"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.