“Great Expectations” was one of those episodes that made me feel like something was “off” the entire time. We had to wait quite a while to see it; it was originally scheduled to air in November, then postponed because of game 7 of the World Series. Technically this was episode #400 in airing sequence, not ”Motherly Love” which aired last week. As the episode was filmed long before the air date, in some scenes we saw nice greenery and flowering shrubs outdoors in the background, not likely for February when this episode now took place. There was also an error in the time stamps of the video surveillance footage outside the locker room. When Rollins shows the video to one of the boys and his mother, the video first shows a date of 2/4/2017, then changes in the next shot to 12/8/2016.
Carisi also mentions a story about how he was bullied when he was younger and his face was pushed through a plate glass window and he was bleeding and all cut up. He must have had a great plastic surgeon because Carisi’s face shows zero evidence of scarring. I knew someone who was cut badly falling into a plate glass door, I can tell you that those cuts leave some scars. Maybe this is why Fin thought that Carisi made up the story? Of course, Carisi never told Rollins that he didn’t, but based on the look he gave her, I think we are to assume that the story was true.
While the overall story was predictable, it was a surprise that the victim of Kyle’s assault had died. I would also have liked to understand more about why they wanted to try Kyle as an adult. Seeing some of the legal wrangling behind this would have been interesting. The excuse that they wanted to make an example of him because of the increase in hazings seemed thin.
Here is the recap:
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay - Lieutenant 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:
Brent Sexton - Jim Turner
Gia Crovatin - Samantha Chapman
Amy Spanger - Helen Turner
Brian Hutchinson - Frank Wilson
Erika Rolfsrud - Linda Wilson
Lincoln Melcher - Kyle Turner
Christopher Paul Richards - Jack Wilson
Ben Cook - Adam Turner
Olga Merediz – Judge Roberta Martinez
Taylor Miller – Attorney Ryan Egan
Josh Banks - Peter Brown
Drew Beasley - Timmy Brown
Elijah Richardson - Will Harris
Tanesha Gary - Donna Brown
Brad Fraizer - Coach Gordon Sheen
Eric Elizaga – Dr. Stephen Hale
Althea Colon – Nurse Sofia Perez
Maxell Kenneth Owens – Mark Turner
During a youth hockey game, while his family watches, Jack Wilson misses an important shot and the team loses the game. The coach and one of the parents are less than thrilled. Afterwards in the locker room, Jack is taunted by 2 of his teammates, but Kyle steps in and tells the other boys that is enough.
As Jack is leaving the arena with his mother, his is clearly having difficulty walking, and when he collapses, his mother sees he is bleeding from his rectal area.
Later, at the hospital, Benson steps out of the elevator to a waiting Carisi. She asks what do they have, and Carisi explains that the victim, Jack Wilson, 13, plays for the New York City Whitecaps, the best youth hockey program in the state. Jack’s team had a game this morning but they lost after he missed a last-second shot. His mother noticed he was bleeding in the parking lot afterwards and brought him to the hospital. The doctor said there was tearing in his rectum caused by a blunt instrument, like a hockey stick. It sounds like a hazing. Benson states that sounds like sexual assault.
Benson and Carisi question Jack with his mother Linda present. Jack claims he doesn’t know what happened, saying that he fell on the ice. They continue to press him as his father Frank arrives and as the parents start to argue, Benson pulls them outside the room. The parents continue to argue and Carisi and Benson explain that Jack may be a victim of sexual assault, not a prank. Jack’s teammate Kyle Turner arrives with his father Jim Turner and Carisi tells them Jack may be a victim of a hazing. Jim explains that Kyle is the star of the team. Kyle insists he saw nothing, saying nobody gave Jack a hard time after the missed shot, and, looking to his father, says they are a team and they stick together. Benson explains they will have to speak with all the boys on the team but if he thinks of anything or remembers anything to let them know. She holds out her business card and Jim quickly grabs it. Franks suggests he check to see if Jack can have visitors and when Linda asks if they can see their son, Benson says yes, but to let them know if Jack remembers anything. After they leave, Benson comments that with all those players in the locker room, someone had to see something. Carisi says nobody wants to get out in front of this, even the victim. Benson instructs him to call Rollins to get over to the rink with Fin and talk to refs and coaches. She wants the name of every single player on either team, adding to have CSU head over to the locker room.
At the Hudson Sports Complex at Pier 33, Hudson River Piers on Saturday, February 4, Fin and Carisi speak with the coach who explains how the teams and competition works, thinking none of his boys would do something stupid. He says security cameras are around – not in the locker rooms – and management can give them whatever they have. When Fin asks if they have any troublemakers on the team, the coach asks if they have ever traveled on a bus for 4-1/2 hours full of 13-year-olds, saying they are all troublemakers. Fin says he means “repeat offenders” – kids who like to do stupid things. When the coach hesitates, Fin says he knows he doesn’t want to give up any of his players but he has to cooperate. The coach agrees, then mentions Timmy Brown and Will Harris, saying they are wild and they call them the “bash brothers” because they tend to get a little rough. They’ve never done anything like what happened to Jack; they wouldn’t last in the program as that is in violation of their contract which lays out their code of ethics and every player signs one. He insists it could not have been a Whitecap.
Back at SVU, Benson asks the detectives where are the with the “bang” brothers and Fin corrects her to “bash brothers.” Carisi explains they have never been in trouble with the law and no juvenile records. Fin adds their contracts are signed an notarized, it is a lot of rules for an eighth grader. Rollins comments she thinks she has something; the security footage from the rink shows that #26 and #9 left the locker room right before Jack. Carisi sees that *9 is Will Harris and #26 is Timmy Brown – the “bash brothers.” Benson says to bring them in, this wasn’t a couple kids playing grab ass, they need answers.
