Law & Order SVU “Video Killed The Radio Star” Recap, Review, Discussion

Law & Order SVU “Video Killed The Radio Star” was one of those maddening episodes where the SVU gets involved and disaster ensues.  In this case, the disaster is murder, which happened as a result of many mistakes and bad judgments made by Benson and Rollins. 

Here’s the highlights of their MISTAKES:

Benson and Trevor Langan attend a fundraiser as Trevor is the keynote speaker.  Ellen Kaplan, also attending the fundraiser with her husband Mitch,  is assaulted by Bob Flynn, satellite radio host, who is also hosting the gala.  Ellen tells her husband about being groped and they both come into SVU. But it’s clear Ellen doesn’t want to pursue the matter, admitting privately to Benson she was raped. Ellen even mentions how badly her husband reacted when his mother was mugged years ago.   Ellen refuses to pursue the matter.   But, Benson and the SVU decide to investigate anyway, even though they don’t have a formal complaint from the victim. MISTAKE!

Rollins convinces Benson and the team to let her go undercover to check this out. She gets her foot (well, her whole body) in the door and Bob then admits to a murder. Rollins then LIES and tells Bob she’s working as a private investigator for Mitch.  This puts Mitch and Ellen in danger. MISTAKE!

After Rollins pleads to continue to work the murder,  Benson worries because of Rollins’ track record; she trusts Rollins  but also knows Rollins. She gives Rollins the  green light anyway, while she has Fin and Velasco try to find the name of the person Bob killed.  Bob hires Rollins to work for him. When Fin and Velasco find the identity of the murder victim, they speak with the man’s widow.  MISTAKE!

The widow calls Bob and alerts him the NYPD is asking questions. Now Bob is a tad suspicious but still goes all in with Rollins (yes, he’s not very smart), asking her to help him hire a hit man to kill the widow.    SVU has to fake a photo of the widow shot in the head, and Bob buys into it,  but then pretends he’s going to kill Velasco and stiff him for the money.  Before things get worse, the police arrive.  Bob gets arrested, pleads not guilty, and posts bail.   Ellen has to alert Mitch before he hears about the rape from the grand jury.   But Mitch takes matters into his own hands and shoots Bob twice while he is live, on the air, while SVU (and everyone else) watches real time. This is the end result of all those SVU MISTAKES – a man is murdered because Benson and Rollins couldn’t respect a victim’s wishes to not pursue the issue.   Will Benson and the SVU learn their lesson and tread carefully when no formal complaint is filed? Sadly, probably  not.  

Here is the recap:

Benson attends a “Holiday In The Hamptons”  fundraiser  for the New York Adoption League where Trevor Langan is keynote speaker.  The fundraiser is headed by satellite radio host Bob Flynn, AKA “The  Titan Of Talk”  who addresses Benson as “sweetheart” which she clearly doesn’t like.  Bob grabs Ellen Kaplan’s ass before he gets on the stage. Later, she is getting the gift bags ready with this books, and he assaults her.   Later, as Benson and Langan leave the event, Benson sees that Ellen is rattled but she insists she is fine, saying she just had too much champagne. 

The next day, Ellen and her husband come into the SVU to make the complaint about Bob groping Ellen.  Mitch clearly wants to make a complaint, but separately Ellen tells Benson and Rollins is reluctant to do so, saying Bob just got handsy.  Benson says if the touch is unwanted it is a crime.  Ellen doesn’t want it to go further as Bob saved Mitch’s business.  Meanwhile, Mitch is with Fin and says this is Bob’s MO and he likes to grope the wives of the men he does business with.  Ellen asks Benson to just tell Mitch they don’t have enough.  Benson suggest they investigate but Ellen says this is a mistake and she walks out.  Benson asks Rollins to try to get her back in there, and Rollins does so. Benson tries again to convince her to let them look into it. Ellen explains Mitch is protective; his mother got mugged a few years ago and Mitch drove around Brooklyn Heights with a baseball bat. She is worried Bob will go after Mitch on the show and he will destroy them in two hours. Ellen admits Bob raped her but is firm that Bob will just gloat on air that she wanted it and it is not worth it.

Later, Benson, the detectives and Carisi watch Bob on his show and Rollins admits listens to his show. Rollins goes through his history and three allegations of sexual misconduct, Fin says Mitch has gone after other friends' wives. Carisi says this is not illegal and unless Ellen cooperates there is no case. When Benson says Ellen will not agree to a controlled meet, Rollins suggests going undercover as she knows his type. There is a book signing that night.  Benson agrees, telling her to wear a ring and Fin says to find a husband.  Benson suggests Carisi. 

Rollins, with Carisi in tow, and Fin working as security for the event, works her magic and quickly ropes in Bob.  He gets her into a separate room away from her “husband” .  They share a drink and he quickly comes on to her.  She tries to slow him down. He says he killed a man who tried to stop him; adding it was two 45s, center mass and he left him like bodega garbage on Amsterdam Avenue, then talks about sex with the widow.  Rollins tries to come on to him and then says she is a private investigator hired by Mitch. Carisi and Fin are listening and when Carisi worries, Fin thinks Rollins is calling an audible. Bob is interested Carisi calls her and Rollins suggests to Bob they talk tomorrow.  She and Carisi leave and she explains that Bob was getting aroused and he is not just a rapist, he’s a murderer.

Back at SVU, Benson is livid that Rollins said she was a PI for Mitch as she put the Kaplans in danger. Rollins thinks he is trying to figure out what the Kaplans are up to.  Benson tells Benson she alerted Mitch and tells Rollins another meet won’t happen.  But Rollins argues about the murder and Benson tells her to call homicide to go through their cold cases.  Rollins begs to let her keep working it, asking if Benson trusts her.  Benson says she does trust her, but also knows her.  Benson asks what is going on and even though Rollins insists things are good, Benson says her radar is up. Benson adds that she thinks Rollins thinks she does not deserve to be happy and she may…Rollins finishes that she would sabotage what she has.  She admits part of her wants to tell Benson to back off, but says she will be careful. Benson gives her the okay. 

Meanwhile, Fin and Velasco head to NYPD Cold Case and they have narrowed it down to three possible victims. 

Elsewhere, at the home recording studio of Bob Flynn, Rollins is there.  She says the guy with her at the book signing was a researcher, not her husband.  Benson and Carisi listen in and Benson assures him that Rollins will stay in bounds. Rollins explains that anything that happened with Ellen was consensual.  But Bob is cautious and suggests Rollins work for him and he’ll double the money. She suggests triple.  He wants Rollins to get Ellen to admit on tape it was nothing and Rollins tells him that Ellen has not gone to the police.  He comes on her to again and she flashes her gun, and he says he has never been glock-blocked before.  He worries she will triple cross him and she says she could  use a drink.  Back at SVU, Carisi worries, and Fin walks in and says Bob’s victim was Kenneth Cross and it was ruled a robbery. Cross and Flynn were law partners. Cross’s widow, Lola.  Carisi calls Rollins and she answers as “Amanda Jones”. Carisi says she was right and to get out now.  Rollins makes her excuses and accepts his offer.  He makes a move on her and she pulls her gun, telling him don’t do that, adding two shots, center mass. He thinks that’s hot and he hires her, saying he will be in touch. 

Back at SVU, Benson explains to Fin, Rollins, and Velasco they got the go ahead on the case.   Bob and Cross worked at a law firm as partners  and Lola Simenon worked there as well.  Bob implied he was having an affair with her. They think Cross found out and got in the way.  Homicide assumed it was  robbery and Lola didn’t tell them about the affair.  Benson wants Fin and Velasco to talk to Lola and Rollins worries it will blow her cover and Benson says not to take any calls from Bob until they find out what’s going on with Lola. 

Fin and Velasco speak with Lola Simenon and they bring up Bob Flynn. She admits they worked together at the law firm and her relationship was cordial. She says Bob will say anything for attention.  Fin presses for information about the relationship but Lola admit to nothing. 

Later, Benson and Rollins confer with Carisi to ask for a tap on Lola’s phone.  Rollins gets a message from Bob saying he needs to see her, it’s an emergency.  Carisi worries it is a set up and asks why don’t they bring him in now. Benson agrees with Rollins that they give it another shot. 

At Bob’s, he gives Rollins a $10,000 retainer and then asks her who she told he killed someone. He asks about NYPD but then says he wasn’t serious.  He talks about his partner and this morning NYPD is asking his widow about him.   He recorded her call that the NYPD was asking about him and says there is a couple ways she could answer that.  Rollins wonders if she is shaking him down and thinks that wouldn’t be the first time. 

Back at SVU, Rollins explains Ken and Lola both blackmailed Bob; they were running a couples scam and a fake charity.  Velasco says the payments went to an offshore account in the Caymans. Rollins says Bob is backtracking on the murder story.  Carisi worries Bob will connect the dots, and Rollins feels he hasn’t yet, and says she told him she has contacts in Vice and will look into it. Benson tells Fin and Velasco parked right outside.

Later, Rollins is back at Bob’s place.  She tells him he is not on anyone’s radar.  Rollins asks how much she knows and he says he told her nobody shakes him down, denying he killed her husband and may have told her he did.  Now she is trying to turn on him to save herself.  He asks Rollins to get this woman out of his life for good, and can she arrange that?  She says she can arrange anything. 

Back at SVU, they listen to the tape of Bob soliciting a hit man but Carisi says they need an overt act in furtherance of a conspiracy. Velasco suggests Bob actually hire a hit man, and volunteers himself as he’s done this before as a UC. Carisi says there is a thin line between entrapment and  intent, and Rollins reminds him Bob brought it up, not her.  Benson says they go with the bird in the hand. 

On Mercer Street in Soho, Bob and Rollins are picked up by Velasco, as “Gabby”,  in a black SVU, Velasco as a “Quick Ride” driver.  They discuss what Bob wants done in code and Bob passes him half the money. Rollins tells Velasco he will text him the address. 

Back at SVU in interrogation, they show Lola the recording of Bob arranging the hit and press her on her involvement in Ken’s murder.  Benson explains they know about her blackmail and the fake charity. She caves and says Bob did it and that Bob threatened her if she told anyone he’d give her two shots, center mass.   She asks what  will she get out of this, and Carisi explains she could have civil cases, and with the IRS and New York State. Carisi mentions how Bob arranged the hit in code and Benson says all they need is to get Bob on record acknowledging he got what he paid for. 

Later, Velasco and Rollins meet with Bob outside near the river and show him a (faked) photo of Lola with a bullet in her head.  Velasco asks for his money but Bob pulls out a gun and threatens them both, telling Velasco to give him his phone and then holding the gun directly to Velasco’s chest. Then Bob pulls the gun back and says he was just messing with him, and gives him the money.  The police race in, sirens blaring, and arrest Bob, along with Velasco and Rollins – the latter for show.   Bob says the gun was fake. 

At SVU, Bob is in SVU interrogation with his lawyer.  He says Lola is lying and that she is in it with “Amanda Jones” and “Gabby”.  Benson says Lola is going to testify against him for the murder of her husband.  Benson reminds him who he told and when Bob tries to blow that off, Carisi says he was recorded and Benson says it was by Detective Amanda Rollins. She walks in and he is surprised but says it is entrapment.  

Later, Benson tells the detectives that Bob pleaded not guilty to Ken’s murder and the murder for hire and posted his bail.   Ellen says she will tell the truth to Mitch about the rape and wants Mitch to hear it from  her before she tells the grand jury.  Rollins says in the meantime he gets to plead his case on air.  They watch as Bob explains about Mitch’s wife and says she had a thing for him and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He says Mitch pressured her to say he forced himself on her. He says the NYPD sent a detective in to entrap him so he hired her. He adds she has a gambling problem and two kids with two different fathers, calling Rollins a train wreck. Benson suggests they turn it off but Rollins says no, she wants to see where this is going.  He says he played her about Ken’s murder, saying this was all their game of revenge. He accuses the NYPD of coercing Ken’s widow into framing him, but says “Bob Flynn does not back down.:” He looks away and asks what the hell is he doing there. It’s Mitch, he has a gun, and asks that Bob raped his wife.  Bob tells Mitch to put the gun away, and Benson, shocked, asks that Mitch is in the studio. Fin moves to get some squad cars over there.  Bob tells Mitch the cops are lying, but Mitch says Ellen told him what he did to her, and Bob says Mitch wants to talk and to come in and have a seat.   Bob tells his listeners it's Mitch, the king of sleep apnea products. Mitch says he doesn’t want to talk, and when Bob asks what Mitch wants to do, Mitch raises his gun at Bob.  Bob jokes about the gun as Fin continues to call for police backup there.  Bob says he won’t shoot him, and Mitch says not to test him, consider this his trigger warning.  Bob makes a move to stand up and Mitch fires, hitting Bob in the chest. Mitch says that’s from him, this one’s from Ellen, and he fires again and Bob makes sounds like this was the fatal shot.  Mitch puts the gun on Bob’s desk and walks out as Bob slumps into the chair, dead. Benson and Rollins show their horror as we fade to black.