Law & Order SVU "Dance, Lies and Videotape" Recap & Review

“Dance, Lies and Videotape” was a look into sex crimes in the ballet industry. This was a no-frills story, with a simple investigation and simple legal maneuvering. Still, considering all that is going on in the world right now as COVID-19 continues to spread and has huge sections of the world staying at home, we all needed the distraction and even the simplest of SVU cases would do. While watching and then recapping the episode, I found I had a hard time keeping track of who was who (the dancers) and there seemed to be a few characters that I never learned their names (e.g. John Waters, who I call Pornmonger man). Honestly, I’m so distracted over the real-world virus issues that I don’t think I can give this episode a fair review.

Ice-T was missing and I would have really enjoyed it had Fin been the one to interview Pornmonger man.

Rollins gets a dig at Carisi when she asks if he had any ideas or was he going to just going to keep playing the “I’m the ADA and I want more” card. This made me laugh; this is virtually the template for many of the ADA/DA scenes in most of the SVU episodes going back to day one.

A little too convenient that they only have to wait one day for the annual gala to spring an undercover operation.

Here is the recap:

A ballet rehearsal is underway and the performers are pleased with themselves. But the choreographer, Sasha Thomas, berates them instead, saying “Moulin Boheme” is on track to being the worst ballet they ever produced. Alistair Woodford also is critical of them. Sasha picks on Tina and Delia saying unless they improve it will be both of their farewells and threatens them all with firing. Brad and Delia decide to head off to a secret spot – Studio X – and when Brad says she doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to, Delia saying she wants to.

Later, Delia helps teach a ballet class.   Her boss, a woman,  says they won’t be able to do this again, saying what she does on her own time is her business but she can’t have that around the kids. Delia doesn’t understand what she is talking about, and the woman explains a video found on-line but Delia doesn’t know what video she means.

Delia races home and looks on line and finds a video of her and Brad having sex in Studio X on several unsavory web sites.

Later, Delia is at SVU in Benson’s office while Benson and Rollins see the video on a web site. Delia explains that she and Brad just started seeing each other and he is a nice guy. She thinks he did not do this, she texted him and he hasn’t answered as he has been in rehearsal. She pleads with them to help get the video taken down but Benson says they will do what they can to help her but once these things go viral it can be difficult. Benson confirms it is illegal if she didn’t agree to be filmed. Rollins asks if she is sure Brad had nothing to do with this, and Delia is positive. Rollins asks that he won’t mind talking to them.

Rollins and Kat speak with Brad who is surprised to hear about the video and asks how did that happen. Rollins replies they were hoping he could tell them. He swears he has no idea. Kat asks that he didn’t know he was being recorded, and he replies no, and to ask Delia, she’ll tell them. Rollins explains they did, and Delia wonders why he hasn’t texted her back. He says their rehearsals are at different times; they are opening in 5 days and if he knew that was why she was texting him…she didn’t say. Kat comments Delia is embarrassed, humiliated and he gets it, saying it is terrible for both of them. He asks if they can take it down, and Kat states as far as they can tell, the site that re-posted it is based in Cyprus and they are trying to find out how it got uploaded in the first place. He comments it must have been a camera hidden in the studio, adding Delia and he aren’t the only people to hook up in there. He explains it is secluded and locks from the inside. Rollins asks that everybody knows about this, and he replies it is the company’s worst kept secret.

Meanwhile at the theater, Benson speaks with Alistair who tells her that he and Rafael Barba go way back and he speaks very highly of her. Benson replies and Barba of him, he is a fan. Alistair adds Barba gave him a bit of a heads up about the issue and he can’t say he is surprised. Benson asks if he means that his dancers are having sex or they are being taped. Alistair replies “both.” He adds one thing he has learned over the years is that he can teach them to dance, not to be young and stupid. Benson asks that they’ve had problems before, and he explains like everybody else, times have changed. When he started as artistic director, they didn’t even have an HR department. Benson says they are maybe looking at more than an HR issue, they’re talking criminal activity – unlawful surveillance, posting on pornographic sites. A man standing nearby – Jason – asks what is going on and Alistair tells him “not now” and tells Benson he hope she can keep this private. They open a new ballet this week starring Brad and introducing Delia. He asks Benson to keep him posted and to give his best to Rafael.

Benson enters the crime scene area and asks Kat if CSU got anything, Kat explains they got a lot of bodily fluids and it is like a Petri dish. When Benson asks about a camera, Kat points out where a wall mount was ripped out, and Benson surmises they knew they were coming. Benson asks for a list of anyone who had access and Kat states she is on it.

At Pornmonger Offices at 10-85 47th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens on Monday, March 2, Carisi and Rollins speak with a manager(?) who tells them they need to be more specific. Rollins show him the video posted 2 days ago, Carisi adding there has been an official complaint and he needs to take it down. The manager states it is revenge porn but they still can’t waltz in there and flash a badge and expect him to fold like a cheap tent. When Rollins asks why is that, the man says in case they didn’t teach them this in cop school, there is the First Amendment. Carisi retorts he went to lawyer school where they talked about subpoenas and suggest he will get one for every hard drive in this dump. Rollins adds if they start kicking the tires, they may find dozens of minors in his video cache. The man sits down and says they got off on the wrong foot and suggests they start again. He says he can scrub it from their site but it’s not going to mean anything; nothing disappears from the internet – it gets pirated and goes airborne and mutates like the plague. Carisi suggests for now to eliminate patient zero and asks how did he get it?

Later, Rollins has Jason in SVU interrogation and he admits that it is his email, he doesn’t watch porn and thinks someone hacked him. Rollins continues to press him and he says he doesn’t know anything about a camera. Brad is a friend but he barely knows Delia. There is a knock on the door and Rollins says she’ll give him more time to work on his story and she leaves the room. She walks into Benson’s office and Benson informs her TARU went through Jason’s phone and he uploaded the video to the site but he didn’t record it. Kat adds it was texted to Jason by Brad, along with other homemade sex videos. Rollins concluded that the nice sweet guy twirling his baton in front of the victim bandwagon …and Benson asks if they are surprised.

Later, Delia hears from Benson and Rollins that Brad and Jason were both in on it, but is really shocked about Brad. Benson and Rollins explains they are sure. She realizes Brad placed her in front of the camera and wonders how she could have been so stupid. Benson assures her she couldn’t have known. She adds she wasn’t the only dancer, Rollins adding Brad, Jason, Edward Jenkins – Delia says he is in the corps – Benson says they shared the video in a group text and there were videos with other women. Benson shows her a video and Delia sees Beck Silva in the video, who is in the corps too. She also sees Grace Pressley and Ashley Fallon. Delia says she feels sick.



Rollins speaks with Beck and shows her the video and she worries who has seen them. Kat shows other videos to Grace who is also surprised. She says there are 20 ballerinas to every male dancer and these guys can’t get fired. Meanwhile, Benson shows the video to Ashley who didn’t know she was being filmed but doesn’t seem upset. Alistair sees Benson and asks if everything is alright. Benson says no. Sasha enters and calls over to Ashley, who says she is heading to rehearsal, and he says she needs it. He says “You too” to Tina, who is walking through, who says she is right behind her. Alistair explains that is Sasha Thomas, their choreographer. Benson introduced herself. Alistair explains he filled him in. Sasha complains he is working around 3 male dancers, being unavailable this afternoon because they are sitting in detention at Benson’s station. Benson counters they may be unavailable longer than that. Annoyed, he says there is no one sexier than young dancers; put enough of them in a room together and this is what happens. Alistair explains this is more than just boys being boys. Sasha states to make sure whatever has been happening stops now and it won’t happen again. Benson states depending on where this goes, they could be looking at prison time. Sasha says that does not work, they have a premiere in 3 days and they are talking hundreds of jobs, weeks of rehearsal and millions of dollars on the line. Benson gives him a piece of advice, she’d set aside some time for understudies. Sasha politely nods and walk off and Alistair excuses himself and also leaves.

Carisi and Rollins are in SVU interrogation with Brad and Edward and their lawyer, who is also Brad’s mother discussing the unlawful surveillance and the emails. She says those proved the boys are idiots but that is not illegal. Carisi informs her dissemination is illegal and the guys says it was just guys stuff and a competition for points. Brad says he was told not to talk to Delia or anyone. Rollins and Carisi discuss how they passed the videos to the dance buddies but not to the porn site and Carisi says it is an E felony. The lawyer says it is an overreach and thinks it is misdemeanor harassment, putting the blame on Jason and they can help them make that case.

Afterwards, Rollins and Carisi have explains to Benson that Brad and Edward are willing to testify that Jason set up the camera and Carisi explains it is in exchange for bumping the charge down to misdemeanor harassment. Rollins wonders if they can get them on misdemeanor dissemination, and Carisi says the lawyer is smart, she doesn’t want that on their records. This is their best chance to get one of the three on a felony, and Carisi says they can get Jason on unlawful surveillance, dissemination, and toss in the revenge porn for the hat trick. Benson comments that will be tough to prove as they have to show intent to harm which is just a misdemeanor. Rollins asks that texting the video to a friend is worse than posting it on a web site, and Carisi says tech lobbies and corporations and civil libertarians have their fingerprints all over the state’s revenge porn bill and it is basically toothless. Benson comments that Jason doesn’t know that and he hasn’t lawyered up yet and that might give them leverage. Rollins wonders what Jason can give them that they don’t already have, and Benson replies you never know.

In the office of the District Attorney at 1 Hogan Place on Tuesday, March 3, Benson and Carisi speak with Jason and explain that his dance buddies says he installed the camera and it was his idea. Jason says it wasn’t him, and Jason is shocked that they will testify at a trial and the charges against him. Jason says this is crap that he is the fall guy and everyone in the company knew about it - Brad, Edward, Sasha. Benson is surprised to hear Sasha’s name and Carisi tells Jason if he knows more than he is saying, now is the time to help himself. Benson tells him to start with Sasha Thomas. Jason explains they showed him some stuff before and he never said boo. He watched the videos like the girls were auditioning for him. If he likes something he saw, he asked the girl out and if she said yes, he’d make him delete it.

At a rehearsal, Rollins and Kat speak with Tina who says there are no videos of her and Jason, and Rollins asks if that’s because Sasha had it deleted. Tina asks that they know about that, and adds that Sasha is a friend, and Kat adds “with benefits.” She explains after Sasha saw the video he’d make sure it didn’t get out as her career would be over. Rollins asks but not Jason’s, and Tina says there are a hundred other dancers who could be in her costume and her solo tomorrow, and Sasha said he’d make sure that didn’t happen. Kat asks what Sasha wanted in return, and she says for her to do to him what she did for Jason in the video. Rollins explains that he pressured her and extorted her, that’s rape. Tina comments like any of the other girls wouldn’t do it; Sasha saw all the videos and chose her. Sasha walks up to her, clapping his hands, saying that is Tina’s cue. Rollins tries to get her to not go but Tina raises her hands and runs off, saying it is her solo. Sasha tells Rollins and Kat this is not the time. Kat comments to Rollins that Tina says it wasn’t rape, so that is that. Rollins states what she heard was rape culture is so much a part of this company that they don’t even realize it anymore.

Walking outside with Benson and Rollins, Carisi asks that Tina said the sex was consensual. Rollins replies it wasn’t, Tina just wasn’t able to see it that way. Sasha is her boss and gave her the choice of losing her job or getting a solo, pending on whether or not she was going to re-enact that video. Benson says it is forcible coercion, rape 3. Carisi states in theory yes, but Sasha's defense attorney will say the relationship was consensual and at worse, transactional, one of which she was a willing part of. They meet Kat who is at a street food cart. Kat says the other dancers say this is happening all the time with the company, and Carisi explains they need to try to establish a pattern. He asks if there are any other allegations against Sasha, and Rollins says there are no official complaints lodged with the National HR department. Kat adds the cone of silence in ballet is real; she knew a few bun-heads at LaGuardia rehearsed non-stop, never spoke out of turn, never ate. That kind of conditioning stays with you. Benson counters this isn’t just ballet, it’s churches, news organizations, movie sets – when your boss is a predator, people are afraid. As Benson’s phone buzzes, Carisi comments unless someone breaks ranks, they are stalled. Benson looks at her phone and says “More bad news” and tells them Cyber Crimes said somebody ran Delia’s image through facial recognition and her identity has gone viral.

Delia opens her apartment door to see Benson and Rollins, and she is upset that every time someone searches her name, the video comes up. Benson explains Cyber Crimes are tracking down the sites one by one and enforcing the court order, adding it is not easy. Rollins explains they can help get the links removed from the search engines, and Delia counters no one knows who she is in the ballet world and this is what she is famous for? She thinks The National will fire her, and Benson says they won’t fire her, Rollins adding they are too busy covering their own asses. Benson informs her that Sasha looked at the videos, it’s not just about the boys anymore. Delia is surprised he knew and didn’t stop them, and Rollins explains it was just the opposite. Delia realize there was a video of Tina an and this is why Tina slept with him and got the solo. Benson asks if she knows of any other dances involved with Sasha, and Delia asks that they are going after Sasha now. She says no way - she’s out. Benson tells her to hang on, but Delia refuses, saying he the choreographer and it’s ballet saying her friend Hudson says straight male, can’t fail, gay men, it depends, but girls in ballet? It’s do what we say.

At Pro Athlete’s Physical Therapy at 788 8th Avenue on Wednesday, March 4, Kat speaks with a male dancer who is out for the rest of the season with an injury, 5th surgery in 10 years. He says no one leaves ballet until they are fired or crippled. He knows about Delia and says everybody knows what is happening. It is a straight male world, they just dance in it. He asks Kat if she dances. She replies hip hop, modern. He can’t help her about male dancers videotaping. Kat explains she is there to ask about Sasha. He says Sasha is a pig, and says Kat is asking him to be the Norma Rae of the National when he is hanging on to his spot by a thread. He suggests she talk to him in a few years. He says the girls know the drill: you want this life, you pay the price.

In her office with Rollins, Benson is on the phone with Kat, who says they struck out again. She says they dance their whole lives and sacrificed everything to get there, they have too much to lose. Benson thinks they need to find somebody who already lost.

At Bronxville Eating Disorder Rehabilitation Center at 910 Midland Avenue, Bronxville, NY on Wednesday, March 4, Benson speaks with Rose and they explains what they are looking into and Rose says Delia was one of her students. She says Sasha is the reason why she is her. Jason made a sex tape of her and Sasha got a hold of it and could make it go away of she did to him what she did to Jason. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and she gave up and let him do it. Benson says she is so sorry, and she said a few days later Sasha promoted her and said what happened was between her and him and he would do it again any time he wanted. She told the one person she thought could help her – Alistair – who said she could do better than Sasha. Every year at the Gala auction, dinner with the prima ballerina is the top item, but what is expected is not just dinner. Alistair said if he could auction her off, she could get Sasha to back down. Then he told her if she said no, he’d leak Jason’s sex tape, fire her immediately for cause, and blackball her with every other company. She never danced the premiere, she couldn’t go on that night. Alistair was right, she’s never danced since.

Later, Benson and Rollins explain the auction to Carisi who says that doesn’t prove it. Benson said he asked for a pattern and they have one. Benson explains the male dancers are secretly recording the women having sex with them. Sasha is using the tapes to blackmail these women into re-enacting the videos. If they consent or fail to fight them off they get solos. Carisi comments not one of these women are willing to testify. Rollins explains that Rose Sullivan is. She told them Sasha coerced her and when she went to Alistair with it, he doubled down and blackmailed her and told her if she didn’t sleep with the highest bidder she would lose her job. Benson thinks they are looking at sex trafficking, and Carisi says maybe, asking if she went through with it. When he realizes no, he says the board will circle the wagon and the dancers aren’t talking and the donors won’t, so at the end of the day, it is Rose’s word against Sasha and Alistair. Rollins asks if Carisi has any ideas or is he going to just going to keep playing I’m the ADA and I want more card. Carisi thinks a confession would be helpful. Rollins doesn’t see that happening, but Benson suggests they catch him in the act. This year’s gala is tonight after the premiere, suggesting they put in a UC and get Alistair on tape, promising to deliver the goods. Rollins suggests Hasim Khaldun, who Carisi calls her transit groper cop. Benson thinks he can pass as a oil heir, and Rollins suggests a venture capitalist from silicon valley, adding he is a chameleon.

At Tavern On The Green at West 67th Street & Central Park West on Friday, March 6, Rollins walks down the street with Hasim who says he’d rather be in jeans on the A train. Rollins asks how is the ballet, and he says the last ballet he saw was The Nutcracker when he was 10, and this was better. Rollins asks if Sasha walked him through the night, and he replies briefly, he’s prepped Alistair that there is a potential diamond tiara-level donor waiting to meet him. Rollins asks how much is that, and he replies “If you have to ask…”. Rollins hands him something and he asks what is that, and Rollins explains it is the key to his hotel suite, and tells him to break a leg…or whatever it is they say. He smiles and walks off.

At the gala, Hasim plays his role with Sasha and Alistair as Benson, Kat and Carisi listen in the surveillance van. Sasha walks off and Hasim and Alistair continue to talk. Hasim mentions he wants to be a benefactor, and mentions sponsoring one of the primas. They talk about the auction and Hasim says he heard it is more than dinner, and Alistair asks to make a six figure commitment and would that take her off the auction block? Alistair said it would take Ashley anywhere he’d want to go. Alistair has someone run his credit card. Benson thinks this is an admission but Carisi says it is more innuendo and Ashley still needs to show she is willing to play for pay. Kat is irked that he is a trafficker and they are going after the victim, and Carisi says she has not been cooperative so far and they need the leverage. He knows they wish there was a better way, and Benson says she does.

In the hotel room. Hasim speaks with Ashley and she seems uncomfortable, and Hasim continues to press for “all that entails.” She confirms it is only for one night, and he says she is in charge. She asks him to unzip her and Rollins bursts in, saying she is NYPD, and Hasim also identifies himself as NYPD. She asks what is going on and says this wasn’t her idea. Hasim asks her to tell them whose it was. She is stunned.

In the SVU interview room, Ashley speaks with Rollins and Hasim. She asks if she is under arrest. Rollins says that they want to avoid that, and Hasim mentions prostitution charges. She says they can’t be serious. Rollins asks whose plan was it, and she says she can’t say. Hasim says if they call Alistair and said they picked her up as part of a police sting about the serve a sponsor, will he protect her. She says he didn’t give her any choice. Rollins explains they need to know how this works. Ashley states that every year at the gala, dinner with the prima goes to the highest bidder, everybody knows it is more than dinner. This year he was on the auction block. Hasim asks how they got her to agree to this, and she says the same as everybody else, they had a video. Her, Brad, and Jason. Sasha gave Alistair the video. Alistair said that he’d already worked her way through the dancers and choreographer for her career, so compared to that this was a small ask. If she refused, the video would be made public. After that, the only way she’d be able to make a living was in porn.

Carisi, listening with Benson, says that is enough for an arrest warrant. Benson has a better idea; they pick them up now. They quickly walk out of her office.

Outside the theater, Benson and Rollins, with Hasim. see Alistair and Sasha. Alistair asks what is this, seeing Hasim. Hasim says it will come to him. Alistair tells Hasim he is making a major mistake. Hasim says it won’t be his first or last and cuffs him. Rollins says Sasha is under arrest too, and Alistair shouts whatever he did, he did to subsidize art, saying Sasha is the rapist. Benson says so he knew, and he used it as leverage, adding that makes him a sex trafficker. She tells Hasim to get him out of there.

Later, Benson speaks with Delia, working at a restaurant, and she explains that Sasha and Alistair took deals for felonies and they will do prison time. Jason will do a few months, and they are still working to get the videos taken down. She asks about the National, and Benson explains Brad and Edward were fired, although they are filing a suit for wrongful termination. Delia comments of course they are, boys and ballet, from day one they get all the breaks. She bets they get their jobs back. Benson says maybe, but maybe not. The new board hired an all-female artistic team. Delia comments good for them. Benson asks if she ever considered going back, and Delia said she spent her whole life in that world, to leap high, to spin in mid-air, to feel the rush of an ovation. It’s the only dream she ever had, but now she imagines dancing on stage and the only think she can think about is everyone in the audience leering at her on the internet. She asks that’s never going away, is it? Benson doesn’t reply. Delia continues on with her work, and Benson looks on sadly as 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.
Jamie Gray Hyder - Katriona "Kat" Azar Tamin


Guest stars:
Patrick Page - Alistair Woodford
John Hans Tester - Sascha Thomas
Caroline Pluta – Alshey Fallon
Annabel O’Hagan – Dehlia
Ari'el Stachel - Hasim Khaldun
Kaili Vernoff –
Tory Trowbridge –
Ben Biggers – Brad
Victoria Pollack – Rose Sullivan
John Waters – Pornmonger Man
Schyler Conaway – Jason Harris
Donovan Mitchell – Hudson Curtis
Ann Osmond – Samantha Dryer
Gabriella Enriquez – Beck Silva
Amber Baree Pickens – Grace Pressley
Ally Taylor Sacks – Charlotte Bell
Justin Genna – Edward Jenkins
Erik Gullberg – Physical Therapist


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