Law & Order SVU “Mea Culpa,” (or as I call it: "Peter Stone - A Series of Unfortunate Events") directed by Mariska Hargitay, is one of those episodes that is sure to give fans plenty to talk about. The episode centered on Stone and a woman that surfaced from his past who accused him of rape. It was a given that he wouldn’t be guilty of such a heinous act, so there was no suspense there. But this meant the drama had to be manufactured elsewhere.
It just so happens that Stone and the SVU are in the middle of a “he said/she said” case, and Stone quickly finds himself in the same predicament. A baseball fan from Chicago, who saw Stone play baseball there, just so happens to spot Stone outside the courthouse and they decide to go for drinks. While there, it just so happens that Stone is approached by yet another woman who slaps him and accuses him of rape during the time he was playing baseball. This is quite a series of coincidences that have lined up to create problems for Stone.
At some point, Stone drinks too much and winds up in Fin’s apartment and sleeping on the sofa. Stone explains to Fin the accusation of rape and strongly denies doing this. (Side note: Ice-T doesn’t drink coffee but at least Fin apparently has a coffee maker in his apartment.) Rather than let sleeping dogs lie, Stone wants Fin to help him get to the truth. Tracking down a fellow baseball player, Reggie, they find the name of the woman who accused Stone of rape, but Fin hits a wall with Sarah, the accuser. Stone continues to work the original case with Benson. She gives him the “what woman wouldn’t want to go through the trauma of a rape investigation, a trial, just for kicks” speech. As a result, he later confides in her, thus bringing even more problems on himself when he asks her to open an investigation. I find myself yelling “FOOL!” out loud. This is the crux of my problem with this episode. I understand Stone wanting to know the truth but it is obvious that Sarah did not want to dredge up the past to the point of an investigation. Maybe her slapping Stone in the bar was enough closure for her? I can understand Stone wanting to get at the truth to clear his own conscience and his name, but I am not sure that he and Benson thought this fully through, as their actions had consequences.
We also hear a few times about what is SVU’s job: Stone tells Benson it is her job to believe the victim, and later, Carisi tells Rollins that it is their job to believe survivors. It sounds to me that the writers of this episode are speaking to the viewers here, trying to emphasize how this fictional SVU works. In my opinion, I always saw the SVU as advocates for victims, but in the earlier years of SVU, they usually looked at each case with an objective lens. I don’t think this happens anymore; in fact, Carisi seems guilty about believing Stone. This is one of those cases where maybe Benson should have looked at this case with an open mind, and suggest that as Sarah didn’t want to pursue the issue that Stone should let it go. There is believing the victim, but there also needs to be a highly credible story or evidence. Clearly neither Stone nor Sarah can recall everything that happened that night, and in those cases, whom does one believe when there is no evidence and completely opposite stories? Would Peter Stone even take a rape case like this if it didn’t involve himself? If the victim, who is of the age of consent, says to drop the matter, should this stop SVU from investigating further?
When Benson decides to investigate the matter with Sarah (why it couldn’t be Carisi doing the questioning I don’t know), Sarah’s husband Gary just so happens to come home unexpectedly. Benson can’t think fast enough for a cover story for Sarah, so Sarah is basically forced to spill the beans to Gary. He decides to press charges. Can someone with real life legal experience explain to me how a person can press charges, on behalf of another, for a crime committed against another person? Sarah probably went along with it to keep the peace with her husband but ultimately isn’t it her decision? This whole mess would not have happened had Benson either decided to meet with Sarah in a neutral spot or come up quickly with a cover story when her husband entered so Sarah had some time to decide whether to tell him or not.
But wait, there's more! The situation gets uglier when Gary confronts Stone in a bar and holds him hostage at gunpoint. (Here is the drama they had to manufacture.) Benson arrives on the scene. Why would SVU be called for a hostage situation and how did she get there so quickly? She notices Sarah and their daughter are standing nearby – wow, these people found out what was happening and can move around the city with lightning speed – and Benson announces to the borough commander that this is her case and she takes over. Benson facilitates Gary letting Stone go, she’s the hero!
Later, Benson wonders if Sarah and Gary’s daughter may not be Gary’s, as the timing is right and Stone wasn’t the only one there that fateful night. She tricks Reggie into agreeing to lie for Stone. She uses his willingness for perjury and a potential DNA test on Sarah’s daughter to put a squeeze Reggie and get him to implicate himself. She arrests him and Benson is the hero AGAIN! (Note: the daughter WAS Gary’s.) Did Benson go at it alone with Reggie? No one else seemed to be there to back her up during her questioning and his arrest. That is risky on many levels. He could flee or he could have denied admitting anything to her. Seeing that she works with Stone, Reggie could have claimed she set him up and or lied about his admission as she has a conflict of interest.
If anything, this experience may make Stone even more reluctant to take on a "he said/she said" case, and maybe even STOP DRINKING.
When we weren’t seeing Benson save the day, we also discover that Al has asked Rollins to move in with him (not marry him) and she’s thinking about it. Carisi touches Rollin’s pregnant belly - yes I know they are friends - and this could be considered inappropriate behavior for the workplace. And yes, we did see the inside of Fin's apartment but it's not the first or only time as some have reported or implied.
By the way, this was Peter Scanavino’s 100th episode as Sonny Carisi, and his 101st with the series. (He appeared as another character in “Monster’s Legacy” in 2013.) It would be wonderful to give this talented man a more substantial story line. I've liked his character from day one and wish that they'd work harder to showcase Peter.
Here is the recap:
Stone is at a bail hearing, and gets remand for the defendant. Afterwards, he and Carisi speak with the victim, Alicia, and after she leaves, Carisi is surprised that Stone got a remand on a “he said/she said.” Carisi suggests they get a beer but Stone passes, saying he is trying to slow it down. After they part ways, Stone heads to a food cart and is recognized by a woman who knows he pitched for the Cubs. She is excited, saying her dad took her to every game. She has to call her dad, then suggests they go for a drink. He agrees, and hands the hot dog back to the vendor, telling her he knows a place around the corner.
Meanwhile, Rollins is in an expensive, fancy restaurant with Dr. Al Pollack. She comments on the truffle sauce and they talk about food they ate in Georgia. They talk about the selections on the dessert menu and he calls over the waiter and asks for one of every dessert on the menu and coffee (“decaf for the lady”). She says a girl can get used to this. He comments he has something to ask her, adding “a commitment I have never made before." He places what looks like a ring box on the table and Rollins looks pleasantly surprised, and says when she said he was happy…he asks her to hear him out. She opens the box and sees a key, and he asks her to move in with him. She smiles.
Stone and the woman are in the bar and he gets up to get another drink. While he is at the bar, a blonde woman walks up to him, stunned, and asks what he is doing in New York. She comments that he doesn’t remember him, and when he says he doesn’t, she slaps him. She said, “You raped me, you son of a bitch.” Stone is stunned.
