Season 17 of Law & Order SVU begins with a grisly discovery, and the case becomes more gruesome as it progresses. Serial killer Greg Yates, locked up in prison, still seems to have an influence on the SVU as Rollins uses him to assist on this new murder case that has touches of Yates’ MO. Benson is less than happy with Rollins that she involved Yates in this case without her knowledge and that Rollins went to see Yates alone. It seems Benson still has questions about Rollin’s judgment. Even Barba seems a little hard on Rollins when she presents her ideas on the case. Pointing his finger at her like one scolding a petulant child, he warns she’d better be right about this. Later, Barba does a 180 and uses Rollins' connections with Yates to try to get even more information out of him, without any of the other detectives accompanying her and without Benson's knowledge. I was a little surprised this didn't come back to bite him, especially when Rollins was questioned about her visits to Yates while on the stand.
Rollins seems off, and it becomes obvious that she is not well. It’s creepy that Yates is the first one to know that she is pregnant. It seems he has a super sense of smell for these things. (Ick.) Carisi is the next in line to raise the issue; he’s noticed Rollins has been green lately and throwing up at a crime scene is a giveaway. Eventually Rollins must tell Benson, who is somewhat supportive but realistic, telling Rollins this will eventually have an effect on her work status. It’s refreshing to have them work Kelli’s real pregnancy into the story line; the last time a real pregnancy was written in on a Law & Order brand show was Katherine Erbe’s in Law & Order Criminal Intent. Rollins was quick to say that it is not Amaro's baby, so we are left to guess who is the baby daddy? Rollins also tells Benson her mom is coming to New York, and I am not sure if Rollins is happy about this or not.
Along with the opening credits being updated to remove Danny Pino, the squad room has been renovated and, based on the glimpses seen, it looks more like a real squad room than a set for a TV show. I like it.
Barba seems to be showing more visible signs that he is under pressure. He was more testy than normal and, at one point in the squad room, he looks like he is going to completely lose it. He also appeared slightly unshaven at times, which is not like him at all. The nature of this case, and even the possibility of Yates gaining an inch on an appeals case, makes it understandable that Barba is showing some cracks in his veneer. The fact that the Medical Examiner is also a murderer doesn’t help matters. Lucky for Barba, bringing ME Rudnick in to his office for questioning and recording the encounter saved the day. And also lucky for Barba: Carisi listened to the whole recording, and hearing Rudnick incriminate himself was the icing on the cake.
I may take some heat for saying this, but I did not miss Amaro at all. It may be because I think Carisi is fitting in very well, even though he borders on being a little annoying. The chemistry with the team seems to click. It will be interesting to see how things will work when Benson gets promoted to Lieutenant and a new Sergeant comes in. (This is not in the episode but unless you have been living under a rock, you know this has already been reported. )
Maybe this is the first I heard this, but until it was mentioned in this episode, I did not realize that ME Warner had been passed over for a promotion and that ME Rudnick was her boss. Maybe Warner will get that promotion now.
I wonder...just what was Bronwyn Freed, a carryover from the William Lewis days, doing in the courtroom gallery?
All in all, this was an excellent season premiere and a nice continuation of the Greg Yates saga. I suspect this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him. If the season premiere is any indication, it looks like season 17 will be quite interesting!
Here is the recap:
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Sergeant 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:
Tamara Tunie – ME Melinda Warner
Dallas Roberts – Greg Yates
Mary Bacon - Susie Frain
Jefferson Mays - M. E. Rudnick
Elizabeth Marvel - Counselor Rita Calhoun
Cody Lindquist - Rachel Groves/ Brooke Groves Norwalk
Bronwyn Reed – Lucy Huston
Delaney Williams - Counselor John Buchanan
Vincent Curatola – Judge Al Bertuccio
Karen Tsen Lee – DNA Tech Susan Chung
Max Baker -
Dan Daily –
Denny Dillon –
Purva Bedi –
Stephen Bradbury – Judge Colin McNamara
Anthony Mangano – Sergeant
Edelen McWilliams - CSU Tech
Stephen Tenner – Corrections Officer
Bradley Durow – Noah Porter Benson
Derek Kelly – Syracuse Sergeant
Julia Coffey - Syracuse Uni
Samantha Steinmetz – Flo
Lauren Noble – Carmen
Sarah Bisman Storm – Bronwyn Freed
The episode opens with clips of the SVU’s previous encounters with serial killer Greg Yates.
A decomposing body is seen floating in the water and later, police are seen carrying it onto the shore where Rollins and Carisi are waiting. Carisi asks if she was dismembered of if she came apart in the water. CSU Tech Chung says there are no obvious tears or cutting marks in the bones and tendons. Benson comments it is another body found here in Yates’ burial ground. Carisi states that some skinny dipping teenagers ditching class kicked up the vic; the local precinct gave them a heads up thinking it was one they missed. Benson questions how, they covered the whole island. Rollins says that Yates buried his bodies and this one they found floating in the water. Carisi observes it just happens to coincide with where Yates dumped Nadia. Rollins challenges that Yates buried Nadia and goes back out to Queens and assaults two flight attendants, has lunch with his fiancée and finds time for a fourth assault? Fin suggests maybe Yates was on a spree. Benson states they were brunettes and this is a red head, not Yates’ type. Fin states they have nine dead bodies found here, all by the same killer. Carisi thinks now they have the tenth – citing “Occam’s Razor.” Benson says no, says they have two options; one is bad, the other one is worse: either they missed one, or Yates has a copycat.
At the morgue, M.E. Rudnick, recording the autopsy, states the victim is a Caucasian female, late 20s, and the probable cause of death is a fractured skull. The right arm was severed surgically at the shoulder. Carisi and Rollins enter and Rollins asks if they are interrupting. He replies not at all, he is just notating his initial findings. He comments she was found in Pelham Bay so either she floated up as the water warmed or CSU missed her in April. Carisi asks if Rudnick thinks Yates did this, and Rudnick replies he can’t say definitively but there are findings consistent with Yates’ MO. There is evidence consistent with rape, and Rollins questions even after this long in the water? As Rudnick photographs the body, he says there is no question the skull was fractured, just like those of the two flight attendants and Nadia. Rollins reminds him the body was dismembered which is not part of Yates’ MO. Rudnick acknowledges this but says the cuts were made by someone with surgical training. He adds that there was microscopic traces of green nail polish under two fingernails. Rollins looks stunned and Carisi asks her with mild sarcasm if this is just another coincidence. She reminds him that was public record, and Carisi says dismissively, “If you say so.”
At Green Haven Corrections in the visitor’s room on Wednesday, June 3, Rollins questions Yates, showing him photos of the body and implying Yates did it. But Yates thinks someone piggybacked on to his crimes. He prefers brunettes and not dismembering. His creepy response is that he is really sorry, she has her work cut out for her. He gives her a look and as she moves to leave, he comments if he can stew on it for a couple days, he may have something for her.
As Benson, Rollins, and Fin walk into the squad room and to Benson’s office, Benson questions Rollins that Yates told her it wasn’t him, saying that she bets he still says that Nadia wasn't him. Rollins argues that the timeline is too tight; this girl was a redhead and he has never dismembered a body before. Fin counters they found skulls last time, but Rollins continues to dispute that was skeletal remains of decomped corpses, this is different. She adds his victims were never prostitutes, this is a Jane Doe. Benson closes her office door and tells Rollins she doesn’t know what she is doing, but this isn’t police work. Rollins states she is cultivating a source; Yates hinted he might know who the killer is. Benson says, “Hinted. But didn’t say.” She testily asks if Rollins has to go back there again and then he will tell her? Fin comments that Yates is a psychopath. Benson adds that Rollins went up there without clearing it with her, she is not trusting her judgment right now. Rollins admits maybe they are right, and say if it is Yates, let her keep building a rapport and maybe they can finally get an ID on this girl. Carisi barges in and says he got hit from the DNA from a military database. The vic’s name is Brook Groves, 28, ROTC from SUNY Plattsburgh. Fin comments that the ME said she was a working girl, but Carisi says before that she had another life. Her last home address is in Larchmont. As Carisi moved to head there, Rollins says she will go with. But Benson tells her to stay at SVU with Fin, and, as Benson races past Rollins to leave, looking annoyed, she tells Rollins she will let them know what they find out. Rollins looks less than happy.
Later, Fin approaches Rollins at the vending machines. She comments that they spend all this money renovating the squad room and there is still nothing to eat. He asks how she is feeling but she is just tires, she has been taking too many shift since Amaro left. She mentions he is happy and is doing physical therapy in Laguna Beach and has a lead with US Park police. Fin thinks she misses him but she dismisses that, saying she is pissed off Benson took her off the case, saying she knows Yates better than Carisi. Fin says Benson is looking out for her, Rollins is good in getting inside these guys’ heads, don’t let him get inside hers.
