I was prepared to hate “Glasgowman’s Wrath.” I really was. Any drama series with a story based on a Halloween or “spooky” theme usually offers corny, silly stories. I was surprised that I really liked this episode. It had a touch of the “Blair Witch Project” combined with the “Slender Man” fictional stories, and involved what seemed like innocent kids out for some scary fun without their parents’ knowledge. It may have been a frightening episode only to the very young, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t suspenseful for adults. There was something about “Glasgowman’s Wrath” that pulled me in. I think it was the general unsettled vibe that came from the combination of subject matter, visually interesting locations/sets, camera angles, and the urgency to find the missing girls. A first, viewers wondered if the girls were in danger from the alleged monster the Glasgowman, but later had to wonder if these girls had simply plotted to kill innocent Zoe. Clearly, these two girls were psychos in the making, with the cat-killing Perry seemingly well on her way to the capital of Psychoville. This case was full of people influenced by fantasy and delusion. It all started with one babysitter who was working on a graphic novel fantasy based on a man who has mental issues and paranoid fantasies all his own. Mix in two young girls who used those fantasies to stage a possible murder of one of the girl’s sisters and you have a crime that no one really pays for. This would be one case that would be very interesting to revisit a few years down the road – if SVU is still on the air at that point – and see if Perry or Mia victimize someone else.
The detectives initially work the case of Zoe’s attack without Benson’s involvement, wanting to give her the pleasure of spending her one day off with baby Noah. Amaro smartly involves her once it’s discovered that it isn’t just a case of one girl being attacked, but two additional girls are missing. Benson gets slightly bent out of shape that Amaro didn’t call her immediately. I don’t think it is a power trip with her, but more of her concern that her boss will have issues with her new family getting in the way of work, or have doubts about her leadership abilities.
There is also slight tension between Amaro and Rollins when Amaro tries to protect Rollins from working in the park; she thinks he means she can’t handle herself. There are times Amaro is behaves like a chauvinist, and it annoys me too. Rollins may have wanted to work the park and not be at the hospital with Benson over concern that Benson will give her all the heat for not getting her involved sooner. Amaro and Carisi also seemed to be competing for Benson’s attention; Amaro was less than thrilled when Carisi felt he was the better detective to question Charlie. (Did Benson ask Rollins for her opinion on the issue as a test for Rollins to see if Rollins could remain objective?) There is no doubt about it, Carisi is a smart detective and Amaro may view him as a threat for the boss’ attention. On a related note, Peter Scanavino is a true scene stealer and I am finding that I am more interested in his character more than the others on the show.
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
Will Harris - Charlie Dorsey
Jessica Phillips - Pippa Cox
Chloe Csengery - Perry Gilbert
Mina Sundwall - Mia Harris
Oona Laurence - Zoe Harris
Stephanie Kurtzuba - Joan Harris
Tricia Paoluccio - Robin Thornhill
Jeanine Bartel - Barbara Gilbert
Griffin Matthews - Leslie Connolly
Dashiell Eaves - Officer
Jayne Houdyshell – Judge Linden
Yvonna Kopacz Wright - Dr. Darby Wilder
Joanne Baron - Counselor Diane Schwartz
Toni Campisi – Counselor Steve Roth
Matthew Montelongo - Rick
Jodie Lynne McClintock - Nancy Earnst
At a girls’ sleep over, Zoe is rudely awakened by her sister Mia, and Mia’s friend Perry films it. The girls are up for an adventure on the night after Halloween and race to the park. At the entrance to Inwood Hill Park, Perry, speaking to the camera, records a video about finding Glasgowman. She tells Zoe that she may not believe now, but he wouldn’t have called her if she wasn’t ready. As they walk into the woods, Mia continues to record them, Zoe says she wants to go, but Perry tells her not to worry, he likes the little ones. They hear odd screeching sounds and they thinks it is him. Mia tells them all to run, and as they do so, she tells them it is him and tells them not to look. As they run off, the camera drops to the ground and Mia yells for help, saying they got Zoe.
The next morning, Rollins and Carisi are at the park while Zoe is being placed into an ambulance on a stretcher. She was found by a birdwatcher. They don’t know who she is. Rollins goes with Zoe in the ambulance while Carisi speaks with the birdwatcher. He finds she has photos of the man who she saw standing over the girl.
Later at the hospital, Rollins flips through those photos of the attacker on her phone, and Amaro comments that the suspect is Bigfoot and their Jane Doe is still a Jane Doe. Rollins comments that Carisi reported her description and local precincts are distributing it now. She asks him how was California, and he says it is confusing. Zara is thriving and she loves it there. The doctor enters and says the girl is lucky to be alive; aside from the head trauma, one of the stab wounds was millimeters from her femoral artery. There was no visible signs of sexual assault but they have to wait for consent to do a rape kit. Amaro asks when can they talk to her. The doctor informs them she is out of surgery but she lost a lot of blood and she will let them know. As the doctor walks off, Rollins asks Amaro if they should call Benson in, but Amaro says it is her one day off with the baby, Two women, Joan and her wife run up and show them a photo of their daughter Zoe, asking if this is the victim. Rollins says it could be, and Joan asks if Mia is with her, Zoe’s big sister. When Rollins doesn’t immediately answer, the women asks to see Zoe now. Rollins explains as soon as she is able they will get them in there. She adds she was hurt in the park last night. Joan becomes very upset and xx tells her to let them answer the question. Amaro asks if they know how their daughter ended up in the park alone, and Joan’s wife says they both went to a sleep-over at a friend’s house, Perry Gilbert. They didn’t answer their cell phones this morning. They called and texted her mom who is not answering. Joan’s wife gives them Gilbert’s address and said no one answered the door and their phone tracker app says the girl’s phones are inside. Amaro tells them he needs them to try and stay calm and to have a seat and look through their phones and find the most recent photos of Mia and Zoe that they can. Rollins worries one girl is attacked and now two girls are missing or worse they are not responding at that apartment. Amaro says “Let’s go… now we call Liv.”
Meanwhile, Benson is at home having quality time with Noah, the room a bit of a mess, when she gets the call. She tells the caller (likely Amaro) she has to get a sitter and will be there as soon as she can.
At the residence of Barbara Gilbert on Sunday, November 2, Amaro and Rollins arrive and hear what they think is a woman being held at gunpoint, but find it is only Barbara and her state police boyfriend fooling around. Barbara thinks Perry is at a sleepover with Mia Harris and her sister, they texted her yesterday. They check the apartment and there is no sign of the girls but they go find the girls’ phones in the hamster cage. Barbara is frantic. Amaro gets a message that Benson is on the way to the hospital. He tells Rollins he told Benson that Rollins would join but Rollins wants Amaro to take Benson at the hospital so she can go to the park. Amaro says they don’t know what they are dealing with her and Rollins is miffed that he apparently doesn’t think she can handle herself. He says this is not what he meant, and Rollins replies good, adding he is better at dealing with Benson and she is going to be pissed when she finds they didn’t call her right away.
Later, at the hospital, Benson comments to Amaro that next time, call her earlier. Amaro explains he didn’t want to bother her on her day off, and she counters that is not his decision, it is hers. She comments there is one girl stabbed, and Amaro finishes by saying there are also two girls missing. They found their phones and sent them to TARU but there were no social media postings yesterday. There is not much to go on with the suspect; Carisi has blurry photos and he and Rollins are cobbling together a search. Benson latches onto the word “cobbling” and Amaro explains today is the marathon and every cop in the city is working. He adds that at this point, nobody matching the description has been found. Benson tells him to call the academy and get cadets out there, auxiliary and scouts. The doctor interrupts and says the little girl is conscious and her mothers are with her. Benson races to the room as Amaro makes some calls.
In the hospital room, Zoe says it wasn’t her idea. Mia took her mother’s phone and texted Perry’s mom saying that she could sleep over the house. Joan says Perry’s mom texted her saying that the two girls were staying with her. Zoe explains that was Perry pretending to be her mom. They made her promise not to tell. Joan snaps as Zoe, asks what was she thinking, and Joan’s wife says “not now.” Benson tells Zoe they are not angry at her, and Amaro adds they just want to know how she ended up in the park last night. Zoe says they were going and they said they couldn’t be left alone. When Joan starts to get upset, Amaro tries to get her out of the room but she says she is not going to leave her daughter alone. Joan’s wife says that Mia is still out there, and, grabbing Joan’s hand, pulls her away, telling her to let the police do their job. The two women leave the room. Benson stresses to Zoe she is not in any trouble but they need her to help her find her sister. Amaro asks why did Mia and Perry want to go to the park at night, and Zoe explains they said it would be scary; right after Halloween, the spirits are out…zombies, fun scary. Benson asks what was the plan. Zoe says they left at midnight and Perry had a camera just in case they saw somebody scary and said they would show it to everybody. Mia and Perry did see something, and they were screaming at her to run but he caught her and knocked her down. She saw his face; it was the Glasgowman.
Back at the park, Carisi and Rollins pass out flyers with info for law enforcement who are doing the search for the two girls. The all fan out into the woods and quickly find Zoe’s backpack under a pile of leaves. Rollins gives the backpack to an officer to get it to CSU as they arrive at a cave with a man inside. The man comes out with a stick and Rollins reminds the officer they want him alive. He does not put it down so the officer uses his taser and the man doesn’t immediately drop to the ground. Carisi orders him to turn the taser off and the man finally drops as Carisi tells him to stay on the ground. Rollins cautiously cuffs him.
