Law & Order SVU celebrated its 300th episode with a story that brought three members of the SVU squad back to an old 1999 child abduction case, one where Benson wasn’t convinced of the conclusions made at the time. When a current day child abduction brings her back to the same neighborhood as in the 1999 case, Benson’s spider senses turn on and she tries to make a connection. It isn’t until a wannabe cop surfaces, who has been following this case and many other child abductions, that the SVU squad is able to solve both the old and the new case and find both missing boys, one long dead and the other very much alive. Clips from previous episodes were used to help Benson and Munch flash back to the first case. There wasn’t an actual episode (at least none that I can find) which covered this initial missing child case, so some of the old clips appeared to be updated to weave new details into the flashback to fit them into the current story. The episode also featured a few actors from the pilot episode (“Payback”) and was directed by the same director - Jean deSegonzac.
This episode was excellent and brought me back to the fast paced style of SVU in its earlier days. While the current day kidnapping was shown, the opening didn’t reflect any obvious tip offs to the person involved in the crime, which, in my opinion, brings far more mystery to the story. The writers did an excellent job in creating a solid diversion in Steve Lomatin, who normally would fit the description of the perfect guilty party. Even though it was announced far in advance that Tom Sizemore was in this episode, and he was shown in preview clips and photos which made him the likely perp, I felt that the episode maintained plenty of dramatic tension leading up to his capture.
I know that some may have been amused at Amaro’s comments about cold cases, but I found it to be slightly jarring and out of place. I don’t want to be reminded that Danny Pino starred in CBS’s series “Cold Case,” especially not in an episode that should focus on those people that brought SVU through these 14 seasons. I don’t mean to open old wounds, but I wondered why they couldn’t even throw a bone to fans and mention Stabler’s involvement in that earlier case (assuming he would have had one), considering that Chris Meloni meant so much to SVU fans for the many seasons he was with the series.
I’ve already been asked who performed the opening and closing song – it was Norah Jones and the song is titled “Waiting.”
I certainly hope that Law & Order SVU continues on for many more seasons so come. This episode proves the series has plenty of stories yet to tell.
Here is the recap:
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Detective Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Richard Belzer – Sergeant John Munch
Dann Florek – Captain Don Cragen
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro
Guest stars:
Tom Sizemore – Lewis Hodda
Hamish Linklater – David Morris
Mili Avital - Laurie Colfax
Alex Korpovsky – Steve Lomatin
Sue Kim - Detective Emily Ling
Madison McKinley - Claire
Chris Orbach – Duty Captain Briscoe
Ramsey Faragallah - Rudy Singh
Gordana Rashovich – Mrs. Lomatin
Sue Kin – Detective Emily Ling
Liza Colon-Zayas - Delores Hernandez
Luke Fava – Wyatt Morris
Jenna Wolf - Herself
Back in 1999, Delores Hernandez and Officer Lomatin put up signs for her missing son, Hector Hernandez. In 2000, the wall where she placed one of the posters now has a memorial and the wall is painted with Hector’s image and message that they will never forget him, and Mrs. Hernandez prays there. In 2006, life continues in the area, the wall being covered in spots with graffiti. David & Laurie Morris walk by the wall with their son Wyatt in a baby carriage. In 2009, The Morris’ walk by the same wall as Wyatt walks in front of them on a scooter. They both look unhappy and David walks away from both of them. In 2012, David walks past the wall; he is on the phone telling the caller he can’t talk right now, he is late for his son.
He arrives at his wife’s apartment and it is clear they are divorced. Laurie gets Wyatt ready to go out with his father and gives him a cell phone with their number on speed dial. As David and Wyatt walk past the wall, Wyatt asks when he is coming home. He avoids answering and suggests a treat. In the subway station heading to the Yankees game, they run for the train and Wyatt runs ahead, someone taps David on the shoulder and points downward where a $20 bill appears to have fallen. When David moves to pick it up, the man who tapped him on the shoulder pulls Wyatt onto the train. As the train pulls away, David screams for his son, then runs up the stairway to make a call. He screams that his son has been taken.
Later, Benson and Amaro arrive on the scene, Captain Cragen is already there. Cragen explains the abduction and says transit is stopping all the trains on that line en route to the game. David Morris is from the Morris Brother’s real estate family. Benson comments that they own half of the west side. No ransom demands. Benson looks around and recognizes the neighborhood and says that it has changed. She flashes back to a previous case where she recalls a young Mrs. Hernandez putting the missing child photo in her window and of herself pulling the same paper out of her pocket. Cragen’s voice calls her back to the present, and he asks if she is with them. She explains that the neighborhood is where Hector Rodriguez, a Dominican kid was from and he was the exact same age. Cragen explains to Amaro that it was a missing kid from 1999 and the dad took the son back to the DR in 1999. Benson says they don’t know that, adding that the mother never saw her son again. Amaro reminds her that this kid is missing now.
Later, Fin and Rollins are also on the scene. There is no sign of the boy and Cragen tells them to continue searching the trains. Amaro tells Cragen that the father wants to go uptown to continue the search, but Cragen tells Benson and Amaro to talk to both parents here. He adds that whatever went on between the two of them to get over it, they don’t have time. David and Laurie Morris meet up and begin to argue. Amaro takes David aside and Benson speaks with Laurie, who says her last name is Colfax. She asks where is Wyatt and Benson explains they are trying to figure that out now. Amaro speaks with David, and David describes the man who tapped on the shoulder as white, in his 40s with a cap and glasses, saying he is bad at faces.
Meanwhile, Benson speaks with Laurie and asks if David has visitation on Sunday. Laurie says he was supposed to be there at 9 and he was his usual 2 hours late. Benson questions that if he sees Wyatt only one day a week, does that make David upset; Laurie is rattled and says he is always upset, everything about him is a negotiation. Benson comments that her husband’s family is very wealthy and has she noticed anyone suspicious trying to talk to Wyatt or following her – anything like that. Laurie says no and asks if Benson thinks this is about ransom, adding they will pay or post a reward. Benson advises her to hold off on that as it will only bring out con artists and if someone wants to get in touch with her they will. Laurie wonders what will happen if nobody calls, and Benson replies they will cross that bridge when they get to it. Laurie has a sudden realization of what else may have happened, and she begins to collapse. Benson catches her and tells her to stay focused, David walks up to try to help her and Amaro moves him away. Laurie, now very distraught, begs Benson to find her son, and Benson says they will do the best they can. Laurie latches on to Benson and begs her again to find her son as she buries her head into Benson’s shoulder and sobs.
In the SVU squad room, Munch announces it is a full on Amber Alert, and he is passing out signs to post, instructing the others they should go up on every street in every borough – within the hour. Fin, walking with Rollins, announces that TARU can’t trace the kid’s cell phone. Rollins says that one witness say a black man pull Wyatt onto the train, another saw an order white male. She adds that one put him with a woman – there were a lot of kids in caps on those trains. Amaro comments there is no video from that station. Munch comments that on 110th street, the hoi-polloi don’t get those upgrades. Benson believes Morningside Height has changed, it’s not like it was in ’99. Munch replies she is thinking of Hector Rodriguez, it was a war zone then. Fin quips there Munch goes with the bad old days. Rollins adds it is still mixed and she can’t believe that Morris and his family still love up there. Benson explains that he owns the building and has renovated half the block and it is his ex wife. Cragen asks if he is still in court, and Amaro replies on the custody issue, every three months. Benson wonders if David Morris got tired of paying for two sets of legal fees – and Fin questions that he had his own son kidnapped. Amaro wonders if the wife wants to make him look bad. Munch comments that nothing is far in love and war. Benson thinks she does want to make him look bad; she made a point of telling her he got there at 11 today – 2 hours late. Rollins says the train didn’t leave until 12:15. Cragen Rollins if David told him he stopped anywhere, and he said no – and he asked.
Later, at SVU, David explains to Benson and Amaro that he didn’t tell them because he didn’t think it mattered. They went to a pastry shop, he wanted Wyatt to have a fun day as the divorce has been hard on him. Benson asks if anyone can confirm that, and he admits the hostess can, he is seeing her and she used to baby sit for Wyatt. He didn’t want Laurie to know that.
At My Dear Lady Ann Bakery, David’s girlfriend says she thinks she saw them, and Rollins calls her honey and says they know she is involved with David. She asks Rollins if Laurie knows, and Fin answers that’s on her. He asks if they were here, and she motions an affirmative and says they were eating muffins and Wyatt had skim milk. Fin asks if she and the dad ever went anywhere private, and maybe leave the boy alone, and she says no. Rollins questions if she noticed anyone looking at Wyatt with dark sunglasses or a baseball cap. She says the place is full of dads like that, it’s playoffs. Fin comments the guy would have been by himself. She says there was one, he ordered tea in a glass, got up when they did and left $2.
Back at SVU, Fin shows them a video they got from a boutique near the café. Rollins says there is not enough of an image of the man for facial recognition software. She adds TARU is still checking other cameras in the area. Munch says 3 hours in an no ransom demand, saying the guy is a predator. He asks Benson if she is getting déjà vu and Fin says don’t have her start up again. Benson says it is the same neighborhood; hector disappeared on a bus, Wyatt on a subway. Cragen reminds them it has been 13 years and two different worlds; Hector came from working class family. Munch comments that is why they had a tenth of the resources to find him. Amaro asks is Hector was taken off a bus, and Benson says a witness said she thought that she saw him 3 hours later with his hair dyed blonde. Cragen says the father changed the boy’s appearance to get him out of the country, and emphasizes that Hector’s case is closed. He reminds them they have a lead on Wyatt and to follow it up.
Later, at Laurie’s home, David looks at the photo and says that could be him but he didn’t notice anybody from the pastry shop. Laurie argues Wyatt already had breakfast and asks what he was doing there. He walks away from her and Benson says the man may have followed them and knew the family’s routine. She angrily says she hasn’t seen anyone follow them and she is with him all the time except for schools and Sundays. When Amaro comments that Sunday is David’s day, he says he hasn’t noticed anybody. Laurie shouts that he wouldn’t and that the neighbors are pissed at him and he is clueless. Benson tries to calm them and Amaro asks pissed off about what? Laurie says it is his building renovations to condos and when he goes to community board meeting they want to kill him. David shouts back that it is Morningside Heights and these people act like the 60s never ended. Amaro asks to look at the photo again and if he saw the guy at a community board meeting. David says he doesn’t see anybody at the meetings, he tunes them out. As Amaro gets a call, Benson harps on David about tuning out a room full of people that he is pricing them out of their own homes. David says if he lets them control the agenda, nothing gets built and the neighborhood would still be a slum. Amaro calls to Benson and Laurie anxiously asks what is it?
At a small convenience store, Rollins and Fin question the shop owner, saying someone saw Wyatt come out of the store. He denies seeing them. Fin says they just found Wyatt’s cell phone in the dumpster outside, and threatens to shut the store down, and Munch tells him to think again. The store owner recalls the man had glasses, a cap, black hair. When his son acted up he bought him candy. and he bought blonde hair dye. Munch tells him to get somebody to watch the store, they will need him to come down to the station to meet with a sketch artist. Rollins wonders if they are looking at a Hector Rodriguez copycat, and Munch explains that the blonde hair dye was not release to the press. Fin tells Munch not to waste his time with “I told you so.”
At SVU, Munch looks through the files for Hector and flashes back to telling Cragen that he closes his eyes and sees Hector’s face. Cragen tells him to go home. Munch says he has two more tapes to watch. Cragen’s voice calls him back to reality, and the rest of the team is discussing whether there were any other cases where a kid’s hair was dyed blonde. Benson brings up Hector and Cragen says he does not want to chase ghosts, Rollins shows them security footage from old tunnels beneath Columbia University near the store and Amaro sees the boy’s hair has been dyed blonde. It is the last sighting. Rollins says there are no leads from the tip line and nothing from the other boroughs or the FBI. Munch says they have to take another look at Hector Rodriguez. He pins the missing child sign of Hector’s up next to Wyatt’s. Benson flashes back to Hector’s case, with her pinning the same sign up on the board. Back in the present, Benson tells Cragen that Munch is right, they could have been wrong 13 years ago. Cragen tells them to focus here. Amaro asks if anyone has been in touch with Hector’s family, and Benson explains she has spoken to the mother a few times and she still lives up in the neighborhood. When Munch offers to go up there with her, Cragen tells Munch to stay there and go through the files, and tells Benson to take Amaro for fresh eyes.
While they walk outside, Amaro tells Benson he gets the sense that Cragen wants him partnering up again. Benson wonders if Cragen just wants things the way they were, and asks Amaro if he is OK with that. He says yeah, he has enough separations in his life. They walk up to the building wall where the tribute o Hector was painted, and Amaro asks Benson if she and Munch were partners on Hector’s case. Benson said everyone in the squad jumped in; she did not think Hector’s father took him but she was a newbie back then so she let herself get stampeded. As Benson stops and looks up at the sign in Hector’s mother’s window, she explains Hector’s mother couldn’t move as she still thinks he might come home.
