmes asks for a night’s sleep to figure out what Voltaire would do.

At Jacob Lawrence Houses at 2021 Lexington Avenue on Friday, October 4, Benson speaks with Lupe and her mother about testifying. Her mother is reluctant but Lupe is willing. Benson’s phone rings and she moves off to take the call. She reacts in shock, asking when. She says she is on her way. Kat asks if she got bad news, and Benson says she has a family thing, and asks if Kat can get back to the precinct on her own. Kat replies of course.

Later, Benson is at the morgue and she identifies the body as her brother, Simon. ME Warner says she is sorry. It was an OD, heroin laced with fentanyl. Warner explains that the body was found in a motel room with no signs of foul play. Benson says he was using, but he told her he was sober. Warner says he was telling her the truth, if Warner had to guess, he had been clean for quite a while. It was not a suicide, the dosage wasn’t large enough. He just got his hands on the wrong stuff. Benson, in shock, thanks her. She admits they were not close, but he was her only family. Warner puts a comforting hand on Benson’s shoulder and Benson begins to cry.  Benson moves to touch him but holds back. She stands over his body and cries.

In Supreme Court, Queens County part 16 on Monday, October 7, Carisi races up to Holmes and comments that the transport van just dropped off Carlos outside the courthouse and he asks what is going on. Holmes says Keane signed the vacate order. Carisi is surprised, saying that is great. He asks how he got him to do that, and Holmes says he may have thought he was signing a letter of recommendation for his law school application. Carisi laughs and says he didn’t hear that and Holmes didn’t say that, but Carisi thanks him. Holmes tells him “Welcome to Queens” and they should go do this before the ink dries or any of his deputies find out.

Carlos is taken into the courtroom. The defense moves to vacate Carlos’ sentence, and Holmes, for the people, says they believe there was a miscarriage of justice due to newly discovered DNA evidence implicating a serial predator in these crimes and that this verdict should be vacated. The judge apologizes to him for his wrongful imprisonment and she vacates the unjust conviction, saying he is free to go, instructing the bailiff to take off the chains as Fin and Carisi watch. Fin sees Carlos walking like his legs are still chained, and tells him he can walk like a man now – and Carisi adds “a free man.”

Back at SVU in Benson’s office, Lupe’s mother hears that Stanton is pleading guilty to two murders, but not Lupe’s rape. Rollins says he is going far away for a long time. Kat adds that Lupe won’t have to testify. She seems satisfied. Kat asks her if she can give her a lift home, and she agrees. After they leave, Rollins stays behind and looks at a somber-faced Benson. She asks Benson if she is okay, and Benson shakes her head and says no. She gets up and closes the door, then explains she hasn’t told anyone, but that her brother Simon died – he overdosed. Rollins says she is sorry. Benson explains when he didn’t show for lunch, she left him a message and told him not to call her. She whispers that she wonders if her message is the last thing that he heard. Rollins shakes her head and tells Benson she doesn’t know that; the life he led more likely, it was just his time. Benson nods her head.

At Jamaica Field Cemetery in Jamaica New York on Wednesday, October 9, Fin and Carisi are with Carlos at the grave of his mother and sister, and sees that the headstone looks new. Carisi explains some people read about his case and it was a “go fund me”. Fin explains that folks chipped in. Carlos asks how can he ever thank them, and then he kneels at the foot of the gravestone, touching it with his hand and crying. As Fin and Carisi look on, we fade to black.


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

Guest stars:
Jamie Gray Hyder - - Katriona "Kat" Azar Tamin
Tamara Tunie - Dr. Melinda Warner
Michael Weston - Simon Marsden
Guillermo Diaz – Carlos
Wentworth Miller – ADA Isaiah Holmes (unnamed in episode)
Larry Bryggman – DA Patrick Keane
Happy Anderson - Tim Stanton
Lenny Venito – Detective Monte
Deja Monique Cruz - Lupe Perez
Lou Martini - Counselor Ron Freddo
Gina Ferrall - Judge Mary Connor
Tricia Alexandro - Viviana Perez
Andrea Frye – Savannah “Moms” Bakes
Yvette Mercedes – Juanita
Ryan Buggle - Noah Porter Benson
Ashley Taylor Greaves – Officer Gabrielle Taylor
Dorothi Fox – Patient
Jamal Thomas – Legal Aid
Cole Bullock – Teen Dude #1
Mia Darrow – Waiter
Robert Keiley – Perp #1



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19 comments:

Unknown said...

I thought this was a great episode! My only critique is about Simon. What on earth is the show doing just killing him off like this? It's just like him to stand her up, but I'm stunned that Simon was brought into this episode just so he can be killed off. Didn't make sense at all to me.

Janelle Marie said...

Wentworth Miller plays Queens ADA Isaiah Holmes according to @SVUWritersRoom twitter

Chris Zimmer said...

@Janelle Marie - I just got caught up on yesterday's tweets and saw that and made the correction on my recap. Thanks for alerting me!

Sharon said...

Anyone's death is tragic, but from a script perspective, Simon's passing is of no great importance to the show. He was never an interesting character, and as in the case of Fin's son and Winchester's sister, secondary "family' story arcs just drag a sharp police drama into soap opera territory.

Laurie F said...

This episode was great. It had something for everyone. I'm most pleased with the attention they are giving to the legal side of the cases because it has been neglected for such a long time. Carisi as a lawyer is growing on me, that could be a sign of improved writing. Too many episodes in the past spent too much time having the victims spell out their assault which was getting to the point of overkill. I would rather they spend the time on legal issues as they did in this episode.

Fin was in "take charge" mode early on and it looks good on him, so to speak.

I didn't care for Simon so it didn't mean anything for me either that he died. Benson will have her regrets for a while although she shouldn't feel sorry for what she said to him in that voice mail. He's been nothing but a hassle for her and when he didn't show up, she had every reason to lash out. Question: why didn't Benson ask Warner for the time of death because that would have told her if Simon missed lunch because he may have already been dead!

We need more episodes like this.

Erica Scott said...

I feel the same as the first commenter. Why bother bringing Simon back after six years, for less than two minutes, and then kill him off? Unless his death is going to have some sort of effect on future stories, but I don't see how.

And didn't they use Guillermo Diaz as a falsely imprisoned man who gets freed at the end once before, completely different role and episode?

But despite these peeves, I thought it was a well done episode. Pleasure to see Wentworth Miller again. And can I just say that I freaking love Carisi more and more each season?

gayle said...

Reminded me of the final Stabler episode "Smoked," in which the beloved nun "Sister Peg" was brought into the story only to he killed at the end. Why??? What were the writers thinking???

gayle said...

Liv said that Simon was her "only" family member? Wrong! She has a niece and step-nephew. Yes, she should seek out Tracey and form a relationship with those kids. Noah should know his cousins!

JTC said...

Ah yes..... Wouldn't be a new SVU season without Live yet again causing the death of an innocent person

wtpoohbear said...

@ Erica Scott You are right about Guillermo Diaz. He played falsely imprisoned Omar Pena in Season 13 episode 'Justice Denied.'

JTC said...

Justin Collett in "Impostor".... Harry Lonegan in "Dare"..... And now her own brother.... All innocent people; all had their deaths indirectly caused by Benson.

Karen said...

Loved Simon's character. So disappointed in how this storyline ended. Poor continuity as he didn't have a drug habit previously. Plus, like Marishka, Michael Weston lights up the screen. Hope he returns to SVU in another, less ill-fated role. The actors who later played Rollins, Caruso and Novak all originally appeared in different one-episode roles, so perhaps there is hope?..

Lisa said...

Count me in w/those who were upset that Simon was brought back only to be killed off. That was completely unnecessary, IMO.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Chris Zimmer said...

I don't often delete comments but I just removed one from an "unknown" commenter because it was insulting, inappropriate, and added no value.

Mending_Wall said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mending_Wall said...

I actually feel bad for simon. He wasnt a bad person just a mess. I wish they found a different ending for him

Karen said...

Dear SVU Writing Team. You slipped up this one time. Well, you're only human after all. Not to worry. Here is a way out of this bad situation - no fee. So you killed off Simon - there's no way to reverse that with SVU being a gritty, awareness raising platform, not a soap. But who's to say Simon didn't have a relative, may be a cousin - his dad's nephew. Not too much of a stretch to have Michael W. back in that role. And Olivia finally gets a fully functional family member who'll help out with Noah's upbrnging - and help to console her - platoniclly of course, for the fact that you've never once given her a half decent love interest- which is another issue. Seriously - Olivia and Tucker with his ridiculously macho voice. What were you thinking? ;)
Otherwise, massive fan of the show!

Unknown said...

I have to say I will never watch this show again. How dare you dishonor Queens District Attorney Richard A Brown! Shame on you!