Every now and then, an SVU episode is so awful that I don’t want to waste any time recapping or reviewing it. “Spellbound” is one of those episodes. I still took the time to recap and review it…and disliked the episode even more the second time around.
This was the sloppiest handling of a special victims prosecution so far this season. Proving that Abby was hypnotized was a tough task, but it would have had some chance had Barba put some effort into that angle, such as bringing in an expert to explain how Abby could have been hypnotized. He did nothing of the sort. Adding insult to injury, when a recording of Abby consenting to the sex was revealed, Barba made no attempt to validate the recording or to argue that it could have been taken out of context. Why wouldn’t Barba ask for everything Declan said leading up to the few sentences of recording that Declan gave to Rita Calhoun? It would be easy to argue to the jury that Declan only presented as evidence those sentences that were beneficial to his defense. Barba allowed the recording to be put into evidence “as is” and didn’t raise the issue that the hypnosis could have occurred before the time that Declan had recorded.
Then, after the recording surfaced, Benson suggests to Barba that they “flip the script” and lean into this evidence and keep digging. Barba then reminds her the jury will hear the recording of Abby saying yes, and Benson says all they need to do is prove that Declan hypnotized Abby and that "yes" will mean nothing. Talk about stating the obvious! I thought that proving Abby was hypnotized, and therefore could not consent, was first and foremost on the prosecution’s case, but Benson made it sound like Barba was an idiot who never thought of this angle.
Barba mentioned in his closing statement that Declan used a neuro-linguistic technique to disorient and incapacitate, and that Declan confessed this to Jack Roe. Although we did see this encounter while Jack was wired, putting Jack on the stand would have demonstrated that Barba made an attempt to prove Declan used hypnosis, using Declan's own words against him. Instead, Barba has to resort to hoping that Declan will testify in his own defense and then hope to discredit him.
Benson made a confusing statement to Abby after Abby was asked to read, in court, from her application to attend the retreat. When Abby falls apart on the stand and needs a recess, Benson says she knows this threw Abby off guard but reminds her they went through all of this during the prep. If they went through this during prep, how exactly did this throw Abby off guard when it came up at trial?
Frankly, I am shocked that Declan was found guilty as I didn’t think Barba presented any proof that Abby was hypnotized.
We got one tidbit about Carisi’s girlfriend – she’s gotten him into raw foods. And, as Rollins questions when are they going to meet her, we now know that Rollins isn’t his secret girlfriend as some may have suspected.
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:
Elizabeth Marvel - Counselor Rita Calhoun
Kristen Hager - Abby Clark
John Ellison Conlee – Jack Roe
Ami Brabson - Judge Karyn Blake
Steven Hauck - Professor
Stuart Townsend - Declan Trask
Sam Edgerly – Steven
Lisa Gorlitsky – Christa Goss
Regina Schneider – Valerie Pratt
Paul Deo, Jr. – Brian Gillis
Kate Grimes – Attorney Janet Delgado
Akintola Jiboyewa – Richard Hill
Whitney Bashor – Rachel Sykes
Scott Lehman – Jury Foreperson
Abby Clark and her boyfriend Steven discuss what they want to do that evening. He wants to hang out at home buy Abby thinks he doesn’t get it. She needs to “do this” for her, and everyone says it is it is amazing. He tells her to do what she has to do, but if she changes her mind, he will happily make room for her on the couch. She leaves.
At the apartment of Declan Trask at 139 West 92nd Street on Monday, April 10, Abby arrives at an “spiritual retreat” with a group of others. Declan Trask introduces himself. They all sit down and prepare to drink a drug made into a tea, Declan saying it will be an amazing journey which will connect to themselves and to others, and it will change their life. But Abby passes on drinking the drug.
But the next day, a reluctant Abby is at SVU with Steven, who says they are doing this. She waits in the lobby as Steven explains to Benson that his girlfriend thinks she was raped at a spiritual retreat. They catch Abby as she is walking out. Benson introduces herself and Abby voices her regrets for going last night. She says Declan Trask did this, and he is a healer who was supposed to change her life.
In Benson’s office with Rollins, Abby says she was at an Ayahuasca retreat, explaining it is a drug from Peru. Rollins comments it is a hallucinogen that is supposed to give insights to life. Abby explains she was trying to figure some stuff out. Rollins asks if she was on Ayahuasca when she was assaulted, and Abby replies she didn’t take it, she got scared. Benson asks when was the assault, and Abby states it was around 12:30. Rollins asks what is the meditation room, and Abby states it is just a white bedroom with yoga mats. When everyone was tripping, she went in there to be alone and that is where Declan found her. Benson asks that Declan Trask runs the retreats, and Abby confirms yes, he is supposed to be the best at guiding people while they take the drug. He gave her a cup of water and she felt really strange after drinking it. She was dizzy and couldn’t thinks straight and her limbs went heavy. Benson asks if she thinks he put Ayahuasca in the water, and Abby explains she would have seen it or tasted it, it is a thick, brown sludge. Rollins speculates he put another drug in there, and Abby thinks he must have; it was like she was in another place or realm. He just kept talking and talking and the next think she knew he had her pants down and he was inside her. Benson asks that she did not consent to any of this, and Abby says no, she was so disoriented. It was like she wanted to scream and tell him to get off of her but she couldn’t, like she was paralyzed. It was awful feeling so powerless. Benson comments she is so sorry. She told everyone she was going, that it was going to be this amazing, life-altering experience. Rollins comments she couldn’t have known this was all going to happen. Benson suggests to Abby that they get her to the hospital to do a rape kit and a tox screen. Abby nods in agreement.
Later, Benson watches a video of Declan at a large seminar in San Francisco in 2016. He explains his own personal journey and how others should reflect on their lives. Carisi comments why does he think the guys shoes cost more than his rent, and Fin replies because they do – Declan comes from real money, his father is hedge fun guy Tate Trask. Benson reads off a newspaper article about Declan’s $5,000 weekends, saying people think that Declan can change their lives. Rollins says there is a sucker born every minute, but Fin says everybody needs something, quipping his ex made him go on a Reiki retreat to clear his energy. Benson smiles and asks how that worked for him, and Fin replies it made him realize it was time for them to break up. They all laugh. Benson admits she’s never done anything like that, adding that anyone who claims they can change their life in a weekend, can’t. Benson tells Rollins and Carisi to talk to Declan to get his side of the story.
