Law & Order SVU “Baggage” A Heavy Case (Recap & Review)

Photo NBC

Yesterday’s episode of Law & Order SVU (NBC) “Baggage” was another excellent show. I always worry when the show over-hypes the guest stars that the stars will cause the story to suffer. In this case, Delroy Lindo did a perfect job as a man so obsessed with a case that he’s lost all sight of it. At the same time, he also has his daughter to worry about, who is hospitalized in a coma from a car accident that also took the life of his wife. I have to say that the ending of this episode made me feel so incredibly sad, and it brought a tear to my eye. This rarely happens with any show in the Law & Order franchise.

I must admit that I did not miss Mariska Hargitay one bit. I am sure this is not something she would want to hear, seeing that both Mariska and Chris Meloni are gong through contract talks.

The regulars were also very strong in this episode, with Chris Meloni playing the territorial act to perfection, and Munch and Fin providing their usual steady support. There was very little humor if any in the episode – Munch’s short rant about his issues with how the DNA is used to identify family members came the closest to a lighter moment. Considering that the case involved such brutal murders, and with Cragen under attack by the new Chief of Detectives, along with Moran’s comatose daughter, humor would have been not only inappropriate, but it would have completely busted the somber mood of the entire episode.

There was one section that gave me pause. It was the scenes where Fin gets a call at the squad saying that a suspect is being chased, and then we see Stabler and Fin right on the scene joining in an apprehending the suspect. Now really, how lucky were they that they suspect was being chased so close to the SVU squad that the detectives could get there before anyone else could – especially considering New York City traffic? I found that very hard to fathom.

It seems that the whole issue with the leak was dropped - at least for now. I suspect that the issue will come up in some later episode.

All in all, this episode was one of SVU’s best!


Here is the recap:

A man and a woman are going up in an elevator. While the woman talks about some artwork, the man comes on to her. As they enter the apartment of her friend Casey Chapman, they see her there, dead on a table. Later, with forensics on the scene with Detectives Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Fin (Ice-T), we find out that Chapman is an up and coming ceramics artist. There is no sign of forced entry, and she was tortured and hog-tied, with what looks like a scald burn. It also seems that the killer is a repeater.

In the morgue, ME Warner (Tamara Tunie) says the victim was strangled and there were some fractures. But she can’t confirm she was hog-tied like the previous, similar victim. They were similarities in that both victims had their mouths glued shut, and both hyoids were broken. The new victim wasn’t sexually assaulted and the killer used more glue to seal her rectum than with the previous victim.

Back at the squad, they try to determine the similarities in both cases, but the latter may be a copycat – or two guys. April Silva was the first victim, she was raped, but not Casey Chapman. Chapman was an artist, Silva, a post grad math student. The only similarities is that they lived in Harlem. As they discuss the case, Detective Victor Moran (Delroy Lindo) from Major Crimes enters. He tells them that there are other similar crimes – there are 5 dead, all hog tied with their mouths glued shut. These other crimes happened outside of Harlem. Stabler wondered why, when he ran the cases through VICAP that the cases never came up, and Moran said he blocked their access. Fin calls him a “glory hog” but he says it’s not about him, it’s about the victims, and he didn’t want anyone in his way. Moran says the case is his, and the Chief of Ds is in with the captain right now.

In Capt. Cragen’s (Dann Florek) office, Cragen tells the Chief of Detectives (John Ashton) that his squad can handle the case, and he counters that he knows Moran can close it. Cragen says. “You just got promoted and your first order as Chief of Detectives is to bend me over my desk? “ He answers that this is no reflection on his squad, but Moran knows the case and it’s the only one on his case. In the squad room, Moran tells them he knows more than they do. But Munch (Richard Belzer) tells him that serial killers usually stay within their ethnic group, Moran thinks the killer is a black Latino male but the victims are white. Moran counters that the killer is targeting minority areas. The Chief of D’s exits Cragen’s office, telling him to give Moran what he needs and stay out of his way. We later see Stabler throwing a box of files on a table on which Moran is leaning, and Moran asks him if he feels better. Stabler says not if he is using those victims to get a gold star. He asked what stalled Moran’s career – did he stop being a team player about a year ago? Moran says he’s better by himself. They continue to argue the reason for Moran to handle the case, ending with Moran telling Stabler he’d like some privacy.

Back in the squad room, Fin tells him he has a potential witness on the Chapman murder, Debra Huggins, who lives one floor below Chapman. Stabler tells Fin to keep Moran occupied, he just doesn’t want to roll over and play dead just yet. Fin approaches Moran in the other room, who asks where is Stabler. Fin tells him he needed a break. Fin decides to throw Moran a bone and tells him that Silva’s parents didn’t know she had a girlfriend – she was Catholic – and she was into kink. Munch says there were no matches to the pubic hairs found, and Moran is frustrated, thinking the killer should be in the system. Fin suggests to widen the search with familial DNA, and he barks for Munch to just do it. Fin tells Moran he’s been in the way since he got there.

Stabler arrives at the home of Debra Huggins, who says she did not know Casey Chapman well. She saw a man waiting for the elevator when she came home, and he was wearing maintenance clothes with no company or name patches. He was black, mid to late 20s, 5’10”, lanky build, and he had no toolbox. She asked him where he was going and he did not answer. He asks her to come down to talk to a sketch artist.

Back at the squad, they have no solid leads from the sketch. Cragen asks were is Moran, and Stabler tells him Moran left with the files. Fin tells them someone matching the sketch is being chased by a group of young men out for blood, and Stabler and Fin give chase. They catch up in their car with the gang who is beating up the suspect, and they break it up. One of the kids says he saw the sketch and saw the man going into the building where his nana lives. The kid found lock picks the suspect dropped on the street. As Stabler tells the police officer to cuff him and bring him in, the suspect thanks Stabler for saving his life.

In interrogation, Fin and Stabler question the suspect - Stefan Henriquez (Victor Anthony)– about the murders. They portray him as a violent man with a violent temper, they have a witness and they have DNA and he denies doing anything. He says he always wears gloves, and when Stabler says of course he does, he’s not stupid, Stefan says he didn’t mean that and he thinks he wants a lawyer. He says he is getting a raw deal, and he is getting very rattled, asks them not to touch him. Stabler holds him down off the table and tells him to get off of him. Fin says they are going to need a mop, as Stefan seems to have wet himself.

As Stabler and Fin leave the interrogation room, Cragen asks, “What the hell was that?” Stabler tells him the social worker put it in his file, and they figured stick first, carrot later. But Cragen says that’s not his grounds for an assault charge while he is in custody. Fin says he’d like to see his lawyers try, but when Cragen says he did ask for one, Cabot reminds him that thinking of needing one and asking for one is debatable. She says he’s an idiot, but is he guilty? She can’ reconcile “that jellyfish” with the brutal murders. Stabler thinks he’s a killer, and Fin thinks he’s just getting started. Cabot would like to indict but with more evidence, and when Stabler asks what she needs, she tells him to find the murder kit and that will bury him. But Munch enters, saying the suspect may not be the only one getting buried – the Chief of Detectives has returned - and he is upset. He says he thought he took them off the case, and Cragen said they had a lead and they ran it. The Chief of Ds said the press blindsided him about a serial killer being lose in the city and the DNA left behind, and Cragen indicated they have a leak. The Chief of Ds gets in Cragen’s face and tells Cragen, “C’mon. You’re pissed off. This is SVU grandstanding. And now you got a pooch-screw.” Cragen responds that it is anything but, and they have a suspect in custody. When the Chief of Ds asks if he confessed, and when Fin says they are still talking to him, The Chief of Ds say this means no. Stabler says they will get it done, and the Chief gets in his face, saying that Stabler didn’t know about the other victims until Moran set them straight, and he linked those cases together on his own time – with a kid in the hospital. Fin asks what the Chief wants them to do, and he says to bring him up to speed and mind their own damn business. After the Chief leaves, Cragen tells them to finish the interrogation and to transport the suspect when they are done. Stabler says that the Chief will take Cragen’s command, maybe even his badge. Cragen says only if they do not close the case – all One PP cares about is results – never forget that.

When Fin and Stabler return to the interrogation room, at first they think Stefan is gone, but then they find him on the floor, bleeding from a self inflicted wound. He apparently had tools hidden in his belt that were not caught when he was searched. As Fin goes to call for a bus, Stefan tells Stabler he didn't mean to hurt anybody. Later, the EMTs arrive and take Stefan away, Fin going to the hospital with him, and Stabler says he called Major Crimes and Moran is already had the hospital and he will call him. Fin tells him to tell Moran that Stefan confessed.

At Mercy General Hospital, Stabler arrives, seeing Moran there with his daughter, who has been there for over 5 months. His wife was leaving him because he was working too much on the case, and she took their daughter Joy and left, and they were in a car accident. His wife was killed on impact, Joy smashed her skull on the window. Stabler says solving the case will not bring his family back, and he is obsessed with the case. Stabler continues to get on him about it, and thinks that there needs to be fresh eyes on the case. Moran asks him what he has, and Stabler tells him they have a suspect, Stefan Henriquez, in custody. Moran wants to know if he was trying to cut him out of this, and Stabler says he didn’t give them much of an option. Moran accuses him of leaking DNA evidence to the press, which Stabler denies anyone on the squad did that. Moran gets a message, and tells Stabler there is a problem with his suspect – there is another body.

At the latest crime scene, there appears to have been a fire, but a piece of rope remains and it seems the victim may have been hog-tied. Stabler asks for a time of death, and Warner says she will do her best. Moran thinks she was set on fire to cover the DNA because it was mentioned on the evening news that they had DNA.

Back at the squad, Cragen tells the Chief of Ds that it seems this latest victim’s murder happened when Stefan was in custody. They also have no information on who leaked information to the press, it could have been from up to 20-30 people. But Moran says Stefan is not the killer, he was just a burglar and victim, and old man, fought him and died of a heart attack The Chief says the squad screwed it up, but Moran defends them and asks to continue to work with them and the Chief agrees and leaves. Cragen asks Moran if he saw the light, and he says maybe. Cragen tells him he is not a team player, and he’ll have his ass if he holds anything else back.

Back in the squad room, Stabler looks over the victims’ photographs. He tells Moran that the victims are all the same age but racially, socially, and professionally diverse. But Stabler tells him to look at the victims that were not assaulted. One had her hair dyed, and the killer would not have known that until he unclothed her. Fin said another had “new boobs” - and Stabler says that the killer is a purist; if the women are not natural he won’t rape them, and he glues them shut. Moran says the profile has now changed, the killer is likely someone in their 40s, and they think the man has been raping for decades. Munch tells them that familial DNA comes back to Angela Ocurro, Tyrone Beckwith, and David Paige.

At a party rental place, Munch and Fin talk to Paige, and ask him if he has any brothers, and he says his brother never killed anyone, and he buried him months ago. Stabler and Moran speak with Ocurro, and she resists helping them until Stabler brings out the cuffs, she agrees to give them information on her 4 brothers. In jail, Cragen speaks with Beckwith, and he says he has a brother, Lance Corporal Tyrese Beckwith.

Back at the squad, Cragen says Beckwith is on active duty in Afghanistan, and has had no leave in a year. Paige OD’d last summer. This leaves Luke, Mark, John, and James Ocurro. John can’t be located, James is in rehab, Luke lives in North Carolina is a farmer, and Mark works for the airline. Moran asks for them to bring up the last crime scene photos, and he looks for baggage – which he sees in the picture. They realize that all the victims had just come back from trips. Mark Ocurro is a deliveryman who returns lost luggage.

At an apartment, we see Mark Ocurro (Nelson Vasquez) at the door, telling a woman they found her lost luggage. The suitcase is heavy so he walks it into the apartment to the bedroom as she asked. As they walk to the bedroom he begins to attack her, but Stabler is already there and gets a gun on Ocurro and as she cuff him, Stabler reads him his rights. Outside, Moran has searched Ocurro’s van, and found the mother lode – rope, gloves, condoms, with a list and all the female names circled.

In interrogation, Stabler and Moran question Ocurro about all the murders. When they show him the photos, he said he doesn’t recognize the women. They run through the scenarios of how he murders and poses the victims. They tell him they are searching his apartment. Ocurro asks for a lawyer – now. Meanwhile, Munch and Fin are searching the apartment, and Munch finds a bunch of books on homicide and autopsy textbooks. Munch also notices the wire hanging some pictures on a wall are twisted in a very peculiar way, saying an obsessive compulsive like Ocurro would never tolerate that. They turn the pictures backwards and look behind them and find magazine cover pictures of women who have been hog-tied.

Back in interrogation, Ocurro is there with his attorney Patrice Larue (Jeri Ryan) and she says a lot of people collect those magazines. But, they tell her about the DNA matches, Stabler telling Ocurro he is screwed.

At the Supreme Court pre-trial hearing, ADA Cabot (Stephanie March) outlines the charges to Judge Petrovsky (Joanna Merlin). Saying the victim bondage method for all six murder is the same. The defense attorney Larue argues that he used the bathrooms in those cases, which could have transferred the pubic hairs, but there are no prints there because he didn’t wash his hands. But Cabot argues that they found gloves in his van as part of his “murder kit” which included rope, latex, and glue. The Larue argues all those things are used to repair damaged luggage, but Cabot argues that the condoms can’t be used for that. Larue says the condoms were in the glove compartment, and they should assume he is just sexually active. She also says that they have a witness who says Ocurro never left the house at the time of Chapman’s death – his mother Elena Ocurro – and her bridge club. The judge says that if the defendant’s alibi is verified then the linkage between all six cases is broken and she will have to dismiss.

Later, Stabler and Moran talk to Elena Occuro, and she says knows nothing about those murders, Mark called out of the blue and asked to come over She doesn’t like her own son, which is why she called the bridge club to come over. She says he once tied a cat to a bus – and that her son is a mistake. He did not leave his apartment the whole day and she could not wait for him to leave. As Moran walks off, he tells Stabler than Ocurro planned this and he had to create this alibi – and also thinks that they are basing the time of death on Warner’s calculation which could be wrong.

At the ME's, she tells them she could have been a few hours off but not a whole day. When Stabler asks if Ocurro could have accelerated the process, she tells him extreme heat or water would have done that, but there was evidence of neither. Moran asked what if he had turned the heat up, and she said residential heating wouldn’t do it. But Stabler wonders about a kiln.

Back at Casey Chapman’s home, they look at the large kiln. It takes 8-10 hours to get hot, but twice that long to cool off. Cragen wonder that Ocurro opened the window because it was still hot. There are no prints on the kiln, but Fin tells them that the power company confirmed that Chapman’s kilowatt hours doubled the day of her murder. Moran says that this means Chapman was killed on Monday night, not Sunday when he was with his mother, and Ocurro turned on the kiln to accelerate the decomp, causing an inaccurate time of death. Cragen tells them to pick him up.

At the airlines claim area, they go to pick up Ocurro, but his is out making deliveries. They ask the manager to print the delivery list, and they ask him to call Ocurro on the cell phone and tell him he has some wrong luggage and to come back, but the cell phone goes to voice mail. Stabler and Moran suspect that Ocurro is readying for a kill. Moran tells him that they should look only for redheads, as that was the next order on the magazine covers that Ocurro had in his apartment. Fin is back at the squad, looking at the driver’s license pictures of the women on the list, reading the information to Stabler on the phone. They zero in on red-headed Vicki Hennegan, and they get to her apartment and catch Ocurro in the act. Moran cuffs Ocurro, and then begins to kick him. Stabler tries to get him to stop, saying they don’t need to give him a reason to walk. When Stabler tells Moran it’s over, he answers that is what he is afraid of.

Back at Mercy General Hospital, Moran is in the hallway waiting. His daughter is in surgery, but Moran says it’s a good thing. Stabler tells him that Ocurro confessed to a few other homicides in the Dominican Republic. A doctor comes out and asks Moran if he wants to see Joy, and he does. A person exits the room with a cooler that held lungs for transplant, and then more people come out with other coolers with more organs. Stabler realizes that Joy’s organs were taken for transplant, and a somber look comes over his face as he looks on the sad face of Moran. Stabler says he is very sorry, but Moran says it is a second chance – everyone needs one. As Moran walks into the room to look upon his daughter, Stabler looks on, and we fade to black.


Two Minute Replay Baggage




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Law & Order Criminal Intent “Playing Dead” Episode Information & Promo Video

Very brief episode information has been released for the season premiere of Law & Order Criminal Intent (USA), titled “Playing Dead” which will air on Sunday, April 19 at 9:00 PM on the USA Network. It’s a Goren and Eames episode. There is also a video promo clip below.

Law & Order Criminal Intent “Playing Dead” Air Date April 19, 2009

In the Season 8 opener, Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Eames (Kathryn Erbe) investigate the shooting of a councilman's stepdaughter and her boyfriend. The drug-addicted pair were involved in blackmail schemes targeting the woman's politically powerful family.

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 UK “Alesha” Recap & Review

All Photos ITV

This episode of Law & Order UK “Alesha” was based on the original series episode “Helpless“ from season 3. While the original episode was one of Law & Order’s better ‘Mike Stone” episodes, I have to say that this updated version was much improved as it seemed far more realistic. Freema Agyeman did an excellent job, both as victim, and as a woman who expects someone to stand up to stop criminals such as Dr. Merrick, who use their profession, or their power, to take advantage. In the case of Alesha Phillips, he took advantage of her in a very personal way.

It also showed Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) as someone who, despite the fact that he sees crime in many forms every day, still hasn’t become so hardened to it that he can’t help a friend who is in trouble and protect them as well. Interesting, though, was the last few minutes of the episode, where all of the key players seem to be off in their own personal lives, seemingly very much alone. It is as if they must shut the events of the day off by shutting out those that may be closest to them on a daily basis. The blank look on Phillips’ face as she walked along the street alone seemed a testimony to how people can compartmentalize their work life and their personal lives, sometimes leaving a person looking empty at the end of the day, when everyone goes their separate ways. The only person who seemed to be interacting with anyone was Ronnie Brooks. Maybe he’s been around the block long enough that even a crime against one of his colleagues doesn’t seem to cause him to skip a beat. Still, everyone else seemed to be going about his or her evening as if nothing happened, and for Alesha Phillips, it seemed a sorrowful close.

Here is the recap:

A gynecologist, Dr. Alec Merrick (Derek Riddell) is talking with a patient who is leaving. He enters the room of his next patient, who is Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips (Freema Agyeman). He discuses her medical issues and begins to examine her. He complements her perfume, and says she is tensing; she should try to relax. He asks her how it feels, and when she says fine, he says it should feel good. She looks at him oddly, and then asks what is he doing? As he continues, and says, ‘Right – there” she becomes very upset and moves away, asking him “What the hell – you were touching me up!” As she moves away, he tells her he wants to bring her back for a CT scan needle biopsy to rule out metastasis. She asks “Cancer?” And he says it is just a precaution, women under 30 have a greater chance of recovery. After he tells her to get dressed, he leaves, leaving Alesha there looking violated and shaky.

Later, Alesha Phillips is in the Major Investigations Unit telling DI Natalie Chandler (Harriet Walker), DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) about this incident with the doctor as she feels she was assaulted and then the doctor tried to intimidate her When Chandler indicates that the doctor will just say it was routine, Phillips says she knows the difference, she was assaulted. Chandler says she is on her side, and Phillips admits it will be hard to prove. Devlin says this has never stopped them before.

Later outside, Chandler, Brooks, and Devlin discuss how to approach the investigation. Chandler expects the doctor has done this before and there may be complaints from other women, and they should go the GMC and track it down.

At the General Medical Council, Brooks and Devlin ask for any complaints on Dr. Alec Merrick, and are told the information is confidential. When Brooks tells him this is not the day to mess them around, the man looks up some information and tells them that the only complaints on the doctor are from people who are still on his waiting list. He has a good record, and but has worked at many hospitals, seemingly moving around a lot, as if he was headhunted.

Outside, Brooks says “Headhunted my ass. “ Devlin thinks his credentials mean he is highly thought of, Brooks thinks a hospital would not let someone like that go without a fight – unless he screwed up some way. Later, talking to Dr. Dyer (Robert Benfield), the head of the department, who assure them they are wrong, and he leaves. Brooks thinks that the doctors won’t say anything to help them, and suggests they start looking at his financial information to see who may have stopped paying the doctor. Devlin thinks that’s genius. Later, as they look through the records, Brooks is having second thoughts about whether this will do any good, and Devlin reminds him this isn’t just any woman this happened to, it’s Alesha. Devlin and Brooks find a few patients where the payments stopped.

At Miller and Baise Ltd., Brooks and Devlin speak to Donna Miller (Kim Vithana ), and find that while she stopped paying the doctor in April, she tells them that she was still seeing him, they had a “thing” and that he “kept his hand in, so to speak.” It had ended a few months ago, and said that man is hot, they played doctor and nurse for a while. But she got tired of his routine. She asks Devlin where he keeps his cuffs, and she gets a phone call and walks off. They then go to the home of Diane Perkins (Ania Sowinski), who seems very depressed. She stopped seeing Merrick, stating Merrick couldn’t help her, and he didn’t charge her for her sessions because of that. As she moves to turn off the TV, Devlin sees some cut marks on her wrists and asks her about them. She says she suffers from depression, and had a bad day and life got a bit much. Her head is messed up, not her body.

They go to the home of Laura Todd (Camilla Arfwedson), who tells them there is no way Dr. Merrick will touch her again. Merrick did a procedure without anesthesia, she had some cysts burned off but never said she would not be under. She did complain to the GMC and it was done by the book. But she was in so much pain and she kept screaming begging him to stop. Every now and then he would say, “good girl.” She said he is a sadist and needs to be locked up.

Devil and Brooks bring Chandler up to speed, telling her the GMC didn’t see anything wrong. Chandler tells them unless they can prove he is a danger to his patients they have nothing. Devlin thinks there is a way.

They go back to Donna Miller and ask her if there was a time she wanted to stop but couldn’t or if Merrick abused her in any way. She says is a good man with bad habits, what he did with her was an outlet. When they asked her why she ended it, she said nothing turned Alec on more than fear and when she stopped being scared he wanted to take it further, and it seemed creepy, especially after what happened to his wife.

Back at the unit, they review that they know about Tessa Merrick, who hanged herself five years ago, leaving a note saying love does not equal pain. Devlin thinks Merrick tied a rope around her neck because it turned him on. Devlin thinks this is a doctor who likes to hurt people and he’s a pervert. But Chandler reminds him that there have been no proven complaints. Devlin reminds Chandler about Alesha, and that as a woman he thought she would understand. She says, “As a woman, I would like to cut off his dick with a rusty hacksaw and run it down his throat! As your boss, I suggest you take what you have got to Steel and see what he says.”

At the Crown Prosecutors’ Office, Steel (Ben Daniels) tells Devlin and Brooks it is not enough to make a case. When Phillips walks in, she asks what is going on, and he tells her that it is not enough. When Phillips gets upset, he tells her that she is making this personal. She shouts that it is personal, she was the one who was lying there. She asks him to trust her, and he says they don’t stand and chance. She asks what kind of message they are sending out to women, that it’s just not worth the risk. Steel says there is nothing they can do, and she walks out of the room, slamming the door.

Phillips is back in Dr. Merrick’s examining room, in an examining gown. Merrick enters, asking if she is feeling OK, and she says he is nervous. He gives her a glass of water, and when she says he has had some, he tells her to have more, and it helps with the scan. His nurse enters, and he asks her if she wants Nurse Gregory (Brett O’Brien) to stay. She says no, and he says he will see her tomorrow. But Phillips seems to be getting groggy, and she says she feels weird. He tells her to relax, and says she won’t feel a thing. He gives her some more water. He asks her if she is ready, and as she gets groggier, she says no. But he says, “You came back” as he pulls her legs towards him, things go black as she cries out.

Brooks and Devlin arrive at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, and are told that Philips said she was drugged and raped by Merrick. They did find there was penetration and ejaculation, no wounds but heavy bruising. Devlin knocks on the door and enters alone. She thinks now they can lock the bastard up. She tells him she thinks he gave her rohypnol or GHB, he kept giving her water. He asks why she went back, and she says someone had to stop him. She did not expect him to rape her, and it hurt like hell. He kept talking and she couldn’t do anything, like move or scream. He hands him a video camera, and he seems stunned that she filmed it. She says she hid it in her bag and it’s not her word against his anymore. She won’t be a victim.

At the CPS, Steel and George Castle (Bill Paterson) are watching the video while Brooks and Devlin stand by. Steel asks if they spoke to Merrick, and they said no, he had the morning off. They spoke to the nurse, who went straight home after leaving the examination room, and had only been working for Merrick for a month. Forensics found no trace of semen – he cleaned up. They hope they can find traces of drugs in her samples. Steel says the case will be thrown out for entrapment because she went in with a spy camera. Brooks gets a phone call, and tells them that traces of GHB were in Alesha samples. They are then shocked to see Phillips has arrived to work.

Devlin goes in to talk to her, Brooks waits at the door. Devlin tells her she should go home, and Brooks agrees with him. Castle tells the detectives to come to his office for tea. Steel walks in to Phillip’s office, and she asks if he watched it. He says yes, and when she asks what he is going to do, he says he can’t talk about it. She asks again, “What are you going to do?” He tells her there were traces of GHB, and she thinks this means they got him. But Steel says it is not that simple, because Phillips asked the nurse to leave the room, and she also went back after he first assaulted her. He will claim that she wanted it – to incriminate him. She tells him he has to prosecute him and she has to know what she went through was worth it. She says he always tells her to fight for the victim, and she is the victim and he should fight for her. He agrees to go forward.

Later, Brooks and Devlin approach Dr. Merrick, Devlin saying he looks so much taller on film. They arrest him for suspicion of rape. When the doctor says Devlin is hurting him with the cuffs, Devlin says he knows and asks him if it feels good.

Walking outside, Castle asks Steel what Phillips was thinking, and says that defense barrister Phyllis Gladstone will use this against her. Steel says they have to deal with it. Castle says Phillips will go through hell in the witness box, and Steel says she is already there.

At Crown v Merrick, defense barrister Phyllis Gladstone (Leslie Manville) arrives, and Steel argues with her, asking how she can defend Merrick. She seems to dismiss Phillips as a victim, and Steel is appalled at her approach. Steels says Merrick spiked her drink and she was bruised. Gladstone indicates Phillips liked it rough. Gladstone says Steel should spare her of this, but Steel says Phillips is tougher than she thinks.

Phillips is called in to testify and enters the witness box, the air thick with tension. The video is played as the courtroom watches and listens. Steel questions her, asking her why she took the camera. She told him about being touched inappropriately before and she wanted confirmation, which is why she did not want the nurse to stay. As Gladstone cross-examines her, she asks her why she didn’t trust the police to handle this, and she tells them they didn’t have enough evidence and she needed proof. She denies it when Gladstone implies she asked for the drugs and had sex with him, and says she is not lying. When Gladstone says she went there with the sole purpose of enticing him, and Phillips gets angry, saying she did no such thing. She had no idea he would drug and rape her. Gladstone asks her who is Doctor Barbara Lawrence, and she says it is her gynecologist and admitted her she has been seeing her for the last five years. When Gladstone asks if she sees two dentists, Phillips says she wanted a second opinion. Gladstone asks her who is Diane Perkins and is she a friend of hers from city law school? Philips says yes, but Steel asks how this is relevant, and the judge asks where this is heading. Gladstone says Perkins is also a former patient of Merrick’s who has a grudge against him. Steel is upset, saying this is the first he is getting this information. She says that the defense says this whole case is just a set up, and while she elaborates on what she thinks the women are doing, Steel protests. The judge excuses the jury for a moment. Gladstone seems to gloat.

Steel argues that this issue should have been raised at the pre-trial review, and Gladstone says they themselves just found out about it. Gladstone says she will not be calling Perkins as she is mentally unstable, and Steel says this is without foundation, and Steel is worried that the seed has already been planted. The judge says if he stopped every trial because a barrister ran off at the mouth, they would never have a verdict. Afterwards, Steel approaches Phillips, and he looks angry. He tells her she should have told him.

Outside, Phillips tells Devlin that Diane was her best mate at uni and she was raped by her boyfriend and her roommate. She took a load of pills, and quit school and went home. She thought she could never have kids because of the rape. She lent her the money to go see Merrick for treatment. She went to Merrick’s to find out what he had done, and now he will walk free, and it is all her fault.

Back at Crown v Merrick, Castle is giving Steel a pep talk before trial. Later, Merrick is in the witness box, testifying that Phillips asked to the drugs and want it, even asking to get rid of the nurse, saying she wanted it “good and hard.” He says he was devastated when he was arrested for rape. Steel cross examines, and asks if Merrick calls all of his women dirty bitches, and Merrick says it is part of the role-play, and it made him uncomfortable. Steel says he seemed quite at home with it. Merrick says he was stupid and weak. Steel asks him what role is he playing today, which is the real you? Steel reminds him Merrick didn’t know he was being filmed – that was the real Dr. Merrick on film. Merrick insists Phillips ask for it. Steel asks if his other victims asked for it, and as Gladstone protests, Merrick says he never hurt any woman. Steel asks, what about his wife, didn’t she hang himself and leave a note about getting away form the pain. The judge tells the jury to disregard his remarks, but Merrick says he wants to answer that. He says his wife was manic-depressive and she could not conceive. The pain she cause was that he could help other infertile women but not her. He dedicated his life to empowering women and he did not rape her.

Later, the jury reads the verdict of not guilty of rape, and Phillips looks devastated, and Merrick looks creepily happy. Afterwards in the robe room, Steel argues the issue with Gladstone, and he tells her Merrick will not stop.

Outside, Steel tries to console Phillips, and she says she should have told her about Diane. Steel says unless someone else come forward, they will never get him. She says no one will come forward, and she walks off. Later, Steel tells Castle it’s not over. Merrick’s victims all think they are alone, and it Merrick is arrested in public, it may trigger them to speak out and help give them the evidence they need.

At the unit, Steel tells Devlin that Merrick is giving a talk the next day on the latest development on curing ovarian cancer, and there will be television cameras there. He asks Devlin if he is OK with it, and he says he is more than OK. He later talks with Chandler if she is OK with it, and she tells them to wait until they start filming.

As Merrick is giving his speech, Devlin and Brooks walk in, and Merrick become rattled. Merrick stumbles in his speech, and Devlin approaches and loudly says they are arresting him for suspicion of rape, the cameras snapping. Devlin tells him to smile for the cameras. Afterwards, Castle and Steel watch a news story on television where Gladstone says she will fight for those wrongly accused. Castle asks him if they have a case yet, and Steel says they are working on it.

Later, Gladstone and Merrick are talking with Steel, Gladstone saying that Perkins still won’t give evidence. She says they have nothing and this is a bluff. Steel gets on the phone and asks someone to come in. Phillips enters with a pile of files of 14 women who were either assaulted or raped by Dr. Merrick, They all came forward within the last 24 hours due to his arrest. Merrick asks why she is doing this, and Phillips tells him one of the women is Diane Perkins. Gladstone stands up and says they can’t get away with this.

In Castle’s office, Gladstone expresses her outrage at their little scheme and how it could have backfired, but Castle says it all worked out for them. Gladstone says she will be filing a report with the bar council, and Castle says “Good luck with that.” Steel wants Merrick to spend a week locked in a room with his victims, but he will settle for a life sentence.

Afterwards, Phillips is at her desk, and Steel tells her to go home and get some sleep. She continues to work. Castle is in his office, having a drink, and Steel is at his desk, when Steel sees Phillips turn off the lights and walk out. Natalie Chandler is walking down the street, shopping bags in hand. Brooks is outside chatting on the telephone. Phillips continues to walk along the street, alone. Devlin walks out of a building, and puts on his scarf and walks off. Phillips continues to walk alone, a blank look on her face, as we pull back to an aerial view of London light up at night, as we fade to black.



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


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Law & Order Criminal Intent Reruns Yanked from NBC Schedule

On March 27, I reported here that NBC was going to be re-airing a few Law & Order Criminal Intent episodes that originally aired on USA. This was to replace the opening left by the canceled show “Chopping Block” which aired Wednesday in prime time.

Well, you can now forget it. NBC has yanked the Criminal Intent reruns, and is putting reruns of Law & Order in its place. I wonder if they were afraid that the NBC airings of LOCI would affect the new airings of LOCI when the season starts on USA in a few weeks? Who knows – after all, this is NBC we’re talking about here.

By the way, when the NBC show “Life” finale airs this Wednesday (4/8), NBC will be airing SVU reruns in its place. We’ll see how long that lasts. Maybe NBC should consider changing their names to The All Things Law & Order Network?


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Law& Order SVU Renewed – With A Catch

Super-scooper Michael Ausiello from Entertainment Weekly has advised that Law & Order SVU has been renewed for another season. This will be Law & Order SVU’s eleventh season.

But, don’t start cheering just yet. Michael Ausiello adds:

But there's a catch: The pact covers the show but not leads Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay, whose contracts expire in May. NBC is only now starting negotiations with both actors, and if history is any indication, it could be a tense, protracted affair.

Back in 2007, you'll recall, shortly after the pair inked new two-year deals worth more than $330,000 an episode, Meloni posted a terse message on his personal website calling the talks "unpleasant to say the least." He added that "I'll have much more to say about that when my responsibilities to the show are done."

My beloved Mariska, meanwhile, raised eyebrows last fall when she seemed to suggest in an interview with Ladies' Home Journal that she was looking forward to life after SVU so she could spend more time with her son, August. (At the time, a source close to the actress said her comments were taken out of context.) Her recent health problems also may factor into her decision to stay or go.

NBC declined to comment, but an SVU insider says the net is expected to make a formal announcement about SVU's renewal early next week. Maybe the net's waiting until they have pickup deals in place with the other two L&O's?



Stay tuned as I am sure the story is not over as yet!



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Law & Order Episode Information Week of April 5, 2009

There won’t be a new episode of Law & Order “The Mothership” this week, but there will be a new episode of SVU, and one for Law & Order UK for UK viewers. Law & Order UK appears to be concluding its first “series” with this next episode, and the remaining 7 episodes of the original order of 13 will be aired at some later date, not yet determined (I am not even sure they have been filmed). Here’s the information from NBC and ITV:



Law & Order UK “Alesha” Air Date April 6, 2009
A respected gynecologist is accused of sexually assaulting a patient during a routine examination, but Brooks, Devlin and Chandler struggle to find any firm evidence and the team becomes divided. Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips refuses to accept defeat and takes on formidable defense barrister Phyllis Gladstone. Last in the series, guest starring Derek Riddell and Lesley Manville, with Bradley Walsh, Jamie Bamber, Harriet Walter and Freema Agyeman

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Alesha" can be found here.

Law & Order SVU “Baggage” Air Date April 7, 2009
THE BRUTAL MURDER OF AN ARTIST LEADS THE DETECTIVES TO A LONG STRING OF MURDERS BY AN UNTRACEABLE SERIAL KILLER.

After an up-and-coming artist is brutally murdered in her apartment, Detectives Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) link her death to another unsolved murder case. As they pursue the case further, they realize that these two murders have striking similarities to a string of murders by a mysterious serial killer that Detective Victor Moran has been following for months. Moran fights to keep his control over the case as Detectives Fin and Stabler struggle to find the killer. Also starring: Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Stephanie March (ADA Alexandra Cabot), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner).


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 “Selfish” Episode Information

NBC has released information for a new episode of Law & Order SVU titled “Selfish”. This is scheduled to air on April 28, 2009 and is the episode that will include the much touted and heavily photographed appearance of Hillary Duff.

Here is the information from NBC:

Law & Order SVU “Selfish” Air Date April 28, 2009
A YOUNG CHILD GOES MISSING, AND HER YOUNG MOTHER IS THE PRIME SUSPECT--HILARY DUFF AND GAIL O'GRADY GUEST-STAR

When it is reported by Ruth Walker (Guest Star Gail O'Grady) that her two year-old granddaughter, Sierra Walker, is missing Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigate. After rounds of interrogation and a failed Amber Alert, Benson and Stabler believe that the prime suspect is none other than Sierra's young and irresponsible mother, Ashlee Walker (Guest Star Hilary Duff). Also starring: Richard Belzer (Detective John Much), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Michaela McManus (A.D.A Kim Greylek), Stephanie March (ADA Alexandra Cabot), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Selfish" 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 “Hell” Burns Into You (Recap and Review)

All Photos NBC

This episode of “Hell” was a very dark and somewhat unsettling episode. It deals with a young girl who was left for dead, who had once suffered at the hands of a murderous African warlord. And while solving the case of the girl’s attack, there are some major unintended consequences. Someone who cares very deeply for her and once worked to save her in Africa makes the ultimate sacrifice to avoid deportation, and also to help tell the story of criminals on that continent and how children are used and abused in some countries.

The appearances of Mariska Hargitay are spotty and inconsistent in the episode, since this episode is the one they were filming when she had to return to the hospital for further treatment for her collapsed lung. As a result, we had Fin thrown in there on occasion, and a little more Munch, which seemed not to affect the telling of the story. If, however, the episode had been originally written this way, the constant detective changes would have made the show seem too choppy. But I will cut them some slack here!

The acting for all the guest stars was gripping and very effective. Sadly, Cicely Tyson’s appearance was somewhat wasted. But the real crime with this show was all the hype about filming at the United Nations, and as it turns out, whoever decided the camera shots and locations did a horrific job of choices of how to frame the shots. Without the scene where Alex walks up to the outside of the building, you would never really know they were even there. They should have included more long shots to get more of the outside of the building in, not just the row of flags. They could have picked a better interior location. I recall seeing the United Nations when I visited there as a child in 1969, and I was hoping to see more of it. While this didn’t totally ruin the episode for me, I really feel like I had been cheated, and that the big deal about this being the first TV show to be allowed to film there was just a bunch of empty hype.

A few other nitpicks. Why was Stabler the only person who went to pick up Serumonga? I would think you’d want to being some backup when you go to question or arrest a warlord. And is this ER doctor the only one in town that handles their cases? It seems like we see him all the time, and NY is a big place with lots of doctors. This guy must be on call for all the boroughs of New York.

On the lighter side, Munch was in rare form in this episode. I think that the darker the subject matter, the funnier Munch seems to be.

Despite my criticisms, I felt this was an excellent episode with a very moving ending. It does make one think, and it’s rare that I watch an SVU episode and feel that it delivered an important message worthy of reflection.


Here is my recap:

A homeless man pushes a shopping cart, full of his belongings, down an empty street, He talks to his cat, which is sitting in his cart. He walks into a fenced area, the gate open. He complains about the trash there, saying people live like pigs. Underneath a large piece of cardboard, he finds young girl lying there, mouthing for help. We then see her in a hospital, with Detectives Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Tutuola (Ice-T) present. The doctor (Stephen Gregory) tells them her trachea had nearly been severed, and she did not bleed out because of the cold temperatures outside, which caused hypothermia and slowed her heart rate. There was evidence of chronic sexual abuse and beatings, and she may only be 10 or 11 years old. She should regain her speech once she heals. When the doctor asked who hurt her, she drew a picture of someone that looked like the devil, holding a bloody knife. When Fin says, “The devil,” Stabler answers, “Welcome to hell.”


At the SVU squad, Munch (Richard Belzer) rattles through all the various names for Satan, and Stabler tells him not to forget Ryan Seacrest. Munch responds, “I wish I could,” They have not been able to ID the victim as yet. She had no bag or purse. They can interview her in the afternoon. The homeless man took off. Capt. Cragen (Dann Florek) tells Munch to check recent police reports and 911 calls for devil references, and he responds, “I hear and obey, my lord of darkness.” Fin says that the canvas may have turned up another witness, a guy from a bodega recalls a kid who matches the victim.

At the La Poquita Bodega, the owner thought she was a “booster” so he threw her out. He checked her panda before she left to make sure. Stabler didn’t know what he meant by the panda reference, and the owner clarifies it was her style of backpack. Later in the alley area, they look for the panda but find nothing. Instead, they see a makeshift shrine with a stuffed animal and flowers, with a message written, “The majesty and burning of the child’s death. I shall not murder.” A homeless man comes in an asks them to move away, but they realize he is the homeless man who found the body. He left the area after calling 911 as he does not like crowds. They asked him about the note, and he said Thomas wrote it – Dylan Thomas, the poet. He said it is not a confession, he just steals from the best. They find the panda in his cart, and they find her wallet with a metro card.

Back at the squad, Fin tells Cragen that the metro card is only two weeks old, with a few bus rides and subway trips on it. She swiped the card last night at 10:34 on a State Island bus, and then a subway to Manhattan uptown. She apparently went straight to the bodega. They assume she lives on Staten Island and Cragen tells him to start checking around the Stapleton area where the metro card has a lot of use. Fin complains about what a large area this would be to check, and Munch adds that he can narrow his search. In his “journey through the paranoid underworld of the Satanic” he pulled a bunch of reports about demonic activity in Stapleton. When Fin says that is the secret gateway to hell, Munch quips, “That would be Toledo, but Stapleton runs a close second according to a Mrs. Doris DiNuzio” who is a concerned citizen who made 39 reports to her local precinct that the local priest is a devil worshipper on the down low.

With Fin and Stabler at the home of Doris DiNuzio, she identifies the priest as Father Theo Burdett who is shacked up with a woman, and the constant chanting, drumming, and weird language. He had chicken and goats running around the parish house and then one day they were gone, and she saw Father Theo with a machete, covered in blood. They ask her is she has seen the victim, and she says the girl lives with him, she showed up a few months ago but she hasn’t seen her around lately.

They arrive at the church, looking for Father Theo Burdett (Robert Wisdom). He approaches them and asks if he has done something wrong, also shouting at Mrs. DiNuzio that she is a hypocrite. He asks what she complained about this time, and Stabler tells him it’s slaughtering animals and virgins. He tells them the parish has changed, and some people can’t get used to the fact that the church is now African American and they follow their ways of worship. He does slaughter animals for community meals, but does it humanely. He is simply honoring their heritages. He does have a wife, as he was an Episcopal priest and already married before he got ordained, the Vatican allowed him to remain married. They show him a picture of the victim, and he says it is Miriam. They tell him what happened to her. He asks to be taken to her, and when they ask his relationship to her, he says she is their daughter.

Father Theo visits with Miriam (Julyza Commodore) at the hospital, his wife Ondine (Cicely Tyson) also there. He says they met Miriam when they were doing relief work at a camp Kenya. They say she remembers nothing of her life at the camp. She was 8 or 9 when strangers brought her in to them, he was half dead, surviving many rapes and beatings. Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) tells them they have seen the evidence. They adopted her to give her a better life. They did not know she was missing, she was supposed to be at a youth camp in Spring Lake. Father Theo says he has no idea how she wound up in Harlem, although Ondine looks downward, as if she does know something. She then tells her husband that Miriam asked for permission to see “him” yesterday, and Father Theo gets very upset at hearing this, telling Ondine that Miriam was not supposed to let them alone. Ondine answers that they are good for each other. Father Theo says she is a little girl and he is almost 30. Stabler interjects for them to tell them who “he” is. Ondine says they both walked through jungles and land mines to freedom, and did he think she could really stop them from being together? Father Theo says he is the one that attacked Miriam, but Ondine says he couldn’t have, he is a gentle soul, but Father Theo disagrees. Stabler continues to press on the identity of the man, and Father Theo says it is Elijah Okello and he believes he did it because he has killed before.

Afterwards, Stabler asks Father Theo why he let his murderer hang around his little girl, and Father Theo says he really isn’t a murderer. He says when in Uganda, Elijah was forced to be a soldier when he was a child, and then came to the US. He showed up at St. Adrian’s in the fall, many refugees make their way to them. He says Elijah was forced to sin, he is also a victim. He shares an apartment with other refugees from Uganda.

Benson and Stabler are at the residence of Elijah Okello. A man answers the door, and they ask for Elijah. He says that he is in the kitchen. As the detectives walk in they see a man in the kitchen washing dishes. They ask “Elijah?” and are told that no, he is Nathaniel, didn’t Elijah let them in? They realize they had been tricked and run to catch up with Elijah, but he’s gone.

Back at the squad, Stabler is in the men’s room at the urinal and Cragen walks in, chewing Stabler out for going there without a having a picture of the suspect. Stabler said no one had a picture and he has no driver’s license. He admits he screwed up. They went over his apartment and found nothing. He and Benson are going down to the hospital to see if they can talk to Miriam, but Cragen tell him to try St. Adrian’s, Miriam was awake so the Burdette’s took her home.

At St. Adrian’s, Benson is there with Miriam and Ondine. Benson gives Miriam a pad of paper so Miriam can write her answers as she still cannot talk, but her mother says she never learned how to write, but she can sign, it’s a pantomime that she learned. Miriam signs that she went to the boat – the Staten Island Ferry, and he went to Elijah’s house. He didn’t  go with her to the store, and the last thing she remembers is being with Elijah, but Miriam seems to be shaking her head no when her mother says this. Ondine says Miriam said he would never hurt her, he loves her. Benson tries to find out where Elijah is at, and Miriam indicates it is the library, and Ondine says Elijah was taking courses at Hudson University.

Stabler and Father Theo are walking outside the parish home, and as they approach the street, someone throws a Molotov cocktail at a car, causing it to burst into flames. Later, inside, Father Theo is appalled this would happen in Staten Island, and Ondine says now Miriam is scared and won’t talk. She says it is all her fault, she thought Elijah’s friendship would make her better. Afterwards, Benson and Stabler catch up with Elijah (Gbenga Akinnagbe), sleeping on a couch in the library. Benson notices he reeks of gasoline, and he says the shirt belongs to his roommate who works at a petrol station. They arrest him.

Now at the SVU squad, Elijah says he was a soldier for many years., but it was long ago and it was another life. Stabler tells Elijah he was a Marine, and he never forget what he learned in boot camp, he still uses those skills on occasion. Elijah says he doesn’t scare him, to get him to join the LRA they shot his mother in front of him. Stabler asks how many mothers he shot and he said he didn’t know, he just basically held his weapon in front of him. Stabler asks if he has killed, and Elijah says yes, in the past.

Stabler asks him if he was with his friend Miriam. He says yes, they took a walk, and he had t go see someone, and he told her to wait in the store, and when he returned she was gone. Stabler comments that is convenient, and Elijah asks what has happened to Miriam? Stabler comments that Elijah almost sounds sincere, and he insists he is sincere – she is his special friend. Stabler alludes that he wanted a special friendship last night but she didn’t want to give it. He says she is a child. Stabler yells that he was murdering people at her age. He says it wasn’t his choice, they made him do it. Stabler asked if they made him rape, as the group LRA used rape as a weapon. Elijah said some did that, but he would never force a woman, and Miriam suffered enough already. He swore she would never cry again. Stabler gets forceful and asks how did she go from taking a walk with him to dying in a dirty alley with her throat cut? Elijah asks if Miriam is dead, but Stabler tell him it is a miracle she is alive. Elijah says it is all his fault, he touches everyone he loves…and “have mercy on me.”

Stabler begins to recite what sounds like the act of contrition, and Elijah begins to pray along with him. Stabler tells him to confess to him, it is the only way to save his soul. Elijah says he has killed so many, he stabbed them, shot them, burned them, and he can still see the bodies. They come to him at night, asking, “Why did you kill me Elijah?” He doesn’t have an answer. He dreams of his mother begging him to save his life and he does nothing. He sees her die every night and he is a coward and a murderer. He says he cannot bear the pain. Stabler quietly presses him to tell him what happened last night. Elijah says he went to take a life, but it wasn’t Miriam’s. He doesn’t know his name, Miriam calls him the devil. For three years she was his sex slave.

Afterwards, Benson tells Cragen and Stabler that Miriam spotted the man she calls the devil at a wedding two weeks ago, she followed him to his apartment in Harlem, which is close to the bodega, and then told Elijah about him. She was supposed to signal Elijah when she saw the man coming home from work. They think she ran into the man after getting kicked out of the bodega, and he recognized her and tried to silence her. Cragen says he though Miriam didn’t remember anything from her days at the camp, but Elijah believes seeing the man triggered her memories. Stabler believes Elijah, and Cragen asks if that is because he prayed with him? Stabler and Benson believe he would hurt Miriam, but Cragen tells them that’s just their gut feeling. Munch enters, saying he has a possible lead on a bad guy. The building that Miriam tracked the man to had three apartments, two registered to women and the third is registered to Samuel Mbazzi. He is originally from Uganda, came to the US for asylum and just applied for citizenship. He lists his occupation as janitor, and Stabler states sarcastically that is because they don’t have a box for warlord. He says they will go pick him up, but Cragen says they have no probable cause. Stabler wants to go talk to the guy, and Cragen says to say hello and nothing more.

At the residence of Samuel Mbazzi (Mike Colter), they tell him he is from immigration and they have some follow up questions. He says he was a teacher, and now he works as a cleaner at a law firm. He said he stayed home last night, as he had the touch of the flu. He says that he still isn’t well and says they should do this at another day, and he moves back into the house. Stabler and Fin leave, and Stabler is frustrated that they can’t do anything. They can’t prove he is a warlord, and Stabler says One PP won’t authorize a fact-finding trip to Kampala. Fin says maybe they don’t need on.

At the United Nations, Alex Cabot (Stephanie March) is meeting with someone named Reggie, who is with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She tells him she is investigating a Ugandan man who may be involved in war crimes, he is in the states and may be here under a false identity. Reggie says the UN is not a law enforcement body and they don’t have files on individual citizens. He says the International Criminal Courts has been prosecuting war crimes in Uganda, and they have survivor testimony and other files that are available to the public, but they are at The Hague. She asks him if there is any way those files can magically get to her.

Later, Cabot and Stabler are looking through the files. Stabler sees a picture with someone who looks like Mbazzi – and his real name is Joseph Serumonga, a rebel commander wanted for war crimes by the ICC and he disappeared right before his indictment. He locked and entire village in a church and set it on fire, and that act earned him the nickname “The Devil of Gulu.”

In a restroom, Serumonga is mopping the floor, and Stabler enters, saying he is glad he is feeling better. Stabler brings up the church massacre, and Serumonga says he has the wrong man. Serumonga attacks Stabler with his mop, trying to choke him. Stabler gets his gun out and points it at Serumonga, saying “Give me an excuse! Give me an excuse!” Serumonga backs down, and Stabler cuffs him.

Back at the squad, Benson tells Cabot that Serumonga hasn’t said a word. Cabot says they don’t need a confession since they aren’t going to trial. Benson reminds her that the search warrant turned up Molotov cocktails and a box cutter that had blood on it that will match Miriam’s DNA, what else does she need? Cabot says immigration is taking custody and The Hague is taking him to trial. When Benson asks what about justice for Miriam, Cabot tells her The Hague will get justice for 10,000 Miriams.

Back at Miriam's home Benson comes to see Miriam, and tells her and Ondine that they know Elijah didn’t hurt her. She tells her Elijah also told them about the devil.- and when Benson mentions Joseph Serumonga’s name, Miriam gets very agitated, her mother trying to calm her. Miriam makes a sign that she wants to go see him, and despite the fact that Miriam’s parents have concerns, they take her to see him at the squad. The open the blind to the interrogation up room, and Miriam sees him. She walks into the room and approaches him, spitting on him, causing Serumonga to flinch and pull at his handcuffs, which are locked to the table. Miriam leaves the room and smiles, and Benson tells her “You’re welcome.” She also tells her there is someone in the squad room, waiting for her. It’s Elijah, and she runs to him and they embrace. Miriam’s parents tell her that Elijah will also be coming home with them. As the family leaves, Cragen comes in with Regional Director Brett Trask (Sean Cullen) of Immigrations and Customs, and says they have the transfer of custody for Serumonga. He also asks if Elijah is also in custody an Stabler tells him he has bee cleared so he was released. Trask says that is OK, they will pick him up, as Elijah’s asylum claim was denied last year and they have a warrant for his deportation, he is a war criminal like Serumonga. When Stabler protests that Elijah was a child, Trask tells him that Elijah fled the LRA when he was over 18, making him an adult and accountable for his action. He tells Stabler to stick to his beat and leave the war crimes to him.

Later, Cabot tells Stabler there is nothing she can do, he was still fighting with the LRA as an adult. Stabler continues to argue the point, saying this all started when he was a very young boy, and if he is not a special victim, she should tell him who is. Afterwards, Cabot goes back to the UN and to Reggie. Reggie says by the UN standards, Elijah is a victim, he is not responsible for his actions before he was 18 and this is why the criminal court would not prosecute him. She argues that the US is trying to deport him and can’t he help? But he tells her they have to respect the US laws and they can’t trump the US court. She says as soon as they find Elijah they will deport him, and Reggie says unless he is somewhere where they can’t touch him.

Inside the United Nations, Cabot suggests to Stabler that Elijah stay at St. Adrian’s as sanctuary. While they discuss the situation, Stabler gets a call from Fin and the look on Stabler’s face means bad news. Fin told him that the Fed’s tracked Elijah down at St. Adrian’s and served him with deportation papers. Elijah flipped out at the news and he grabbed an ICE agent’s gun and is holding hostages.

At St. Adrian’s, police and ICE are on the scene. Trask says SWAT already had an attack plan and it doesn’t include them. Stabler and Fin ask for a chance to talk him down, but Trask says this is a Federal operation. Stabler screams for a chance – and Trask gives him 10 minutes. Stabler and Fin run into to the church door, and Elijah tells them to get away from the door. Stabler says they just want to talk, and they enter. Stabler tells him that this is not the way. Elijah tells them he though they would be grateful he brought the devil to justice and is angry at what they now want to do to him. He says he was a fool, they now call him an undesirable, Father Theo says to show them they are wrong, and Elijah says they want a monster he will show them a monster. Stabler begs for them to let the children go, and Elijah tells them to go outside, including Miriam. This leaves Father Theo and Stabler in the church. Fin opens the door and the children race out, Miriam runs to her mother. Back in the church, Elijah has a gun pointed at Stabler, and Stabler asks for the gun. But Elijah points the gun at himself instead. The continue to try to talk him down. Elijah says that he was promised if he went to school and study hard he could have a good life. If he has to go back, the LRA will hunt him down and kill him. He says God has forsaken him, but Father Theo reminds him about God’s son. Father Theo seems to be ill, and he sits back down, in pain. Stabler tells Elijah that Father Theo needs a doctor, and Elijah tells Stabler to take him out. He asks Elijah again for the gun. Elijah said they said the gun was their only friend, their mother and their father and it would make them feel strong. Stabler asks how it makes him feel now, and Elijah says dirty. Stabler reaches for the gun, and Elijah gives it to him. Stabler yells for them to go.

Stabler opens the church door and announces their exit. They begin to walk down the steps, holding up Father Theo. Elijah holds up his hands to surrender, seeing all the law enforcement people there, along with reporters and cameras and a crowd has formed. He makes a move to a nearby federal agent and pushes him, and then begins to run as Stabler yells ‘Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” But it is too late, as they are already firing on him, and Elijah falls to the ground. Miriam runs to him as he lay dying. Stabler pulls Miriam away, and Father Theo begins the last rites. Stabler asks Miriam if she can tell him what Elijah said to him, and she whispers that he commented that he had to die, to make her to foresee (I think that is what she said) other child soldiers.


Back at the SVU squad, Stabler is looking over the war photos from the file they got from the UN. Father Theo approaches, saying “Suffer the little children” and they look on the pictures of the children at war. When Stabler asks what is the answer, Father Theo says to tell Elijah’s story, pray that someone will listen. As they gaze on the photos, we fade to black.


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