Law & Order SVU Satellite Tour Gone Wrong (Video)

Here’s a video of Law & Order SVU’s Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni on a television satellite tour where things don’t go as planned. The video was just recently posted but the actual date the video took place was not given. (Hysterical!)





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 UK Series 7 Trailer

Here’s the trailer for the new series of Law & Order UK, which will premiere on ITV on Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 9PM.






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: UK Series 7 Overview, New Cast, Episode Information (Press Release)

Photo by ITV

Law & Order: UK will premiere series 7 on ITV on Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 9PM.  Here’s the press information so fans can have some background on the new series and the new cast members.  It sounds like an interesting and exciting series!   (Update July 10, 2013:  this new series of Law & Order UK will return to BBC America on Wednesday,  August 7, 2013 at 9PM ET.)


ITV Press Release
July 2, 2013

Law & Order: UK - Series 7

Georgia Taylor and Paterson Joseph join the cast of ITV's highly successful drama Law & Order: UK for series seven with dramatic storylines including a devastating train crash, kidnap and child grooming.

Georgia Taylor (Casualty, Lewis, Coronation Street) is defence barrister turned Crown Prosecutor Kate Barker fresh from the more lucrative side of the courtroom. She may not look like the average prosecutor but Kate is straight-talking, charming and likeable and very used to getting her own way. She is headstrong, experienced and not a fan of hierarchies; the perfect combination to infuriate her new associate Chief Prosecutor Jacob Thorne (Dominic Rowan).

Also joining the critically acclaimed cast is Paterson Joseph (The Hollow Crown, Hustle, Peep Show). DI Wes Leyton has been in the force since the age of 18. He's been through it all and knows the only way to change things is from the inside. Newly appointed as DI, Wes is frustrated by the amount of time spent dealing with budget issues and filling in forms but he is determined to make a good job of it and get results.

Wes and Ronnie (DS Ronnie Brooks played by Bradley Walsh) go way back and although they weren't best mates they share a similar outlook on life. But his partner DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls) isn't so sure of his new boss…

Peter Davison returns as respected Director of the Crown Prosecution Service, Henry Sharpe for series seven which sees the law and order teams facing the darker side of humanity. The first two episodes will be a compelling two-part story written by Emilia di Girolamo (Law & Order: UK, The Poisonwood Tree) with the second episode exploring ‘a day in the life’ of the characters. A suicidal man drives his car across a railway crossing causing the train to crash and killing 15 people. The investigation takes on several twists as the teams pursue the case with vigour and a determination to uncover the truth as the future of their colleague DS Sam Casey hangs in the balance.

An array of guest stars including Amanda Mealing, Patrick Baladi, Jan Francis, Ramon Tikaram, Ian Bleasdale, Daniel Casey, Terri Dwyer and Glynis Barber join the cast for this six-part series.

Says producer Jane Hudson: ”Taking over as Producer on a successful show is always a daunting prospect. Firstly you want to maintain the high standards already set, but you also want to put your own stamp on things and give something to the series that hasn't been done before. I'm a huge fan of stunts, so when our lead writer, Emilia di Girolamo, suggested using the US episode 'Locomotion' as the base for our two-­‐parter, I jumped at the chance.

“Like most UK drama, Law & Order doesn’t have an endless budget, so staging a real train crash was always out of the question. However, we watched the US version and were impressed that they'd managed to shoot the train crash from the inside only, but made it look fantastic. Of course, we wanted to go one step further...

“Taking the US episode as our template, myself and the director Mat King, worked closely with the stunt co-ordinator, special effects team, director of photography and production designer to make sure we pushed things as far as we could. On the shoot day we ended up with 15 stunt performers inside a real train carriage and used a series of lights outside the windows to create the effect of movement. The effects team rigged suitcases to drop from racks and debris to fly out of a canon. We also rigged some of our stunt performers with blood pellets which burst on action as they crashed into sugar glass. We knew we only had two attempts to get it right so a lot of time was spent rehearsing both the performers and the cameras. The end result was better than any of us could have hoped -­‐ it certainly kicks the new series off with a bang!”

Adds Jane: “In this series we deal with a lot of crime committed by people you really wouldn't suspect. What seems like an ordinary family turns out to be the complete opposite with some extraordinary outcomes. There's certainly something for everyone with a few familiar faces joining us along the way.”

Law & Order: UK is produced by Jane Hudson (Hustle, Waterloo Road, Robin Hood). Kudos Film and Television Chief Executive Jane Featherstone (Broadchurch, Spooks, Utopia) executive produces the series. Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of Law & Order, executive produces for Wolf Films.

New Cast Members

Georgia Taylor

Georgia Taylor is Crown Prosecutor Kate Barker Georgia Taylor made several visits to Bristol Crown Court to watch the same case by way of preparation for her role as defence barrister turned Crown Prosecutor, Kate Barker, in the new series of Law & Order: UK.

“The first time I went I felt quite nervous,” she recalls. “I’d never been to court before for any reason and I felt a bit uncomfortable. But by the second and third time I knew exactly what was going on, I went through security and took a seat in the gallery as though I’d been going for years.”

And that is exactly the feeling Georgia was after, she explains: “For me, it was about wanting to walk onto the court room set for the first time and not feel like I was in a completely alien environment. I also closely watched the prosecution barrister and what I liked about him was that there was no demonstrating, he wasn’t raising his voice, he was very matter of fact and in a way, when people are like that, it draws you in. Politicians do it – they talk softly and I very much took this on board with Kate. There was such a real naturalness and I found him really compelling, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I can see how people get hooked on going to watch these cases. You have to remember that this is real; we could see everything, but it felt like I was watching TV! I found it really fascinating.

Talking about her character Georgia says: "We first meet Kate as a defence barrister up against Jake (played by Dominic Rowan) and we find out at the end of the first episode that she moves over to CPS where she will be working alongside him. They rub each other up the wrong way from the start. She quite likes him but he is just irritated by her. Jake is very controlled and quite cold. Kate admittedly is quite nosy, but there’s no malice in it, she is just genuinely interested in people and what makes them tick. She is fascinated by Jake because he is this enigma that comes into work and doesn’t give anything away.”

Georgia continues: “Kate comes from a working class background and I think the reason she is successful and well in court is because jurors relate to her – she is the girl next door; non-threatening and non-­intimidating. She isn’t very well spoken, she didn’t go to private school, she doesn’t use a lot of fancy words – that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know the fancy words because she is very bright – she is accessible, warm and bit mischievous; she likes to wind Jake up. She is very passionate and just the opposite of Jakes character – she is more friendly and much more inquisitive.”

So what drives Kate Barker?

“She is someone who really enjoys a challenge – and this is a hugely challenging career. It’s different every single day and every case is different and that is something that really appeals to her and her spirit of adventure. There is also a part of her that is passionate about causes she believes in and we see that in the first episode when she is defending a character who she believes is mentally ill. She cares about people and she cares about the right thing being done.

“She is sensitive to the needs of people who are vulnerable; whether that is mental health or battling addiction, she has empathy and sympathy. For people that are vulnerable and can’t protect themselves in the way perhaps someone else could.”

And how does Kate relate to her new boss Henry Sharpe?

“Generally most of the time they get on really well and I think he has done a very clever, slightly manipulative thing by bringing her on board as he knows she will bring certain things out in Jake. Even in the first episode he is quite playful and quite enjoying Jake’s discomfort as Kate shares an office with him. At the end of the day he is her boss and there are moments towards the end of the series where he has to pull her back into line because she has got very passionate about a case and she’s perhaps doing things inadvertently that are detrimental to the team in CPS. He is quite firm with her as this is his job, he has to keep everyone in line and make sure they are doing their job properly. Because she has only recently crossed over to CPS there are at times elements of the defence barrister in her that she’s struggling to shake off a bit.

“I got to have some great on-­screen arguments with Peter Davison – he is such a gentleman and such a wonderful actor, it was good to play a different dimension with the character.”

How did it feel having to wear the wig and gown standing up in court?

“The first time I tried the wig on was when I had a makeup test and I was horrified! I thought, ‘Oh my God’. It wasn’t so much that I looked terrible – I am not that vain – I just thought I looked a bit comedy and wasn’t sure I took myself seriously. I really had to sell this and remember Kate has trained for this job and been doing this all through her twenties. I have to say, within a couple of hours of wearing it, and when the other barristers in court are wearing wigs, you become a bit attached to it.

“When Kate is in court, she is very different to how to she is in the office and she has to be. The only way I can describe it as an actor it feels like the closest thing to theatre you get with filming. We’ve got this huge set and lots of supporting artists, crew and guest actors. You really do feel, when you’re stood up in the benches, that every single pair of eyes is on you, so there was something very theatrical about it and the character has to choose what she presents to the jury and how she manipulates a witness and draw things out. By its nature it is very theatrical, and with the addition of wig and gown, it is like your stage costume and it very much feels role specific so it does help you get in the right mood.”

Kate Barker will become known for another element of her costume too…

Yes – she wears Ugg boots with her suits when she’s not in court! That’s what I really love about her as it’s so much like me to dress for comfort. It’s just a nice character trait that she does what she has to do in court and wears what is required of her, but she just wants to be comfy. She isn’t the kind of girl to go tottering around in stilettos and short skirts. Our costume designer went for quite a masculine look – slouchy jumpers, shirts and we have even got harem pants. It is very laid-­‐back and reflects her personality – she isn’t uptight and ironed to within an inch of her life and these boots are a nice reflection of this.” “Funnily enough I wasn’t a fan of Ugg boots before filming Law& Order but it’s just because I never had them before. I always thought they were just overpriced slippers – ridiculous! After wearing them for about a week, I just thought they were so insanely comfy and my lovely boyfriend bought me a pair for Christmas, so I am a convert.”

So were there any downsides to filming the series?

“This has definitely been one of the coldest jobs ever. We get to do some scenes on location and I love filming out and about in London, it’s exciting, but we have had the most shocking winter. Filming outside in bitter wind or snow you feel like your diction goes and your mouth goes numb so that has definitely been a challenge. Especially when we are filming 7.30am on Sunday morning by the River Thames -­ you feel like you’re being slightly punished…”



Paterson Joseph

Paterson Joseph is DI Wes Leyton Paterson Joseph was launched straight into the thick of it on his first day filming Law & Order: UK as the new DI, Wes Leyton.

“One of my first scenes was with Bradley Walsh (DS Ronnie Brooks) and we instantly had a good rapport. We both speak very quickly, slightly over-­lapping each other and I think Bradley liked the instant comebacks from my character. It was two people who were on the same wavelength humour wise,” explains Paterson.

His other scenes on the first day were with Peter Davison and Paterson recalls: “We were in Henry Sharpe’s office, we’d rehearsed a scene and Peter had gone for a costume change when a lump of ceiling fell down and I thought ‘I hope that isn’t an omen for my first performance on camera!’ Of course it wasn’t and everything rolled along nicely because it is such a well established production.”

Talking about his character Paterson says: “Wes has always been a committed career copper; he always wanted to be part of the solution. If you look at race relations in the 80’s when he would have joined up, it would have been imperative for him to have been committed to solving those problems and being the solution to the major race issues of the day. There was a huge separation between the police and black people, and certainly black youth, and he decided that what he was going to do was join and see if he could change things from within. To a certain extent, he feels he has succeeded;  here he is a very senior police officer able to command men and women under him and also show that black officers are able to rise through the ranks and encourage younger officers to join.

“As a copper he was very rule based and knowing that was the best way – through trial and error – to keep safe and make sure you get a conviction. He was always really good material for Detective Inspector but there is always a major part of him that is itching to get on the streets again and do the investigations and basically be Ronnie. He is slightly frustrated in that he has been given a lot of administration. The reason he took the leap from DS to DI was partly natural, it made sense for him to be in charge of other men as he was quite good at organizing other people.

“There was also the very emotional and personal issue that he and his wife can’t conceive a child and after four or five years of trying different treatments have moved to London as they can get IVF treatment a little cheaper in the borough he is in.”

Wes and Ronnie share a history in the force…

Says Paterson: “Wes and Ronnie have had a very similar experience in the force in that they were serious about being coppers – they both really were in love with the law and order. There’s also a part of both of them that have deep integrity in what they do – they avoid doing anything that even smells of corruption and they will expose it where they see it, they are purists.”

“They understand some coppers tend to bend the rules – there were a lot of mavericks around in those days, they were a little looser in the interpretation of the law – especially in the early 80s but they got on well and hung out together for a good eight to 10 years and knew the same crowd of coppers and had mutual friends. Meeting up again is fantastic as they have banter very easily – Wes is in a different position to last time they met in that he is in a higher rank and ultimately Ronnie’s boss, but he never feels like this because he is his mate. There is a sort of balance in their relationship, a mutual respect. He is not a Daddy DI, Wes is a real ‘get the job done’ kind of guy and the fact he has a bit of warmth towards Ronnie takes the edge off him.”

So how does Wes get on with his new team?

“He absolutely loves the way Ronnie works – he works in a very similar way although he is much less emotional about the cases. On occasions that leads to a bit of a clash in that Wes can see where Ronnie is going, and in my eyes, he is so tenacious and wants to do the right thing for everyone involved in the case, but sometimes looks at the pile of work on his desk and just wants to close this off and get as much evidence as he can. Ronnie will always scratch a little deeper and find something that turns the case around which is wonderful in one way and really annoying in another, but he greatly admires him for doing that.

“His relationship with Sam (Paul Nicholls) is a little tricky because for some reason Sam has taken umbrage towards him immediately for no other reason apart from that he is a new boy. There is nothing racist about the way Sam treats him, it is just people don’t like a new broom. Policeman are very conservative, they don’t like changes and are always suspicious of new people coming along. Thankfully Ronnie pours oil on troubled waters and helps us to work together but it is a tense relationship; there isn’t a lot of love lost and at some points there are major clashes.”

Paterson is thrilled that his first episode on Law & Order: UK is such a dramatic one.

“Most of the storylines are more domestic, more personal and less spectacular so it was a great way to start and have such a big incident to get to grips with. It also really helped the transition into being that copper investigating a crime in this detailed way. I have never played a detective before I’ve done bits in other drama series but they have been tiny compared to this. It is great being able to follow the investigation all the way through.

“Wes cannot stand being too long behind a desk – working within four walls is a very acquired taste, you have to be a particular kind of person and Wes struggles with this and the huge amounts of admin. He knows it is part of the job and it helps everyone on the case but he would just love to be out there catching people. No one was going to keep him away from the scene of the train crash and it was incredible to film there.”

And Paterson admits to being a fan of the Law & Order franchise before joining the cast.

“The first time I saw the US version was about 1996, and both times I have seen it was in the Caribbean. My wife and I absolutely loved it, it was one of the things we did in the evening before we went out for dinner. All the cases were contained, so whether you had seen previous episodes or not didn’t matter. We loved the banter.”

“The whole series really smacked of authentic, procedural US legal system and it seemed to me to be a really good mixture between what would happen and a really entertaining police drama. I thought ‘we don’t have anything like that in the UK’ and started writing something along those lines and then the UK version was created and I was very curious to see it. I saw some episodes during my travels when the first series came out and thought they were all really excellent and totally held their own to the American series. I am hoping we have maintained that credibility for this series too.”

EPISODE SYNOPSES

Episode 1 – Tracks (adapted from Locomotion)
Writer – Emilia di Girolamo

A suicidal man drives his car across a railway causing the train to crash and killing 15 people, but he survives. Crown Prosecutor Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan) pursues the culprit, Finn Tyler (Aidan McArdle) with vigour whilst the man’s defence barrister (Kate Barker played by Georgia Taylor) tries to prove his vulnerability and mental illness. Just as the case finishes, his boss, CPS Director Henry Sharpe (Peter Davison), springs one more surprise on Jake…Kate is Alesha’s replacement. Another new face is DI Wes Leyton (Paterson Joseph). He’s an old colleague of Ronnie’s (Bradley Walsh) and is covering for DI Chandler when Tyler is found dead in his cell at court and the last person seen entering the cell was DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls)…

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Tracks" can be found at this link.



Episode 2 – Tremors (adapted from Aftershock)
Writer – Emilia di Girolamo

DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls) is suspended over the death of Finn Tyler and DI Wes Leyton (Paterson Joseph) gets hands on with this investigation, with a reluctant DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) as his partner. For the first time we explore a day-­in-the-­life of the Law & Order: UK regulars. After a few drinks Jake (Dominic Rowan) opens up to new colleague Kate Barker (Georgia Taylor) about his mothers’ death. We meet Ronnie’s estranged daughter and follow Sam as he spends the day with his son, giving new insight into our heroes’ off-­duty lives.

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Tremors" can be found at this link.




Episode 3 – Paternal (adapted from Deadbeat)
Writer – Nick Hicks-­Beach

A man is found shot dead in a hotel room and the cash he was carrying has gone missing. We discover the man owed his ex-­wife thousands of pounds in unpaid child support and was lying to his girlfriend about his line of work. DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls) and DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) also learn he has a son dying of leukaemia, but hadn’t been tested for a bone marrow match. Attention turns to the ex-­father-­in-­law, Philip Donovan (Ian Bleasdale). Did he hunt down the father of his dying grandson to try to recoup the unpaid money or is there more to this family set up than first appears? How far will a parent go to protect their child… At the CPS Jake (Dominic Rowan) and Kate (Georgia Taylor) work out their differences and reach a more even keel.

My recap and review of Law & Order UK " Paternal " can be found at this link.


Episode 4 – Fatherly Love (adapted from Family Values)
Writer – Noel Farragher

The body of Charlotte Leigh is pulled from the Thames. After ruling out suicide, DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls) focus their enquiries on the victim’s abusive ex-­husband Richard (Patrick Baladi) with whom she was involved in a bitter custody battle over their teenage daughter, Holly (Charlotte Hope). However, the investigation turns closer to home when it appears Holly was involved in a relationship with her mothers’ new husband, Sean (Rory Kennan). Despite the evidence pointing to Holly, Crown Prosecutor Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan) follows his gut and gambles on a hunch at the trial in a bid to draw out the real killer, and in turn uncovers the dark truth behind the façade of a seemingly perfect family. This is a story about how far a girl will go to protect the man she loves…

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

Regular Cast

DS Ronnie Brooks: Bradley Walsh
DS Sam Casey: Paul Nicholls
DI Wes Leyton: Paterson Joseph
Jacob Thorne: Dominic Rowan
Kate Barker: Georgia Taylor
Henry Sharpe: Peter Davison

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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 – “LOL” Video

Here’s a short video from NBC titled “Law & Order LOL” featuring humorous moments from the SVU team. (The video may not be viewable outside the US.)







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.

NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates For New Season

NBC Press Release
June 21, 2013

NBC ANNOUNCES FALL PREMIERE DATES FOR NEW SEASON

‘The Voice,’ With the Original Coaches, Premieres Sept. 23 Followed By ‘The Blacklist’; One Hour of ‘The Michael J. Fox’ Show Debuts Sept. 26 Following an Hourlong Episode of ‘Parks and Recreation’



UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — June 21, 2013 — NBC has announced premiere dates for its fall schedule, which include the launch of two highly-anticipated new shows: “The Blacklist” on Sept. 23 and the series debut of “The Michael J. Fox Show” with back-to-back episodes on Sept. 26.

“The Blacklist,” starring James Spader as an international criminal who works with a rookie FBI agent in order to bring down some of the world’s most wanted, begins Monday, Sept. 23 at 10 p.m., immediately following the fifth-season two-hour premiere of “The Voice” at 8 p.m. that will reunite the four original coaches: Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton. (All times are ET.)

“Chicago Fire” will begin its second season at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 following the Tuesday edition of “The Voice.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the sophomore season of “Revolution” will begin the night in its new time period at 8 o’clock, followed by the season premiere of the 15th season of “Law & Order: SVU” at 9 p.m. in which Det. Benson (Mariska Hargitay) will be fighting for her life against a madman.

Highly-acclaimed comedy “Parks and Recreation” will launch its sixth season with an hourlong episode at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26 that takes the show to London. That will be followed by back-to-back episodes for the debut of “The Michael J. Fox Show,” starring the iconic actor as a father and husband returning to work as a news reporter in New York after a brief leave of absence to get his Parkinson’s under control.

“Parenthood,” which is beginning its fifth season this year, moves into the 10 p.m. time period on Sept 26 (immediately following “The Michael J. Fox Show”) with special guest star Ray Romano.
“Dateline NBC” will premiere with a two-hour episode Friday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m.

The new Blair Underwood-starring action drama “Ironside” will begin its run at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2.

New first-year comedies “Welcome to the Family” (8:30 p.m.) — about the clash between two families forced to deal with the surprise pregnancy and marriage of their teenage kids — and “Sean Saves the World” (9 p.m.) — bringing Sean Hayes back to NBC as a single dad balancing his teenage daughter, opinionated mother and overbearing boss — both launch Thursday, Oct. 3

The debut for the third season of “Grimm” will begin at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. That will be immediately followed by the series launch of “Dracula,” starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the iconic character returning to Victorian England to seek revenge on those who doomed him to immortal hell. Appropriately, both shows will launch within a week of Halloween.

The night will be led off at 8 p.m. with “Dateline NBC,” as the newsmagazine will shift to its regular timeslot.

And finally, “The Biggest Loser” will start its newest cycle with an hourlong telecast at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8.

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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.

Mariska Hargitay Will Be Back For SVU Season 15

Great news! Mariska Hargitay announced via Twitter that she will be back for season 15 of Law & Order SVU. Here’s the tweet:

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 “Her Negotiation” Recap & Review

Law & Order SVU “Her Negotiation” ended season 14 by leaving viewers hanging, wondering exactly what was in store for Detective Olivia Benson. The day started innocently enough, with all the members of SVU squad enjoying a relaxing day off in various ways. But Detective Amanda Rollins quickly ends their fun by pulling in the whole team to handle a flasher in the park, as she has a feeling there is more to the story. She was right.  They uncover one of the most “especially heinous” sexual predators in their recent history, and, as the episode ends, this same man is in Benson’s apartment holding a gun to her head. It’s a fine episode and makes a great end to the season, leaving fans guessing whether their beloved Olivia Benson will survive the ordeal – and whether Mariska Hargitay will return for season 15 to finish the story arc. My money is on Benson/Hargitay  making a return and if so,  I suspect that things will not be quite the same for Benson, or for those close to her.

The creep of the week – played convincingly by Pablo Schreiber – managed to avoid prosecution for previous crimes based on a litany of errors. It was a drama filled episode and the intensity level was high. At times, though, it was hard to believe that one man could benefit from so many mistakes by law enforcement. Sometimes I wonder how real police, detectives, and lawyers feel when they see a fictional story such as this; do they encounter such repeated incompetence in real life?

There were a few situations that were just a little too convenient. Example 1: Rollins just happening to be in the park when a sexual predator runs by, and those girls yelling (what seemed like) to Rollins to stop him. Example 2: Fin and Rollins apparently not having to stake out the store for too long before Lewis arrives. Example 3: Cragen telling Benson to take two days off and if she comes to work during that time he will arrest her. If fans didn’t already know that somewhere in this episode Benson would be put in danger in her own home, this made it very clear that no one would be alarmed if she dropped off the face of the SVU earth for a few days. The only wild card is Cassidy. Does Benson’s bad mood toward the end of the episode signal there is trouble in paradise and would Cassidy also not be dropping in on her for a few days as well? One can only hope he will stop by and save the day. (Even better, let's have Stabler make a surprise visit. OK, I know I shouldn't have suggested that.)

While we’re on the subject of Benson at her apartment, I also took issue with Benson’s handling of hearing an odd noise. Instead of just calling out “Hello?” why didn’t she call out “Bri” thinking it was Cassidy? When there was no response to her hello, why didn’t she pull out her gun before she made a move? (I assume she always has her gun with her.) Benson’s detective senses seemed off here.

I was also perplexed at the references to Alice, the 60 year old woman, as being “elegant” and “cultured.” Those descriptive terms seemed…awkward. Does that make her any more credible as a witness or any more of a victim?

Raúl Esparza’s ADA Rafael Barba is probably the most colorful ADA in SVU history, not because of his snappy wardrobe, but for his lively, energetic exchanges with the SVU team and with his opponents in court. (Speaking of wardrobe, please give the wardrobe staff a round of applause for selecting such a spiffy yachting outfit.) Barba did have, in my opinion, the line of the episode when he said “Look, this case was a dog from the start…it just got fleas.”  That line was even more amusing to me when considering Rollins started the apprehension of the perp by sending her own dog off to catch him. By the way, in the category of “life is not fair,” I take exception that a dog gets to have a role on SVU before I do – and a speaking role at that (wink).  The dog gets a 5 biscuit out of 5 acting rating.  (In fact, everyone in this episode did a wonderful job - treats for everyone!)

If I had a crystal ball, I would say that I see a drug dependency problem for Rollins down the road. I know she took what seemed like only one pain pill while on the stakeout but we all know how taking pain meds usually goes for TV characters.

This episode should give  fans plenty to talk about before season 15 begins. I know there are some fans out there who are simply rabid with worry about Benson/Mariska returning for another season, and I feel I should remind everyone that this is just a TV show and fans should keep this in perspective. I recall years ago when Star Trek’s William Shatner told fans to “get a life,” and while I won’t tell SVU fans to do exactly that, I feel I should reinforce that there are many more important things in life than television. The stars of SVU and the producers of the show will make the best decisions possible based on their own needs. It doesn’t pay to fret endlessly over what will happen down the road. Just like the characters in the beginning of “Her Negotiation,”  one has to keep one's life and priorities in balance,  and have some fun sometimes. So everyone take a chill pill and enjoy the SVU summer reruns!

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:
Dean Winters – Brian Cassidy
Tamara Tunie – Dr. Melinda Warner
Raúl Esparza - ADA Rafael Barba
Pablo Schreiber – William Lewis
Lauren Ambrose – Counselor Vanessa Mayer
Judith Ivey – Alice Parker
Andrea Navedo – Cynthia Mancheno
Michael Mastro – Judge Serani
Robin de Jesus – Jose Silva
Ami Brabson – Judge Karen Blake
Lucy Martin – Bitsy Rabler
Tyler Bunch – Bert Swanson
Logan Rose Nelms - Astrid
Katja Gerz – Tilde
Syphen Gradbury – Judge McNamera
Alison Fernandez – Zara Amaro
Jaden Matthew Rodriguez – Gil Macheno
Harry Chambarry – Doctor
Angel Rosa – Uni
Frannie The Dog – The Dog


Alice Parker is in Central Park taking pictures. Benson is at home and asks “Bri” (Cassidy) if he wants to go to an exhibit at the Plein Air Painters at the Whitney, and suggests they head uptown and grab some brunch. He asks if she is talking to him, and Benson replies she will take that as a no, saying it’s another Sunday watching rollerbladers in the park and she thought they might change it up, and as he kisses her, he says they will – next Sunday.

Meanwhile, a man is in the kitchen of a halfway house and he taunts another man, Jose, who works there, first causing Jose to almost scald his hands on hot water, and Jose complains the water is too hot, asking if it doesn’t bother him. Then, the man says that is not hot, and turns up the heat on the burners and places his fingertips on the cooking surface, saying this is hot, and that it is mind over matter as his fingers burn. He laughs and pulls his fingers away, asking Jose to smell his fingertips and the burned flesh. When Jose complains that the other guy is leaving because they have to finish kitchen cleanup, he pulls Jose over to the hot cooking surface and slams Jose’s hand down on it, Jose screaming as his hand burns. The guy tells Jose that he can’t leave, unless he has a problem with that. He takes Jose’ hand off the hot surface and then leaves.

Elsewhere, Fin meets up with Cragen to take Munch’s place at a ball game, saying Munch’s date went a little over last night.

Amaro is in the park playing catch with his daughter Zara and son Gil, and Gil’s mother Cynthia. He hits a ball too far for Zara to catch and two young woman walk by, one of them catching it and throwing it to Zara, who is thrilled she “catched” the ball. When Amaro corrects her to “caught”, Cynthia encourages Amaro to let her be.

Rollins is also in the park playing with her dog. As a man – the same creepy guy in the halfway house - runs out of the trees, the same two women that walked past Zara run out, one of them yelling to stop that man. She tells her dog to go get him as she calls out that she is police. The dog chases after him and rounds a corner. Rollins catches up and finds the man sitting on some steps, petting the dog as the dog licks his face. Rollins shows her badge and tells her dog to come. He asks if there is a problem.

At SVU, Rollins has a uni take the man to holding as she brings the 2 women into the interview room and puts another woman – the woman taking pictures in the park – in Cragen’s office. The man claims it is a misunderstanding. The girls, Astrid and Tilde, ask about how long they may have to be there, but the older woman, Miss Parker, encourages the girls to tell the police what happened so the man can be prosecuted. The uni tells Rollins they may have a problem.

The man is in the holding cell and shows Rollins his burned fingertips, and she asks if he burned off his fingerprints. He insists it was an accident, he did it on a hot griddle. He also has no ID on him, he left it at the halfway house. She asks that he has nobody who can verify who he says he is, and he explains that he rides alone. She looks at him suspiciously and as she walks off, he asks how about if they call this disorderly conduct and everybody goes home. She looks back at him and then walks off.

Later, Benson and Amaro arrive at the precinct and Benson asks if Rollins does know it’s the weekend. Amaro asks if she tied Cassidy to a no parking sign, saying he could come in. Benson explains she thinks he is happy, she left him at a sports bar watching the Mets game with Matt Harvey working on a perfect game. Cragen and Fin get out of a cab and Fin comments to Benson and Amaro that Rollins called them in too, adding the Rollins is out of control. Amaro reminds Fin that Rollins is his partner and Cragen sarcastically says it is OK, they were just 6 innings into a perfect game. Benson says it is 8, and Cragen replies “even better.”

In the squad room, Rollins explains she called them in because the perp – William Lewis, IF that is his real name – has no ID, is unemployed, and says he works in a halfway house in Brooklyn. Benson asks that he has a record, and Rollins says he should but she can’t find anything because he just burned off his fingerprints. When Amaro questions that he burned off his prints and then just went into the park to flash, Rollins thinks he was just getting started. Rollins thinks he would have assaulted the girls had her dog, who is now laying on the squad room floor, cornered him. Cragen asks who that is in his office, and Rollins explains it is Alice Parker, who caught Lewis on camera and she says she has seen him there before. When Rollins wants them to start questioning them right now and she wants to take the perp, Cragen tells her to slow down. She says he has a feeling about this guy, and Cragen replies that he gets that. He tells Benson and Amaro to do it to get fresh eyes, and instructs Rollins and Fin to talk to the girls. Cragen says he will take Alice as she is in his office.

Cragen speaks with Alice who explains she’s watched Lewis before and he is as much a predator as any animal in the park and she knew something like this would happen. She heard the girls scream and he had his privates out. She heard the girls scream and she took a picture before he took off. She shows Cragen the photo. She also heard what he said and when she is not comfortable in telling Cragen he gives her a pen and paper and asks her to write it down.

Meanwhile, Benson and Amaro are in interrogation with Lewis who thinks the old lady has a problem with him but has no idea why. He says he runs along the pond and is always running past her, wondering if he ran into one of her photos. Amaro asks if he ran through the photo with his fly open, and reminds Lewis there are kids in the park. Lewis thinks this is a misunderstanding. He was out running, and he got chafed so he stopped to make an adjustment. Amaro asks if he’s tried powder, adding that the girls says he approached them, exposed himself, and made sexually suggestive comments. Lewis asks if they even speak English, adding they are young and from Finland and thinks this is bad timing, suggesting he apologize to them and they all go home. Benson asks if he always goes running in jeans and work boots, and Lewis says he is between jobs and he does not have a lot of money to spend on running gear. He tells Benson he does not think he deserves this kind of attitude, and she smirks and gets up and turns away.

Rollins and Fin are observing and Cragen walks in. Rollins explains the halfway house, Brooklyn Beginnings, is a shady operation, They faxed her his New York State ID, and Fin says he has been there 3 months and they said he come from an in-patient addiction facility on Long Island. Cragen asks where he was before that.

Back in interrogation, Benson comments that Lewis is staying in a halfway house, and he says he is trying to turn things around, having a problem with pills after a work accident. His record was clean and the judge said if he did rehab and went to the halfway house the charges would be expunged. Lewis says he feels awful about what the girls think happened, but Benson is skeptical, saying Lewis is just worried it will screw up his parole. Lewis says this is his point, why would he risk his recovery just to spook some tourists and his mother raised him to respect women. Amaro asks about his fingers, and Lewis says they hurt from KP duty and it was a hot stove. Benson comments that with his fingers burned like that, they are having a rough time checking his prints, so she asks if he minds telling them where he is from. He states he is from all over – Texas, Florida, Delaware – a military family, but he has been in New York for the last couple years. Amaro asks if before the halfway house he lived alone or with roommates. Lewis says it was with a girlfriend, but they did not part on the best terms. Benson questions how exactly did they part, and he replies that he’s not getting a real sense of benefit of the doubt here. He asks if he is entitled to an attorney if he asks for one, and Amaro looks at Benson who clicks her pen and then, with a thin smile, drops her hand to the table.

Benson and Amaro exit the room where Cragen, Rollins, and Fin are still watching from the hall. Benson comments the guy is a piece of work, and Amaro tells Rollins it was a good call. ADA Barba walks in, wearing some snappy boating attire, and he asks Rollins where is the fire. Benson asks is Barba was on his yacht, and he says not on HIS yacht. Cragen explains the situation about Lewis. Barba smirks, asking if they called him in for a class B misdemeanor because she wanted to use up all her favors in one fell swoop.

Law & Order SVU “Her Negotiation” Sneak Peeks – Season Finale

Here are sneak peeks from the season 14 finale of Law & Order SVU, “Her Negotiation” which will air on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 9PM ET on NBC. The previews feature Mariska Hargitay, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, and guest stars Raúl Esparza,  Lauren Ambrose, and Pablo Schreiber.


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


Please note: These preview clips have a limited life and may be removed at any time, so catch them while you can!












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