Something certainly happened in this episode of Law & Order SVU. The story spent most of the screen time on Benson and potential rape victim Laurel Linwood. A ticking clock on the occasional scene cards seemed to be an effort to add tension to the episode, but as this case didn’t seem to be time sensitive in any way, the effect was wasted. (I believe Law & Order used this effect once in a "day-in-the life" episode and it worked very well.) With the exception of a few scenes with detectives outside the SVU, the detectives and Barba were reduced to real window dressing, spending much of the time at the observation window. I applaud them for trying something different, but I’ll admit that I had a hard time connecting with this episode.
Laurel Linwood was found at the New York Natural History Museum by a class of 6th graders. She was shaken and crying; security called 911, and she was taken to St. Vincent’s hospital and the hospital then called the SVU. She told the doctor she was raped so they did a rape kit and the tox screen was clean. Soon afterward, Laurel is at the SVU in the interrogation room; Carisi says she’s in “real bad shape” and he and Rollins can’t get her to say anything. (Benson later throws this in Rollin’s face when Rollins offers to take over questioning and Benson jabs that Rollins couldn’t get Laurel to say word one.) Quickly, after only a few words from Benson, Laurel speaks and doesn’t see the point of talking, they will never catch him as she can’t remember anything.
When the episode synopsis was initially released, it said “Benson must disclose the secrets of her past to help a rape victim.” An NBC promo mentioned “When Olivia tells her secret”. Did I miss the secret(s)? I didn’t hear anything new or surprising, even that Benson is “not Jesus.” We knew that Benson beat William Lewis. Why did Fin say “We need to stop this?” when Benson started talking about her father? Was he worried that Benson couldn’t handle discussing the issue, after all these years? (I would have expected Fin to try to stop Benson when she brought up William Lewis as what she could have said there could have been more traumatizing for Benson to rehash.) We knew her father, “Joe”, raped her mother and Benson didn’t really know her father, Benson admitting it bothered her he never looked for her, and that she hated him. It surprises me that Benson would still be such a delicate flower on the issue of her father after all this time. So unless I dozed off and missed something major, the whole “When Olivia tells her secret” hook fell flat for me.
I’m not sure why I found this amusing, but the lightning storm during the scene where Benson talks more about her own issues with her father seemed like it belonged in a cheesy horror flick.
At least the episode provided one surprise: Laurel was no victim of rape, her recently deceased father sexually abused her sister, Laurel was jealous of her (wondering why her father didn’t pick herself instead), and she killed the person who reminded her of her father. Laurel waited until he was asleep and then she stabbed him. She stated she just wanted her father to love her. Before this reveal, Benson compared the situation to ripples created by throwing a rock into a pond, destroying everything in its wake, by her father throwing an “insidious rock” into Laurel’s family which covered all of the family. Benson, in her whisper tones, said they are all collateral damage, and Laurel notes it is like Benson. Laurel knows she is going to prison, finally admitting what really happened. More likely she will be going to a mental hospital. Who knows what will come out after a medical expert questions Laurel?
The advance photos released for this episode included some images of Benson with Noah, yet those scenes were nowhere to be found. I assume we’ll eventually see a deleted scene covering those photos.
Update December 8, 2017 - a (long) deleted scene has been added below.
Update December 12, 2017 - another deleted scene has been added below.
Update December 15, 2017 - another short deleted scene has been added bellow.
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:
Melora Walters - Laurel Linwood
Joanna Going - Leah Linwood
Chris Cafero – James
Crystal T. Johnson – Meg
Lana Young – Mrs. Drayson
Kayla Diaz – Nancy
Tailyn Sandhu - Linda
Deleted scene added December 8, 2017 (Several minutes long)
Deleted scene added December 12, 2017
Deleted scene added December 15, 2017
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