New ADA for Law & Order SVU

EW’s super-scooper Michael Ausiello is reporting that Law & Order SVU is close to hiring a full time ADA. His sources confirm that actress Paula Patton is in advanced talks to take the ADA role. Ausiello says that Patton will replace Sharon Stone...who had replaced Stephanie March, who he says “has since moved on.” He adds that representatives for NBC and Wolf Films declined to comment. Stay tuned!

Michael’s story can be found at this link: 'Law & Order: SVU' exclusive: 'Precious' star circling new ADA post


Update July 21, 2010: It's been confirmed by several sources - Paula Patton has joined Law & Order SVU to play ADA Mikki Von.

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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Ace” Recap & Review

All Photos from NBC

After watching Law & Order SVU “Ace” some question popped into my head. Was this really an SVU case? It may have started as an SVU case, but after the rape was resolved, I am not sure it should have been a Special Victims Unit case. Lilli’s murder certainly was not. Would the episode have been better if Stephanie March was the ADA and not Sharon Stone? While the law they used in this case raised my eyebrows, I would have been able to swallow it a little better if it was ADA Cabot trying to sell it. But Sharon Stone, in my opinion, detracts from the episode with some of the corniest lines and with her cheesy delivery. When Jo Marlowe (Stone) says, “I don’t know, but whatever you guys stepped in I’m starting to smell the stink on me” I said to myself, “ no kidding Sharon, I smell the stink on you too and it is not from the SVU squad.”

I recall an episode of Law & Order where Jack McCoy jumped through hoops to set up a fake trial with a judge, and he caught hell for it. It still shocks me that someone can testify under oath in court - in what the defendant thinks is a real trial - and lie, because I always thought that if the lawyer knew about a witness telling a lie under oath that this was called suborning perjury. Yet it seems that a judge can just simply grant permission to arrange for fake testimony in court whenever they see fit. Seriously, now, is this really a valid legal maneuver?

Benson and Stabler pretending to be married was, I am sure, a shipper’s dream, but for me, I saw it as a stunt and I hate stunts in the Law & Order universe. It’s so nice, though, that the SVU people had all that time to create all those nice photos of Benson and Stabler as a couple. But I wondered, what would have happened if Brooks/Petrov had already staked out or checked out the Butlers and realized when he arrived at the home that they weren’t who they said they were?

I just loved when Cragen (Dann Florek) got into Jo’s face. Cragen may be one of the most underused and under-appreciated characters in the franchise and I love it when they give him scenes where he can really let it all hang out. Well, not all of it, but you know what I mean.

Hopefully, when this season ends, Jo Marlowe will be nothing but a faint memory and Sharon Stone will be banished from SVU forever. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I think Stephanie March is the only person I would accept in the ADA role, only that this show needs a more credible ADA, and an actress who doesn’t chew all the scenery while playing the role.





Here is the recap:
An outside night work crew finds a pregnant woman who is unconscious on the street. Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler arrive at the hospital where the victim was taken. The baby seems OK but it appears the woman had been raped. When the detectives go to question the woman they find she’s not in her hospital bed.

At the SVU precinct, ADA Jo Marlowe (Sharon Stone) bitches to Captain Don Cragen (Dann Florek) that the hospital let the woman walk out of there when she had a bruised face and eight month belly. Cragen tells her a major bus accident diverted the staff’s attention. When she continues to get pissy about being called down at the crack of dawn, Cragen tells her that Munch and Fin are canvassing; he called her because this is the fourth similar occurrence this month. The only description is that he wore a stocking mask but wore a condom in the first three attacks and Warner is processing DNA now. Stabler and Benson go through what they know about previous victims. All of these cases seem to have subways that intersect in City Hall subway station. Cragen radios to Fin (Ice-T) who says they’ve found squat, He notices a car with a lot of traffic tickets and finds someone sleeping inside it – “Flossie” – who seems to have a thing with flossing. He said he saw the woman being raped. He saw a guy with a knife, so they take him into SVU for a sketch. Cragen tells Munch (Richard Belzer) to send the sketch to every precinct, subway station and transit booth. Fin tells him there is nothing on missing persons but Flossie said she spoke a foreign language. Cragen tells him to check with ICE.

At U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Fin finds the woman is Sophia Zorav from Bulgaria, who was admitted on a tourist visa due to a sudden death in the family – her uncle – and she was staying at her aunt’s house, Lilli Denkova.

Stabler and Benson show the photo to Lilli and she identifies Sophia. She says Lilli never arrived at her home, she went to pick her up but she never showed and her cell phone went to voice mail and she assumed Sophia changed her mind. Stabler’s phone rings, and later, outside, Stabler tells her ME Warner got a hit on the DNA, the rapist’s name is Donovan Black and he lives right by City Hall, and that Munch and Fin are on him right now.

Donovan Black is walking with a pregnant woman and Munch stops him, and Black gets mouthy. Fin walks up behind him and when the woman says Black has a knife, he tells him he has a gun and points it at Black’s neck. Black drops the knife. The woman tells Munch that Black said he would cut her baby. Black says he didn’t rape anybody and Fin says they have a witness

In SVU, there is a lineup and Flossie identifies Black as the rapist. But Marlowe says they have no victim so there is no case as he can’t charge rape on the word of a “tooth fairy.” Benson reminds her of the DNA match but Marlowe says she can’t take it to court without a victim statement. Benson is less than thrilled, and Marlowe relents and tells her to arrest Black but they have to find Sophia. Stabler enters and tell them the clerk in the US embassy in Bulgaria was arrested for being paid off to issue Sophia’s visa. He thinks Lilli knows about it since the funeral for the uncle never happened as she has never been married.

Stabler and Benson go to Lilli’s and find her home has been torn apart inside. The detectives enter and find a blood trail leading out the back, and find a huge pool of brain matter on the back patio, but no body.

With CSU and ME Warner (Tamara Tunie) on the scene, Warner doubts Lilli is alive. Warner goes to look for a toothbrush with Lilli’s DNA inside to match to the brain matter. No bullets are on the scene. Munch found a cell phone that shows 60 phone calls to only three different numbers. Fin says the neighbors saw a rolled up rug being moved out last night and placed in an SUV, no make or plates. Stabler dials the numbers in the cell phone, one is disconnected, one is blocked, and one leads to an OB/GYN Dr. Stephen Elroy.

At Elroy’s (David Paymer) office, he remembers Lilli and Sophia as Lilli said Sophia fell and they wanted to check on the baby. He did an ultrasound and everything looked fine. When Stabler asks about the bruise on her face, Elroy assumed it was from the fall. He said he would call them if he found any evidence of sexual assault. Stabler tell him they are there for a homicide, and Elroy asks if it was the woman or the girl. After getting a call, Benson thanks the doctor for his time. Outside, she tells Stabler that Cragen shut them down.

At SVU, Cragen tells them he pulled info on Lilli’s fake husband. Dmitri. And it was signed by Dr. Elroy. The wonder what Elroy was involved in, and Marlowe says, “I don’t know but whatever you guys stepped in I’m starting to smell the stink on me.” Cragen tells them to work on the blocked cell phone number.

At the Butler residence, they question the Butlers about the phone calls to Lilli. Before you can say “lawyer” we cut to the Butlers in SVU interrogation with their lawyer, Trevor Langan (Peter Hermann). They say they have been trying to get pregnant with no luck and have tried many options and nothing worked. They thought they would adopt, but Glen has an arrest for domestic battery against his ex wife. The charges were dropped but so they would not let them adopt. Lilli called them and was referred to them by Elroy for a private adoption. Warner comes in to the observation room and tells Benson that the brain DNA matches the material on Lilli’s toothbrush. Munch enters and tells them he found Lilli used bogus death certificates to bring three other pregnant women there for sham funerals. The other women who were involved had their visas expire but they never left the country and they wonder if they are dead.
Benson enters the interrogation and tells them there is confirmation Lilli has been murdered and the Butlers are shocked and Langan says his clients had nothing to do with it. She tells them Sophia may be in danger, and they tell her that a man contacted them this morning – Mr. Brooks, who is supposed to come tomorrow at noon.

Outside, they discuss what to do next and since they know where Brooks is supposed to be tomorrow afternoon…

The next day at the Butler residence, Benson and Stabler are now posing as Beth and Glen Butler, and Mr. Brooks (Pasha Lychinkoff) arrives. They make small talk. Benson pretends to be emotional over the prospect of getting a baby. He looks at the pictures of both of them as a couple and they talk money and where to bring it. He says he will call with instructions. He gets a message and tells them it is a boy, and shows them a photo. He asks them for a name for the birth certificate, and they gives him Oliver, for her father, and he tells them to say nothing until they baby is in their possession.

Back at SVU, they are still waiting for his call and they are tailing Brooks. Fin comes in and says he lost him, saying Brooks changed cabs in the middle of the street. Munch tells them that Brooks is tied to the Bulgarian mob and his real name is Anton Petrov. Marlowe enters and says the tap on Elroy’s phone should now be up. The GPS shows he is in Harlem. Stabler gets a text that the exchange will occur at 3:00 PM at Morningside Park. Cragen says to get ESU up to that warehouse and they will take Petrov there. But Marlowe says she needs to catch him in the act. Cragen says that area is too risky and she says she is making that an order, and barks “Morningside, now.” Cragen says she is the boss in court, not at SVU. She says she is telling him that unless they buy that baby from Petrov she cannot charge him. She storms out.

Cragen follows Marlowe outside, and they argue. He brings out a case from 1995 and says he remembered why she really returned in 1995, saying that to get a guy, she burned two of her undercover detectives. She called it a command decision. She gets in his face and he yells she is not a copy any more. She says Benson and Stabler can handle themselves, but Cragen says ESU will be standing by. She says if Petrov sees them it will be a bloodbath, and Cragen calls it a command decision.

Stabler and Benson are at the location to make the switch with Brooks, and Cragen has police in the other location. Brooks frisks Stabler just to be sure he isn’t holding anything. Brooks checks out the money, and then walks off with it, smiling. Then he hands them the baby. Meanwhile, Cragen and the police hear a woman scream and Elroy is also there telling a man not to do this. Benson now calls Brooks Petrov and puts a gun to his head. Meanwhile, at Cragen’s location, a man moves to shoot Sophia and Cragen gets into the room and shoots the man first. It seems there is blood on the pillow the man used for his silencer, but it was his own, Sophia is OK.

At the hospital, Benson and Marlowe visit Sophia but she refuses to talk out of fear. She denies knowing Petrov. Benson says she saw her baby boy, and this gets Sophia emotional. They ask for her help to stop what Petrov is doing. She tells them that nobody forced her, and she wants her baby and to be deported back to Bulgaria and she will never testify against Petrov.

Petrov is in interrogation with Stabler, and Marlowe comes in with information on Lilli. He asks them if they found a body, and he plays dumb. He says he hopes they find the swine who raped that girl. Marlowe tells him Lilli ratted him out before he whacked her and told them everything he did. He laughs and says they have nothing, there are no witnesses and there will be no witnesses. He asks for his lawyer.

Outside the room, Stabler tells Marlowe that it was a nice try on her bluff, and Marlowe says Petrov thinks he is Teflon. Benson comes in and tells them Elroy refused counsel and said he would plead guilty and go to prison before he would talk. They see he is terrified, but Marlowe says not nearly enough for him. She , Stabler and Benson go into the room and pressure Elroy, and remind him he is a liability to Petrov. Elroy says Petrov can’t get him in jail, but Marlowe disputes that. She suggests witness protection and he says that is not enough. Elroy’s lawyer John Buchanan (Delaney Williams) comes in and is upset they are talking to his client. Elroy says he did not call an attorney and Buchanan says it has been taken care of Elroy has nothing more to say.

Outside, Cragen comments that they are double screwed as Buchanan’s partner Marty Cranston is there to represent Petrov. They wonder if what Elroy says gets back to Petrov, Elroy is dead. Marlowe comes in and tells them Sophia is gone; two ICE agents were driving her and her baby to a detention center in Fort Dix and the car exploded, they are all dead.

Later, Marlowe shows that surveillance cameras at Fort Dix caught the explosion, now they have to prove it was Petrov who did it. Cragen reminds them two federal agents are dead and the FBI won’t let them near this. He tells Benson and Stabler they have bulls-eyes on their backs and he is putting protective detail on both of them. Benson resists, and Stabler asks about Elroy, saying he is a sitting duck in jail. Benson adds that Elroy thinks Petrov will let things slide if he keeps his mouth shut. Marlowe says John Buchanan will never let that happen.

In arraignment court, Petrov and Elroy plead not guilty. Marlowe asks for remand and the judge agrees. Afterwards, a police officer gives Marlowe a note and says Elroy slipped it to her while he was in lockup to give to Marlowe. Buchanan approaches her and gives her a motion notice, telling her it will never go to trial.

Later, Judge Quinn (Kate Nelligan) walks with Marlowe and Buchanan as he says the police claim Elroy signed a bogus death certificate for Lilli’s bogus husband, but Marlowe used that document to get subpoena and warrants. While Marlowe praises herself over it, he tells her it was stupid, as Elroy's signature was forged. The judge says she will read his papers and get back to him, and rushes because she has to go – really has to go – as she ducks into the restroom. Marlowe says “Me too” and follows her in there. In the rest room, Marlowe shows her the note she got from Elroy, which says he does not trust his lawyer, and asks for help.

Later, in Judge Quinn's office, with Marlowe and Langan, Elroy is brought in and he wonders what is going on. Marlowe says it is the answer to his cry for help. He is irate and asks if his attorney knows he is there. Langan says he is his attorney now, and Elroy says he does not understand. Marlowe explains he is a shadow counsel and it is the only way they can keep him safe. He is worried because if he fires his lawyer, Petrov will know he is ratting him out and then he is dead. Marlowe says he is not going to fire Buchanan, they want him to do everything he says. The judge explains Langan will represent his real interests and the others won’t find out unless he tells him. Elroy accepts. Langan asks for dismissal of all charges, immunity and witness protection, Marlowe and the judge adding it will be in exchange for Elroy’s confession - in chambers with the record sealed. But he can’t say what he hears in meetings between him, Buchanan, Petrov, and his attorney. He agrees. He asks how he will testify at the hearing and Marlowe tells him that Buchanan will still be his attorney but he is worried that if he tells the truth out there he will be dead. The judge says as long as he tells the truth in her chambers - Marlowe confirming if he tells the truth in her chambers there is no crime.

At the evidence suppression hearing, with overlapping views of his testimony in chambers, Elroy is on the stand. He testifies, in court, that the signature on the death certificate is forged: in chambers he says he signed it at Lilli’s bequest, who kept the women under wraps until the women gave birth. In court, he says Lilli did not involve him in baby smuggling, in chambers he says she offered him money for every baby he delivered. She threatened him for insurance fraud. In court, he denies Lilli paid him to recruit infertile couples and says he only met Petrov the night he delivered Sophia’s baby. In chambers, admit he knows where Lilli is buried. Back in court, Marlowe says she has no questions for Elroy and moved that the motion be denied. But Buchanan says not so fast, and says he has more questions for Elroy. He says he heard the police found Lilli’s body and only one person could have told him where she was buried, and that is Elroy. Elroy says he was just trying to help, but the judge cuts him off. Buchanan Elroy if he heard about the location of Lilli’s body from a private conversation with him and Petrov, and Elroy refuses to answer and invoked the Fifth Amendment. He denies being an informant. Buchanan continues to press, and ask if the judge and Marlow told him it would be OK to lie in court and wonders if he really still is Elroy’s lawyer. The judge tells Buchanan he is out of order, but Buchanan says she is out of order and he claims fraud. He continues to argue the point and says that Lilli’s body should be excluded as evidence as attorney-client privilege was violated. The judge asks to see counsel in chambers.

Afterwards, Marlowe tells Benson and Stabler that the judge ruled Lilli’s body out as evidence and believes someone at the cemetery tipped off Buchanan. Now Buchanan is moving to have Elroy's confession thrown out and without it they have nothing. Marlowe says she and the judge may get a censure from the disciplinary committee but she feels it is worth it. Benson says she does not see how, and Marlowe says she will.

In Marlowe’s office, Benson and Stabler are there and Buchanan comes in with Petrov. He complains about it but she says she is giving him one last chance to make a deal. Petrov laugh and Buchanan says they have no case. But Marlowe brings in Sophia - she is not dead. Benson and Stabler looks stunned. Marlowe says the feds found the bomb the people put under her car before it exploded. They wanted him to think Sophia was dead. Petrov tells Sophia she will not open her mouth and Buchanan motions to quiet him. She says she is not afraid of him anymore. He tells them that Petrov came to Lilli's house the night after she was raped and made her watch as he shot Lilli in the head, and said the same thing would happen to her if his property, her belly, was damaged. Petrov becomes crazed and says he will kill her. They shout to each other and he says she is dead, her baby is dead and her parents in Bulgaria are dead. Marlowe says they brought her parents here so his people there cannot touch them. Sophia says he will rot in prison but he says he will never go there, calling her a bitch. They pull him out of the room as he screams.

Outside, Stabler comments to Marlowe that Petrov thinks he is a tough guy but he folded like a bitch. Marlowe comments that life without parole looked pretty sweet when he heard the feds wanted to fry him. Benson is walking with Sophia, who has her baby, and Benson comments that Petrov is lucky Sophia didn’t get her hands on him. Sophia asks if she will get asylum and Benson reminds her the baby was born here so he is automatically a US citizen. Stabler wishes her good luck, and she thanks them all for everything, and then is drive off. Marlowe tells them Elroy is off the hook too, the US Marshals are picking him up tomorrow to put him in witness protection. But Benson comments that Marlowe lied to their faces when she told them Sophia was dead. Marlowe says she was protecting their victim and she needed an ace in the hole. Stabler asks why didn’t she trust them, and she says she couldn’t take the chance if Petrov had his guys trailing them. Stabler says partners put their cards on the table. She says, “Well, like my grandmother always said, the strongest cards you have are the ones you haven’t played.” She walks off, leaving Benson and Stabler standing there as we fade to black.



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Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Torch” Recap & Review

All photos from NBC

Law & Order SVU steps into a flaming mess with the episode “Torch.” The first problem is that it is not an SVU case, and should have never been an SVU case. It doesn’t matter that Jack McCoy told ADA Jo Marlowe to take it because kids were killed, once it was made clear that there was no evidence of sexual improprieties or child abuse, the case should have been passed along to homicide if the case was determined to be arson. Yet McCoy sticks with Marlowe even though it is clear that she is not convinced they have the right guy. It gets even worse when Marlowe, rather than go back to McCoy with better evidence to show they have the wrong man and to get the charges dropped, she acts as a defense attorney and proves that Frank Sullivan didn’t do it. I would think that it would have looked better for them to drop the charges until they had time to sort things out, rather than have Marlowe torpedo her own case and then find later on that maybe her theory of the fire wasn’t the right one either. The whole thing just did not make sense. By the way, I hope that McCoy hits Marlowe hard on her behavior, seeing that when Casey Novak had once acted in the interests of the defense, McCoy gave her hell for it, threatening her with getting fired AND being disbarred. Since we know that Sharon Stone will be around for a few more episodes, it seems that McCoy’s bark is worse than his bite.

Making matters worse is that ADA Jo Marlowe – who seems to know what Stabler is going to do in interrogation because she taught him everything he knows – lets him walk into an interrogation with a wastebasket filled with paper and matches to question a “pyropheliac.” She then has the nerve to get upset when Stabler uses the matches and the fire to get a confession, Marlowe saying that Stabler sexually aroused him and then calls it rape.(Eeewwww.) It wasn’t for one moment believable that Jo Marlowe was a cop who taught Stabler everything he knows. I suppose that she should take the blame that Stabler has no self control and he acts like s hot headed jerk at times? And seriously, what was it with that stunt with Stabler needing raw onion to conjure up tears? Even wrapped in a handkerchief a raw onion would smell and Frank would have been on to him – or maybe think Stabler just had a bad case of body odor. I also noticed that despite the attempts to make it seem like there had been a spark with Marlowe and Stabler, there wasn’t even smoke there; they seemed completely devoid of any chemistry. Nobody seems to be carrying a torch here.

Other oddities with this episode: 1.) Frank runs out of his house –where we see no fire yet – and yells for someone to call for help. Wouldn’t a person’s first instinct be to get to their OWN phone and call 911? Luckily a neighbor did it for him, and the fire department is there in a nanosecond. I suspect Frank ran into the street for dramatic effect. 2. Did they forget that Pizza Face/Parisi confessed, and did they just chalk that confession up to Stabler’s arousing him? What would have happened if Marlowe’s fire expert showed that Frank didn’t set the fire but someone else did? Parisi could still be a suspect. But nooooo, they let him go. 3. How did Frank get that huge knife into Rikers AND into the interview room? 4. Marlowe discredits the fire marshal and calls what he does “junk science.” Doesn’t that open up other cases in which he was involved and they got convictions to appeal? She should have gone to McCoy and told him her findings outside of the courtroom to keep from discrediting the fire marshal in open court. She now may have put other cases and convictions at risk. 5. Where are they getting some of these supporting, "bit" actors from? The opening scene seemed like amateur hour. And while we are on the subject of acting, I think there was enough scenery chewing in this episode for an entire season, just from Sharon Stone alone.

The only thing that could have made this episode more bizarre was if they brought back Law & Order Sergeant Max Greevey (George Dzundza) from the dead so they could recreate the interrogation scenes with Sharon Stone in “Basic Instinct.” Oh wait; there are still a few more episodes where they can still do that.







Here is the recap:

Two “dudes” are out walking when Frank Sullivan (Kevin Anderson) runs out into the street and says his girls are in his house and it is on fire. The neighbor said she already called 911, and the house explodes in a bal of flames. The fire department arrives and Frank says there are two girls in the back bedroom and they race to fight the fire.

Later, Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) arrive on the scene and are told that two girls, 8 and 10, burned to death and the single dad is being treated for burns smoke inhalation. One other daughter, Emily Sullivan, 18, was out babysitting. When Stabler asks why they were called in for an arson, the officer said that “she” told them to, “she” is their new ADA. Stabler sees her and says, “Oh man” adding she used to be a cop, and his old partner.

As they approach the crime scene Stabler asks Benson what she is talking about; he’s been telling her Jo Marlowe stories for years. Benson comments except the one where Marlowe is actually a woman. Jo Marlowe (Sharon Stone) asks Benson if Stabler told her she was his training officer and says she taught him everything he knows. She says, “Elliot friggin' Stabler, what’s it been 10 years?” He tells her it is closer to 15, and he introduces Marlowe to Benson. Marlowe says Benson is a lucky girl to be working with “El,” Benson quips that’s what he keeps telling her. Marlowe explains there are two dead little girls and she thinks the Ledger will it on the front page and doesn’t want to be caught with her pants down. She begins to dress in firefighter garb. Stabler says pants down is SVU, but wonders why they were called in to a fire – if it’s arson it’s homicide. But Marlowe says that when the DA sees dead little kids, he thinks special victims. She tells them she had been transferred to SVU, adding that Elliot never got over it when she left him for law school. She comments to Benson that it looks like he has been in good hands. She tells Stabler she will catch up with him later and then moves toward the building. The Deputy Marshal Kurek greets her on the stairs and he tells her he found signs of an accelerant in the girl’s bedroom and he is ruling it arson. Marlowe tells Benson and Stabler that the dad is down at Mercy and tells them to go talk to him.

At Mercy General Hospital, the detectives speak with the father, Frank Sullivan, his daughter Emily sitting at his beside, and tells them he woke up to his daughters Kedzie and Faye yelling for him. He smelled smoke so he ran to the room and the door was hot and he burned his hands. His daughter says she should have been there. Benson tells them it was arson. They ask him if he has any enemies. Emily comments that his ex-wife Marcy was a psycho and wonders if she did it. He asks her to get him some orange juice and she leaves the room. He tells them Emily's mom died when she was 10 and doesn’t like her step mom, Marcy. She left him and the girls.

Back at SVU, the detectives comment that the judge gave full custody of the kids to Frank. Fin (Ice-T) tells Benson and Stabler that Marcy failed a court ordered psych exam and he cites all the weird things she did. She flipped out and told Frank if she couldn’t have the kids, nobody would.

At Marcy Sullivan’s apartment, she is shocked that they are gone. She seems out of it. They criticize her mothering skills and her drinking. She says he had an audition at a club that night and went home with one of the owners. She mentions a guy who grabbed at Kedzie at the club she told Kedzie to talk to Emily about it.

The detectives speak with Emily (Justine Cotsonas), who tells them they call the guy “pizza face” as he has bad acne. It happened in a bodega but she thought Kedzie was just being a drama queen about it and didn’t believe her. She says there was a cat in the bodega that Kedzie used to pet, but then she later found it in the alley burned and told her that pizza face told Kedzie that’s what happens to bad pussy.

Later, Benson comes out of the bodega and approaches pizza face. She gets on him about harassing little girls. She identifies herself as a detective and he tries to run. Stabler stops him, and Benson, who has pizza face’s jacket which came off when he ran, pulls out a lighter and fluid from it.


Back at SVU with Benson and Marlowe, Stabler says that “pizza face’s” real name is Michael Parisi, 23, with 3 prior arrests for sex abuse in the Bronx and all the victims were underage girls. Benson adds that none of the cases went to trial as the victims were too scared to testify. Stabler thinks Parisi set the fire to frighten Kensey Sullivan into silence and the blaze got away from him and he ends up committing two arson homicides. Marlowe asks, why set a fire and not threaten to kill a pet or her parents? Benson says “Mikey” is a firebug, they found a lighter and accelerant in his pocket. Marlowe thinks maybe be smokes, and Benson adds no cigarettes. Marlowe says they have a perv that likes to play with fire and little girls, and it looks like they are double dipping into the motive pool. Stabler says to Benson that he told her she would say that. He brings up video taken at the crime scene, assuming the arsonist is in the crowd watching. They see Parisi there but his eyes are closed. Benson thinks he is having a “private moment.” Stabler thinks he’s a pyropheliac getting off and he bets Marlowe his paycheck that’s what’s happening. She asks how he will prove it.

With Parisi in interrogation Stabler comes in with a wastebasket filled with paper and Parisi says he didn’t do anything. Benson and Marlowe watch. As Stabler works him, Marlowe is whispering the next steps out loud to Benson, as if she knows Stabler knows what to do because she taught him. Parisi said he only talked to Kedzie. Stabler says that Parisi has a thing for fire and begins to explain the beauty of fire, and he lights a match and Parisi starts talking as Stabler lights matches. He says he copped a feel but that was all. As Stabler continues to light matches and then lights the paper in the wastebasket, Parisi says he did it. He set the fire. Watching from the observation room, Benson tells Marlowe there goes her paycheck, and Marlowe says that’s not all it is going to cost her. She thinks the defense will say that Stabler sexually aroused his client to elicit a confession and Parisi was raped at SVU.

As she walks out of the room, Marlowe tells Benson his confession will be thrown out and Benson argues they have pizza face on the video. Marlowe counters that it is along with half the neighborhood. Benson says he molested Kedzie, and Marlowe says those charges died with her. She thinks she should talk with the dad to see if he can put the bastard there. Benson comments that Frank says he didn’t see anyone hanging around there last night. Marlowe observes that Benson doesn’t think Marlowe trusts Benson’s interview skills, and Benson observes that Marlowe has a more hands-on approach than most DAs. Marlowe snaps back to Benson to cut the euphemisms. But Benson thinks just because Marlowe was a cop does not mean she is on their side. Marlowe retorts that she was not just a cop, she was Elliot’s partner and she wouldn’t betray him any more than Benson would. As Marlowe walks away, Benson follows and comments that Marlowe transferred back there to work with Stabler again. Marlow says that Jack McCoy needed to replace Cabot so she was drafted – it was a happy accident. She adds, “Speaking of Elliot, you and he ever…” and Benson answers, “No. He’s married.” Marlowe smiles and chuckles, says “Yeah” and turns and walks away. Benson asks her where she is going, and Marlowe says she is going to rescue their case against pizza face, and asks if Benson is coming.

At the Sullivan residence, Benson is there with Marlowe and fire Marshal Kurek arrives to meet them. Benson and tells him that Parisi confessed, but Kurek is there to have Frank Sullivan arrested as he is sure he did it. He explains who the fire traveled through the house and says the arsonist trailed the accelerant backwards through the house and then walked out the front door. He says Frank's story is BS and if he had run through the fire as he claimed, his feet would have been burned. As Frank approaches, the fire marshal explains he is sure of his findings. Marlowe tells Benson to cut Parisi loose and arrest Sullivan, and the fire marshal begins to yell at Sullivan, calling him a scumbag. Benson moves to cuff him while Marlowe reads him his rights. Marlowe gets his hand loose and slaps her across the face. She stands up and glares at him and Benson asks if she is OK. Marlowe replies, “Your cuffs on our killer, I’m fine.”

Back at SVU, Marlowe wants to know why Sullivan killed his kids. Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) says Sullivan has been lying, he hasn’t worked since last summer and his financials are a mess and his house was insured for the full value – $1.1 million. He has no insurance claims, but Emily Sullivan did for the torching her own car. Marlow thinks this is what she needs to convince a jury, and Stabler says only if the car fire was daddy's idea. Marlowe scoffs and lightly hits him on the shoulder as she walks off.

Benson walks into an interview room where Emily is waiting. She says the detectives are making a mistake. Benson says if Emily wants to help her to talk to her and help her get to know her father better. Emily says he is a great dad and he never let her sisters worry about money. Collection agencies were calling all the time, and he said everything would be OK. But she is supposed to start college and doesn’t know how she will afford tuition. Benson brings up the fact that she couldn’t afford her car payment and then the car got conveniently stolen and torched. Emily asks is she in trouble, and Benson says it depends, asking whose idea it was. Emily said it was her father’s idea. She said they got no money the insurance paid off the loan. Benson tells her their house was in jeopardy now and if it worked before, why not do it again? Emily is now worried that he really set that fire.

Benson speaks with Frank who is in interrogation and brings up the problems with the house. Stabler accused him of torching the house for the insurance, and brings up Emily’s car. He still denies it all. As Stabler continues to hammer on the kids dying in the fire, seemingly faking tears of emotion, Franks tells him to stop. But Stabler continues to go on, saying he understands, just tell him Frank says there is nothing to tell, he did not kill his babies, and he wants a lawyer. Stabler answers, “And I don’t want to breathe the air in here anymore.”

As Stabler walks out into the observation room where Benson and Marlowe are watchdog and Marlowe says Frank really got to him. He is surprised that she bought that act, but she says she knows real tears. But Stabler shows her it was just a raw onion in his handkerchief. Marlowe says he really got her, but Stabler says he didn’t get Frank. Marlowe says they have enough to charge him, and now it is her turn to put on a show – no tears.

At arraignment court, Frank, with his legal aid attorney Shankman (Jason Jurman), pleads not guilty. Emily yells out that Frank is a liar and says she hates him as the judge orders her escorted out. Marlowe asks for remand and says she has the proof from the FDNY investigator. The judge remands him. As the judge orders a 5 minute recess, Marlowe says to Shankman to give her the blue back. Marlowe asks Shankman if she has to school him, his client killed two girls and he is guilty - he knows it and she knows it. She adds this is the time he is supposed to come up with some hare-brained theory of justification – like he was sleepwalking or he was delusional because he was up all night worrying about paying his bills. But Shankman says he was actually going to ask for a deal.

In Marlowe’s office and over lunch with Stabler, Marlowe tells them that she told Shankman to plead to the indictment and she doesn’t ask for consecutive sentencing on the two deaths, doing 25 to life. Shankman told his client to take it and she almost hopes it doesn’t. Stabler says when she tastes blood she has to be in there for the kill, and she replies that he still gets her. Her phone rings and she tells the caller to give her a half hour. Sullivan called himself and he wants to talk.

At Rikers in the conference room, Frank tells her he wants to talk to her alone and that he fired Shankman because Shankman thinks Frank is guilty. She says whatever he says can and will be used to crucify him on the stand. He knows. She says she is not some priest there to hear his confession and forgive him; her job is to put him away. He reminds her she is there to get justice for his daughters. He wants to be heard, he will even take a polygraph or any other test. He admits to a number of little things but will swear on his graves that he did not kill his girls. She says it is a nice speech but is she supposed to let him waltz out of there while she chases after a mythical killer. He says his daughters are dead because he could not save them and he can’t live with the guilt. She says he should have asked her to bring a razor blade. He asks her if she thinks is a joke, and he stands up with a knife, and she stands back, yelling “10-13! 10-13!” As the alarm sounds, he begins to cut into his arm. The guards race in and restrain him and he asks if she believes him now.

Back at SVU, Marlowe tells Benson and Stabler that Frank will be OK, he is on suicide watch. Stabler calls it a stunt and she Marlowe says it worked, she was a cop for 10 years and she knows when somebody is lying and she does not think Frank set that fire. Benson tells her that her BS detector is on the fritz, and Stabler says Frank is a con artist. She still stands by her opinion. She says they need to look t the case with a new set of eyes. She says there is one witness they haven’t questioned – the house.

At the lab of Dr. Iggy Drexel (Brad Dourif), Marlowe explains her case and thinks the guy in innocent, which confuses Drexel as Marlowe is a prosecutor. She needs an expert because the fire marshal refuses to take a second look at it. Drexel says there was a case just like this in Texas that got an innocent man executed for an arson homicide that was really an accident. Drexel says Kurek’s whole case is half assed; he cites Kurek’s findings about the glass at the house and feels that the spidering was caused by the cold water from the fire houses hitting the superheated glass, that it was not proof of an accelerant. He needs to see more information from the fire scene and the witness statements to verify of the fire marshal’s findings are flawed.

Marlowe, along with Stabler and Drexel, has Frank back at the house and has him walk them through the night of the fire. He says he was sleeping and heard the girls call for him. Smoke was pouring out from under the doorway. Drexel notices spots that the fire marshal thought was from the accelerant. Frank says that he tired to open the door but the knob was too hot and the door would not break down. Drexel says the heat would have expanded the wood and he would have needed an axe to open it, and if he would have opened it he would have been swallowed up by flame. Frank says he ran to the front door to get help and opened the front door. Drexel explains that once he opened the door the fire raced there for the oxygen. He says this theory is plausible and so is Kurek’s, but he can’t prove it.

Afterwards, Marlowe moans that she thought Drexel would blow the fire marshal out of the water. She says they screwed up and it’s up to them to clean it up. She asks Stabler what happened to her partner that used to back her play. He says they haven’t been partners for a long time. She gives him a light punch and says yeah, she has been replaced. As Benson arrives, Marlowe says it looks like the party is over. Benson says it is just getting started, DA Jack McCoy is at the squad room waiting for her and he sent Benson to bring her in.

As Marlow, Stabler and Benson walk back into SVU, they see Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) on the phone and Marlowe tells him he can hang up. He says, “So your phone isn’t broken.” She counters that she was busy, and he fires back that he heard, adding “When I call, you answer. When I tell you to do something, you do it.” When she asks even if it means sending an innocent man to jail for the rest of his life, he questions Frank's innocence, saying Frank had lied to her, he torched a car and attempted suicide – with her there to call for help. McCoy tells Marlowe that Frank is snowing her, and Marlowe tells McCoy when she first came to the DA’s office he told her to stop thinking like a cop since probable cause wasn’t good enough in court. She needed proof beyond a reasonable doubt. She asks him aren’t her doubts reasonable? McCoy replies that the fire marshal does not think so. She counters that Drexel’s theory is equally viable. He says to let the jury decide, that’s what they’re for. He tells her emphatically, “Go to trial, Jo.” She replies, “I remember what you told me about trial Jack, that a good prosecutor got convictions and (she and McCoy finish the sentence in unison) great ones get justice.” McCoy says “I give that speech to all new ADAs.” Marlowe comments, “Well, I believed you. Now I’m asking you to believe me.” He turns and looks at Benson and Stabler and asks Stabler if he believes her. He says she is worth listening to. He asks Benson if she thinks Frank is innocent and Marlowe looks over apprehensively. Benson says she does not know. McCoy says there is not one shred of evidence that anyone else set this fire, and tells Marlowe to take him to trial. When McCoy leaves, Stabler says they are all in this together and Stabler and Benson wonder about pizza face, who confessed to the crime, and Frank. Benson says they need a smoking gun and Stabler suggests a smoking house, but Benson says they can’t burn a house down. Marlowe says she can, and walks off.

Marlowe goes back to Drexel, who calls her idea crazy but says it could work. He is going to recreate the fire and record it with sensors and heat resistant cameras. He sets the fire.

Back in court, Marlowe shows the recording of the recreation with fire marshal Kurek on the stand. She asks him to interpret what he sees on the recording and he says the results of that recreation are the same as what he saw at the Sullivan house. He says only an accelerant can cause those burn patterns and he is sure of it. But Marlowe says that no accelerant was used to start the ire with the recreation. He seems surprised and she shows him how the recreation was done. Drexel started the fire with a short with wires on a space heater next to the bed. Kurek says it is impossible, and he says he knows what he saw. But she goes on to show an animated recreation of the fire Frank the point of view of Frank and his home, saying when Frank opened the door it caused the fire to flash over. Marlowe tells Kurek the fire was not caused by arson. She looks over to Frank and then to Kurek, and says, “That is the danger of junk science.” She tells the judge that based on this new evidence the people move to dismiss the case in the interest of justice.

Outside in the hall, Frank tells Marlowe he does not know what to say. She says he does not have to say anything. The elevator doors open and Benson is there with Emily, who rushes to her father. She apologizes that she thought he did it, but he hugs her. Marlowe walks off, telling Benson now she has to give McCoy the bill for the house she just burned down. Benson asks her if she wants some back up, and Marlowe said sure, and they walk away as we fade to black.

All Text Content (Recaps, Review, Commentary) © allthingslawandorder.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted

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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

More Law & Order SVU “Torch” Sneak Peeks

Here are some more sneak peek videos for the upcoming episode of Law & Order SVU “Torch” which will air on April 28, 2010 on NBC. These videos have a limited life, so catch them while you can!

(In case you missed yesterday’s clips, they are at this link: Preview clips and promos for Law & Order SVU “Torch”

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Torch" can be found here.














Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Torch” Sneak Peeks

Here are some sneak peeks and behind the scenes videos for the upcoming episode of Law & Order SVU “Torch” which will air on April 28, 2010 on NBC. These videos have a limited life, so catch them while you can!

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Torch" can be found here.













Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Ace” Episode Information

NBC has released the information for a new episode of Law & Order SVU titled “Ace." Here are the details:

Law & Order SVU “Ace” Air Date May 5, 2010 (10 PM ET/ 9C Wednesday NBC)
DETECTIVES BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) AND STABLER (CHRIS MELONI) MUST TRACK DOWN A PREGNANT RAPE VICTIM WHO DISAPPEARS FROM THE HOSPITAL

When a pregnant woman is raped, Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) arrive at the hospital to find that she has fled. Even when someone is arrested for a similar offense, ADA Jo Marlowe (guest star Sharon Stone) says she doesn't have a case in court unless they find the victim and get a statement from her. Soon, Benson and Stabler connect the woman to an illegal adoption operation, forcing them to go undercover and expose the truth. Also starring: Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch) and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU On Location: Chris, Mariska, Dann, and Sharon Stone

Here are a few photos of Law & Order SVU on location in Little Italy yesterday. Included are Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, Dann Florek, and guest star Sharon Stone.









Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Torch” Episode Information

NBC has released the information for a new episode of Law & Order SVU “Torch” set to air on April 28. Here are the details:


Law & Order SVU “Torch” Air Date 04/28/2010 (10 PM ET/ 9C Wednesday NBC)
WHEN A MAN IS ACCUSED OF MURDERING HIS DAUGTHERS, DETECTIVE STABLER'S (CHRIS MELONI) FORMER PARTNER (GUEST STAR SHARON STONE) TAKES THE CASE

When two sisters are killed in a fire, Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) are confused about why they are called to investigate. They soon discover that Stabler's old partner, ADA Jo Marlowe (guest star Sharon Stone), has been put on the case -- despite the absence of a sex crime -- because the two victims were so young, and that she has enlisted the duo to help. However, as the investigation continues, Benson and Stabler find that the case might be more suited to their department than anyone originally assumed, and Stabler's interrogation tactics threaten to get the detectives into trouble. Also starring: Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch) and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Torch" can be found here.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Sam Waterston to Guest Star on SVU – Really!

A short while ago, fans were teased about this for a previous episode of Law & Order SVU (“Confidential”), but maybe this time the story will be true. TV Guide Magazine is reporting that Sam Waterston will guest star as DA Jack McCoy in an upcoming episode of Law & Order SVU “when SVU special guest star Sharon Stone’s Jo Marlowe makes a major faux pas.”

The story goes on to state that in "the first time in Law & Order: SVU’s eleven year history, Sam will show up in the SVU squad room.” No details on the name of the episode or the date it will air, so stay tuned.


You can read the entire story here on the TV Guide Magazine website:
L&O's Waterston Crosses Over to SVU




Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

L&O SVU on Location with Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, Sharon Stone March 23, 2010 (Photos)

Here are some new photos of Law & Order SVU on location on March 23, 2010, with Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, and guest star Sharon Stone. There are also some photos of Sharon with her sons Laird Vonne and Quinn Kelly taken after filming. I really like the photos of Mariska here - very casual!

















Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

More Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, and Sharon Stone on Location for Law & Otrder SVU

Here are a few more pictures of Law & Order SVU on location with Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni, and Sharon Stone that were taken this past week in New York City.
















Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Mariska Hargitay, Sharon Stone on Location for Law & Order SVU (Photos)

Here are a few photos of Sharon Stone, along with Mariska Hargitay, taken on Wednesday March 17 while filming in New York City (Harlem) for Stone's upcoming role on Law & Order SVU.












Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.