“Manhattan Transfer” is the first part of a two-episode arc which involves the SVU, the Catholic Church, One PP and various members of law enforcement, politicians, and a member of a DA's office. It was a hairball that only got hairier as the episode progressed. It was an excellent story filled with drama, tension, and uncertainty, making for a nice set up for the next episode where hopefully the case will be solved. Benson pays a huge price for her efforts. Despite Benson telling her squad that she is "out," I’d say it’s likely she will be restored to the SVU in the next episode, the only questions being how this will transpire, or if there are other casualties down the road.
Benson’s relationship with Tucker comes out at the worst possible time, making their involvement with this case appear questionable to some. When Barba realizes those two are romantically involved, he acts as if Benson has just put a knife into his heart. He seems hurt that Benson didn’t confide in him about it, and possibly angry that she let Tucker get so involved in the SVU part of the case that it now appears tainted. Clearly Barba can’t honestly think Benson would have any involvement with a sex trafficking ring, but as he doesn’t know Tucker that well, he may not trust him. During the dialog between Benson and Barba, Barba brings up all the questions the fans have raised about why Benson would get romantically involved with Tucker, considering their past history. That scene felt slightly awkward as I felt that it was the writers speaking to the fans; it didn’t feel like Benson and Barba discussing the issue as colleagues. But the questions about the relationship had to be raised and answered. This episode belonged to Robert John Burke, who perfectly showed Tucker's dual personality as a likeable guy and a suspicious, raging hot head.
Sister Nina went from being in interrogation and holding to being completely free. How did they conclude that she had nothing to do with the operation? The two Vice detectives have the (lame and likely fabricated) excuse that they were working undercover, but I would think that just because Nina is a nun who said she infiltrated the group to help the girls should not give her a free pass. The SVU was too quick to take her at her word. Maybe I missed something? Tucker, on the other hand, assumes the worst of his cousin, the priest, who wasn’t even at the underage sex party and whose only fault was that he knew the name of a young female rape victim who was later (likely) murdered. Sister Ida also seems to be getting a free pass so far. While I don’t know how this story plays out, in this episode it implied that nuns/women aren’t capable of heinous crimes but clergymen are automatically suspect. (I attended an all girls parochial high school taught by nuns, priests, and seminarians, and I could tell you lots of stories about ALL of them. But I won’t! I will say is there were quite a few that were far from saintly.)
It was inappropriate that Benson, as a Lieutenant, would allow Nina, a person who was part of a sex trafficking arrest and investigation, to stay in her home and be alone with her child, especially if there had been concerns about Nina’s mental state. I understand Benson may have been concerned that the system was compromised, but I can’t believe they don’t have other resources to guarantee Nina’s protection. Benson makes another error by bringing Tucker to her apartment and having Nina discover that he was related to Father Eugene. Was anyone besides me worried that Nina, in her panic, was going to fling Noah out the apartment window? I felt a little uncomfortable as Nina kept backing up towards it. This is one of those cases that Benson should have recused herself, or Tucker should have recused himself, once his cousin Eugene was suspect. Benson has a big heart but that trait is sometimes her downfall. Her handling of this case so far leads to her packing up her personal belongings from her office at the end of the episode. Had she handled Nina through the normal channels, and had she kept Tucker out of the SVU part of the investigation, maybe it wouldn’t have looked like there was a cover up. It's obvious that someone doesn't want this case to go any farther. It's also possible that Deputy Chief Dodds has found an opening to weasel his son into a promotion.
I was amused when Tucker commented that he is loathed by half of the NYPD. I think he was being too kind. He's probably loathed by MOST of the NYPD.
And breaking news: Noah finally utters a word! At least, I think this was the first time he spoke. Pretty soon he well be demanding a larger salary (wink).
Again, another episode without Ice-T and no explanation has been given for Fin's absence.
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:
Andy Karl - Sgt. Mike Dodds
Robert John Burke – Captain Ed Tucker
Jonanthan Cake – Mosignor Mulregan
Michael Potts - Sergeant Cole Draper
Michael O'Keefe – Father Eugene
Joniece Abbott-Pratt - Marissa
Abigail Savage - Sister Nina Kelly
Maggie Borlando - Margaret Kenswick
John Ales - Det. Tom Russo
JD Williams - Det. Anton Jefferson
Mary McCann – Didi Denzler
Sahr Ngaujah – Father Akintola
Karen Tsen Lee – Medical Examiner
Jeb Brown – Captain Gerbic
Richard Topol –ADA Wynne
David Cale - Judge Wheeler
Camila Perez - Cara Gutierrez
Karen Christie-Ward - Sister Ida
Camilla Perez – Cara Gutierrez
Larry Bull - John Townshend
Yainis Ynoa – Natalia Diaz
Rebecca Gruss – Danielle Backerly
Jack Nawanda-Braunwart – Noah Porter Benson
The SVU is staking out a party with underage girls. Carisi is undercover at the party while Benson and the others are in a surveillance van nearby. On the video feed, Benson sees Judge Wheeler and Dodds notices a Bronx ADA, two assemblymen and a councilman. Rollins wonders if the nurse who tipped them off knew what she was onto, and Benson thinks maybe, the nurse said the girls were scared and she wouldn’t give up any names. Dodds is anxious to move in but Benson tells him they need to wait until they do something more incriminating. Dodds worries how close she wants to cut it, as Judge Wheeler has his hands up that girl’s skirt. The girl seems ill and asks to use the bathroom, and as she coughs, Carisi asks if she wants some water. But a man doesn’t like Carisi’s interference, and, pushing him, tells Carisi to mind his own business. This starts an altercation and one man brings out a gun. Benson sees this and orders Dodds and Rollins in. Benson and the detectives storm inside and order all to get their hands up. Benson holds her gun on a few of the guys and asks them if they are going anywhere. She then orders some officers to get them out of there. Benson shouts that she is Lt. Benson and orders the guns down, and one man pulls out a badge and says they are on the job from Vice. The other Vice cop does as well. Rollins says they are from SVU and Dodds asks the color of the day, to which one man answers “Yellow.” Rollins comments, “Son of a bitch” while the Vice detective states they just derailed a two year operation. They all look stunned.
At SVU, Rollins tells the girls she needs to know how they found out about this party and how they got there. On girl says they were friends, and another clarifies they weren’t really friends, they met them at a Wiz Khalifa concert. Benson is watching Rollins talk with the girls and Barba approaches, and he asks her what fresh hell awaits. Benson states they responded to a tip that underage girls would be at a sex party and in attendance was Bronx ADA Wynne, two assemblymen, a retired DA investigator, a councilman, and she tells Barbs she is sure he recognizes…Barba finishes that is it Judge Wheeler. He comments why is he not surprised. He asks if the girls are taking, and Benson said no, their pimps have them completely under control, and haven’t even bothered to send a lawyer and no one will admit to knowing whose party it was or who supplied the girls. Barba says it is par for the course. Benson goes on, saying it gets worse: Detectives Russo and Jefferson from Vice were working the case from another angle and they pulled their guns and badges as they made the bust. Barba thinks they must know who threw the party, and Benson says if they do they are not saying. They claim they ruined their UC operation, but tells Barba not to worry, she called their Captain. Barba quips, “You mean he wasn’t there too?” Barba asks if there was anybody at this party that wasn’t a public servant, and Benson points out a woman in another room, saying her name is Nina Kelly, and her ID says she is a nun and they are trying to verify this.
Carisi is in interrogation with Nina as Benson enters the room. She questions why a nun would be at a sex party. Carisi tells Benson that Nina is not comfortable with him in the room so he makes a quick exit. Nina explains she is not comfortable with male cops, and Benson comments that as a madam, she is sure Nina has had a lot of run-ins. Nina denies being a madam, saying she is a nun. She spent months trying to infiltrate the ring to save the girls, thinking it is rigged. Benson says she isn’t part of the good ol’ boy network, and asks Nina to work with her and tell her about who throws the parties and procures the girls and she will get the girls to the shelter. Nina believes if they think she is cooperating she will not be able to save anybody else. It took a long time to earn the trust of a lot of people. When Benson asks who hired her, Nina tells her to ask the johns that. Benson explains they haven’t been forthcoming. Nina says they know they will get away with it.
Meanwhile, Dodds is in interrogation with Russo and Jefferson who say their cover story is that they are dirty cops. “They” like to have them at the parties to keep everyone in line. When Dodds asks who is they, saying there is no record of their UC op, Russo says their captain told him not to put this into DECS, too many other johns have access. Captain Gerbic enters and, after some small talk, he and Dodds leave the room. Gebric enters Benson’s office. She says the timing was bad and knows their cover was blown, and he says they have to get new guys in there and it sets them back. He asks what her people were doing there and Benson explains it was an anonymous tip and they are all in this together. He says he wishes he could help, but they are playing the long game here. He comments she has seen the pedigree of the johns and asks if anybody is talking. Benson states not yet. He tells her to ask herself why, who are they protecting? He is going out on a limb even acknowledging this. Benson appreciates this but explains underage girls are still be raped and trafficked. Gerbic says where SVU sees victims, he sees willing participants and these girls are not exactly Madonnas. Benson looks appalled and Gerbic says to never mind that; they care just as much as they do and they are going to nail these guys. Benson starts to argue that SVU is better equipped, but he cuts her off and says he hears her; they are already inside and if SVU moves in now, the carnival just picks up and moves to a different lot and the games just keep getting played. He says he will get his guys out of her, but when Benson says she wants to run this by the ADA first, he tells her to call the Deputy Inspector and see what he says. Benson looks stunned.
Afterwards, as Gerbic walks out with Russo and Jefferson as Benson and the detectives watch from the break room, Rollins asks if that is it and if they are shut out, but Benson says if they are deep UC she gets it. Carisi comments it is a UC investigation they can’t investigate because who they are investigating, saying it is a mobius strip. Dodds wonders that his father may have some intel, and Benson suggests it is worth a try. As Dodds walks off, Benson asks if the girls are with social services, and Rollins says she will take another run at them tomorrow. As they walk off, Carisi asks Benson if they are just going to let these johns go, and she replies for now, she will call Barba – or not. Nina, in the holding cell, calls out to Benson, and Carisi asks is something is the matter. She says she doesn’t understand, asking if they are just going to let those bastards go. Benson states that is none of her concern. But Nina says because they have badges it means it is okay for them to assault 16-year-old girls? She explains this has happened multiple girls, multiple times, saying they are not cops, they are rapists.
At Bernadine’s Halfway House for Women at 570 Sutter Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn on Tuesday, March 1, Benson speaks with Sister Ida about sister Nina who says she is doing God’s work. Benson explains the circumstances of Nina’s arrest, Sister Ida says if that is what Nina said happened, it happened. Benson stats Nina gave her a name of a girl she brought to her, Cara Gutierrez, and Sister Ida says Nina brought her there about 6 months ago; she was a troubled girl but she believes she is healing. Benson asks if she can speak with her, and Sister Ida says she won’t say a word unless Sister Nina is with her. Benson understands and thanks her. Sister Ida says it is good to see her again, asking about Noah. Benson confirms she adopted him and he is thriving. Sister Ida says they still say the rosary for Ellie every year. Benson thanks her and leaves.
