Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Behind The Scenes & Cast Interviews

A behind the scenes video plus cast interviews with guest stars Stephanie March and Andre Braugher have just been made available for Law & Order SVU "Spiraling Down" . The episode will be re-airing on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 9PM ET on NBC.

NOTE: The videos are no longer available.

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

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

Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Recap & Review

If I was doing a one word review for “Spiraling Down” it would be as follows: exceptional. As there are so many good things to say about this episode, I thought I should still take the time and outline what made it so good.

The story was compelling and was well scripted. Both the lead and supporting cast made it seem like I was a fly on the wall, watching a real life drama take place. Andre Braugher was his usual superb self, and I found myself wondering if Braugher had been cast as the lead prosecutor for Law & Order LA I think that series would still be on the air. I also found myself wishing that they would bring the original Law & Order back and somehow get Bayard Ellis to find his way into working for the DA’s office.

Treat Williams was perfect in the role of the ex-football star Jake Stanton who shows signs of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a progressive brain disease that is found in athletes who have experienced repeated head trauma. Sadly, the disease can only be diagnosed after death.  Jake was able to shield the disease from the public as it's not an illness that makes a person look obviously ill.   One can’t ignore, though,  that his wife was covering up Jake’s problem and clearly taking her eyes off him, which allowed him the chance to get into trouble more than once.  In a way, she should bear some responsibility for what happened to the victim, 14 year old Vicki.   It was tragic to see Jake come to the realization that they will only know for sure that he had the disease only after he is dead, which is likely one reason why he decided to end it all. (A side note: after his performance in this episode, I now officially forgive Treat Williams for his appearance in the films “The Ritz” and “1941.”) One nitpick – I thought all officers/detectives who carry a gun are supposed to have them in a locking holster.  It should not have been that easy for Jake to grab the officer’s gun. I have lost count as to the number of deaths which have occurred at 60 Centre Street, which may be one  of the deadliest places in the Law & Order universe.

I usually don’t care for too much focus on the characters’ personal lives, but they worked in the short scene with Amaro and his wife very well.

After Jake falls apart on the stand, Cabot expresses her displeasure with Benson, arguing that Benson wants justice for the victim AND compassion for Jake, and Benson can’t have it both ways because the world does not work that way. I don’t agree with Cabot. Vicki hopefully got plenty of justice from the SVU team nabbing all those other johns and her pimp, and I assume they were all (or will be) successfully prosecuted.  "Spiraling Down"  may have been one of those cases where someone like Dr. Huang  could have stepped in and helped to determine if Jake was competent at the time of the crimes or whether he was even competent to stand trial.  I also wonder why Ellis also didn’t move for some sort of competency hearing. Maybe I missed something here.

All in all, this was a flawless episode  and the best of the season so far.  Hopefully, it will be an episode that will bring some Emmy nominations.

Here is the recap:

Cast:
Mariska Hargitay – Detective Olivia Benson
Ice-T – Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Richard Belzer – Sergeant John Munch
Dann Florek – Captain Don Cragen
Kelli Giddish - Detective Amanda Rollins
Danny Pino - Detective Nick Amaro


Guest stars:
Stephanie March - ADA Alex Cabot
Andre Braugher – Bayard Ellis
Treat Williams - Jake Stanton
Beth Chamberlin – Georgia Stanton
Laura Benanti – Maria
Kay Panabaker – Vicki Harris
Dominic Fumusa – Jason Harris
Jon Michael Hill - Tre
Ned Eisenberg – Roger Kressler
Tonye Patano – Judge Maskin
Linda Emond - Dr. Emily Sopher
David Pittu – Jake’s (first) Lawyer
Jerry Rice - himself
Warren Sapp – himself


A young girl walking around the city is being followed by a man. When another man stops her and asks her for money, the guy following her stops her and asks her if she made it. She plays along and the guy asking for money walks off. The guy who was following her tells her she has to be careful, there are a lot of crazy people in New York, and he introduces himself as Tre. She says her name is Vicki. They walk off together.

At a later time, the two are in bed together and Tre gives her a necklace. She wonders why he is being so nice to her, adding the guys in her school are jerks. He says they are punks who don’t know how to treat a lady and he will take care of her.

Later, Marcus arrives and tells Vicki she is getting prettier every day. Marcus has a box with him with red platform shoes in it, but when Tre indicates he can’t afford them, Marcus says maybe they can work something out. Marcus sits down next to her and puts his arm around her, and Tre tells her “c’mon girl, it’s just Marcus.” She looks less than thrilled.

At another time, a man storms out of Tre’s room and tells Tre he wants his money as the girl is crying. Tre tells him to wait there, he’s got this. Tre storms in the room and asks Vicki what is going on, and she is crying and begging that she does not want to do this anymore. He says he has guys lined up and he punches her. She slaps him back and tells him to stop it. He goes into the bathroom to check his injury, and she picks up her cell phone and dials her father and tells him she is sorry. He asks who she is talking to and he slaps the phone out of her hand.

At SVU, Benson is telling Amaro that someone – a date? - doesn’t share food, they split the check, and they missed the opening number. Amaro describes the person as having receding hair, an academic, with a checkered shirt. Benson says all of the above, adding that Amaro is good. A man approaches Amaro and says his daughter Vicki is in trouble, he drove from Philly, and says he is Captain Jason Harris who was deployed I Baghdad with Amaro's wife and she told him about his transfer to Special Victims. He says his daughter is in New York and got a call and he heard a man threatening her. He thinks his daughter ran away, she lived with her ex and he just got back from deployment. The call came from a blocked number but New York is all Vicki ever talked about. He gives Benson his cell phone to trace the call. He explains to Amaro that is daughter is only 14 and knows Amaro has a daughter and adds Amaro was lucky to marry Maria as she is a good person and grounded. He says Amaro has to find his daughter, and Amaro says his wife sent him to the right place. Jason adds that he came back from Iraq last week and his ex said Vicki was on a school trip. She never mentioned knowing anyone in New York. Jason’s wife enters and asks where is Victoria. Jason and she begin to argue and place blame over Vicki, and Cragen enters and asks her to come with him. Fin tells Amaro they have something on the phone.

Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Preview Clip and Treat Williams Interview

Here is a preview clip plus an interview with guest star Treat Williams for Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” which will air on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. The preview features Kelli Giddish, Dann Florek, and guest star Treat Williams.

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Spiraling Down" can be found at this link.

Please note: The preview clip is available for a limited time only and must be removed shortly after the episode originally airs, so catch it while you can!







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

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

Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Advance Photos

Here are advance photos from Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” which will air on December 7, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. The photos feature Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, and guest stars are Andre Braugher and Treat Williams.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Spiraling Down" can be found at this link.

Photos by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC © NBCUniversal, Inc.

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

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

Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Promo

Here is the promo for Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down”which will air on December 7, 2011 at 10 PM ET/9C on NBC. Guest stars are Andre Braugher, Treat Williams, and Laura Benanti, with special appearances by Jerry Rice and Warren Sapp.


My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Spiraling Down" can be found at this link.




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

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

Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Episode Information

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order SVU, “Spiraling Down”:


Law & Order SVU “Spiraling Down” Air Date December 7, 2011 (10 PM ET/9C Wednesday NBC)

WHEN A LEGENDARY FOOTBALL STAR (GUEST STAR TREAT WILLIAMS) IS ARRESTED ON PROSTITUTION CHARGES, ATTORNEY BAYARD ELLIS (GUEST STAR ANDRE BRAUGHER) CENTERS THE DEFENSE ON HIS CLIENT’S MENTAL STATE, CAUSING A MEDIA FIRESTORM. SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY JERRY RICE AND WARREN SAPP.

A military colleague (guest star Dominic Fumusa) of Detective Amaro’s (Danny Pino) wife reports his 14-year-old daughter missing. The detectives find the girl (guest star Kay Panabaker) working as a prostitute under a possessive pimp (guest star Jon Michael Hill). They quickly set up a sting operation to entrap Johns on rape charges with a minor, and arrest aging pro quarterback Jake Stanton (guest star Williams.) Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and ADA Cabot (Stephanie March) seek to make an example out of the football legend, but the case is thrown into chaos with the return of defense attorney Bayard Ellis (guest star Braugher), who questions Stanton’s mental capacity after years of injuries on the field. Also starring Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen) and Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins). Beth Chamberlin and Laura Benanti also guest star.

# # # 

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Spiraling Down" can be found at this link.


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

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