Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion (34 page)
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Authors: Susan Green,Randee Dawn
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Original air date: October 20, 2000 Teleplay by Jeff Eckerle and David J. Burke, directed by Ted Kotcheff
Additional Cast:
Lance Reddick (Dr. Taylor), Adam Kaufman (Michael Goran), Gerry Bamman (Craig Prince), John Driver (Police Commissioner Lyle Morris), Paul Wesley (Danny Burrell), Nathan Wetherington (Jason Sloan), Laura Regan (Denise Sandler), Michael X. Martin (Principal Dietz), Denise Burse (Counselor Schneider), T.J. Kenneally (Public Defender Eisenbrath), John Doman (Munch’s Informant)
Lance Reddick (Dr. Taylor), Adam Kaufman (Michael Goran), Gerry Bamman (Craig Prince), John Driver (Police Commissioner Lyle Morris), Paul Wesley (Danny Burrell), Nathan Wetherington (Jason Sloan), Laura Regan (Denise Sandler), Michael X. Martin (Principal Dietz), Denise Burse (Counselor Schneider), T.J. Kenneally (Public Defender Eisenbrath), John Doman (Munch’s Informant)
Reviewing the Case:
Stabler’s adolescent daughter experiences nightmares after inadvertently witnessing a crime scene with her father. The case winds up in his purview because the dead man, Andrew Croft, was sexually mutilated. The investigation leads to a teenager who confesses. But Croft, who was his guardian, worked for a shadowy defense contractor. Meanwhile, Cragen is under the gun at a police commission hearing about the problematic psychological evaluations of Jefferies and Stabler (the latter is briefly suspended). Although the tense episode seems packed with subplots—Pedophilia! Military-industrial shenanigans! Cops on the edge!—the whole is almost seamless.
Stabler’s adolescent daughter experiences nightmares after inadvertently witnessing a crime scene with her father. The case winds up in his purview because the dead man, Andrew Croft, was sexually mutilated. The investigation leads to a teenager who confesses. But Croft, who was his guardian, worked for a shadowy defense contractor. Meanwhile, Cragen is under the gun at a police commission hearing about the problematic psychological evaluations of Jefferies and Stabler (the latter is briefly suspended). Although the tense episode seems packed with subplots—Pedophilia! Military-industrial shenanigans! Cops on the edge!—the whole is almost seamless.
Christopher Meloni and Erin Broderick (Maureen Stabler) in “Wrong is Right”
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Alexandra Cabot, the new ADA, initially clashes with Cragen (“Just what kind of unit are you running, Captain?”). In the closing scene, Ice-T reports for duty as Det. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola, newly transferred from Narcotics. This may not bode well for Jefferies, who remains under a cloud after supposedly sleeping with a suspect.
Alexandra Cabot, the new ADA, initially clashes with Cragen (“Just what kind of unit are you running, Captain?”). In the closing scene, Ice-T reports for duty as Det. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola, newly transferred from Narcotics. This may not bode well for Jefferies, who remains under a cloud after supposedly sleeping with a suspect.
Relevant Testimony:
“At the time, we were still exploring how to make
SVU
its own beast. The issue in this episode was partly how a cop leaves crime at the office when he comes home.”—Jeff Eckerle
Episode 24: Honor“At the time, we were still exploring how to make
SVU
its own beast. The issue in this episode was partly how a cop leaves crime at the office when he comes home.”—Jeff Eckerle
Original air date: October 27, 2000
Teleplay by Jonathan Greene and Robert F. Campbell, directed by Alan Metzger
Additional Cast:
Tom Tammi (Deputy Commissioner), James Murtaugh (Gibson), Jennifer Hall (Annette Fleming), Frank Girardeau (Tomas), Aasif Mandvi (Professor Husseini), Tim Kirkpatrick (Walson), Tony Hoty (Hollander), Jeff Branson (Chris Lyons), Jeanne Lehman (Mrs. Weinberger), Tanya Berezin (Prof. Halbersham), Marshall Manesh (Saleh Amir), Susham Bedi (Aziza Amir), Anil Kumar (Jaleel Amir), Firdous Bamji (Daoud Tarzi)
Tom Tammi (Deputy Commissioner), James Murtaugh (Gibson), Jennifer Hall (Annette Fleming), Frank Girardeau (Tomas), Aasif Mandvi (Professor Husseini), Tim Kirkpatrick (Walson), Tony Hoty (Hollander), Jeff Branson (Chris Lyons), Jeanne Lehman (Mrs. Weinberger), Tanya Berezin (Prof. Halbersham), Marshall Manesh (Saleh Amir), Susham Bedi (Aziza Amir), Anil Kumar (Jaleel Amir), Firdous Bamji (Daoud Tarzi)
Reviewing the Case:
“Honor” seems remarkably prescient, now that America has been through 9/11 and its immediate after-math. The Taliban looms unseen over the situation when a young Afghan woman is stabbed and stoned to death. Her murder soon embroils the detectives in a tangle of fundamentalist ideologies, with suspects ranging from the girl’s secular boyfriend to her rabidly Islamic family. Cabot has a chance to shine as she challenges a defense lawyer who is preempting all women and Jews from the potential jury. The saga treads carefully through a sensitive topic that can be a minefield and includes one of those wrenching twists that are a trademark of the Law & Order franchise.
“Honor” seems remarkably prescient, now that America has been through 9/11 and its immediate after-math. The Taliban looms unseen over the situation when a young Afghan woman is stabbed and stoned to death. Her murder soon embroils the detectives in a tangle of fundamentalist ideologies, with suspects ranging from the girl’s secular boyfriend to her rabidly Islamic family. Cabot has a chance to shine as she challenges a defense lawyer who is preempting all women and Jews from the potential jury. The saga treads carefully through a sensitive topic that can be a minefield and includes one of those wrenching twists that are a trademark of the Law & Order franchise.
Relevant Testimony:
“I was reading a
Time
magazine story one day about honor killings and I said, ‘That’s it.’ And it came into my head right away, ‘What if something like that that happened in New York?’”—Jonathan Greene
Episode 25: Closure (Part 2)“I was reading a
Time
magazine story one day about honor killings and I said, ‘That’s it.’ And it came into my head right away, ‘What if something like that that happened in New York?’”—Jonathan Greene
Original air date: November 3, 2000
Teleplay by Wendy West, Judith McCreary, and David J. Burke, story by Wendy West, directed by Jean de Segonzac
Additional Cast:
Tracy Pollan (Harper Anderson), Ned Eisenberg (Klein), William H. Burns (Lynch), Neil Maffin (Kenneth Cleary), Evy O’Rourke (Meredith Cleary), Doris Belack (Judge Margaret Barry), Stina Nielsen (Lori Thatcher), Rob Barlett (Milton Schoenfeld), Polly Adams (Mrs. Walton), Amy Hart Redford (Susan Welch), Ron McClary (Det. Hammond)
Tracy Pollan (Harper Anderson), Ned Eisenberg (Klein), William H. Burns (Lynch), Neil Maffin (Kenneth Cleary), Evy O’Rourke (Meredith Cleary), Doris Belack (Judge Margaret Barry), Stina Nielsen (Lori Thatcher), Rob Barlett (Milton Schoenfeld), Polly Adams (Mrs. Walton), Amy Hart Redford (Susan Welch), Ron McClary (Det. Hammond)
Reviewing the Case:
During season one’s “Closure,” Harper Anderson was the victim of a serial rapist but could not identify him. In this second go-round six months later, she engages in target practice at a firing range and relentlessly trails Kenneth Cleary, the perp who seems to be back in action. While trying to keep Harper from exacting vigilante justice, the detectives also turn up the heat on Cleary. His wife goes from denial to near-demonic fury. The guy is so smug that a viewer can’t help rooting for his swift demise, rule of law be damned.
During season one’s “Closure,” Harper Anderson was the victim of a serial rapist but could not identify him. In this second go-round six months later, she engages in target practice at a firing range and relentlessly trails Kenneth Cleary, the perp who seems to be back in action. While trying to keep Harper from exacting vigilante justice, the detectives also turn up the heat on Cleary. His wife goes from denial to near-demonic fury. The guy is so smug that a viewer can’t help rooting for his swift demise, rule of law be damned.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Tracy Pollan, wife of actor Michael J. Fox, received an Emmy nomination for her first time out as Harper in season one. When an exhausted Cabot accepts a drink and asks Cragen to join her, he declines with a simple explanation: “AA.”
Episode 26: LegacyTracy Pollan, wife of actor Michael J. Fox, received an Emmy nomination for her first time out as Harper in season one. When an exhausted Cabot accepts a drink and asks Cragen to join her, he declines with a simple explanation: “AA.”
Original air date: November 10, 2000
Teleplay by Jeff Eckerle, directed by Jud Taylor
Additional Cast:
Craig Wroe (James Woodrow), Jennifer Dundas (Jamie McKenna), Yancey Arias (Denny Corea), Paul Michael Valley (Randall McKenna), Skye McCole Bartusiak (Jennifer), Kevin Gray (Henry Abadin), Adam Zolotin (Justin McKenna), Brian Keane (Dr. Peters), Divina Cook (Mrs. Fergus), Ann McDonough (Mrs. Dunlap), Jean De Baer (Lois Huntington)
Craig Wroe (James Woodrow), Jennifer Dundas (Jamie McKenna), Yancey Arias (Denny Corea), Paul Michael Valley (Randall McKenna), Skye McCole Bartusiak (Jennifer), Kevin Gray (Henry Abadin), Adam Zolotin (Justin McKenna), Brian Keane (Dr. Peters), Divina Cook (Mrs. Fergus), Ann McDonough (Mrs. Dunlap), Jean De Baer (Lois Huntington)
Reviewing the Case:
Jamie McKenna finds her seven-year-old daughter Emily unconscious with a grave head wound. Potential perps: Her teenage stepbrother, who resents his father’s remarriage and the new sibling; Emily’s hothead biological dad; a possible pedophile diplomat from Brunei. As the suspect count grows, so do the number of characters in comas. Caught up in this whirlwind of deceit, Munch—in a bravura performance by Belzer—is only certain of his compassion for Emily.
Jamie McKenna finds her seven-year-old daughter Emily unconscious with a grave head wound. Potential perps: Her teenage stepbrother, who resents his father’s remarriage and the new sibling; Emily’s hothead biological dad; a possible pedophile diplomat from Brunei. As the suspect count grows, so do the number of characters in comas. Caught up in this whirlwind of deceit, Munch—in a bravura performance by Belzer—is only certain of his compassion for Emily.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Munch grew up on the Lower East Side of New York. When a youngster laughs at his name, he tells her: “I guess if I ever have kids, I’d have to call them Munchkins.”
Munch grew up on the Lower East Side of New York. When a youngster laughs at his name, he tells her: “I guess if I ever have kids, I’d have to call them Munchkins.”
Relevant Testimony:
“The real-world inspiration was a newspaper or magazine story about a working-class child who had suffered abuse and the system utterly failed her. . . . Richard Belzer brings an interesting depth to his character. He uses acerbic wit as a defense mechanism to deflect emotion. I came up with a backstory about Munch as a kid having found out a girl in his neighborhood was murdered and thinking, ‘I should have watched out for her.’”—Jeff Eckerle
Episode 27: Baby Killer“The real-world inspiration was a newspaper or magazine story about a working-class child who had suffered abuse and the system utterly failed her. . . . Richard Belzer brings an interesting depth to his character. He uses acerbic wit as a defense mechanism to deflect emotion. I came up with a backstory about Munch as a kid having found out a girl in his neighborhood was murdered and thinking, ‘I should have watched out for her.’”—Jeff Eckerle
Original air date: November 17, 2000
Teleplay by Dawn DeNoon and Lisa Marie Petersen, directed by Juan J. Campanella
Additional Cast:
Carlos Leon (Nicky Crow), Jeffrey DeMunn (Charlie Phillips), Carolyn McCormick (Dr. Elizabeth Olivet), Nicolas Martí Salgado (Elias Barrera), Josh Pais (Robert Sorenson), Sara Ramirez (Mrs. Barrera), Robert Montano (Barrera), Gloria Irizarry (Dorothea Strada), LaChanze (Ms. Pivik), Jalyl Ali Lynn (Jamal Morales), Donovon Ian Hunter McKnight (Tommy James), Gene Canfield (Det. Geary), Ming Lee (Kyung Kwan)
Carlos Leon (Nicky Crow), Jeffrey DeMunn (Charlie Phillips), Carolyn McCormick (Dr. Elizabeth Olivet), Nicolas Martí Salgado (Elias Barrera), Josh Pais (Robert Sorenson), Sara Ramirez (Mrs. Barrera), Robert Montano (Barrera), Gloria Irizarry (Dorothea Strada), LaChanze (Ms. Pivik), Jalyl Ali Lynn (Jamal Morales), Donovon Ian Hunter McKnight (Tommy James), Gene Canfield (Det. Geary), Ming Lee (Kyung Kwan)
Reviewing the Case:
In terms of poignancy, “Baby Killer” is reminiscent of “Mushrooms,” a 1991 episode by Robert Palm on the original
Law & Order
. Both stories center on a child’s murder caused by a terrible mistake with sociological implications. The
SVU
story involves the fatal shooting of a second-grade East Harlem classmate by little Elias. When the DA demands an aggressive prosecution, Cabot suggests: “Why don’t you just apply for a change of venue to Texas so we can have him executed?” The boy’s parents are decent, hard-working people, but the home of his elderly daycare provider harbors many secrets. There’s yet another punch-to-the-gut ending in a series famous for them.
In terms of poignancy, “Baby Killer” is reminiscent of “Mushrooms,” a 1991 episode by Robert Palm on the original
Law & Order
. Both stories center on a child’s murder caused by a terrible mistake with sociological implications. The
SVU
story involves the fatal shooting of a second-grade East Harlem classmate by little Elias. When the DA demands an aggressive prosecution, Cabot suggests: “Why don’t you just apply for a change of venue to Texas so we can have him executed?” The boy’s parents are decent, hard-working people, but the home of his elderly daycare provider harbors many secrets. There’s yet another punch-to-the-gut ending in a series famous for them.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Cabot says that “the system failed Elias all the way down the line,” and indeed almost every contemporary issue—poverty, healthcare, gun control, drug laws, ethnic tensions—is tapped.
Cabot says that “the system failed Elias all the way down the line,” and indeed almost every contemporary issue—poverty, healthcare, gun control, drug laws, ethnic tensions—is tapped.
Relevant Testimony:
“This is the only episode I can think of that was censored. We originally included some statistics on hand-gun violence, but the powers-that-be were concerned it would offend ‘certain people.’ In the year we wrote this, firearms killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada and 5,285 in the United States. I found that shocking and needed to write a story about it.”—Dawn DeNoon
Episode 28: Noncompliance“This is the only episode I can think of that was censored. We originally included some statistics on hand-gun violence, but the powers-that-be were concerned it would offend ‘certain people.’ In the year we wrote this, firearms killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 57 in Germany, 109 in France, 153 in Canada and 5,285 in the United States. I found that shocking and needed to write a story about it.”—Dawn DeNoon
Original air date: November 24, 2000
Teleplay by Judith McCreary, directed by Elodie Keene
Additional Cast:
Kathleen Chalfant (Mrs. Nash), Kevin Breznahan (Mark Nash), Danny Mastrogiorgio (Earl Miller), William Youmans (Ben Moreland), Maryann Urbano (Dr. Klein), Byron Jennings (Matt Wooding), Helen Hanft (Mrs. Billings), Tony Campisi (Gary Wheeler), Chris Ceraso (Sanitation Manager), Lou Bonacki (Alvin Maddox), Laura Esterman (Mrs. Sandomir)
Kathleen Chalfant (Mrs. Nash), Kevin Breznahan (Mark Nash), Danny Mastrogiorgio (Earl Miller), William Youmans (Ben Moreland), Maryann Urbano (Dr. Klein), Byron Jennings (Matt Wooding), Helen Hanft (Mrs. Billings), Tony Campisi (Gary Wheeler), Chris Ceraso (Sanitation Manager), Lou Bonacki (Alvin Maddox), Laura Esterman (Mrs. Sandomir)
Reviewing the Case:
A dead convenience store clerk has been raped. She was counseling mentally ill homeless people, some of whom come under scrutiny. A delusional schizophrenic brandishes a knife and appears to confess. But, he also confuses himself with the protagonist in Dostoevsky’s
Crime and Punishment
and has stopped taking medications because of the dreadful side effects. His mother supports this decision. The murder eventually takes a backseat to the hot topic of optional versus mandatory pharmaceuticals for anyone who may pose a danger to society.
A dead convenience store clerk has been raped. She was counseling mentally ill homeless people, some of whom come under scrutiny. A delusional schizophrenic brandishes a knife and appears to confess. But, he also confuses himself with the protagonist in Dostoevsky’s
Crime and Punishment
and has stopped taking medications because of the dreadful side effects. His mother supports this decision. The murder eventually takes a backseat to the hot topic of optional versus mandatory pharmaceuticals for anyone who may pose a danger to society.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
This is the first episode with Dr. Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie), the medical examiner.
This is the first episode with Dr. Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie), the medical examiner.
Relevant Testimony:
“People have a right not to take medications. The other side of the argument is: Are they violent? I was showing a certain prejudice. We automatically assume people with mental illness are violent. But they don’t live in our world, so perhaps death is more palatable to them than the effects of these drugs. . . . I did a lot of research and tried to make everybody right. It’s a paradox.” —Judith McCreary
Episode 29: Asunder“People have a right not to take medications. The other side of the argument is: Are they violent? I was showing a certain prejudice. We automatically assume people with mental illness are violent. But they don’t live in our world, so perhaps death is more palatable to them than the effects of these drugs. . . . I did a lot of research and tried to make everybody right. It’s a paradox.” —Judith McCreary
Original air date: December 1, 2000
Teleplay by Judith McCreary, directed by David Platt
Additional Cast:
Nestor Serrano (Sgt. Lloyd Andrews), Peter Francis James (Judge Kevin Beck)
,
Amy Carlson (Patricia Andrews), John Ramsey (Judge Walter Schreiber), Jerome Preston Bates (Clarkson), Tom Tammi (Deputy Commissioner), Mario Mendoza (IAB Det. Santiago), Mark Lotito (IAB Det. Howard), Brennan Brown (Brendan Walsh), Paul Stolarsky (Cyrus Parker), Dylan Price (Det. Danny Tatum)
Nestor Serrano (Sgt. Lloyd Andrews), Peter Francis James (Judge Kevin Beck)
,
Amy Carlson (Patricia Andrews), John Ramsey (Judge Walter Schreiber), Jerome Preston Bates (Clarkson), Tom Tammi (Deputy Commissioner), Mario Mendoza (IAB Det. Santiago), Mark Lotito (IAB Det. Howard), Brennan Brown (Brendan Walsh), Paul Stolarsky (Cyrus Parker), Dylan Price (Det. Danny Tatum)
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay in “Asunder”
Reviewing the Case:
Spousal rape makes for a frenetic episode and a harrowing take on the institution of marriage. Patricia is the volatile wife of a manipulative cop. When one of their frequent arguments spills out onto the street, he drags her back to their apartment. Later, her claim of sexual assault and his contention that they simply indulged in passion keep the SVU detectives hopping—and disagreeing about which story is true. The trial is packed with police, some of them blatant misogynists.
Spousal rape makes for a frenetic episode and a harrowing take on the institution of marriage. Patricia is the volatile wife of a manipulative cop. When one of their frequent arguments spills out onto the street, he drags her back to their apartment. Later, her claim of sexual assault and his contention that they simply indulged in passion keep the SVU detectives hopping—and disagreeing about which story is true. The trial is packed with police, some of them blatant misogynists.
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