Law & Order SVU “Twenty-Five Acts” received quite a bit of advance press explaining the episode involved a best selling book similar to the current erotic novel best seller “Fifty Shades of Grey.” It seemed very obvious to where the episode was headed, but despite the predictable story, this was a great episode with intense scenes and tension between the main characters.
The SVU squad is off-kilter, with Captain Harris making some changes which has unsettled some. Amaro requested to work as a swing man; clearly he feels alienated from the group - especially Benson - after the recent law enforcement scandal. I wonder if working as swing man will only make it harder for him to build a relationship of trust with the squad. Harris also reunited Munch and Fin as a team, which I always felt was an excellent pairing. Benson, however, doesn’t seem completely thrilled with being paired with Rollins, but that may be because it came about from Amaro’s request to go it alone. Adam Baldwin was an excellent interim captain and was very likable, despite Harris' stoic and authoritative demeanor. The detectives treated Harris as a newbie but he was smart enough to let them know at every opportunity that he has far more experience for which the detectives gave him credit. While I will always be loyal to Captain Cragen, Harris gave the SVU squad a much needed kick in the pants.
This episode clearly belonged to the guest stars. Anna Chlumsky was strong as a woman who lived an exciting life as the author of an erotic book, who didn't write the book and behaved nothing like what the book described. Raúl Esparza stole the show and was fantastic playing a district attorney who seemed very driven - and maybe a little too cold - in his approach. I enjoyed how he managed to taunt Adam Cain into using the belt in court to highlight Cain’s rough behavior. It brought back memories of an old Law & Order episode (“Showtime”) where Jack McCoy worked a murder weapon into the hands of the defendant, which made him look guilty as sin. I hope we get to see Raúl Esparza come back for more episodes – he’s a character that would bring a real spark to the legal side of the show.
Some nitpicks: Rollins really shouldn’t be calling anyone “honey,” much less the victim. It’s one of those terms that most women find demeaning, and coming from another woman, it sounds even worse. Benson also made a comment to Harris that SVU is the only unit where the victim’s word isn’t good enough, you have to prove a crime was committed. That statement sounded awkward to me. My understanding of the justice system is that one is innocent until proven guilty, and the prosecution has to back up any charges for any crime – sex crime or not - with facts or evidence. An accusation is not always enough to have law enforcement act. A victim’s behavior can be questioned for ANY crime and I don’t agree that SVU is the only unit where a victim's word may be questioned. While it does seem wrong to have a rape victim’s past sexual history put out there for all to see, I think that people who are charged with rape do have the right to question the actions of the accuser regarding the events surrounding the crime. And, using Harris’ example, a robbery victim may not necessarily be accused of “asking for it” but they still could be questioned about their claims of what was stolen (thefts involving possible insurance fraud come to mind).
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
Adam Baldwin - Captain Steven Harris
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Anna Chlumsky – Jocelyn Paley
Roger Bart – Adam Cain
Elizabeth Marvel – Adam Cain’s lawyer
Romy Rosemont – Kathleen Dobson
Tony Patano – Judge Maskin
Peter McRobbie – Judge Walter Bradley
Rory O’Malley - Craig
Steve Rosen - Public Defender Guthrie
Hallie Cooper- Novak – Katie
Lucia Spina – Sara Palermo
Jay McInerney – himself
J. Elaine Marcos – Lisa Vaughn
Jane Dashow – Holly
Nava Namdar – Jury Foreperson
In the SVU squad room Benson, Fin and Munch are talking about the 16 murders over the 4th of July. Captain Harris enters and announces they are stuck together a little longer; Captain Cragen was cleared of the charges but One PP has not yet declared him fir for duty. Munch refers to One PP as the “Puzzle Palace.” Benson questions if they did say he was coming back, and Harris replies as far as he knows. Harris also announces he’s moving them around and teams Munch back up with Fin, and Benson with Rollins. Munch asks about Amaro – referring to him as Serpico – and Harris says he will be swing man, or sometimes on his own, depending on the call. Amaro says it is all good, and Benson looks at him, wondering. As he walks away from his desk, Benson gets up from hers and follows him, and explains to Amaro that she did not ask for the switch. But he surprises her by telling her that he did, adding that one thing about her is that she needs a partner she can trust. As he walks off she looks slightly exasperated with him.
Munch enters Harris’ office; Harris' TV is turned on to a TV talk show “Raising Cain.” Munch tells him he is punching out, and then asks Harris if he is an Adam Cain fan. Harris comments it is just white noise for his paperwork. Harris asks how his new lineup is going today and Munch replies “like a lead balloon” and says they will adjust, commenting that “heavy lies the crown.” Harris jokes for Munch to take the rest of the night off, and Munch chuckles an OK. Harris returns to the TV show.
Meanwhile, at the “Raising Cain” talk show taping, talk show host Adam Cain introduces Jocelyn Paley, the author of the book “Twenty-Five Acts,” which he states is about a woman’s journey into a world of domination and is revolutionizing women’s attitudes about sex. He adds that her book makes “Fifty Shades” look like a Disney story. He says the author is hot, rich kinky, and he thinks he is in love. Jocelyn walks on stage to the loud applause and hoots from the live audience. He greets her, commenting he doesn’t know whether to kiss or spank her. She asks who says he can’t do both - and she gives him a quick kiss.
Afterwards, with Adam and Jocelyn at dinner in a swanky restaurant, Jocelyn asks Adam what is his fantasy while she discreetly removes her panties and hands them to him. Quickly they are in his apartment and kissing passionately, She reaches for his belt but he slaps her hard, saying “Act two. I say when you can touch me.” She feigns an apology and he orders her on the bed and to get on all fours, adding that she needs to be punished. He whips her hard with his belt and she says that really hurt and tells him to stop it. Instead, he takes the belt an begins to choke her. As she struggles for breath, he angrily says she does not tell him what to do.
Later, Benson and Rollins are at a hospital ER meeting up with Sara Palermo, who handles Jocelyn’s book tour. She explains she called 911 as she went to Jocelyn’s hotel room and found her crying and she also had blood in her nightgown, she was bruised and there was a mark on her neck. Jocelyn had a taping with Cain the day before and he asked her out and was sky high about it but today – not a word. She asks what that sounds like to them.
The detectives speak with Jocelyn who denies being raped and did not ask Sara to call the police. Rollins cites paperwork and asks about her date with Adam Cain. She admits to going for drinks and then to his place, and when Benson sees the mark on her neck, Jocelyn adds he got a little handsy. Rollins observes it looks more like a belt, and Benson questions if Jocelyn asked him to do that to her. She says no, but thinks he thought it was part of the sex. She goes on to say he put it inside her and not where she was used to. She did try to tell him to stop but he pulled the best so tight she could not talk. She admits she was flirting with him all night and told him to dominate her and doesn’t see how she can call that rape. Benson suggests they do a rape kit and when Jocelyn balks, Rollins asks her if he used a condom and warns her of possible STDs. Jocelyn nods.
Afterwards, Benson voices her concern to Rollins about Rollins’ scaring Jocelyn into getting a rape kit, saying it is better to built trust. Rollins says it won’t matter, asking her if she read Jocelyn’s book, explaining that in Act 5, the main character is choked with a belt and sodomized and had 18 orgasms. Benson dryly responds, “Great. It’s a best seller.”
