Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2021 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
The SVU discovers that their latest case looks to be the work of a serial rapist when they find similar cases in the Bronx. Barek is now a Lieutenant in the Bronx, and she and Benson and the SVU team have some tense moments early on as they clash about jurisdiction and control of the case. Ultimately, the Bronx gang grudgingly cooperates. Things get complicated when it looks like some of the previous “good girl” rapes didn’t completely match the pattern.
I’m not sure what triggered this in my mind but it seemed very obvious early on that Sergeant Ari Moldivan was involved, either in a cover up or the rapes themselves. This sets up a very tense scene toward the end of the episode where Rollins gets him to confess and Moldivan decides to let his gun do the talking – first on Rollins and then on himself. Rollins, however, calls his bluff, and he decides against it.
This was a tension-filled, tightly-written, fast-paced episode which utilized the entire cast. I was never much of a fan of the character Carolyn Barek from Law & Order Criminal Intent but don’t have any issues with how she was used for this episode. It was an hour well spent!
What did YOU think of the episode? Comments welcome - join the discussion!
You and IMDB list the Bronx sergeant as “Kovacs,” but his character on this episode was “Moldovan.” What happened?
ReplyDeleteMoldovan was his last name, kiva a is his first name.
DeleteI could recall his name for some reason and when I went to get it, I did get it from some NBC press info. I fix soo. Thanks for the info !
DeleteI hate typing on my phone. I meant I couldn’t recall his name. AND that I’ll fix soon !
DeleteI really liked Barek and her chemistry with Logan, and was sad to see her go. Was super excited to see her come back and find out what happened to her, wish she could have become a series regular.this was a great episode, I also quickly clued in that Moldovan was somehow involved in the case early on, I think it was when he said something about his prior CO and the first victim.
ReplyDeleteI did have some issues with how Barek was used, as the writers here clearly never watched her in her originating show.
ReplyDelete-She and Benson never worked together.
-Her partner was Logan, not Goren.
-"Lone wolf"? Hardly.
-She should definitely been onto Moldovan.
-How and why did she go from MCS to SVU (and the apparently to Homicide at the end)? Isn't that a demotion?
-Annabella Sciorra deserves special billing. It was bad enough that Kathryn Erbe only got "and" in her first SVU episode (the second one not so much) when she absolutely was a Special Guest Star, but Sciorra gets nothing?
Fully agree. However, I think the lone wolf description for Barek is fair. In CI, she even mentions that she was unused to having a partner to the point where she would talk to herself and forget that Logan was there. Moldovan even makes a comment about this, referring to her as a "mumbling freak".
DeleteAs far as her transfer, CI didn't explain her departure either so I was hoping SVU would explain what she was doing since leaving MCS.
I agree. It was obvious Moldivan was the perp but I thought his LT was covering it because he had dirt on her. Kat was eaten up at the end and I feel bad for her. She was doing her job and it is not her fault Moldivan played them all.
ReplyDeleteThe performances, the drama and Annabella reprising her role as Barek made it watchable. What makes me say it was so so was that it was too predictable that Ari was the bad guy. I do hope Kat and Rouz come back to good terms cause I actually liked seeing them work together. Garland setting Olivia and Barek straight reminded me of how Cragen use to do when his detectives would have a back and forth with each other. I give a 7/10
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a really, really good episode. While I'm often a one and done with most episodes I'll definitely watch this one again.
ReplyDeleteAs I've said, the acting/dialogue on this show can often get cartoonish or feel forced but this was not the case here. I was able to stay with the characters as though they were real and as if events were really unfolding.
I continue to be impressed with all the on-location scenes we're getting in the middle of a pandemic but there was something special about the ones in this episode that really gave the viewer and immersive experience.
The whole 'cop chasing bad guy to ledge of a roof' is pretty cliche but making it be this rocky embankment made the age-old concept feel new and visually interesting.
I figured out pretty early on that Moldivan was involved but I'm wondering if this was intentional, a couple degrees-of-freedom down from being shown upfront who committed the crime and then watching how everyone else figures it out, and how the criminal manipulates them. I just find it hard to believe that this was meant to come as a surprise when he was discovered. What did surprise me was that the Lt was not involved and had no idea. I thought she was involved or at least knew something and was covering for him.
Great job to all involved- from the writing to the acting to the visual experience, it all just came together so well and renewed faith that this show still has life in it. No complaints from me this week :) Was also really digging Garland in his hat. Hope we get some more of that lol
I liked the episode for the most part. Like how Garland is fitting in to the mix, and that they are trying to use more of the cast in every episode. Sometimes the focus on Benson gets boring.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't see Barek work with Goren on Criminal Intent, as far as I can recall, so why would they chose to have her mention something relating to Goren and not her partner Logan?
Too obvious that Moldovan was involved.
I avoid focusing on the actors themselves, but I can't resist anymore how odd Kelli Giddish is starting to look. She'd had extra baby weight for so long that now her face looks artificial and gaunt. She looks ill.
I like this season so far! I'm looking forward to Law & Order Organized Crime. I bet it will see big ratings, there are a lot of Meloni/Stabler fans out there.
In fairness to the writers, Barek did work with Goren in one of her first episodes of CI that she was in (the two part episode "In The Wee Small Hours", which has Logan, Eames, Goren, and Barek all together).
DeleteIn fairness to the writers, Barek did work with Goren in one of her first episodes of CI that she was in (the two part episode "In The Wee Small Hours", which has Logan, Eames, Goren, and Barek all together).
DeleteMy heart skipped a beat when Barek mentioned Goren! First canon mention of his name in a very long time!!! And everyone in the room nodded when she mentioned Goren’s technique of noticing mistakes. It seems that everyone at least knows who he is and finds Barek’s quote to be a value.
ReplyDelete