At the end of part 1 of this story, Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable”, Detective Frank Bucci has gone off the deep end and has stormed into a session Rollins is having with Dr. Hanover. Rollins made a critical error by leaving her gun in her car, and she is defenseless when Bucci has his gun pointed at Rollins’ head. He wants his kids safe and Steve Getz in jail. “Must Be Held Accountable” picks up where we left off.
I’m not a big fan of hostage or kidnapping story lines involving lead characters as 99.9% of the time they play out the same way – the person taken hostage or kidnapped is later released unharmed, after a long search or standoff. The process of tracking down Rollins was predictable and without suspense. After Bucci held two people at gunpoint, he gets what amounts to a slap on the wrist because he’s ex-NYPD, and Rollins and Dr. Hanover don't want to press charges. If anything, they should have been harder on him because he IS ex-NYPD. He also is rewarded for his actions by Getz being arrested. Carisi doesn’t want to put Rollins through any more distress, treating Rollins like she is a helpless woman made of fragile bone china who can’t handle standing up for herself and will shatter at the slightest touch.
While we’re on the subject of Rollins, during her kidnapping ordeal, she admits to some of her flaws. She told Bucci when she first met him she thought he was nice and she can’t handle nice. She explains her dad treated her mom like crap who spent her life chasing dirt bags as she thought that was she was worth, and Rollins thinks she is just like her. She’s worried her girls will grow up the same way, feeling like they don’t deserve to be happy. She admits she’s made plenty of bad choices, having two kids by two different dads, who were guys she slept with for no good reason. Basically, she is shaming herself. She complains about her career, being a third grade detective for 8 years. (Maybe if she wouldn't make careless errors like leaving her gun in her car...) She did not admit to the gambling, an interesting, possibly telling, omission. We didn’t hear anything we didn’t already know about Rollins. Rollins seems to think that she’s made more progress with facing her demons with Bucci than with Dr. Hanover. This bothered me, as it implied that Rollins needed to be held captive by a man to admit her flaws. Despite her ordeal, I still feel nothing for Rollins.
I was cringing early on when we had to deal with a scene involving Benson and Noah. I’ve never been a fan of these awkwardly inserted scenes just to make us aware that Benson is a mom and Noah has talent. But what annoyed me more was that Benson should know better than to be having a FaceTime or video call while walking at the same time. It’s not safe, it’s just as bad as texting and driving. Oddly, she stops when she takes the call from Rollins and sees she is distressed, so I guess we know who is really the important one in this relationship. I bet Benson didn’t even notice the dejected look on Noah’s face when Benson told him to show him his stuff in person when she got home.
Kat asks a loaded question, wondering as Rollins knows her kidnapper, was there any chance she was in on it or maybe lost perspective? Benson and Carisi looked at her with such disgust, but I think it was a fair question. Kat doesn’t know Rollins so it would be normal for her to ask an uncomfortable question. It was also beneath Carisi to later address her as “officer” in such a condescending tone. Carisi should have just stopped after his explanation and left off the “Is that okay with you, officer?”
As we saw in part 1, “Can’t Be Held Accountable”, Steve Getz hanged himself in his cell. This episode shows the same outcome. Kat raises a theory that Getz is not really dead, but based on what we’ve seen, he is, and at his own hand. It’s a shame that they showed Getz hanging himself as it would have been far more interesting – and maybe spawned a new story line later – to not show how it happened, raising similar questions as in the real-life death of Jeffrey Epstein. As Getz is dead and the victims won’t have their day in court, does that mean that the evidence collected about all those other people implicated is ignored? I would be interested in seeing how far up Getz’s influence had reached and/or how many others were sexual predators like Getz. Maybe this is saved for another day?
Here is the recap:
The episode opens with a brief recap of part 1 of this story, Law & Order SVU “Can’t Be Held Accountable”, including a replay of the final scene from that episode.
Rollins arrives at Dr. Hanover’s and thanks her for seeing her after such a long day, saying they were blindsided by the Getz case. Hanover says she has been following. Rollins starts to talk about it but the doctor wants to start with Rollins’ father this time. Rollins says it is no big deal, explaining he called and is getting married and wants her to bring her girls to the wedding. She said she shot it down. The door opens and Bucci storms in, startling the doctor who asks who is he? He pulls out a gun and when Rollins reaches for hers, she realizes she doesn’t have it. Bucci explains she left her gun in the car and she shouldn’t do that. He points it at her and Rollins asks what is he doing? He says he wants his kids home safe, and shouts he wants Getz in jail. Rollins tells him this isn’t the way. Bucci yells at her to sit down, and she complies. Rollins asks Bucci not to do this. He points the gun to her head and states he is way past that. He wants Getz in jail, asking if she hears him. As Rollins stares at the gun pointed inches from her head, Rollins calmly says okay.
Meanwhile, Benson exits a store and it’s Noah, and she explains she is just getting into the car. He says he just wanted to tell you that they asked him to do a part in The Nutcracker. Benson is thrilled. As Noah asks if she wants to see his solo, Benson sees a call coming in from Rollins and she tells Noah to show her at home. She cuts the call short and answers Rollins’ call, and Rollins tells her everyone is okay. Benson stops walking and ask what is going on and where is she. A voice says she doesn’t need to know that, and he says it is Frank Bucci. She tells him to take it easy, and Bucci says Getz as his girls and he has one of Benson’s. She tries to calm him but he says she won’t get Rollins back until Getz goes down. She suggests they talk about this, but he says he knows Benson and she gets things done and to do it. She tells him not to hang up and he counters that he is not negotiating. Benson looks stunned.
In her car, Benson calls Fin at SVU who explains he was just punching out. Benson states that he’s not, saying Bucci went rogue and he is holding Rollins and has a weapon. She doesn’t know where they are, and instructs him to call TARU and start location processing on their cars and cells. Fin thinks she was headed home and that Bucci may have followed her, and Benson says to alert ESU and she will meet them there now.
Back in Dr. Hanover’s office, Rollins and the doctor are sitting on the floor and cuffed or tied to a table, and Bucci smashes her phone. Rollins explains that won’t make a difference as the last ping will still be in the vicinity. He isn’t worried. He takes some pills and drinks some whisky. Rollins and the doctor try to talk him down but he still holds the gun to her head. She says she sorry and is scared and he tells her to just do what he asks her to do.
At the apartment of Detective Amanda Rollins at 355 West 117th Street on Thursday, November 21, Benson arrives with ESU Captain Sasso and she explains that Rollins’ cell is off and she doesn’t have a land line. She adds Bucci has a gun to her head and she has two small daughters and she is not taking any chances. He says they will move forward and establish communication inside. Fin, there with Kat, explains Rollins’ and Bucci’s phones are disabled and TARU said it would take an hour to triangulate. Benson asks about GPS for their cars and Kat explains they are checking license plate readers and EZ Pass. Fin says he is an ex-cop and knows how to go under the radar. Benson tells Fin to run his house, have his old squad pull his ten card and find out how many guns he owns and what type. Kat moves off to handle this. As ESU tries to look inside the building, Fin comments Bucci likes Rollins and doesn’t think he will hurt her. Benson coldly says that men kill women they like all the time and he knows that. Fin says he does know that. An ESU officer explains they got some images but it is unlikely they are inside; there are two sleeping children in a back bedroom and in another room a woman that Benson thinks is Rollins’ new nanny, Sienna. They see no one is in distress and decide to move in.
Inside, Benson, with Fin and ESU, knocks on the door and announces herself to Sienna. Sienna opens the door and asks if everything is okay. Benson asks if she and the girls are okay, and Sienna says they are sleeping. Benson asks if she knows where Rollins is, and Sienna replies no, saying she came home after work and had an errand and said she’d be back at 7:30. Fin comments he will call Carisi and see if he knows where she went. Rollins’ daughter Jesse asks where is her mother and Benson replies she is working.
Back in Dr. Hanover’s office, Rollins tries to convince him this is not the way but he is not buying it, saying anything she tries he is one step ahead and not afraid to go down for this. The doorbell rings and the doctor doesn’t know who it is, saying Rollins was her last patient. He explains she has a doorbell app on her iPad which is on her desk. Bucci looks at it and it is her son, saying he forgot his key. Bucci tells her to get rid of him before she does. The doctor explains to Dylan that she is in the middle of a group session and tells him to go to his pop’s in Brooklyn. He argues with her but she tells him to call Leo, she is busy. He is confused but she says she is hanging up now, and to go. Bucci cuts off the video. Bucci worries about Leo and the doctor says he is a drummer and he doesn’t notice things which is why they got divorced. She says the end game of a marriages takes its toll on everyone, and Bucci mentions being married to a psycho. He wonders what his wife was thinking taking his girls onto that boat with Getz. Rollins says she’s not thinking, he’s in a relationship where people don’t think. Bucci says he should have killed Getz in court but Rollins counters he’s not worth it. Bucci thinks it is for him if it saves his girls. Rollins asks what does him being in jail for kidnapping do for them, they need their father.
