Law & Order SVU “Confess Your Sins To Be Free” Recap, Review, Discussion

I confess:  I was prepared to hate this episode, thinking it was just another story of yet another pervert priest, which has been done ad nauseam.  But this episode surprised me. Even though the story was predictable, it was the way the story was told that made it so interesting.  It was a wonderful feature for Peter Scanavino, who was skillful in showing his disappointment in one of his childhood friends and in the faith he represents.    At least there was a way that the perp could be exposed without breaking the seal of  confession.  I understand the need for keeping confessions private BUT I see no need for absolution to be given carte blanche.   In the case of this priest – or a member of the clergy in general -  absolution should be dependent on him (no “her” priests in the Catholic Church) doing penance by turning himself in.   I know that someone can be absolved without doing penance, but some crimes are heinous enough that maybe there should be some conditions, especially when a member of the clergy is involved.   These are, after all,  supposed to be “men of God” so they should hold themselves to a higher standard.   

It seems Carisi is close to “popping the question” with Rollins (who was absent in the episode) but now that Carisi’s priest friend put his vows over the welfare of another human being, who knows who Carisi would pick to officiate over a wedding ceremony (assuming it even happens). 

The Burton Lowe story line was a head-scratcher, though.    Benson rightfully explained, somewhat tersely, how he must make amends properly. Although it was painful for her, I understand why she supported him by coming to his AA session to either provide support or to see if he’s really changed.  But I can’t for the life of me figure out why she would alert Burton about a woman wanting to file rape charges against him AND that she had a recording of his making amends to her which outlined what he did.  Because she had a previous, albeit inappropriate, relationship with Burton, this was a clear conflict of interest for her. She should have either not mentioned it to him and gone ahead with having her detectives pursue the case, or referred the case to another SVU unit, if that was possible. 

Here is the recap:

A woman, Audrey, confesses to her priest that she has committed adultery. She admits she leaves her apartment  door unlocked for her lover, and he wants her to do it again.   The priest tells her to open the door to Jesus and unlock the door to sin.  She admits she knows it’s wrong. 

Elsewhere, Burton Lowe is at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.  Afterwards, a sponsor asks him to tell him how it’s really going. They discuss him going to the ninth step but he says it is hard to begin to make amends. 

At a later time,  Audrey is with Caitlyn and wants to go to confession again so she goes inside the church.  Inside, in the confessional, she tells the priest she failed god and paid the price for her adultery and states she was raped last night and god is truly angry.   Meanwhile, outside, Carisi, coming to the church, runs into a waiting  Caitlyn, and Carisi knows her. Small talk ensues. Audrey is Caitlyn’s little sister. He says he is there to speak to Father Duffy. Audrey exits the church  and looks troubled and the two women leave. 

Inside, Carisi greets Father Duffy and also Father Regis. They think he is there for Pre-Cana but he admits he hasn’t asked her yet.   As Carisi and Fr. Duffy head to the rectory, Carisi asks about Audrey but the priest explains he cannot discuss it.  Fr. Duffy tells her if she is a friend it helps to reach out. 

Benson is at a restaurant and sits on one side of the booth across from Burton:  

Burton: I'm just asking you to listen. I'm not asking you to forgive me. 

Benson: Okay. I'm listening. 

Burton: I'm aware that the last time we met, I wasn't at my best. 

Benson: You threw a glass at me. 

Burton: Uh-uh, at the door. Well, turns out, that night, I hit bottom. You said you wanted acknowledgement, that what happened between us when you were was wrong. And, I think I said... – Benson: You said, "Well, you're not gonna get it." 

Burton: Did I? Okay, that sounds right. I was, drinking a lot. I don't remember exactly what... 

Benson:  I do. 

Burton: You're still angry. 

Benson: Yeah, I'm angry. 

Burton: Would it help if you threw a glass at me? 

Benson: No, Burton, it wouldn't. 

Burton: I'm sorry. I'm... I'm... I'm... Olivia, I'm trying to make amends. 

Benson: You're sorry? You're sorry for what? You're sorry for abusing women? For using women? For hiding behind alcohol as an excuse? Look, I just want to make sure that you understand, what making amends means. And not just to me, Burton, but to the other women. To acknowledge what you did to them. 

Burton: That's exactly why I'm here. I hear you. And I'm trying. Benson: Well, good. Good. So let me know when you've done that.

Benson looks at him coldly and gets up to leave.  

Elsewhere, Carisi meets with Caitlyn at an outdoor restaurant and they discuss Audrey, her look of trauma, and her affair.  Carisi suggests her speaking with Benson. 

At SVU, Fin discusses Burton Lowe with Benson and him making amends.  Benson says she was up all night thinking about him. Carisi walks in and they continue to discuss Burton  and ask if he is going to write another book about it.  Benson wonders if he did hit bottom is it the right thing to do to hear him out?  Fin walks out and Carisi mentions his friend. 

Sometime later, Carisi is with Benson walking with Audrey outside.  She discusses the rape and does not know by whom.  She says it was Friday night and says she’s been having a fling with her upstairs neighbor Vince, and that she left the door unlocked for him.  But a stranger came in before that and he started choking her with a belt she thinks and forced himself on her. It was quick. It felt different than Vince as he is well-endowed.  Vince came in right afterward and was very upset. She doesn’t know him well or at all. 

Outside her Audrey’s building, Fin and Velasco discuss Vince Costa and he has a minor record.  Vince exits and the detectives approach and discuss Audrey.  He says he found her and told her to call 911.  They mention the unlocked door but with what he is going through he would not tell anybody about an affair. He doesn’t think anyone heard him talking with Audrey.  They discuss her husband and Vince says the dude is scary. Fin thinks the husband will find out now and Vince should watch his back. 

Burton is at SVU and Benson explains she is in the middle of a very busy day and she can’t talk to him right now.  He says he was just at a meeting in the neighborhood and had a thought: he states he is qualifying at his home group tomorrow and asks if she would want to come. It would not be about them. She says she will think about it and he thanks her and leaves.  Fin gets up to say something and Benson tells him don’t ask, then asks for an update on Audrey’s case.  Fin doesn’t think it is Vince and Audrey has allowed them to search her apartment. The husband does not know about the affair but Audrey would tell him about the assault. Security footage shows the husband was at work but it could have been one of his “goons.”  Benson thinks if it was one of his ex-cons they could get lucky with DNA. 

At the apartment of Audrey and Shane O’Neill on Monday May 9, they are searching for prints and hidden camera and Shane comes home early. Audrey had not told him yet.  She explains she was raped and he angrily says she knew he was working a double shift and she had a guy over there.  He sees flowers – white lilies -  and gets angry but she explains they were from the parish.  He gets incensed and they have to restrains him.  Fin explains his wife thought he’d react like this and to prove her wrong. 

Later, Audrey tells Carisi a  priest knew about the affair and absolved her. Carisi asks if she told the priest she was going to leave her door unlocked. 

At SVU, Benson and the team discuss that Audrey told the priest in confession about the affair and unlocked door. It would have been Fr. Regis, the pastor, or Fr. Duffy the associate pastor.  Carisi admits he has been friends with Fr. Duffy since middle school and he doesn’t see this.  They discuss the lack of evidence. They have to ask if they discussed it with anyone. 

Later, Carisi and Fin discuss the unlocked door with Fr. Duffy and wonder if someone overheard them. Duffy offers whatever he can do, without breaking his vows. He explains Friday night around 9:30 he was in his bedroom reading, alone, door closed. He says they will have to ask Fr. Regis. 

Fin and Velasco speak with Fr. Regis who says he would not have mentioned the confession. He says he will reach out to Audrey and let he know he is there if she needs counseling. Fin asks where he was at the time of the rape and Fr. Regis says he was in his room, writing his Sunday homily, alone. 

Back at SVU the team discusses the latest and neither priest has an alibi but neither of the phones left the rectory that night.  Benson hates to point to a priest but they don’t have another suspect.  Benson suggests they catfish a priest – send in a UC to confess to being alone with a love and see if one takes the bait.  Fin says they are on it. 

Later, a woman – Detective Ruz, a UC -  goes into the confessional and explains – to Fr. Regis -  she has been cheating. She mentions meeting her love tonight and where she works and a back room where they can be alone. She changed the security code to the entrance to the day of Saint Dwynwen.  Afterward, Fin and Velasco are with Ruz in the car listening to her “confession”,  and when Fin asks who that is, Velasco explains he is the patron saint of lovers. Ruz says she figured both priests would know it.  She made the same confession twice.  When Ruz asks now what, Fin states, “We wait for the sinner.” 

At the Art Thou Mad Art Gallery on Thursday, May 10,  Velasco watches outside as someone goes into the gallery. Fin and Ruz  are inside.  They stop the intruder and see it is Fr. Duffy, and he says he would have never hurt her.  Fin cuffs him and says “Ring around the collar time.” Fr. Duffy tells them to tell Carisi he is sorry. 

Elsewhere, Burton is speaking to the group at the AA meeting about his drinking, baring his soul as Benson walks in: 

Burton: I used to tell myself, that, unlike both my parents, I had things under control. That I was drinking, just up to the point, but, not past the point, where I was drinking so much that, God forbid, I'd have to quit. I was not only ignoring the damage I was doing to myself, but to my friends, family...others. [He sees Benson has entered.] And, by others, I mean women. The list of women I hurt, trying to fill this...bottomless hole, mortifies me. Including my first real girlfriend. And she was, just a girl. I met her, when I was 21 years old. I was just about to get kicked out of college.

Later, back at the restaurant with Benson:

Burton: Thank you for coming to the meeting. I know how busy you are. 

Benson: I'm glad that I came. I could see you've...done a lot of work on yourself. 

Burton:  Mmm. Still needs doing. First I dried out, went back to therapy, found these meetings. You've already heard most of my spiel, but, there is something, that I need for you to know. However inappropriate it was, and God knows you were right, the age difference, the power imbalance, but...Olivia, I really was in love with you. 

Benson: [Whispers] I was in love with you, too, Burton. - But that...

Burton: I know. Doesn't make anything right. I know, I know. 

Benson:[her phone buzzes] Sorry. I'm... I'm sorry. I have to go. My squad just arrested a man for rape.

At SVU, Benson gets the update about the operation and that Fr. Duffy said it wasn’t what it looked like. Fin reminds them it is the same MO as Audrey’s. 

Carisi is speaking with Fr. Duffy who is in the SVU holding cell. He is upset they sent in a detective to take advantage of a confessional booth.   Carisi is upset and Fr. Duffy denies assaulting Audrey and he wasn’t at the art gallery to assault anyone and says he’s done nothing wrong. Carisi tells him to get a lawyer.  Duffy says the diocese is sending one but he can’t tell them why he was there either.  Carisi tells him he is swimming in some dangerous, unholy waters right now, and suggest Duffy listen to him.  But Fr.  Duffy says he needs Carisi to believe him, and Carisi says he wants to but does not know how.  Fr. Duffy asks for Carisi to pray for him. Benson enters and tells Carisi that Fr. Duffy’s lawyer is there, and Carisi shouldn’t be.  Benson has to prompt Carisi again to get him to leave. 

Later, Fr. Duffy’s lawyer enters interrogation with Fr. Duffy and Velasco and Fin.  He thinks they have him on trespass at best, not burglary or attempted rape.  Fr. Duffy says he was concerned and he wanted to make sure she was safe.  He can’t explain why he knew she was there.  Fin explains what will happen to Duffy if he doesn’t explain and the lawyer ends the interrogation.  Carisi watches this with Benson and Carisi thinks that Fr. Duffy may know who Audrey’s rapist is and thought he’d strike again – because the rapist confessed to him. 

At a later time, Benson tells Fin and Velasco that Fr. Duffy was arraigned.  They discuss what would happen if this goes to trial and that Ruz confessed to two priests and only one shows up.   Fin wonders what is he missing, and Benson says “Maybe the other priest.”  They discuss Fr. Regis and they go to confession too.  They wonder if Fr. Regis confessed to Duffy.  Benson suggests they find out where Fr. Regis was before this parish and see if there are any unsolved rapes at that parish. 

At the house of Rita Ortega on Wednesday May 11,  she explains to Fin and Velasco where she was raped and where she kept a key hidden.  She was having an affair at the time and she did confess a few times to Fr. Regis.  She said he even sent flowers, white lilies. She seems shocked it could be Fr. Regis. 

Benson discusses this latest twist with Carisi and mentions the white lilies, just like what was sent to Audrey.  Benson wonders if they have enough, and Carisi says no,  and even if Fr. Duffy breaks his vows, the confession would not be admissible.  Benson asks if the DA’s office will allow Carisi to take any one of them to trial, and Carisi says as of now, no.  He says he has to figure something out, and he walks away.  An officer approaches Benson and says there is a Beverly Morrison there to see her and she seems upset.  Beverly explains to Benson that 6 months ago she was raped in a hotel room that Benson had just been in.  The man who assaulted her came to her last night to make amends and she recorded the conversation.  Benson asks her to step into her office. 

Meanwhile, Fr. Duffy is praying in church below a statue of St. Anthony and Carisi approaches.  Carisi says St. Anthony helps them find things that are lost. Fr. Duffy says that he does, and asks why is he here.  Carisi says he needs his help, and when Duffy says he can’t, Carisi says he is there not as an ADA but to he needs help for himself, he is in crisis.  He is losing his faith and he doesn’t want to. Duffy says he wants to help him, but…Carisi wonders if St. Anthony can help them both find the way for him to tell him why he was at the gallery that night and to tell him he was there to stop a mortal sin.  Fr. Duffy comments that Carisi must have a different pipeline to St. Anthony than he does.  Carisi, agitated, says they both know Fr. Regis is guilty and wonders how many more women are out there. Fr. Duffy doesn’t know what Carisi wants him to say.  Carisi looks tearful and says he was so proud when Duffy was ordained and to let him take the blame for what Fr. Regis committed he is choking himself with his own collar.  Fr. Duffy thinks he doesn’t have a choice but Carisi disagrees, and they both know how the church works – Regis confessed to him, Duffy absolved it and now they will transfer him to another poorer parish where he is going to rape again.  Fr. Duffy asks if he is still asking a priest to break his vows, and Carisi says no, he is asking him to look into his heart and look into his soul.  He asks at what point does his vows become more important than his fellow human beings.  Carisi asks what if he rapes a child or murders somebody; will he absolve him then and let him keep doing what he’s doing?  Fr. Duffy tells Carisi he swore to uphold the law and he vowed to uphold a higher law. Carisi says the god he believes in would not sanction rape to protect canon law. Fr. Duffy asks Carisi if he is asking him to leave the order, his calling, and to reveal a confessional secret? Carisi  replies maybe he is, because he believes if Duffy stays silent right now, on judgment day he will answer to god for it.  Fr.   Duffy looks away and says he can’t tell him what Fr. Regis confessed to him. But he can tell him he doesn’t just confess to priests. 

At 480 West 34th Street on  Wednesday May 11,  Benson enters a place where Burton is staying. He says he could have met her at her office but she says it needed to be private  She asks if he is  living here and he says yes it’s his old agent's pied-à-terre and he is letting him stay there, while he's in Florida, as long as nobody knows.  Benson brings up Beverly Morrison, saying she came to see her. Burton states she’s one of his magazine editors and he just made amends to her.  Benson explains  she doesn't see it as amends, she sees it as a confession. She said that she forgives him, but, wants justice and wants to press charges.  She taped what he said. He asks if that that legal and Benson explains it is.  Benson adds she also claimed that she was too drunk to give consent. Burton questions how can she prove that, and Benson replies  she got a DUI ten minutes after she left his hotel room. Burton states she didn't mention that.  Benson asks what happened. Burton explains after Benson left his hotel room that night, he just kept drinking. He called Beverly and said he needed a friend to talk to, so she came over. They both just kept drinking and they had sex. He adds that he doesn’t remember what happened. Benson informs him that  she does and her side is that she was not able to give consent. Burton wonders about two drunks in a room, questioning if it was  "enthusiastic consent".  He thinks maybe, calling it "intoxicated acquiescence", he doesn’t know. He asked her what he could do to remedy the harm and she said she didn't know.  Benson comments she does now:  she wants him to go to prison.  

At Carisi’s office, Benson plays Beverly’s recording to Carisi where she says  he’s apologizing, and he thinks that that's going to make everything better. She asks couldn't he tell that she didn't want that to happen? Burton comments he couldn't, he couldn't tell anything. He adds he was so drunk and asks is there anything he can do.  Beverly states she doesn't know.  Benson stops the recording and Carisi asks what did Burton say? Benson replies he said he's going to continue practicing humility, and that he doesn't want to defend himself. He doesn't want to put Beverly through a trial. Carisi explains that technically, Benson wasn’t supposed to go to Burton with this, and says he will talk to Beverly.  Benson explains Burton is  willing to plead guilty to rape and is willing to do anything, to make this right, whatever that is. Carisi comments that it’s  funny,  Father Duffy told him almost the same thing.  Benson asks if he’s s willing to break his vows and Carisi replies no, but, he pointed him towards somebody else Father Regis confides in.  Benson questions  when are we going to interview this person?  Carisi explains she's dead - but he still confides in her. 

At Everwood Cemetery in Hamilton Heights on Thursday, May 12,  Fin asks Velasco if he is sure Father Regis is showing up, and Velasco explains that Father Duffy told Carisi he comes to his mother's, twice a week, after lunch. Fin asked that his father killed his mother when he was nine and Velasco explains he strangled her with a belt, in front of Regis, after he caught her cheating.  Fin comments no wonder he's got issues. Velasco adds that with raping women who cheat on their husbands, he guesses so.   Fin sees him approach, and Fr. Regis is holding a bouquet of white lilies.   He stops at the grave and says out loud “Lilies are in bloom. Your favorite. It's spring, Ma. Oh, what's happened since my last visit? I was worried they were coming after me for Audrey, but, it looks like, Father Duffy's gonna take the fall. I confessed to him, what I did to Audrey, but, he can't tell anyone. No, can't break the seal. God leaves no sin unpunished. You and Dad, are rotting in hell, for eternity. But not me. I'm... God absolved me already. If he wanted me punished, for raping Audrey and the others, he would have done that already. So I guess... I guess all this is just God's will. “ Fin and Velasco make their move and Fin orders Fr. Regis to put his  hands behind his back.  Fr. Regis is shocked that he is being arrested, asking for what.    Velasco explains it is for the rape of Audrey O'Neill.  Fr. Regis asks based on what, wondering if Fr. Duffy’s said so. He adds they can't use anything he said, and that it’s inadmissible.  Fin replies to Fr. Regis that he dimed on himself, explaining the just recorded every word he said. 

In the church, Carisi sits in a pew with Fr. Duffy and explains that Fr. Regis plead guilty to seven rapes over the last decade. Fr. Duffy states the Church officially defrocked him. Carisi comments “good” and that Fr. Regis was a stain on it. Fr. Duffy adds he’ll still pray for him, and the victim and hopefully, this gives them peace. Carisi informs him he  spoke to Audrey and that she's moving in with her sister to try to figure things out.  He adds it's a lot, but, she still has her faith.  Fr. Duffy hopes Carisi does too.  Carisi comments he’s trying.

Elsewhere,  walking down the street, Burton speaks with Benson and comments two priests, one good, one bad and it sounds like the kind of story I'd do a podcast about, back when they let him do podcasts.  Benson explains that Carisi told her he’s accepted a plea deal.  Burton says sexual misconduct and he goes  on the registry, six years probation. Benson asks if his  lawyer is good with that, and Burton explains, no, not at all; he wanted to take this to trial.  He adds that isn't why he started this journey and that he told her he wanted to take responsibility for his actions, and the harm he’s caused others. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. Benson says she wants to forgive him, but he counters she doesn’t have to.  He adds she was kind enough to listen to him and that means a lot.  Benson states he has a long road ahead of him and all he  can do is take it one step at a time. He says he hopes he makes it. As he walks off and Benson looks on solemnly, we fade to black.