Let’s cut to the chase. It was just as many had suspected: Sheila Porter – Noah’s biological grandmother - was behind Noah’s kidnapping. While Sheila’s shock and horror seemed genuine that Noah disappeared on her watch, she certainly changed her tune at the end of the episode. Brooke Shields did an excellent job of playing both sides of her character: the panicked grandmother and the possessive, obsessed grandmother. Even though the outcome of this case was predictable, the episode was action packed and moved at an exciting pace.
Benson is crazed at hearing her son has been kidnapped – who wouldn’t be? – and she refuses to back away from the case when Fin tells her that Chief Dodds doesn’t want her working it. When Benson realizes that Sheila planned this, her resolve only becomes greater as she worries that Noah could be gone forever. When Benson questions herself out loud, asking “How stupid am I?”, I found myself answering her: really stupid. Sheila previously tried to get custody of Noah in a contentious legal battle with Benson and when that didn’t work, Sheila played on Benson's soft spots to find another way in. Benson’s desire to create a family for Noah had her welcoming the fox into the hen house.
Finding Noah was a bit too easy, despite first missing the obvious by looking at the surveillance video outside the store’s doors. Had someone been working on that right away, they wouldn’t have needed the detectives and the cops running around the store questioning random people to track Noah. After that, everything falls in to place; they track the hapless sucker who took Noah from the store at Sheila’s bidding. Sheila had bamboozled this guy into thinking that Benson was a child abuser and there was plenty of money and a family life together if he helped her. What a loser.
Rollins does something that seemed out of character and highly inappropriate: she slaps the kidnapper in order to get him to talk. I guess when the crime affects one of their own, it’s easy for them to lose control and throw the rule book out the window. The leads they get takes Benson to an out-of-state cabin where Sheila has taken Noah. Not knowing what to expect there, Benson goes there alone, not a smart move coming from a Lieutenant. Sheila could have been armed, there could have been another accomplice there, etc. Benson could have been walking into a dangerous situation. Oh wait, she DID walk into a dangerous situation! Benson enters the cabin and stands too long in the open doorway, a rookie mistake. Sheila easily attacks Benson and disarms her, giving Sheila control of Benson’s weapon. Lucky for Benson, Noah walks in and distracts Sheila, giving Benson the opportunity to gain control over the situation and get Noah to safety. It's sad to think that Benson's lack of caution in entering the premises, in addition to her going there alone, put her and Noah in a dangerous situation, one where Noah had to unwittingly create a needed diversion.
Benson and Barba have a few moments together where it implies their friendship has gotten stronger. Barba shows concern for Benson not just as a colleague but as a friend and Benson appears to be comforted by his support. But I suppose that there is still a respectable distance between them, as, at the end of the episode, everyone with SVU is already at Benson’s home when Barba shows up but she doesn’t immediately invite him in. In fact, he has to ask if she isn’t going to ask him in. What was she worried about that she didn’t let him in right away? What kind of good friend doesn’t immediately welcome someone into their home? Was she worried that her colleagues would think that there was more to her relationship with Barba?
My favorite line – or shall I say word - of the episode goes to Fin, who, when at SVU, Chief Dodds tells him “Well I’m glad you’re on our side, Detective Tutuola” and Fin responds “Count your blessings, Chief” then calls him a “dick” under his breath as Dodds walks off.
The final scene where everyone is together shows that Benson knows who is her – and Noah’s – real family. The family is not Noah’s biological grandmother, it’s her SVU family. Had Benson realized this much earlier, and not allowed her desire to give Noah a semblance of a family life, this kidnapping would likely have not happened, or at least not been so easy. After all these years working in Special Victims and seeing the worst of people, Benson still has a streak of naiveté when it comes to the people in own life.
I suspect most fans are grateful that Noah is safely back with Benson, but I do know many fans are suffering from Noah fatigue. Hopefully this will bring to a close any Noah-centric story lines, at least for a while. I think that well has run dry.
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay - Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Ice-T - Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.
Guest stars:
Brooke Shields - Sheila Porter
Peter Gallagher - Chief William Dodds
Frank Pando - Juan Ortoli
Maureen Mueller - Susan Janet
Domenica Feraud – Maria Ortoli
Kevin McGrue – Raymond Greem, PI
Brian Berrebbi – Vince Mazanno
Collin Meath – Brad
Lawrence Clayton – Matt Wyatt
Gannon McHale – George
Nesha Ward – Nathalie Washington
Kelly Feltjhous – Cyndi
Olivia Luna – Rhonda
Logan James Hall - Brett Hagen
Marvin Bell – Bus Driver
Julia Garrison – Mall Patron
Rowan Vickers – Ridgewood NJ Cop
Ryan Buggle - Noah Porter-Benson
Charlotte Cabel – Jesse
Vivian Cabell - Jesse
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