Fans know they will be tuning in to a great episode of Law & Order SVU when they see that Jean de Segonzac is directing. Written by Julie Martin and Matt Klypka, “Dear Ben” did not disappoint. The SVU was faced with what first appeared to be the resurrection of a serial rapist – “The Infinity Rapist” - connected to 22 prior unsolved cases stretching back to 1981. In the course of the investigation, Peter Stone discovers these cases haunted his father, Ben, who was EADA at the time of the last rape in 1994. While unraveling the current case, Peter Stone comes to the realization that his father was consumed by the serial cases, and he likely perceived there was a threat to his family. Peter suspects his father was absent at times because of this; eventually Peter appears to forgive Ben for it.
As they work the case, they find that not only is an unhinged, obsessed copycat responsible for rape #23, the ensuing media coverage struck a nerve with the real Infinity rapist. It triggers him to rape a woman who wrote 3 books about him (and is working on a fourth), and to also attack her husband. He makes it crystal clear that this was the real 23rd incident. While Peter has taken charge of the legal side of the case, it’s Carisi, using some of his own knowledge of the law, who is doggedly following through on old evidence and finding the new. This was a nice way to weave in recent stories about criminals being caught when law enforcement taps into DNA information and familial connections using genealogy web sites.
The episode had a good balance of screen time for all the lead characters, possibly only short-changing Rollins due to her pregnancy. I was pleased to see Carisi and Fin have meaningful segments while investigating. This serious episode also featured one light moment with Fin when he looked disgusted at being asked to cuff a suspect that he knew was just in the bathroom. I suppose Fin was more worried that the guy hadn’t washed his hands than if a possible rapist was going to attempt to flee.
The only annoying part of this episode is what I call a Noah sandwich: a scene at the start of the episode and a scene at the end focusing on Noah. I fully understand that it was likely to reinforce the whole father/son theme with Peter Stone and Ben, but it grated on me nonetheless. Noah is not the perfect child; he has a bad attitude and Benson is still trying to find a way to address it. Magically, playing baseball with Stone suddenly brings out a perfect, happy, well-adjusted child. But all it takes is one line of dialog to create controversy and/or put a character in a bad light. In this episode, it was Benson’s comment to Stone about Noah that “maybe he [Noah] just needs some masculine energy.” This is a perplexing statement, especially coming from Benson. Benson strikes me as a woman who would never think that every problem can be fixed by a man’s touch or mere presence. There already was “masculine energy” with Tucker, and Tucker and Noah seemed to click. Benson and Tucker seemed an odd but workable match…until they weren’t. But is lack of “masculine energy” really the issue with Noah? Noah is being asked by a friend about who is his father, and he is naturally curious. Benson not wanting to tell him the whole truth is understandable, but maybe she needs a more substantial answer for him other than the standard “maybe when you’re older” routine. She should at least give him an answer that he can give to his friends to divert or shut down the discussion, something on the lines of “I don’t know my dad but I know he loved me. I know my mother (Benson) loves me, and this is all that matters.” If Noah’s behavioral problems still continue – the whole issue with his dad could only be a part of it - Noah and Benson may need the help of a doctor or child psychologist to fully understand the extent of Noah’s problem. He is the child of an addict, and that alone can mean all kinds of developmental and/or behavioral problems for him. Just like Tucker, Stone may be able to patch a void in Noah’s life but that may only be a band-aid.
There is another possibility: Noah behavior is normal and Benson’s comment about needing “masculine energy” is transference; she may think SHE needs a man in her life to make everything better.
Considering the victims at the beginning of the episodes were chosen in part because of lax security by the tenants, it surprises me that Benson frequently doesn’t screen her visitors before they arrive at her apartment door. In this episode it was Peter Stone who arrives unannounced, but this has happened with others in previous episodes. How are these people getting so far into her building without first being cleared? I can’t think of any multi-tenant buildings that don’t require some sort of procedure allowing residents to screen their visitors before giving them access inside. In Benson’s line of work and her previous experience with people like William Lewis and Noah’s nutty grandmother, I don’t understand why she’s not more careful who arrives at her front door.
Update January 22, 2019 - a deleted scene has been added after the recap
Here is the recap:
At a local park, Stone pitches a ball to Noah, giving him tips as he pitches. Noah swings and hit the ball as Benson stands behind him, watching. Noah swings and hits the ball, Stone and Benson cheering him on as he runs the bases. Stone tells Benson she has a good kid there, and Benson says “You should see him at dinner time, or bedtime, or homework time,” Stone comments that all kids go through phases - he’s told – and Benson laughs and give him a look. She comments that whatever Noah is going through now, she’s a little over it. She sighs and adds that “maybe he just needs some masculine energy.” Noah reaches them and they congratulate him on his home run, and Noah says “Thanks coach.” Stone asks if he wants to do it again, and Noah agrees. As they move off to continue, Benson watches, a smile on her face which slowly fades.
April and Gavin Baker arrive home to their apartment building and find the entrance door propped open and Gavin says he will call the super in the morning. A woman in another apartment walks out with her dog and a large bag, putting a piece of paper in the door lock to keep it unlocked. She walks down the street, the silhouette of a figure watching her as she leaves and then moves to the apartment, going through the propped open door.
Inside, April is attacked by someone who throws her onto the bed. She screams for Gavin as the attacker brings out a knife. But Gavin does not respond; he’s on the kitchen floor, bound and laying with a stack of plates on his back, unable to move.
Later, SVU is on the scene outside the building and Benson hears what happened from April as April is being taken to an ambulance. She describes what she recalls about her attacker. He told her to be quiet and if she screamed he would kill Gavin. Meanwhile, Fin is talking to Gavin, who explains he was at the kitchen sink and he felt a knife at the back of his neck. They just got home from the holidays; the building door was propped open and he thought there was something off about their door knob. The attacker’s voice was low, creepy; he said to lay on the floor and he tied him up and stacked plates on his back. He said if he moved he’d hear. He said April was dead. Fin walks off and Benson tells him that April said the attack happened around midnight and she managed to free herself – untie herself – 3 hours later. Fin says the husband said the son of a bitch stacked plates on his back, and Benson comments while he was raping her, the attacker could hear if her husband moved. Benson moves to go inside.
Carisi, crouching over broken plates on the floor, points to the door latch and said whoever did this disassembled the door latch and jury-rigged it back together so no one would notice. Fin suspects the perp staked out the place while they were out of town, and Benson thinks they are looking at a pro. Carisi suggests maybe worse. He leads them into another room and Benson gets a shocked look on her face. Fin asks if this is for real. There are markings on the wall; an infinity symbol with 23 under it, and the letters NYPD with zero under it. Benson comments about surveilling the apartment, breaking the door lock, stacking plates…Carisi says he did not want to believe it either, asking how long has it been. Benson replies 25 years, mentioning “The Infinity Rapist.”
Back at SVU, Benson and the detectives discuss what they know so far. Benson states Infinity’s last rape was January 2, 1994; she was a rookie in the five-five [55th Precinct] and everyone in the five boroughs knew about that case. Rollins comments not so much in Georgia, asking how many rapes he was good for. Carisi replies it was 22, from 1981 to 1994; the guy targeted couples. He’d case the place, open the door or window and lie in wait and break in a second time. Fin adds the attacker would tie up the boyfriend and stack plates on their back, saying if he heard a rattle, the woman was dead. Carisi explains he took trophies – small personal items – and after the fifth rape he started leaving messages: Infinity 5, NYPD zero. Benson comments if it is him, he has been out of commission for two decades, which makes him middle-aged or older. Rollins asks if they alert Crimestoppers, and Benson explains that no, until they know what they are dealing with, One PP wants to keep it on the DL. Fin gets a message and tells the others that no DNA on April’s rape kit; CSU found two hairs on a bed that were not a match to the Baker’s and no match in CODIS. Benson instructs him to check that DNA against old evidence and have Stone do some digging.
At the Office of the District Attorney at 1 Hogan Place on Thursday, January 3, Carisi and Stone are in the file area and Carisi fills in Stone. George points them to a huge wall of files on the case and says there are over a dozen of them and says he will get a dolly. Carisi pulls out a folder and comments to Stone that he never told him his father was on this case. Stone is surprised and Carisi shows him the sign out log. Stone explains he didn’t know; he was in school and they never talked about his cases.
