Law & Order SVU “Lost Traveler” was one of those episodes that had me changing my opinion about it all the way through. I hated it – then loved it – then hated it – you get the idea. The story was solid and the supporting cast members were all very convincing in their roles; particularly creepy was the psycho in training, Courtney.
The seriousness of the episode was broken by the appearance of TARU Tech Leo Gerber, played by Gilbert Gottfried. While I find Gottfried a humorous person, this was a casting misstep, one that rivals the casting of Noel Fisher as the equally annoying TARU Tech and murderer Dale Stuckey. Gottfried’s voice is grating (it works very well when he is doing humor) and it made his acting abilities even worse. This is one character that I am not looking forward to seeing again. In Gottfried’s defense, he gave them what they seemed to have wanted; he can’t help it that someone tried to write in a lame comedy interlude into this otherwise serious episode. Casting does get extra points for bringing in former cast member Dean Winters’ brother Scott to play a smarmy detective.
I was also disappointed in the 4 minute opening set up to the crime. This was one of those episode where I did not like the “Law & Order Criminal Intent” style opening. I don’t want to waste 4 minutes on minor guest stars or a set up to the crime; I tune in to Law & Order SVU to see the lead characters. I don’t mind a short introduction to the crime, but 4 minutes is just too long for me.
And is it just me or is it some rite of passage that when any female lead character is added to the cast of any Law & Order brand show that at some point some guy has to say something like “oh, she’s pretty AND smart too!” In this case, it was a comment a detective made to Fin about Rollins. While I am on the subject of Rollins, I have some issues with Kelli Giddish – or maybe it is how she is playing Rollins – and she just doesn’t quite fit. One thing that may help – get rid of her constant use of “Lookee here.” I know that Rollins is supposed to be from Georgia, but seriously now, “lookee here” makes her sound as thick as a brick. I also felt that the argument between Rollins and Amaro seemed too forced. It is as if they are trying to put a square peg into a round hole with Giddish.
It was nice to see Linus Roache and Stephanie March, but was hoping that they would have a little more screen time and there would have been a little more legal maneuvering. (I guess I still miss Law & Order.) And it never ceases to amaze me how many people are dumb enough to bring their kids in to a police precinct for questioning and don’t have the brains to bring legal representation. Don’t these people watch TV? If they did, they would know that one never submits to questioning at a police station without having legal representation, much less have their kids questioned separately as in this situation. This should be a warning to everyone – if you are asked to bring in your minor children for questioning by the police, refuse to do it without a lawyer present. The police are not always your friend when it comes to a murder case.
Here is the recap:
Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Detective Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Richard Belzer – Sergeant John Munch
Dann Florek – Captain Don Cragen
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro
Guest Stars
Stephanie March - ADA Alex Cabot
Linus Roache – Bureau Chief Michael Cutter
Tamara Tunie – Dr. Melinda Warner
Gilbert Gottfried – TARU Tech Leo Gerber
Mark Margolis – The Rom-Baro
Ron Rifkin – Marvin Exley
Donnie Keshawarz – Tomas Grey
Alexandra Silber - Nadia Grey
Michael Barra – Mark Rajic
Scott William Winters – Detective Dumas
Gavin Lee – Mr. Griscomb
Quinn Shephard - Emma Butler
Lili Reinhart - Courtney Lane
Gary Lindeman – Chris Lane
Lucas Near-Verbrugghe – Greg Kandel
Tamir – Ana Rajic
Cameron Ocasio – Nico Grey
Wai Ching Ho _ Gladys Tang
George Feaster – Alonso Hearne
Laura Pruden – Sandra Butler
Sammuel Soifer – Ryan
Jason Gladstone – State Trooper Levon Davis
Nic Pagano – Little boy
A young boy, Nico Grey, and his mother Nadia go over instructions before his first walk to school alone. A neighbor boy, Mark, waves to him and Nico walks away looking uncomfortable. As Nico races to school, someone follows him. Nico isn’t paying attention and he almost gets hit by a car. His phone rings and when he answers it, he turns to see his father is the one following him. His father chides him about how to properly cross the street, and Nico insists he can do it. His father allows him to go on alone. As Nico walks off, his father waves and then two young girls standing on the corner seem to follow Nico. He makes it to school and a snobby boy comes up and asks Nico to tell him his fortune. The boy grabs Nico’s hand and says he can tell his fortune, saying he sees a long life line and a mansion and then spits in his hand, saying he sees a swimming pool. A teacher, Mr. Kandel, sees this and tells the boy – Ryan - that he will see him after class, and he hands Nico a tissue to wipe his hands and tells him to get to class. One of the girls who followed Nico to school comments to Nico that Ryan can be a jerk sometimes.
Afterward, Nico leaves school and Mr. Kandel asks if he is flying solo today. Nico tells him that he practiced and he knows the way. Nico gets to the subway station to find it blocked off and then looks to his phone. He also drops a glove. He looks around, confused, and after a bus passes him by, Nico is no longer on the street corner.
Later, Detectives Benson and Amaro are outside the Grey home, speaking with Detective Dumas. He explains about Nico going missing after never making it home from Caswell Academy. The last time he was seen was at 3:30 at school. The detective does not think “these people” in the neighborhood trust their own police precinct. Benson tells him maybe they don’t like being called “these people” or “gypsies”. The detective does not think the kid is missing and thinks it is a con. The media arrives and Benson tells the detective to take the media and she and Amaro will take the parents.
Amaro speaks with Nico’s father Tomas who explained Nico wanted to be a man and go to school on his own for the first time. They practiced for a week. Amaro asks why they did not get a call until 7:00 and Tomas says he told his wife to call right away but she said the police probably would not care because of who they are.
Meanwhile, Benson speaks with Nico's mother Nadia who describes what Nico was last wearing. He had a rabbit’s foot which was his good luck charm. They also bought him a cell phone but he does not answer/ The last person to see him was his teacher, Mr. Kandel. She explains Nico does not have a lot of friends and that he is bullied at school.
Tomas tells Amaro that Nico is a smart kid and he got a partial scholarship to the school and he wanted Nico to meet all different kinds of kids, not just Romani. He adds that Nico is a good and happy kid. When Amaro asks if Nico has a place to hang out or a happy place to go, Tomas says Amaro is in it.
At Caswell Academy, Rollins speaks with Mr. Kandel who says he saw him as he left school alone and that Nico is teased for being Romani. He says the parents keep to themselves and Nico just wants to fit in but he is caught between two worlds. Fin speaks with the two girls, Courtney and Emma, who are classmates and says they live on the same block. They tell him Nico is weird. Ryan makes a comment that Nico should have seen this coming, and Fin stops him. The girls says they didn’t see him on the train on the way home as the J was down and they took a taxi. Ryan says he was in detention.
