“December Solstice” featured two story lines involving people of advanced age: famous author Walter Briggs and ADA Rafael Barba’s grandmother. Sadly, this underwhelming episode made me feel like I aged ten years just watching it. It’s not the fault of guest stars Robert Vaughn and Marcia Cross, who were perfect as the elderly and somewhat addled famous author and his stunning young wife Charmaine. The problem was the dull case and highly predictable outcome. The real mystery was how the case prosecuting Charmaine for Walter’s death wound up in court with such lightning speed. Had the detectives and Barba taken more time to vet the daughters’ stories, Barba would not have wasted his time in prosecuting such a weak case. Also, the second degree manslaughter charge against Charmaine was arraigned on Monday, February 9, and was quickly in Supreme Court on trail the very next day. I know in the SVU universe the time lines are accelerated, but they should at least make it realistic. I’d love to hear from real ADAs in Manhattan to see if this kind of scenario is even remotely believable. I've seem local traffic court cases take longer to get in front of a judge.
Also very disappointing was the Barba-centric story. I assumed from the episode details released before the episode aired that it would play out in the manner it did, but I know many Raúl Esparza were hoping for something far meatier. The boilerplate story surrounding his grandmother and mother felt like filler for a weak main story. Had it not been for Raúl’s honed ability to emote, the whole segment would have fallen flat. In praise of the writing, they do remain true to Barba’s personality, especially with his quick sass. His comeback to Carisi - where Carisi asked if he was right and Barba snapped “Seldom” and then Barba just moved on - was both well written and delivered. Barba is also quick to remind Benson they are not social workers, something that I find myself shouting to the TV screen frequently during cases like these.
Carisi was getting to the point of annoying with his obvious admiration for Walter. I wondered if it was proper that he accepted that signed, first edition book from Judith. After all, Delilah still had not agreed to the deal that Charmaine and Judith made with Barba. Had further investigation been required, this gift could have compromised Carisi’s objectivity.
The fact that the issue of Noah's parentage opened the episode and that Benson "hypothetically" tipped off Barba, one just knows this is going to come back and bite someone at a later date.
Here is the recap:
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Sergeant Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Peter Scanavino - Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
Guest stars:
Marcia Cross – Charmaine Briggs
Robert Vaughn – Walter Briggs
Emily Bergl – Judith Briggs
Susan Pourfar – Delilah Briggs
Mercedes Ruehl - Lucia Barba
Jefferson Mays - M.E. Rudnick
Kate Jennings Grant – Judge Marian Adams
Michelle Hurst – Housekeeper
Anne Betancourt – Catalina Diaz
Jennifer Van Dyck - Dr. Brenda Tedroe
Sharon Washington – Judge Hayes
Steven Shaw - Frederick Worth
Sandy Duncan - Judge Virginia Farrell
Susie Essman - Counselor Arlene Heller
Jason Bower – Devon Wallace
Chris Harnick – Reporter #1
Drew Grant – Reporter #2
Barba is at Benson’s apartment – which looks like a disaster – and she speaks with him – “hypothetically”– that Johnny D is Noah’s father. Benson admits she is losing sleep over it and asks Barba to tell her that Johnny D doesn’t have to know. He says he doesn’t, adding it is not exculpatory in any way and he never needs to find out. She whispers that she’s already started the adoption paperwork. Barba states that, given Noah’s history, how could she be expected to know who Noah’s father was? She nods her head.
At the Elysium Club on Friday, February 6, author Walter Briggs arrives with his young wife Charmaine. A man approaches him and when Walter doesn’t appear to recognize him, Charmaine explains it is Fred Worth, a reviewer. Charmaine finds an excuse to get them to move along and as they walk off, Fred looks concerned.
Later, as Walter and Charmaine leave the club, Walter's two daughters, Delilah and Judith Briggs, race up and call out to him, saying they weren’t on the list for the party because of Charmaine. Delilah says Charmaine won’t let them see him. Charmaine gets Walter to move quickly into the car, and he looks to the two women and says it is great to see them and he blows them a kiss as the car pulls away.
At a later time in Benson’s office, Carisi knocks on Benson’s door, and opens it to tell her that there are two women here that will only speak to someone in charge. She waves them in and asks them how can she help them? The two women – Delilah and Judith Briggs - enter and Delilah states they want to report a sex crime - a rape. Benson stands up and says she is sorry and offers them a seat. She asks which one of them… and Delilah says it wasn’t one of them. Judith says it was their father, Walter Briggs. Carisi asks if this is the novelist, and when Judith nods yes. Carisi says he is an admirer and has read every one of his books. Benson cuts Carisi off, asking the women what happened to him. Delilah says his wife Charmaine pumps him with erectile dysfunction pills and makes him have sex with her every day, which in dangerous considering he has a heart condition. Judith says their father is divorced from both their mothers and Charmaine won’t let them see him. Benson asks then how do they know this, and Delilah says his housekeeper told them, and the housekeeper feels terrible but she doesn’t know what to do. Carisi says that might not technically be rape. Judith quotes penal law section 130.25: sexual intercourse with a person who is incapable of consent because of mental disability or incapacitation. She adds their father is almost 80 and has dementia. He does not consent and cannot consent. Carisi asks if she looked that up, and she says she is in law school. Carisi asks where, stating he is at Fordham. Benson cuts him off again and then asks why would their father’s wife be doing this? Judith says their father’s will divided his estate into equal shares between his current wife and his children. Benson comments that their stepmother wants a child so she can have an extra share. Delilah says, “So she’s raping him.” The women look at Benson, Carisi gives Benson a questioning look, and Benson says nothing.
Later, Carisi speaks with the housekeeper in the SVU interview room who states her concerns about Walter and about Charmaine giving him pills. She says he was brilliant but now he has gaps. She rushes off so as not to be late. Carisi walks into Benson’s office where Benson, Rollins, and Amaro have been observing. They discuss Walter’s age and the fact that he is on his 6th wife and she is very young and the sexual demands. Benson explains that if he is incapable to giving consent, it is rape. Carisi mentions Walter being a literary genius. Amaro asks if Walter is also the literary genius who threw one of his wives through a plate glass window? Carisi admits yes, and there is a similar scene in one of his books. Rollins wonders what’s in it for the daughters - a bigger slice of the estate? Carisi suggests love, devotion, and concern. Rollins gives him a skeptical look and says, “Right.” Benson states they have an allegation and corroboration, and tells Rollins and Carisi to speak with the happy couple. She cautions Carisi to do it as a detective not a fan.
At the townhouse of Walter and Charmaine Briggs on Sunday, February 7, Rollins explains she and Carisi are there to do a welfare check; they do it from time to time for seniors. Walter comments that would be him. Charmaine asks if her husband’s daughters called them, Carisi replies that they did express some concern and said they weren’t allowed to see Walter. Charmaine explains this is one of those difficult family situations: step-mother, step-daughters. She is sure it happens all the time. Rollins comments she is sure it does, but then asks Charmaine if she can speak with her separately, citing standard procedure. Charmaine says she does mind, saying that she and Walter don’t keep secrets from each other. She moves in to sit closer to him. Walter jokes that he humors her. She asks what they want to talk to her about, and Carisi says it is pretty personal, Rollins adding that it pertains to their sex life. Charmaine questions that is a police matter, and when Rollins looks like she is at a loss for words, Walter laughs and says he is 79 and stiff as a varnished eel. Carisi smiles, repeating the “varnished eel” comment, and Rollins also smiles. He said his third wife took up with a bartender because Walter got distracted by his book on the Pope. Charmaine laughs, and Walter says you spend 6 months in The Vatican and you see what happens to YOUR testicles. Everybody has a laugh. Carisi says Roman Follies was a wonderful book and he read it in college. Charmaine says all of his books are wonderful. Rollins asks Walter if he is happy to keep his wife satisfied, and he says of course he is, adding for them to just look at her. He adds he is obliged, it is a man’s duty and it’s nature. He states that a million years of evolution and all these feminists can preach and screech all they want, but until the day a man suckles an infant and a woman goes out and hunts, AND….he pauses and then closes his eyes and appears to forget what he was saying. Charmaine puts down his raised hand Carisi tries to repeat what Walter said to trigger him to finish the thought, and Walter can’t. Charmaine get up and says her husband is very tired but as they can see, they are fine. Carisi looks at Rollins as if he doesn’t believe that.
Later, as they walk through the hall to Barba's office, Benson, along with Rollins and Carisi, confer with Barba. Barba comments that Walter is consenting but Benson asks if he is capable of consent. Rollins gets a call and moves to take it. Carisi states he doesn’t know, saying Walter winked at Rollins a whole bunch and quoted an essay he wrote for Playboy in 1972 and then he went off into gaga land. Carisi adds it was sad, saying the guy was a titan. Rollins gets off her call and states that was the housekeeper, Walter just went to the hospital for an apparent heart attack. Benson comments the daughter said he had a heart condition and then tells Barba if the wife knew and was secretly feeding him those pills. Carisi pipes in and says that is assault 3, recklessly causing physical injury to another person, maybe even attempted murder. He asks Barba if he is right, and Barba quickly dismisses him, saying “Seldom” and quickly adds that unless the daughter can give proof the wife knew about the heart condition and was exacerbating it, they have nothing.
Meanwhile, Amaro is speaking with Delilah who is on a call hearing that Charmaine is contesting it, calling her a bitch. She explains that was Judith who has been at the courthouse all day trying to get visitation rights. Charmaine won’t let them visit Walter, even in the hospital. He has had several heart attacks before going back to the 80s and he wrote a piece about it for Esquire. She explains she is a playwright and she started this theatre to put up her own work and now she does all the work. Amaro asks if they specifically discussed Walter’s heart condition with Charmaine, and Delilah says absolutely.
At the Grollier LeMay Health Center on Saturday, February 7, Benson and Carisi speak with Dr. Tedroe and ask if Walter’s heart attack could have been caused by his ED medication. She explains she never got a chance to do a complete medical history. His wife arrived 20 minutes ago with a private ambulance and removed him from the hospital against medical advice. The doctor leads them to his empty bed and adds Charmaine pulled him off the EKG monitor and was in such a hurry she took their IV pump with her. Benson asks if he can maintain outside the hospital, and the doctor says maybe, maybe not; his wife has put his life in jeopardy. Carisi raises his voice and asks the doctor if she just let Charmaine take him, and the doctor explains his wife said she was transferring him to another hospital. Suddenly Delilah and Judith enter the room, saying they got the court order, and see their father is gone. Benson explains he was taken.
Later and walking outside with Carisi and Barba, Benson explains that they’ve checked every hospital in Manhattan and there is no sign of Walter. Barba states Charmaine is his wife and has the right to take him out of the hospital. Benson complains it was against medical advice and ripping hospital equipment out of the wall, and Barba sarcastically asks her if she wants him to file a larceny charge for an IV pump. Carisi says Walter’s daughter has a court order and Charmaine is in volition. Barba asks if Charmaine has denied them access and Carisi states they don’t know where he is. Benson emphasized Charmaine is endangering Walter’s life. The doctors made that clear. Carisi adds the rape and assault charges are still under investigation. Barba says barely, one is a stretch and the other is a chasm. Carisi says there is a sick old man getting dragged across the city, and Barba counters they are not social workers. Benson reminds him they are cops and they can keep investigating. He smiles and tells them to knock themselves out, and she says they will. As they walk off, Barba makes a phone call to his mother and asks how his grandmother is doing. He says he can stop by the hospital tonight and is surprised to hear they sent her home and he worries who is going to take care of her.
