"Lost Traveler"

Guest Star Mark Margolis

This week on Law & Order SVU, a cute curly haired 10 year old boy in a private school uniform is followed on a busy street by a grown man, trying to hide.  The boy senses he’s being followed, stops, looks behind him, takes his cell phone out, calls someone… We hear the phone ring; the man stalking him takes out his cell phone.  The cute little boy says, “Stop following me dad.  We practiced.  I know the way.”  The dad gives up the charade when the boy tells him, “I’m ready.”  He walks down the subway stairs alone, and makes it to the school.  At school he is picked on by the older boy who spits on his palm, ‘since his mother is a gypsy palm reader’.  The principal sees it, and gives him a napkin to wipe his hand.  This is obviously not the first time he’s being bullied.  Cut to the end of the school day, the boy-Niko makes it to the subway entry, but it’s blocked off due to construction.  That’s the last time we see him.  The cops are notified of a missing person’s case.  “He should have been home at 4pm, and you waited until 7pm to report him missing?”  The dad explains, “My wife said the cops probably wouldn’t care because of who we are.”  The local cop on the beat seems to underscore the racism.  He says, “These people are different.  They’re gypsies.”  The dad is franctic, “We bought him a cell phone, I keep calling, but he doesn’t answer.  Niko doesn’t have a lot of friends.  At school they bully him. Kids tease him for being Romani.”  Amaro pushes, “What about a favorite handout? Some place he likes to go?”  The dad answers, “You’re in it.”  The cops canvas the school.  The principal doesn’t know the parents.  The kids say he’s kind of weird.  Then we find out there is a rabbi who runs the community of gypsies, only he’s called The Rombaro, and he works for the King of the gypsy.  The Rombaro takes care of everyone, that is everyone who plays ball.      

This is not a summary of the episode, it is a recap of the five best moments of the show.  Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.

#5 Best Moment of the Show.   The wife, Nadia Grey (Alexandra Silber) screams at the husband, Tomas Grey (Donnie Keshawarz), “You didn’t pay.”  The cops look confused.  “ We stopped paying our tides, so we could pay for Niko’s (Cameron Ocasio) school.  The Rambaro (Mark Margolis) said that this could not stand, that we had to be punished.”  The cops make a visit to the Rombaro’s house in Greenspoint.  It is posh.  Compared to the Greys’ house and where the rest of the gypsies live, it is a mansion.  The Rombaro makes it clear.  The line has been drawn.  “The Greys want to be outsiders.”  Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) blurts out, “Are you using a kid to make them pay you?”  Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) make nice, “I’m hoping you didn’t take the child.  We’re hoping this will be a happy ending, and just a misunderstanding.”  The Rombaro dismisses them, “Make sure they get an almond candy on the way out, Alba.”  Amaro and Rollins feel like they just visited ‘The Godfather’.

#4 Best Moment of the Show.  The father bursts out of their home while the cops are still outside the house at a canvas.  “Detectives, he’s alive.  My wife and I have been calling his cell phone every five minutes, it’s been busy, now it just went to voice mail.  He’s been deleting his messages.”  Amaro asks, “Did he call you back?  The dad is certain, “He is alive.”  He is so naive.

#3 Best Moment of the Show.  The IT expert, played by Gilbert Godfried, traces the cell. Despite of Godfried’s grating voice, the scene moves quickly along as the IT expert lays it out for the cops.  He says the cell phone has been calling from an ip address.  He gets an address.  It’s to a Chinese takeout with an online ordering system.  The owner says the client called to complain to say the food was too spicy for his little boy.  “I could hear the kid crying in his background.”  The S.W.A.T team bursts into the apartment yelling, “Get your hands up.  Get your hands up.”  All we hear is a little boy saying, “Don’t hurt my daddy.”  The cops realize, “It’s not Niko.  It’s not Niko.”  Classic Red Herring. 

#2 Best Moment of the Show.  Turns out the man with the boy in the apartment gives the cops a lead.  There is a mentally handicapped gypsy boy, Mark Rajick (Michael Barra), kept locked up in his mother’s basement across the street.  He looks good for the crime.  The cops even finds Niko’s lucky rabbit’s foot in Mark’s bed, and a Metrocard that was used near where Niko was seen last.  The cops find Niko’s dead body, burned with cigarettes at a construction site.  Mark’s goose is cooked.  But wait, The Rambaro makes his bail and he is returned home.  The next thing we know, the cops are called back to the scene.  Niko’s mom, Nadia Grey, just tried to set Mark Rajick on fire.  She poured gasoline through the window, try to spark him.  Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) tries to calm the waters, “We’re going to need to talk to Nadia before you take her in.  Nadia, what happened?”  Nadia is distraught, “You had him and you let him go!  He murdered my baby!  He killed my son!  This is justice.  He burned him.”  Benson is shocked, “Nadia, who told you that?”  All Nadia says is, “You know what I know.  That my son is dead.  This is what I know.”  Benson briefs the rest of the cops, “It wasn’t released to the press that Niko’s body had cigarette burns.  There was no way the parents could have known.”  Do  the gypsy really have the power to commune with the dead? 

Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show.  The ME doesn’t think the handicapped boy, Mark Rajick, did it.  The cigarette wounds tell a different story.  Finally the cops wake up to who’s been tipping them off the whole time.  The two pretty girls in the private school (Caswell Academy) Niko was attending; Courtney Lane (Lili Reinhart) and Emma Butler (Quinn Shephard).   Mark turns them in.  This is when the faint of heart should turn away.  Courtney, the ring leader, tortured Niko with a lit cigarette while her accomplice, Emma, did nothing to stop her.  Emma flips on Courtney, “I told her to quit and we should just go.  He was crying.  He was going to call his mom.  Then Courtney grabbed his scarf and I was yelling stop, stop.  She said he’s just a dumb gypsy.  Who’s going to miss him?”  Both of them frame Mark and tips off the cops.  In the final scene, when Courtney’s father, who’s sitting next to her when she reveals everything, wants to lawyer up; Courtney tells him, “It’s a little late for that.”  The little psychopath is right. 

This is a horrific crime, perpetrated by a juvenile psychopath, who looks as innocent as the day is long.  ¾ through the show, all of us were still thinking it had to be the handicap boy across the street.  This was indeed a shocker to all of us.  A well written episode.

Next week on Law & Order SVU, the grid iron legend, Treat Williams, suffers from diminished capacity, and claims, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

"Educated Guess"

Guest Star Tim Guinee

This week on Law & Order SVU, the show delves into the rights of the mentally ill.  When you are already labeled as mentally ill, you are easy prey for predators who know that nobody will believe you when you cry foul. 

The show opens on a girl being chased by her boyfriend in the woods.  We know she likes him because she takes off her clothes to tease him, and then makes him chase her.  Cut to a park scene, with Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) on a sting, trying to pass as a jogger and a guy with a backpack.  They are just about to give up when a practically naked guy, our boyfriend from the earlier scene shows up calling for his girlfriend, Amber, who’s nowhere in sight.  He takes off the last bit of his clothing, and is officially naked before he faints.  A bystander videotapes the whole scene on his cell phone and posts it on YouTube soon after.  Everything that’s happened so far is a red herring.  That’s right.  The crime has nothing to do with the public exposure.  Typical SVU.  Tutuola makes the call for a bus to Laguardia Psych, since he thinks this guy is crazy.  All the while, the naked guy is talking to Amber, whom he sees in her underwear, but nobody else sees.  After the guy is taken the two cops begin to argue.  Tutuola says the guy’s ‘psych’, Rollins says he’s just on a bad trip.  Tutuola challenges her call, “You know the difference between a chemical wig out and a psychotic break?”  Rollins says, “Yes, I can.  I grew up around both.  My sister.”  Another tidbit about Rollins’ past is revealed.  This is not a summary of the episode; it is a recap of the five best moments of the show.

Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.
#5 Best Moment of the Show.   At the hospital, the security guard tells Rollins and Tutuola they can leave, he’s got it.  Of course, another incident takes the guard’s attention away, and the naked guy makes a break for it.  He barges in on a room with a girl crying out for help; turns out he walked into a guy in the process of raping a girl.  He saw a guy threatening her with a knife, but not his face.  The next morning, he swears in front of the judge at arraignment that he saw the crime.  That’s when the judge orders an investigation.  The cops can’t agree on whether or not to believe him.  Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) is the voice of reason, “We have a description.  We go to Laguardia.  If the girl exists, we find her.”  Turns out she’s Gia Eskas (Natasha Lyonne).  The doctor says she had to be sedated last night.  She is real.  Finally, the psych patient will get justice.   

#4 Best Moment of the Show.   When questioned by Benson and Rollins, Gia denies it, “If it was one of my fellow inmates, they all lie.  I’m working on my triggers, that’s why I’m here.”  She talks tough, "Some girls travel, go to college to get away.  I go to Laguardia Psych.”  After the long questioning session, she finally changes her tune for the first time when Rollins asks her to comply with a rape kit.  Rollins, “If she was raped, it’s going to be hard as hell to get anyone to believe her.”  Benson, “Which makes her the perfect target.”

#3 Best Moment of the Show.  The forensics is in on the rape kit.  They found sperm and the DNA of an unknown male.  There are lacerations scars and perenatal tags.  Gia’s been sodomized for years.  The cops question Gia’s mom, Diane Eskas (J. Smith Cameron).  She says, “Gia’s father is in Four Winds Hospital being treated for Schizophrenia.  Mental illness runs in his family.  At first I was going to call the police when she cried rape, but Gia said she just made it up.  Gia was sick like her father.  She takes her meds, then she stops, cause she thinks she’s cured.  She told me once she wants me to find her body.  Sometimes I think my daughter thinks I hate her.”  The mom is no help whatsoever. 

#2 Best Moment of the Show.  Ethics do not come with the job.  Turns out, one of Gia’s co-patients was trying to protect her.  She went to a security guard for protection.  The guard spills everything since he didn’t think he did anything wrong.  “Gia comes to me, says she needs a gun.  She said she’ll do anything to get a gun.  She drops to her knee and does me.  No, I didn’t give her a gun, and it wasn’t sex, it was just a BJ.”  Are you kidding me?!?  The parting ‘Bill Clinton’ remark by Tutuola was not amusing.  Thanks to our former president, oral sex is no longer considered sex.  If this is the norm, this is indeed a sad state of affairs. 

Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show.   Finally, Rollins and Benson gets Gia to crack by sharing her own story.  Benson, “I’ve been attacked, I’ve been assaulted, and my gun didn’t protect me.”  Gia, “It doesn’t matter.   Who’d believe me?  Nobody ever believes me.”  Benson, “We believe you.  I believe you.”  Gia, “All I wanted was someone to pay attention to me.  He was interested in something I had to say.  I thought, finally!  Someone sees me.  Now I just wish I could disappear.”  Benson asks again, “Who raped you?”  Gia, “My uncle, George.”  “I thought I was safe in here, and then he got in to rape me again.”  Benson, “He’s been raping you since you were 14?”  Gia, “Sometimes in his garage, sometimes in his bedroom.  He said it will be our dirty little secret.  I told my mom.  You should see the look on her face.  She wouldn’t believe it.  George takes care of her, if she can’t make rent, or groceries, George takes care of it.  In the real world, he’s sane and I’m not.”  Rollins and Benson search through the uncle, George’s bedroom, and find a tool box.  It’s got a combination lock.  Rollins ask, “What’s George’s birthday?”  Gia’s mom gives it up, “9/29”.  They try the combination and it’s not it.  “What’s your birthday?”  They ask the wife.  Again, Gia’s mom answers, “6/16”.  They try the combination and it’s not it either.  Finally, Rollins asks the obvious, “What’s Gia’s birthday?”  George’s wife refuses to comply.  It’s Gia’s mom who finally gives in, “4/24”.  The tool box opens.  Rollins pulls out a photo of Gia in her pink bra.  The date on it says 4/24/01, which is on her 14^th birthday.  Case closed.

There are four disturbing parts in this episode.   Excuse me while I get on my pulpit.

#4 Most Disturbing Part of the Show.  Listening to the rapist, George Zane (Tim Guinee), retell his version of the story, “I was her first.  She was so shy.  She had on a pink bra.”  Amaro asks, “How long have you two been dating?”  George, “You mean how long we have had sex.  I made us both wait until she was 17.”  Amarao, “It was you with Gia in the on call room?”  George, “Yes.  She can’t live without me.”  George’s attorney adds, “That’s why he impersonated a doctor to visit Gia.  He didn’t want his wife to know.  Show them the letter.”  George then takes out an obviously old and tattered folded up letter with a young child’s writing, ‘I love you, Uncle George.’  The attorney goes on, “A rape victim wouldn’t send her rapist a love note.  Are we free to leave?”  The fact that the note was written by Gia when she was 12 does not deter the defense attorney from using it as a ‘Get Out of Jail Free Card’ for her rapist.  Where is his humanity?  George is obviously a predator that will be brought to justice, but his defense attorney is a predator with a shield against prosecution.  He has the shield of criminal law to stand behind when he uses all the tools at his disposal, to the detriment of the victim. 

#3 Most Disturbing Part of the Show.  Finally, Gia’s rapist is behind bars.  He’s looking at multiple counts of sexual assault.  Gia is safe now.  H’s never getting out.  Benson asks, “Has your mother come to see you yet?”  Gia answers, “No, I don’t want her to.  I know I have to forgive her to move on, but not today.”  Benson, “You sound strong.”  Gia, “The doctor warned me it’s gonna be a long road back.”  Benson, “I know it’s hard to imagine it now, but you survived the abuse, you’re going to survive the recovery.”  No one wants to focus on the long road ahead of the victim, who’s been victimize for almost half her life.  Bystanders think the crime story is over when the perpetrator is caught.  But they forget about the victim.  The survivor has to retell her story over and over again.  It will take a lot of therapy to heal and be whole again.  Places like The National Center for Victims of Crime are there to help all victims of crimes.  Visit their site at http://www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbID=DB_VictimAssistance207

#2 Most Disturbing Part of the Show.  Rollins and Benson get ready for the fight ahead of them, trying to prove Gia’s uncle is the rapist.   Rollins, “This is going to be an uphill battle.”  Benson, “That’s why we do it.”  Rollins, “Something happen to me on the job, part of the reason why I had to leave.”  Benson, “Someone you work with?”  Rollins, “It’s not worth pursuing.”  Benson, “That’s why they win.  Let’s not let it happen to Bella.”  Now we know Rollins was the victim of abuse at her other job.  Now we know she backed down from doing the right thing because the fight was going to be too hard.  Now we know what millions of other women do.  For women who feel nobody would believe them.  For women who feel they will never get justice, there is help.  Places like Safe Horizon is a safe haven for victims who think they have nowhere to turn.  Visit their site at http://www.safehorizon.org/

#1 Most Disturbing Part of the Show.  Nobody believes the mental patient by virtue of their label.  Everyone thinks, “If you’re in a psych ward, you must be crazy.  So everything you say must be made up.”  Even the psychiatrist falls for this trap.  I feel this is a teachable moment that SVU failed to take advantage of.  Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions; disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.  Examples of mental illness can include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.  While there are actively psychotic patients who are picking butterflies out of the air; there are plenty more anorexics and gambling addicts who are highly functioning members of society.  To learn more about all the myriad of mental illness, visit The National Institute of Mental Health site at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

"Russian Brides"

Guest Star Timothy Busfield

This week on Law & Order SVU , the Russian mob is running a Mail Order Bride, aka extortion/kidnapping/murder scam on lonely American businessmen.  The show opens up on a brunette in a short neon skirt, running away from obviously bad men chasing her in a car, at night.  There is a scream.  The next morning, two bus boys find the dead body.  The ME and the cops break it down.  There is no face, the teeth are pulled, and her fingertips are gone.  But the body has two distinct tattoos; one is a butterfly and the other is Cyrillic writing, specific to the Russian mob.  It is the mark of a prostitute with the English translation of “Mother, forgive me.”  “They didn’t want us to know who she was, but they wanted to make sure somebody got the message.”  Cue the theme music.


This time Detectives Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) and Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) does the canvas in Brighton Beach, also known as Little Odessa due to the large number of Russian immigrants there.  Nobody wants to cooperate with the cops, for fear of retaliation from the mob.  No surprises there.  “Good thing witnesses are like children.  They respond to bribes and threats”, says Tutuola.  Amaro answers, “And they’re easy to trick.”  This is not a summary of the episode, it is a recap of the five best moments of the show.


Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.
#5 Best Moment of the Show.  Amaro finally reveals a little of his past. When Detective Olivie Benson (Mariska Hargitay) guesses his parents were divorced, he admits it.  Turns out his dad use to bounce his mother off the wall.  We can see his past weighs on him.


#4 Best Moment of the Show. This week’s guest star, Timothy Busfield, plays the lonely businessman who falls in love with his Russian bride.  When she is kidnapped and a ransom is demanded for her safe return, he does exactly what he’s told.  The cops find him waiting by the beach through a cell phone trace, obviously agitated.  When he sees the cops he starts to scream, “You have to get out of here.  They said if I paid, they’d let her go. If I paid, they’d let her go…”  Then, the realization sinks in.  “Is she dead?”


#3 Best Moment of the Show.  Timothy Busfield’s friend, the tax lawyer, advises him to tell the cops everything. He does.  “We met on a Russian matchmaking website.  My buddy use to sleep with 8-10 girls all the time.  But I saw Lena (Izabella Miko) and knew there was something about her.  I had to fly to Moscow to meet her. We had a real soul connection.  One night her ex made a big scene outside her hotel, I could see how scared she was.  We got married.  It was like a fairytale.  One day, they called.  They said they had Lena and would kill her if I didn’t give them all my money.  I dropped the money in the garbage can on the beach.  I was supposed to wait by the carousel.”  It’s so predictable; it was actually painful to hear him retell his tale of seduction and deceit.  It begs the question; just how many scams have the Russian mob pulled so far?


#2 Best Moment of the Show.  An online payment is traced to QuickSecure, a Paypal-esque online credit card processing startup.  Tutuola and Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) try to get an address to Lena’s ex.  QuickSecure is run by geeks who won’t budge. “Our clients pay us top dollar to maintain their privacy.  You want information?  Show me a search warrant.”  He backs down right after Tutuola threatens to shut him down.  “Okay, okay, just don’t call the FBI.  This is the physical address of the website.”  As soon as Tutuola gets the info, the door busts open with G-men.  “This is the FBI. Put your hands up and move away from the keyboards.”  The geek is stunned.  “You lied to us?”  Tutuola leaves him a parting remark,  “Ain’t that a bitch.” I have to admit it felt good to stick it to the online startup.


Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show.  Captain Craigan (Dann Florek) goes undercover.  That’s right; Craigan finally gets to stretch his acting chops.  He plays the lonely businessmen, of course. The old "Lena" shows up as the new "Irene".  Craigan opens up about his dead wife, Marge, and his regret over not having any children.  Finally, we learn about Craigan’s personal life.  It’s filled with regret and loss.


In the final scene, the sting fails and the new "Irene" makes Craigan.  She spills her story and says her pimp, Liev, is holding her four year old daughter.  She has to do what Liev says or he’ll kill her daughter.  The cops buy her story and she agrees to set up a sting to catch Liev.  It does not go well.  Liev is spooked and there is a shootout.  Liev is dead.  The new "Irene" cries out in agony, “My daughter is dead.  I’ll never see her again.”  But she is given another chance.  There is a safe house she knows of.  The cops raid it.  But in all the chaos, the new "Irene" escapes.  She kills the uniformed cop assigned to watch her and makes a run for it.  We believe her all the way until the end, when she is cuffed.  She smiles a wicked smile.  This woman is very good at what she does; deceiving men.  Turns out her daughter is dead, but not by Liev.  Liev found her killer years ago and they’ve been working together on these scams ever since.


Next week on Law & Order SVU, a patient in Ward Six accuses an orderly of raping her.  Even she says no one would ever believe her. Why? “He’s sane, I’m not.” Who’s telling the truth?

"True Believers"

Guest Star Sofia Vassilieva

This week on Law & Order SVU, a young blonde piano student at the Manhattan Academy of Music is seen on her way home.  She stops at a bodega to pick up some supplies, and gets into the elevator in her building with a black guy.  She tries to be friendly; even though it's obvious she's not comfortable.  She makes it inside her apartment, when the same black guy barges in and pulls a gun on her.  She tries to stay calm, offers him a drink, and says her name is Sara.  She offers him money, but he doesn't want money.  She tries to tell him he doesn't need a gun.  She says she'll do whatever he wants her to.  He tells her to lie down.  He gets on top of her.  She does not struggle.  The scene is painful to watch as you know what's going to happen.  But the blonde girl remains calm.  There are plenty of other SVU stories that start out similarly, but it is never this quiet.  The victim always screams and fights back.  You are left with the question, why is this girl so calm?  Is she mentally challenged?  Is she compensating for something in her past?  Something is not right.  This is not a summary of the episode, but a recap of the five best moments of the show.


Here's the countdown to the  Five Best Moments of the Show.
#5 Best Moment of the Show.  Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is questioning the girl, Sara Walsh (Sofia Vassilieva).  Benson wonders why Sara waited so long to report the rape.  Sara says she had to perform at a recital.  "I didn't yell.  I didn't fight back."  Benson tries to make her feel better, "You're alive.  You did what you had to do."  A patient advocate walks into the room, and she tells Sara, "As your advocate, I need to tell you, one of your options is not to file charges."  Cut to Benson's lok of disbelief on her face.  WHAT?!?  This girl just got raped and you're telling her not to tell the police?  What kind of advocate are you?


#4 Best Moment of the Show.  Two heavy hitters return in this episode.  Linus Roache returns as Bureau Chief Michael Cutter, and Andre Braugher returns as Bayard Ellis, defense attorney.  Both are formidable opponents.  But in the end, Andre wins the case when he tears into Detective Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) for finding the gun under the perp's couch, or should I say, planting the gun under the perp's couch.  Since his partner, Benson, never sees the actual gun leaving the defendant's hands, she can't swear to it.  Amaro thinks Benson betrayed the Blue Wall by not backing him up.  In the end, he gets some sage advice from Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer), "You should have cuffed him, sealed the room, and then search it for weapons."


#3 Best Moment of the Show.  Cutter gives his summation in court.  "This is not 1970.  This is 2011.  It's the defendant's action that is in question."  All throughout the trial, Ellis, the defense attorney keeps bringing up the victim's past to paint a picture of a girl with loose morals.  She picks up men at bars.  She sleeps with other balck men days before the rape.  Now, finally, the voice of reason is heard.  It shouldn't matter what kind of person the victim is.  She is the victim, that's all that matters.


#2 Best Moment of the Show.  When Sara's boyfriend shows up at her door with flowers, looking for some romance, Sara is in the middle of cleaning up her apartment after the cops trashed it looking for evidence.  She is not ready to tell him yet.  She doesn't let him in; instead she makes up a lie.  "It's bed bugs.  I'm in the middle of cleaning the whole place."  Up until then the boyfriend wants to come in; but as soon as she drops the bed bug bomb, he backs off.  He's happy to leave her right then and there.  I guess for him, the wedding vows should be, 'In sickness and health, 'til death or bed bugs do we part.'


Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show.  The jury finds the defendant not guilty.  Not guilty for the charge of criminal possession of a weapon.  Not guilty for the charge of rape.  Sara is crushed.  She can't believe she was put through hell for no reason.  She regrets ever filing charges.  But Benson tries to console her.  She tells Sara, "Sending him to prison doesn't begin to heal you.  Healing begins when someone bears witness.  I saw you.  I believe you."  Those who know Benson's background will know this advice as, "Do as I say, not as I do."  As Benson has yet to tell her own story, of how her own mother was raped, and how she is the product of that rape.


Next week on Law & Order SVU, a mail order bride scam goes horribly wrong.  Why is there no end of lonely men falling for these scams?

"Missing Pieces"

Guest Star Lisa Joyce

This week on Law & Order SVU , the show opens up on Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) accompanying her ward from last season, Calvin, and his grandparents to what looks like a street fair. Detective Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) is also spending time with his kid. He tells his daughter she’s too young for a bare midrift 'Princess Jasmin' Halloween costume. His mother tells him he’s too protective. So far, this week’s episode is turning out to be a family show. Cut to a blonde woman walking into a bodega, asking for diapers; but not just any diapers, they have to be ‘organic’ diapers. I guess the writers are trying to imply she’s a good mother by having her ask for organic diapers. She runs out of the bodega. A minute later, we hear her scream. The next scene, Benson is questioning her on the street, “They stole my car. My baby was inside.” The cops debrief each other, “Mom says her 3 month old was in the back seat. They’re tourists from Buffalo. A baby taken on Halloween. Just what we need, another tourist horror story.” Cue the theme music.

The bodega owner didn’t see a thing, but the mother, Ali Martel (Lisa Joyce), insists her car was taken with her baby inside. “We need to find Nate. He’s lactose intolerant. He needs soy milk.” Do we believe her? Meanwhile the baby’s dad, shows up on the scene, reeking of alcohol. This is not a summary of the episode, but a recap of the five best moments of the show.


Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.
#5 Best Moment of the Show. The clock keeps ticking on how long the baby has been missing. The squad room is a flurry of activity. Someone gets a call, “We might have a lead on the car. It’s abandoned on the Willis Avenue Bridge.” Benson and Amaro is first on the scene. The driver side window in smashed. There’s no sign of a baby. Benson screams to check the trunk. Amaro is frustrated at how slow it takes to get the tools. He rips open the trunk. Still no sign of the baby. Benson yells out, “We need a Level One Mobilization”. She means business. They’re going to search the river, ground level, and utilize air support. The baby could be anywhere. Will we find him in time? Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking, “3 hours missing”.

#4 Best Moment of the Show. The whole squad room is busy taking tips from good Samaritans on the whereabouts of the baby. A Hispanic male walks into the precinct with a empty car seat. “I need to talk to somebody. I didn’t do anything”. Turns out he bought a car seat from a peddler in a park. The man sits in the squad car and IDs the peddler. The peddler has an entire baby paraphernalia spread out for sale, including a cooler. He’s looking good for the crime. Amaro and Benson bring him back to the interrogation room. The peddler denies everything. Lab results come back with soy formula in the cooler. Amaro, “They put their baby in the cooler?” Benson, “The baby’s body.” Now, the parents are looking good for the crime. Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking, “17 hours missing.”

#3 Best Moment of the Show. Benson is questioning the father. Amaro is questioning the mother. The scene switches back and forth. Benson to the father, “Do you recognize this cooler?” “All those coolers look alike. How do you know this is mine?” “Because it has your finger prints on it.” “The M.E. found fecal matter in it.” “Maybe Ali was busy and she put a diaper in there just for a minute.” “No mother puts a dirty diaper in a cooler. Tell me what did happen. Because we know that baby was not taken. How did the baby end up in the cooler?” The father is overloaded. He shuts down. Amaro is working the mother. “Stop, so far you’ve been telling the truth, but this thing with Nate in the car. That’s a lie, Ali.” Ali breaks, “We had to sleep in a motel, the Binghamton Motor Lodge. We didn’t want my sister to know.” The cops dispatch detectives to the motel. Meanwhile, the clock is still ticking, “33 hours missing.” We all know it, but no one wants to say it. This does not end well.

#2 Best Moment of the Show. Finally, Amaro breaks through to the mom, “She’s going to draw a map where they buried the baby”. The clock reads, “39 hours missing.” The cops are combing the beach, literally; since a cop is using a brush to brush away the sand on the dead infant buried underneath. Benson says, “She buried him with his blanket and his toy.” Amaro answers, “She didn’t want him to be alone.” The sky is raining. The drops fall in the detectives faces, rolling down their cheeks, mimicking tears. They are all in mourning.

Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show. All that is left is to determine who did the crime; the mother or the father. The Medical Examiner gives her verbal report.

This baby was cared for. There were no visible signs of trauma. Back to working the father and mother separately. Benson and Tutuola on the dad. Amaro and Rollins on the mom. The dad claims, “I didn’t kill my son.” “Your son is on the autopsy table right now. If you plead guilty and say Ali has nothing to do with it, then Ali goes free. I know you want to protect her.” Amaro on the mom. “Ali, you drew me that map, you wanted us to find Nate. You wanted us to know.” Benson on the dad again. “You love her, that’s why you need to do the right thing.” Finally the dad cracks, “He wouldn’t stop crying. I just wanted him to stop crying so I can close my eyes. So I picked him up and I shook him until he stopped crying.” But wait, back to Amaro on the mom, “I did it. It was me. Nate was crying. And then he quieted down. I put him in the tub. I dosed off. I woke up. Nate was under water.” Wait a minute. Who did it? The ME breaks the tie. “This baby wasn’t dropped, shaken, or hurt. It was SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). It will take a while to confirm, but right now it’s my instinct. So it turns out they were both protecting each other. Amaro tells the mom it was nobody’s fault. Ali, “You mean he just died?” Amaro, “Yes, why didn’t you call for help?” Ali, “Would you believe us?” Oh, snap! She’s right. Who would believe an alcoholic father and an abused mother didn’t kill their baby?

This is not your mother’s Law & Order SVU. The crime was there was no crime. The perps never made it to court. They were let go and sent on their merry way, to pay for this cover-up the rest of their lives. Fade out on the couple consoling each other with Benson and Amaro looking on.


Next week on Law & Order SVU, a music academy student cries rape.  The prosecution says she was promiscuous.  Who do we believe?

"Double Strands"

Guest Star T. R. Knight

This week on Law & Order SVU , the show opens on a pretty blonde ballerina being followed by a baseball capped army surplus jacketed stalker into…what else? A lonely park at night. The next scene is the inevitable victim being interview by Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Within earshot is rookie Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish). As soon as she hears the victim say, “He had a tai chi tattoo on his neck,” she stops dead in her tracks. “Did he say anything to you?” “Yeah, he said, ‘Tell me you love me, mommy’.” “Do you remember how he got away?” “Yeah, on a bicycle.” Benson is visibly annoyed. She pulls Rollins aside, “I don’t know how you do it down south, but here in New York we prefer to have one detective do the intake, so as not to overwhelm the victim.” That’s when Rollins spills it, “I know this guy. I’ve been chasing him since Georgia. It’s the same M.O. He’s a serial rapist.” Cue the show’s opening theme music.

This week’s show title is another give away. You just know there is a twin somewhere. The cops immediately have a suspect in custody. The victim picks him out of the line-up. But he’s a straight arrow. He’s got a family, a job. How could he possible be the perp? This is not a summary of the episode, but a recap of the five best moments of the show.

Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.

#5 Best Moment of the Show. Benson and Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) are in the squad room. The dispute continues on whether or not this is the serial rapist Rollins was chasing down south. All of a sudden, in walks another pretty blonde victim. She could be a twin of the first victim. She never reported her rape before, until she saw his picture on the news. The camera pauses on her face. Its obvious Rollins was right. Their perp is the serial rapist, aka the Atlantic Coast Rapist.

#4 Best Moment of the Show. Everyone in the squad room thinks they have the perp, Gabriel Thomas (T. R. Knight). After all, he was picked out of the lineup. But he’s playing it pretty cool. He’s doesn’t even want a lawyer. “He’s got one already. It’s Sherri West (Francie Swift).” Wait a minute. Don’t we know her?

#3 Best Moment of the Show. Gabriel denies all charges, but the DNA doesn’t lie. Gabriel’s DNA is a match to four victims. The next time we see Gabriel, he’s lying in a pool of his own blood. He is so ashamed he can’t live with himself.  Amaro reaches him first. Gabriel says to Amaro, “You tell my boy, I never raped anybody.” before he loses consciousness.

#2 Best Moment of the Show. Benson and Amaro find out Gabriel is adopted and tracks his biological mother down to a Halfway House. The woman is obviously a drug addict. She says Gabriel was a twin. His twin brother, Brian, has been visiting her. She doesn’t like it. She says, “I already gave him up once. You’d think he’d take the hint.” She won’t win any 'Mother of the Year' awards.

Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show. The detectives set a trap for the serial killer/evil twin who’s been following his good twin from city to city, committing rapes in the same city so he can pin it on the good twin. All this is unbeknownst to Gabriel, the good twin. Until Rollins let herself be bait, and Brian (T. R. Knight) bites. He is caught in the act of the crime. The case is over. Lock him up and throw away the keys. But wait, Gabriel still has no clue what is going on. That is, until Amaro opens up his cell and walks him over to the one way glass. “You’re free to go. We caught the guy. That’s your twin.” “I didn’t know…” “He did.” Camera pauses on the one way glass on the evil twin in the interrogation room and the good twin outside. Amaro just blew Gabriel’s mind.

The show ended on this big reveal to Gabriel that he has a twin. But unfortunately, his twin has been trying to frame him for his serial rapes all these years. You’re free to go, and by the way, you have a twin brother. But, he’s a serial rapist. Sort of a good news, bad news kind of ending.

Next week on Law & Order SVU , a baby goes missing on Halloween. Do we trust the parent’s story, or don’t we? Tune in to find out.

"Blood Brothers"

Guest Star Kyle MacLachlan

This week on Law & Order SVU , the show opens on a packed church with Catholic school uniformed Hispanic kids in the pew watching a morality play. Suddenly, one of the angelic school girls grimaces in pain, tries to stand, but falls down unconscious. Her friend, a fellow uniformed school boy, Arturo (Anthony Keyvan) runs to her aid, screaming “Ella!”  What’s wrong with the girl?  Cue the ER doctor. This week’s show mimics the headline-grabbing scandal of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The show’s title is an obvious give away. This is not a summary of the episode, but a recap of the five best moments of the show.

Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.

#5 Best Moment of the Show. Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) walks up to the ER doctor, “She’s 13 years old. What’s wrong with her, doc?” “There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s pregnant.” Stunned silence.

#4 Best Moment of the Show. Captain Craigen (Dann Florek) tells Benson to interview the girl and her grandmother, and to “Take Amaro with you. His Spanish is slightly better than yours.” Benson’s hair bristles and gives him push back. Amaro tries to make nice, “Besides the Spanish, abuelitas love me.” The scene ends with Benson giving him the glare. Yes, Benson, we all know he’s no Stabler, but give the new guy a chance, huh?

#3 Best Moment of the Show.  Benson is questioning the girl on her own. Ella hesitates to answer. “Who hurt you, Ella?” “You won’t believe me” “…just tell me who it was.” “It was God. I didn’t have sex. This baby is a miracle.” Cut to Benson’s face. She is obviously in shock.

#2 Best Moment of the Show.  Benson and Amaro trace the flowers delivered by the florist to Ambassador Raines (Kyle MacLachlan). He is a politician with a sophisticated family and unlimited resources. “Do you know this girl?” “Did she say she knows me?” Defensive, much?

Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show. The detectives find the dead body of Ambassador Raines’ 13 year old son, Tripp. There is no doubt the boy was the victim of a ‘love triangle’ crime, perpetrated by the boy who truly loves Ella, the son of Ambassador Raines’ housekeeper. The 13 year old boy, Arturo Rivera, is seated in the police interrogation room. Tears stream down his face, as he reveals his anguish at a biological father who refuses to recognize him. “I could have made Ella a princess. I’m a Raines, just like Tripp.” A warning to viewers, this is a five hanky scene. The boy is a good actor. You feel the depth of his unrequited search for his father’s love. His mother, seated next to him, is unable to speak, finally realizing the full ramifications of her extra-marital affair with her employer; her bastard son has killed his half-brother. The boy reaches out pass the symbolic one way mirror that separates him from his biological father, “I just wanted you to call me your son.”

The show hung on the acting chops of a 13 year old boy, actor Anthony Keyvan. Nicely done, Tony. Bets are there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The boy just wanted his father to love him.

Next week on Law & Order SVU , a serial rapist strikes again. Detective Rollins recognizes his m.o. on his latest victim in Central Park. Detective Benson thinks it’s just another NYC rapist. The guy in custody is a straight arrow. He’s got a family, a job. Who’s right?

"Personal Fouls"

Guest Star Dan Lauria

This week on Law & Order SVU , the newest inductee to the Metro Ball Hall of Fame, Coach Ray Masters (Dan Lauria), a basketball coach, is accused of sexually abusing his players.  Remind you of anyone, Penn State?  Another show ripped from the headlines.  You just know he’s guilty as charged.  Let’s stay tune and see if he gets his day in court.  Although not as sensational as the season premiere, this week’s show does not disappoint.  This is not a summary of the episode, but a recap of the five best moments of the show.

Here’s the countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.

#5 Best Moment of the Show.  Detective OdafinTutuola (Ice-T) and Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) approaches the accuser, Stevie Harris (Aaron Tveit), who just fled, by pretending to be basketball fans.  He buys the act, and lets them get close to him on a public court, until Amaro flashes his badge.  Gotcha!

#4 Best Moment of the Show.  Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) visit the home of Domenica Ramos, whose son, Ritchie, was abused by the same coach years ago, when he was only 12 years old. When the mom reported the coach to…“ the church, the church said they would handle it. Instead, they did nothing.  They protected the coach.  Two days before the Grand Jury, my son hung himself here, in this room.”  Stunned silence.

#3 Best Moment of the Show.  When Benson and Tutuola questions Coach Ray’s current players, all of them say he’s a good guy, “He gives me money when I’m broke.  He even had me over to his house for Christmas.”  The detectives cannot catch a break.

#2 Best Moment of the Show.  Left with no where else to go, Benson and Tutuola returns to the accuser, hoping to find a lead to someone who will speak out against the coach.  Finally, Stevie digs deep and says there is someone else, “My roommate when I was growing up.  I think he got it worse than me.  But he’ll never talk to you”.  “Who is it?”  Benson and Tutuola follows Stevie’s gaze up the side of the building to a 30 ft. mural of pro-star basketball player, Prince Miller (Mehcad Brooks).  Jaws drop.

Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show. Amaro’s cell phone rings.  He looks at it and says, “It’s my wife. I’ve got to take this”.  “Gotcha on a short leash”? asks Tutuola.  “No, she’s in Iraq.” What?!?  Nice writing.  I didn’t see that coming.  The wife is the soldier off to war.  The husband stays behind and keeps the home fires burning.   Role reversal and sexual equality at last.

Next week on Law & Order SVU , a member of a NYC upper crust family, played by Kyle MacLachlan, is the subject of a headline-grabbing scandal ala Schwarzenegger.

"Scorched Earth"

Guest Star Franco Nero

My favorite primetime crime drama, Law & Order SVU, is back for its 13th season.  I was inspired by the show to start this blog.  This is not a summary of the episode, but a recap of the five best moments of the show.


This week on Law & Order SVU , an Italian diplomat and head of the Global Economic Club is seen leaving his posh hotel room; while moments later, a disheveled immigrant hotel maid stumbles out of the same room, obviously disoriented, and a victim of a sex crime.  Remind you of anyone, DSK?  That’s right. This week’s episode is ripped straight from the headlines of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal earlier this year when the head of the International Monetary Fund and shoe in for the next President of France was accused of raping a Guinea immigrant hotel maid.  DSK gets off, pun intended. Does his fictional counterpart? Stay tune and see.


Here’s the Countdown to the Five Best Moments of the Show.
#5 Best Moment of the Show. The Italian diplomat is seated on the airplane on the tarmac, waiting to take off, but he’s still waiting for the laptop he carelessly left behind in the hotel room. Onto the plane walks Detectives John Munch (Richard Belzer) and Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T), “Ah, finally! You got my laptop?” the diplomat demands in an upper crust Italian accent.  Tutuola comes back with, “No, you’re under arrest. Capisci?” 


#4 Best Moment of the Show. Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is escorting the victim, Miriam Deng (Anika Noni Rose), a Sudanese immigrant hotel maid, into the squad room when all the chatter dies down.  Everyone stops to stare at the woman who dares to bring down the rich powerful Italian diplomat.  It is so quiet you can hear a pin drop.  Way to be subtle, people.


#3 Best Moment of the Show. The Italian diplomat makes bail.  No surprise there.  Paparazzi, legitimate press, and protestors are camped outside their New York City Sutton Place townhouse, overlooking the East River.  The camera pans to a line of Black and Hispanic immigrant hotel maids in their uniforms demanding justice.  Power to the people!


#2 Best Moment of the Show. District Attorney Mike Cutter (Linus Roache) walks into the bar where all four SVU detectives are relaxing over a beer when he brandishes the headline of the local rag, The Ledger, “A Maid’s Tale”, and announces, “Another maid at the hotel just sold Miriam out”.  Cut to Benson’s look of disbelief.


Finally, the #1 Best Moment of the Show. Are you ready for this?  Olivia Benson speaks perfect Italian!  That’s right!  The camera stays on her as she speaks Italian to someone on the phone.  Just when does she find time to learn Italian in between chasing down perps and consoling victims?
Not bad for a season premiere. We get a glimpse at a new blonde detective transferred from Atlanta, GA.  She’s a little unorthodox, but then, who isn’t on SVU?  By the way, the diplomat gets off at the end on two out of the three charges.


Next week on Law & Order SVU , we are finally introduced to Detective Stabler’s replacement and new leading man, Danny Pino.  He’s tall, dark, and handsome; sure to be a hit with the ladies. The episode centers on a basketball coach who’s abusing his power with his players. Did I mention he’s also on the take?