Law & Order SVU “Exile” was one of those episodes that annoyed me most of the way through. I almost didn't want to waste my time to recap it.
What first set me off was the way they shoehorned in Peter Stone's issues with the death of his sister. Carisi made an insensitive comment to Stone, complaining about his own sister, Gina, which makes Stone get in a "mood." Stone, who seems to need sex to drown his sorrows, has a momentary struggle with having sex with a woman he just picked up at a bar. I admit I laughed when the woman commented that he was old and would only have to climb two flights of stairs – OUCH! Later, Stone tells Benson his sister was also homeless at one time, and soon after that, Stone gets agitated at the victim’s parents, blaming them for the victim being homeless. We also hear that his sister went missing before being institutionalized, and she was living on the street with a junkie doing meth. I wonder what other problems they will dump on this dead woman in order to advance a backstory for Peter Stone? Why must we continually have Peter Stone’s struggle with his sister’s death thrown in our faces? Don’t get me wrong, I really like Philip Winchester and am glad he’s on SVU. If these tidbits made for an interesting backstory I would buy into them but frankly, the way his struggle is being presented is like poorly written fanfic. (Full disclosure: I dislike fanfic and rarely read it.) The dialog was cringe-worthy at times (example: “I’m just using you…to forget”).
Along that line, we hear about Benson’s college life and college boyfriend in her attempt to help the victim recover her memories. I know fans love to hear tidbits about Benson but again, they were shoehorned in under the guise of making a connection with the victim. It felt forced. A side note: Benson calls the cereal she ate in college Captain Crunch (the captioning also listed it as that) but any cereal connoisseur, or anyone who ever ate that stuff, knows it is Cap’n Crunch (wink).
The pacing of the episode was good when Fin and Carisi worked the investigation. Fin’s reaction to his shoes getting soiled was classic Fin. But as Benson became increasingly involved, the episode dragged. Which brings me to my biggest issue: the doctor’s evaluation and Benson’s ensuing involvement with the victim’s recovery of memory. My first issue is with the quick examination of Sophie in the SVU interview room. We’re not talking about a doctor observing an interrogation of a perp to get a general take on a perp’s mental state, we’re talking about a doctor examining a victim who they suspect has been traumatized. Wouldn’t a doctor’s office environment have been a better, more calming place for the evaluation? Then, after Dr. Abernathy confirms a diagnosis that Benson had already suspected, shouldn’t the doctor have taken the lead to help Sophie recover those memories, not Benson? I can’t see where an NYPD lieutenant would be the proper person, or have the time, to facilitate the recovery of a victim in such a fragile mental state, regardless of her job experience. We see how that went for Benson: things went sideways and we got an enraged and even more traumatized victim. I was thrilled to see Sophie call out Benson on her hollow platitudes. I did not agree with Benson encouraging an already enraged Sophie to throw something and break it to make things all better. I think this method works only on TV. Luckily for Benson, Carisi’s almost inappropriate comment gave her a brainstorm to help Sophie recover from her trauma. It gave the victim a chance for closure, and again, Benson saves the day. I would have found it more interesting had Carisi, who seemed to be making a connection with the victim early on, been the one to help her through her recovery.
On the plus side, Aimee Spring Fortier was very convincing as Grace Walker/Sophie.
Here is the recap:
Grace walks the street in the rain and looks into a bar window and then enters. Meanwhile, Carisi is at a bar with Stone and explains he has to get going otherwise he will get an earful from his sister, Gina. He’s only had his truck for a month and she thinks it’s her personal U-Haul. Carisi says he loves his sister but sometimes he wishes she would just go away, a comment which hits Stone the wrong way because of his own sister’s recent death. Carisi apologizes. Carisi pays the tab and leaves. Stone stays and makes eye contact with a woman nearby.
Grace dries up in the rest room and puts on makeup. Meanwhile, two guys talk about a “peegasm”. One of the guys strikes up a conversation with Grace.
Elsewhere, Stone is in a cab with the woman from the bar and they are kissing. He says he can’t, and she says she knows he is old but he’d only have to climb two flights [ouch!]. He explains he is just using her to forget. She counters she is using him for sex, no biggie. She opens the door and asks if he is coming.
The next day, Carisi and Benson are on the scene of an alley by a bar where a girl who has been injured is being removed by EMTs. She has no cell or personal ID. It is not just a mugging, the perp took her panties. But – he left her Prada.
Later, Benson and Carisi hear about the victim’s injuries from the doctor at the hospital. The rape kit tested positive. Her name is Grace Walker and she has no family. She had a high BAC and THC was in her system so the doctor doubts there was consent. Benson and Carisi speak with Grace. She doesn’t remember the attack. She remembers it was raining and she was on her way home. She ducked into a bar to wait it out. Guys brought her a few drinks and she woke up here. She can’t quite recall their names. Benson explains she may have been sexually assaulted and this upsets Grace. Benson says she will be okay and will get through this and asks if there is anyone they can call. She mentions Tommy but she doesn’t want them to call him, she will tell him. Benson suggests Carisi drive her home. Carisi says he will wait for her outside.
At the Black Bunny Bar on Wednesday, October 17, Fin speaks with the bartender who says Grace seemed to have no intention of paying for a drink. She flirted with him and he gave her a shot on the house as girls like her are good for business. She found two suckers, one is a regular, he thinks his name is Drew, who brings him medical marijuana. He usually parks his truck on 52nd between 1st and 2nd.
Fin locates Drew at his truck and speaks with him about Grace. He denies doing anything to Grace, the last he left her she was with his buddy, Silas. Fin says his experience is somebody who throws their friend under the bus are lying. Drew shows Fin he took an Uber home, alone, at 11 and he can ask the driver. Fin says he will and picks an item off the guys counter and says he will need Silas’s name and address.
As Carisi drives her home, Grace says she appreciates this, and Carisi jokes to wait until she gets his bill. She points out where to drop her off, telling her to pull past Freddie, the nosey doorman. Carisi complies. She asks if he’s seen a lot of girls that have been…she pauses and Carisi says way too many. She asks how did their boyfriends take it, and Carisi asks if she is worried about telling Tommy. She admits she is the one who got drunk, suggesting they not tell him about the other stuff. Carisi tries to convince her to get support of a loved one, or a therapist, and asks if she doesn’t want to go to work he can call her boss. She explains she is between jobs, she does medical research, and Tommy doesn’t care that she is not contributing financially. Tommy is a thoracic surgeon. Carisi comments that is impressive. She says she should let him catch the bad guys, and he gives her his business card, saying if she remembers anything or just wants to talk to not hesitate. She exits the car and walks to the entrance of the building. She passes the doorman who glances in Carisi’s direction. Carisi gets a call and says he will be right there.
At Sharp Data, Inc. on Wednesday, October 17, Fin and Carisi enter Silas’ office. He dismisses the rape accusation, countering that she attacked him. Carisi says Grace is 90 pounds soaking wet. Silas says when she came at him with that steel rod she was like Wonder Woman on bath salts. He admits he “whacked” her in self defense as she went after his money clip. Fin questions if that was before or after he took her wallet. He states Grace didn’t have two nickels to rub together. Fin asks about her panties, and Silas states like any good slut, she wasn’t wearing any when he got there. Carisi asks if they do a DNA test on the semen on her body it won’t match his, and Silas admits they had sex and it was consensual. He then says if they don’t mind, he has work to do, to which Fin states if he doesn’t mind, to stand up and turn his ass around. Silas says Harvey can go to friggin’ hell, and when Fin asks “Harvey who?”. Silas rants about “Me too this, times up that”, adding you can’t even pick up a broad in a bar these days. Fin moves Silas to the door, sarcastically commenting “What is this world coming to.”
