Law & Order SVU “The Things We Have To Lose” Recap & Review

The season finale –  the season cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic – was a wrap up/update of stories that took place earlier in the season. Despite the fact that this wasn’t supposed to be the season finale, it worked very well as a close to the record setting season 21. It takes a lot to shock me anymore with SVU but one thing happened that did really surprise me: Fin shoots someone dead. More on this later.

Before I recap this episode, I would like to thank everyone involved with Law & Order SVU for a great season. Many people invest a lot of time and hard work into writing, acting, and the production of each episode. The subject matter is tough and it must be very hard to come up with new ideas each week. If I didn’t like this show I wouldn’t waste any time in watching AND recapping the episode. So, while some weeks it sounds like I am less than thrilled with an episode, I still appreciate the work that goes into each and every minute of it. I’m looking forward to next season.

The trial of Sir Toby Moore ( from the season 21 premiere “I’m Going To Make You A Star” ) is trying to get off the ground, and Carisi is hitting brick walls. Elana Barth – former judge and now a defense attorney – has fully turned to the dark side and uses every tactic at her disposal to defend her sleazy client. Conveniently, Sir Toby Moore keeps having medical problems, keeping him out of the courtroom and delaying his trial. Peter Scanavino did a superb job in showing Carisi’s frustration and his anger when constantly faced with roadblock after roadblock, including going so far as to throw the judges’ own words back at him. We didn’t get the pleasure of actually seeing Ian McShane reprise his role in this episode, we only saw his face appearing in news stories about Sir Toby. Such a shame; having him appear would have been a real treat. But, as Sir Toby Moore isn’t dead – yet – we can only hope that maybe some time next season that he’ll make a real appearance to answer for his crimes.

Carisi is still getting his footing as an ADA, but it surprised me a bit that he waited until witness preparation to warn Pilar that she, and her family or friends, shouldn’t be talking about the case to anyone, even people who claim to be reporters. If Pilar wonders how old photos of her got into the hands of the defense, it’s likely because it seemed she wasn’t given any warning that these kinds of dirty tactics could happen. Carisi learned a lesson the hard way.  While Carisi preps the witnesses, Benson gets to role play as defense attorney, and manages to get out a tidbit of information that Carisi didn’t get previously. Benson to the rescue!

I used to really enjoy Jenna Stern as Elana Barth but now I loathe her character.  This is typical for defense attorneys in the Law & Order universe, it is a prerequisite that they be the lowest form of scum.  (Okay, I still enjoy Jenna Stern. She does a great job making me dislike Barth.)

Lakira’s story first unfolded in “At Midnight In Manhattan”. In this current episode, Lakira sees some semblance of justice, but sadly only after one of her friends is murdered by Paul Davies when he makes a careless mistake in disposing of evidence. But, this would not have happened to begin with had Lakira not sold her silence for Paul Davies in exchange for a fur coat, a new purse, and rent money.  Kat was persistent and she got her man in the end. 

Joelle’s story also began in “At Midnight In Manhattan”.   Things takes a tragic turn when her abusive husband Leon is released from prison, and he’s not interested in playing by the conditions of his parole. Fin uses poor judgment by not reporting to Leon's parole officer that Leon is violating by making contact with his son and using him to pass messages to Joelle, and Joelle resists Fin’s assistance.  Had Fin reported it despite Joelle's concerns, Leon would have likely been sent back to prison, avoiding the entire stand-off in Joelle’s apartment. It was a shock to see Fin draw his weapon and then quickly shoot Leon when it appears that Leon was getting ready to harm his own son. This was probably the most intense moments of drama this entire season.   This story alone would have been an excellent stand alone Fin-centric episode.   This story may not be over as Joelle is now suing Fin for Leon's wrongful death.

We first learned the story of Ivy Bucci in the episodes "Can’t Be Held Accountable" and "Must Be Held Accountable". Ivy continues to be a problem child. Despite her young age, she stays out all night, hangs around older men, and does coke. Her mother, Donna, isn’t much of a role model for her daughter. Donna begs Rollins to get involved, and Rollins agrees. I chuckled when Benson explains to Rollins how the matter should be handled, and when it’s clear Rollins still wants to find Ivy, Benson says “Because you’re the only one who can save her.” Usually this Benson’s job to save every victim!  Benson also gives the advice to Rollins to dish out some “tough love" to Ivy…and then Rollins proceeds to give Ivy the easy way out. Of course, it was a foregone conclusion that Ivy would wind up in trouble again, and this time, Rollins lets her stew in a holding cell overnight.  When it came down to Ivy going in front of the judge, Rollins explains Ivy’s history with Steve Getz and the judge softens her judgment. Still, the judge leaves things open so Ivy is not off the hook if she gets in trouble in the future.

There were so many things going on in this episode that at one point I thought there were TOO many things going on. Both Sir Toby's and Joelle's story could have been a standalone episodes. Still, as a wrap to the season, it felt right and was very well executed.

On a side note, there were a lot of unusual camera angles in this episode – a lot of shots from a skewed or low perspective. In some cases, these angles meant some things were in the way of the shot, something which I find annoying when done too frequently. (Some of the photos used for this recap are examples of this style.)

Here is the recap:

Flashbacks: the “MeToo” protesters in the courthouse hall; Joelle being attacked by her husband, Lakira being tossed out of a car, Ivy Bucci and Steve Getz; Sir Toby’s behaviors; more of the “MeToo” protesters.

Benson stands in Times Square, watching the news of Sir Toby’s anticipated criminal trial on the big screen, and Rollins watches the same footage on her phone while walking in the park. In the squad room, Fin and Kat watch news coverage of Elana Barth as she defends Sir Toby to the press. Kat comments to Fin that she thought he was done when they arrested him. Fin explains that cases like this, even when they are over, they are not over.

Elsewhere, Ivy comes into her apartment and her mother Donna, rushes over to her. Donna argues with her about where she has been, and Ivy claims she was at the library, clearly not dressed for the library. Donna says Ivy can’t be out all night as she’s 16, and when Ivy taunts that her mother can’t stop her, Donna grounds her.

On the courthouse steps, Barth continues to defends Sir Toby, saying the relationships were symbiotic and consensual. Benson, standing nearby with Carisi, asks what happened to Barth, and Carisi explains its money – 9 months and delays, motions and private investigators, she’s getting rich running out the clock. Benson asks how are Amelia and Pilar and other victims holding up, and Carisi replies not great, their lives are on hold, they are stressed, and it takes its toll. Benson asks about him, and Carisi says they are letting him take the lead on this – Benson says if something goes wrong – Carisi says their fingerprints won’t be anywhere near it. When Barth is asked if she is calling the women liars, Barth replies that is for a jury to decide, but says in this heated climate where men's reputations can be destroyed overnight, how many innocent men have been convicted in the name of the “MeToo” movement? Benson shakes her head.

Meanwhile, Joelle opens the door and greets Fin, who says he is just checking in on her and Andre. She says they are alright. Fin comments they didn’t tell her that her husband Leon is getting paroled tomorrow. She looks stunned and counters that he got a year. Fin explains it was a split sentence – he did 6 months in and the other six months in a halfway house on probation. She asks if that means he can just come by, and Fin replies no, her order of protection is good for a year. She hopes so. She adds he has been sending gifts to Andre – notes to give to her. She hands him the note and Fin reads “Joelle, we need to talk.” Fin states he needs to show the note to his parole officer, but she grabs the note back and tells Fin not to do that, she doesn’t want Andre caught in the middle. Andre runs in and tells Fin to “think fast” and he throws a basketball at him, which Fin easily catches. As Fin smiles, Andre says his dad sent him that and he said he is going to take him out for ice cream. Fin hands him back the basketball as Joelle gets a worried expression.

Law & Order SVU “At Midnight in Manhattan” Recap & Review

This episode was an interesting, highly engaging “day-in-the-life” episode for the SVU and for Carisi that began at the end of one shift, bringing three cases in rapid succession. I liked this episode as each story on its own would have made for a dull episode, but compressing these three cases into one day upped the pressure and the tension. The episode moved quickly and each story received the right amount of attention, making excellent use of the entire cast. The clock on the time cards marked off the seconds; counting the seconds was overkill as the cases didn't involve anything THAT time critical.

Right off the bat, Rollins complains she has two kids and a sitter on the clock, and Fin rightfully calls her out on it, saying he hates it when she plays the momma card. (He succumbs to it anyway.) Of course, Benson says she’s playing the mom card, but, sadly for her too, duty calls. Rollins later acts like a petulant child when she argues with Carisi, accusing him of being more worried about his boss than the victims. A phone rings – it could have been a victim or something important about a case – and Rollins picks up the receiver and slams it down. She’s upset that “everyone” is worried, “they” are nervous, swamped, and drowning because he left. But the truth of the matter comes out: Rollins says Carisi was her partner and walked out on HER. Carisi counters that Rollins said she was happy for him, but her retort to this is her asking that he believed her and how stupid is he. Considering that Carisi has gone out of his way many times to support her and her family – you know, acting like a real friend – this insult must cut very deeply. This is worse than simple envy or jealousy over someone moving on to a new career that presents a better career path or even moving on to a new relationship. Rollins is behaving like a selfish, spoiled brat, upset that she is not the center of attention. It’s not a good look for her. This is the Rollins that I don’t like, just another thing on the long list of things she’s done that I don’t like.

It’s great to see Carisi learning as he goes along, and also to see him go through new roadblocks. What’s nice about this is we get to see an already likeable character experience learning a new job and bring a new dynamic to the team, becoming even MORE likeable. Carisi was thrown into the deep end very quickly and so far he’s been able to keep himself from going under. It’s also great to have a little more of the legal component in each episode, something that was hit and miss with SVU in recent seasons.

Hopefully the newbie – Kat – will never use the word “quiet” again, as she really jinxed the squad. Kat is driven and wants to succeed, to the point of leaping before she looks. It was smart for Benson to have Carisi go with Kat to question one suspect as Carisi’s experience helped draw out information before the suspect got wise and shut it down. When Benson told Kat that she and Carisi were going to handle the questioning of one suspect – Paul Davies – Kat seemed hurt and offended. I believe Kat later realized that Benson and Carisi handled the interrogation far better that she could have. It may be difficult for Kat to cool her jets and I suspect that, until she gets more seasoned, she’ll eventually create a problem by acting or speaking too quickly. Kat learned a lesson when the transgender victim she was helping decided to capitalize on her misfortune, likely using a sympathetic Kat to put her in a position cut herself a deal.

One thing I still don’t understand. Are these detectives the only detectives for all of Manhattan, 24/7? Does the 16th precinct not have a second shift? I have a hard time accepting that when this group goes off their shift that there is no one to take their place. As special victims can occur at any time of the day or night, how many 24 hour shifts must they work, and how costly would that be?

One line in the episode that made me cringe a bit: Benson saying that, in her experience, “women are stronger than men.” Considering just earlier that day she heard Rollins have a meltdown over Carisi, it seemed odd. Even without seeing Rollins' tantrum, it’s a sexist comment. It’s no wonder Joelle made the comeback that if that were the case, Benson should have minded her own business.

Very nice camera work and filtering for the final scene with Kat on the pier.

Here is the recap:

In one location, a woman runs down the street, away from something, trying to close her blouse. Elsewhere, another woman is being beaten in her home by her husband while their son watches and begs him to stop. In another location, a woman is thrown from a car into the street. A man inside the car calls her a whore and then speeds off while she collapses on the street.

Meanwhile, in the SVU squad room on Friday at 11:58:26 PM, Rollins and Kat are working late and Kat is applying some makeup. Rollins asks if she is going on, and Kat replies to a house party. Rollins comments she misses those, but Fin, who is also there, chimes in and says not him, adding he will see them on Monday as he moves to leave. Benson walks in and comments they are still here. Rollins replies “Two minutes to midnight and counting.” Kat adds that in Vice they never had a Friday night this quiet. Benson says, “Oh” and Fin and Rollins looks shocked at what Kat has said, giving her a look. She asks “what?” and Rollins explains that she knows Kat is new but they don’t say the “q” word. The phone rings, and Fin comments that Kat jinxed it, saying it is her call. She moves to answer it and then a another call rings in. Rollins looks pleadingly at Fin and says she has two kids and a sitter on the meter. Fin says he hates when she plays the momma card, and moves to answer the phone. Benson says she is playing the mom card and they know where to reach her. But her cell phone rings as well while the others shoot her a glance. When Benson answers it, Rollins makes a move to stay.

At the apartment of Joelle Fuller, 2516 Frederick Douglas Boulevard on Saturday, September 28 at 12:30:55 AM, Fin speaks with an officer who tells him about a sexual assault and beating in the projects. The vic is Joelle Fuller, the perp is her husband Leon who left before they got there. The son, Andre, called 911. Fin tells the officer to find Leon; felony DV is a mandatory arrest. Fin enters the apartment and sees Andre comforting Joelle. She says they shouldn’t be there and Andre shouldn’t have called the cops, saying she is fine. But Andre disagrees and says she is bleeding. Fin explains they will take care of his mom.

Meanwhile, Benson and Rollins arrive at the home of Nicole and Matt Cooper at 198 West 84th Street on Saturday, September 28 at 12:45:03 AM, Nicole apologizes for calling Benson on her cell, but says she and Hadid went to Spence together, she gave her Benson’s number and said she is terrific. Nicole explains Chloe called her husband in a panic, and he explains she had taken a car service, “HailMe”, and the driver assaulted her. Chloe sits in the living room, stunned. He shows them a photo of the guy, Mohammed. Benson asks to speak with Chloe alone. They agree.

Elsewhere, Kat speaks with an officer who says a “trans-whatever” was beat up by a john. She challenges him on that crass description. He explains the vic was found unconscious with her skirt up, some cuts and bruises, saying some barfly called it in who was gone before he got there. Kat recognizes Lakira,  who calls her Officer Kit Kat. She says if Kat is here to arrest her, she is too late, “mall cop” beat her to it. Kat sees she is cuffed to the stretcher, and looks at the other officer and angrily asks that he cuffed a vic. The officer looks sheepish and Kat removes the cuffs and tells Lakira they EMS will load her into the ambulance. She tells the other officer to radio Mercy ED and tell them they need a sexual assault nurse with trans experience. Kat steps into the ambulance and asks Lakira if it is okay that she comes with her.

On Saturday at 1:55:14 AM, Joelle is at the hospital with Andre and tells Fin what happened, saying Leon has been in a mood since they separated. She should have given in sooner, after he got what he wanted it was over. He suggests a rape kit in case she wants to press charges and it could take a few hours. He asks where can he take Andre and she suggests her sister Aleah in the Van Buren houses, Andre knows.

At Columbus Memorial Hospital, 568 West 113the Street on Saturday, September 28 at 2:31:29 AM, Chloe explains what happened to Benson. The driver pulled over, saying he had a flat then he opened up the door to the back seat and jumped in, ripped her top and put his hand up her skirt. She pushed him off of her and ran and an old couple saw her and waited until she called her dad. She realizes she left her shoes in the car and asks if she can get them back. Benson replies if they find them, they will be evidence. Chloe realizes how spoiled that sounded, and Benson assures her there is no wrong or right way to react. Chloe’s parents enter and they are ready to take her home but Benson wants a few more minutes with Chloe. They exit the room. Chloe goes on to say that she thought this is where she would die.

Law & Order SVU At “Midnight in Manhattan” Photos

Here are photos from Law & Order SVU “At Midnight in Manhattan” airing on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC. The photos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder as Katriona "Kat" Azar Tamin, Bea Cordelia as Lakira Baca, Afi Bijou as Simone Fuller, Ja'Siah Young as Andre Fuller, James Udom as Leon Fuller, and Ben Davis as Paul Davies.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “At Midnight In Manhattan” can be found at this link.

Photos by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC 2019 NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU At “Midnight in Manhattan” Sneak Peeks

Here are preview clips from Law & Order SVU “At Midnight in Manhattan” airing on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC. The videos feature Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, amd Jamie Gray Hyder.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “At Midnight In Manhattan” can be found at this link.



Please note: these videos may have a limited life and can be removed at any time, so catch them while you can!


Clip 1


Clip 2 - Added October 23, 2019

SVU_2105_102419_Clip 2 from Chris Zimmer on Vimeo.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “At Midnight in Manhattan” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “At Midnight in Manhattan” airing on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 10PM ET on NBC.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “At Midnight In Manhattan” can be found at this link.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “At Midnight In Manhattan” Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “At Midnight In Manhattan.”

Law & Order SVU “At Midnight In Manhattan” Air Date October 24, 2019 (10 PM ET/9C Thursday NBC)

The detectives are spread thin when three major cases come in at Midnight. Rollins and Carisi argue over an arrest. Starring Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish and Peter Scanavino. Guest starring Jamie Gray Hyder, Bea Cordelia, Afi Bijou, Ja'Siah Young and Nicole Brydon Bloom.

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My recap and review of Law & Order SVU “At Midnight In Manhattan” can be found at this link.




Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.