Linus Roache and Alana De La Garza On Location for Law & Order

The new hot couple of the Law & Order franchise, the dashing Linus Roache and the beautiful Alana De La Garza, were photographed on location in the streets on Manhattan, New York City, on December 9th. Here are some photos!













Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Anchor” Recap & Review

All photos from NBC

This episode of Law & Order SVU “Anchor” was a great feature story for Ice –T, allowing the rest of the melodrama usually surrounding Benson and Stabler to take a back seat. It was refreshing to see Fin in action with the job – and also with the hopes that he will get some “action” with his new friend at the Ledger. I was somewhat perplexed as to why the murder of a child would not be considered a “special victims” case, especially when ME Warner indicated that SVU only works on sex crimes or cases of abuse. I felt vindicated when Fin challenged Cragen on that same issue, basically saying that if it were Benson or Stabler than Cragen would bend over backwards for them to have the case. And how does one know that it isn’t a case of a child being abused, for example, until they investigate it? It just seemed odd that for how many cases SVU has become involved in the last few seasons that weren’t strictly sex or abuse crimes that for this case for Fin it suddenly became an issue.

I don’t think this is the first time that a television show has become the defense for murder with the franchise. I recall an old episode of Law & Order – the name escapes me – where a person used violent cartoons as his excuse for murder. This case, whoever, seemed to provide a soapbox to get on the cases of the right wing media personalities Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O’Reilly to name a few. Mind you, I can’t stand to listen to any of those people because their commentary is usually so one sided and sometimes irrational, so I didn’t mind the shots at these types of shows. But, along that same line, this episode does the same thing but it leans the other way, promoting what some may perceive as a one-sided, overly liberal view. Pot, meet kettle, I say. The Law & Order franchise is frequently accused of being far too liberal, and just because it is a TV drama and not a political commentary show doesn’t make their extremism any more excusable. This episode may have spent too much time on what some may see as far left viewpoints. The scene where Cabot and the detectives dissected Patty Hearst and related issues made me imagine the words, “Warning: Political Commentary” flashing on the screen; likewise with the scene with Keiko at the immigration center.

John Larroquette was passable in his role of Randall Carver. I swear he kept slipping in and out of that phony accent. I think it would have been much better had he just spoken normally. And the scenery chewing was in high gear at times; something about that courtroom scene with Garrison seemed a little to forced and cheesy. There were too many times that the dialog was too canned and predictable.

But don’t get me wrong, I liked this episode and felt it told a good story. Ice-T did a fine job in his role and was very believable in his frustration with not only with just getting the case assigned to him, but all the other roadblocks he faced, only to find the murderer acquitted. My mantra has always been "more Munch and Fin" so for now, I'm happy to see Ice-T get his day.

Here is the recap:
A man driving a car drops off a woman and she thanks a man for a great night. As she walks away, another man punches her for holding out. She says she didn’t, and he takes $70 from her and complains he was worth more, but she said he was a cheap bastard. He calls her a liar and grabs her hair, asking where is the rest of the money. He pulls off her wig and is stunned, and she runs away. He chases after her as she is yelling she is sorry, and when she runs into a pile of trash, he follows her. As he pulls trash away, they are both shocked to see he has uncovered a body of a little girl. He pulls the woman away.

Detective Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) drives up in his car and calls for Audrina. She comes out of her apartment and thanks him for coming. He comments he thought she got out of the game. She says she tried but the shelter was beat, her daddy promised he’d be nice to her, but Fin sees she was beaten. She says this is not why she called him, and shows her the body. She called him because the cops don’t give a damn about another dead ho, and she knew he would care. Fin says the girl is too young to be in the life. Audrina says he is probably right, the girl wouldn’t get a John wearing that t-shirt, which says “Jesus loves me.” Fin says somebody else sure didn’t.

At the morgue, ME Warner (Tamara Tunie) says the girl has been dead 12 hours, she was strangled by an open link chain. Fin comments she looks much younger all cleaned up. Warner says she is 12, she got that information from her mom who filed a missing person’s report last night. Her name is Ruby Brown, a 7th grader in Catholic school. Fin wonders if Ruby had a secret life her mother did not know about, but Warner comments it wasn’t turning tricks as her hymen was intact. Fin wonders how a Catholic school kid end up dead in a hooker area, and Warner asks if that is a question for homicide. Warner says it is not a sex crime, but Fin says she looks like a special victim to him. He asks for the mother’s address so he can tell her himself.

At Ruby’s mother’s home, they watch a video of Ruby that she made for her father who is stationed in Kabul. She blames herself, as she sent Ruby to the store to get milk. Fin tells her she was not “touched.” She wonders who would do this to her baby, and Fin promises to find out.

At the SVU squad, Captain Don Cragen (Dann Florek) tells Fin her death was not sexually motivated and there was no child abuse. He tells Fin to type up what he has done and get the file to homicide. Fin says it will just sit there, and Cragen says that is the reason to “turf” it, he’s getting killed on their closure rate. Fin cannot believe that Cragen’s stats are more important than the murder of a little girl, and Warner enters and tells them that it’s now two. There was another similar homicide in the Bronx – Magda Ibanez - last month with the same type chain, and also dumped in the same manner. Fin says it is a serial murder of little girls and Cragen has to let him work it. Cragen says he will call One PP and ask them to declare the pattern.


Outside Cragen’s office, Warner tells Fin that Bronx worked the case with no leads. When Fin says he will start again, Warner tells him the parents took the first victim back to Honduras with no plans to come back. Detective Elliott Stabler (Chris Meloni) says brass won’t issue a travel voucher for Central America. Warner tells them the perp leaves no blood or DNA, the only print is the chain pattern in the victim. Cragen enters and informs Fin it is now an official pattern and Fin is the assigned detective. Fin says they need to draft a press release but Cragen says no press as it will cause panic and when Stabler objects, Cragen says that is the way One PP wants it. He tells them to hit the streets and find himself a witness.

At Chusock Deli, a worker tells Fin that Ruby came in to buy some milk, and Fin asks him to put up a flier. Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) is also out canvassing, with fliers on nearby cars with no luck. Fin walks up and is frustrated that no one says they have seen anything. When Munch comments it is getting to the end of the shift, Fin says they stay until they find a witness.

Later, back at the squad, Fin tells Stabler they got less than nothing. All they heard was “sorry.” Fin thinks TV news could reach thousands. Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) pipes up and says when she was dating that guy from the Ledger she got to know a woman on the crime desk, Nicole Gleason, and when Fin says One PP says no press, Benson says Gleason is cute and she can introduce him. He says he does not need help hooking up, but Benson says he will need an alibi if someone sees him having a drink with a journalist. He tells Benson to have her meet him at the Lenox Lounge at 10.

At the Lenox Lounge, Nicole Gleason (Megalyn Echikunwoke) is glad Fin brought her the information. She says she will start on it tomorrow, but Fin says if she starts it tonight she can still make the morning edition. She says he will owe her, and he says it is a debt he is happy to pay. She asks if he has camera ready art, and he says he is way ahead of her, handing her the photos of the two victims. She says school photos play great on the front page.

The next day, Fin picks up a Ledger with a huge cover story on a Panda, with the headline “Crazy for Koko.” As he walks to the SVU building looking in the newspaper, Cragen catches up with him and tells him it’s page 17. Fin says it had to be done. Cragen tells him when the Chief of D’s gives and order, they follow up. Fin says unless Liv and Elliot bend the rules, then Cragen is out on a limb with them. Cragen tells Fin he disobeyed a direct order from his commanding officer, and Fin says he is only sorry he did not get the front page, he just got three inches and no photos. He adds if the victims looked like Elisabeth Smart they would have a task force and a million dollar reward. Cragen says this is not about race, and Fin says, “Sure. You keep telling yourself that.” When Fin walks way, Cragen asks where the hell does he think he is going? Fin says if he wants to five him a five day rip, fine, it’s more time to work his case. Cragen says Fin is not suspended –yet. He adds Fin’s little stunt gave them their best lead; two callers from Ruby’s neighborhood gave up a supermarket delivery boy who likes little girls and he had a drop off two blocks from her apartment the night she was killed.

At Columbia Market, Fin pulls a guy away from giving a lollipop to a little girl. Fin tells him he is going downtown, and when the guy says he has to lock up his bike, Fin, noticing a chain hanging tom the bike, says that is coming with them.

Fin takes the guy into interrogation, and the guy whines he does not want to be there. He guy sounds like a child. He says he never hurt anyone and doesn’t understand. Fin continues to interrogate but the man sounds even more childlike. Cragen enters and tells them they found another body.

At the scene, Warner is working on another body, Scotty Wu, dead 3 hours, and Fin has his suspect in the squad for 6 hours, so he is likely not the killer. A neighbor ID’d the boy, saying his parents work at a food joint downtown. Fin had to do the notification.

At the Chen Wu Café, the parents cannot believe it. When Mrs. Wu says Scotty was their anchor, Fin asks what that means, Mr. Wu quickly says she means in her heart. But Scotty’s mother says Snakehead did this, and her husband tries to quiet her, saying she does not know what she is saying. Fin says he is not worried about their immigration status, he is just trying to find out who killed their kid. Mr. Wu says they should not be talking to Fin, they tell them not to. Mr. Wu shows Fin a business card from Keiko Nishimura from the Center for Immigration Services. They tell him to call Keiko, she is their friend.

Keiko tells Fin and Munch that the Wu’s Snakehead was paid every dime, she delivered it herself. She makes sure they are safe. Munch says Scotty was not safe for long, and she adds is it terrible, especially after Ruby and Magda, the other two victims. She said all three families are CIS clients, they were helping all three families with naturalization. Fin comments that all three victims are anchor babies, but Keiko calls them American citizens. Munch comments that either way they are connected to the center, and that is no coincidence, and Fin comments someone may not be happy with what they are doing and that makes them easy targets. Keiko admits they have had troubles, including hate mail. She shows them some of the mail, and says many people don’t realize that these immigrants are just like them, living, breathing human beings. Munch says they will take all the letters, and she points to the television, saying that the people who write most of the letters are fans of Gordon Garrison (Bruce McGill), who Fin refers to as a racist freak. While Garrison rants on TV, Munch asks “Do we have to watch the collapse of western civilization?” Keiko says it is about to get better, Randall Carver is his guest. Garrison introduces Randall Carver (John Larroquette) who goes on his own rant, saying the only criminals are the police, who look the other way, and asks how many more children have to die before the “special victims unit” takes it seriously. Fin is incredulous, saying he just took on the case, calling Carver an idiot. Carver asks viewers to meet him outside the headquarters of SVU and demand that the police make the protection of their children their first priority.

Later, outside SVU, there is a crowd of protesters yelling about immigrants, and Carver is there with a bullhorn yelling about the children. Fin asks Munch to take his stuff so he can see how far he can kick that bullhorn up his ass. Fin approaches Carver and they begin to argue. A man steps in and gets in Fin’s face and Fin pushes him off. Things escalate with Carver, and Fin pushes Carver away, right in front of the view of the TV camera.

Of course, later on the news, we see this unfold, under the headline “Special Violence Unit?” The Chief of D’s (John Schuck) is in Cragen's office giving Cragen and Fin heat over it. Fin says to give him the rip, he doesn’t care, he wants to find the killer. As Fin walks out, Cragen calls out to him but the Chief tells him to keep on going out the door on to his next career, as a mall cop. Fin stops, and apologizes for losing his cool with Carver. The Chief tells him to go say it again to that asswad who is making their lives hell.

At the Carver Justice Center, Fin enters and some raised voices can be heard in the background. As Fin asks to see Randall Carver, he suddenly hears a noise, and then an interior glass window is shattered. The man who was yelling at Carver that Fin pushed away at the protest is yelling at Carver, and Fin tackles him. The man continues to shout that Gordon Garrison is a great American who is brave enough to speak the truth while liberal elites like Carver try to shut him up. Fin tells him to shut up, and asks Carver and another woman there if they are all right. She says they are fine. Fin tells Carver if he doesn’t know it, this is when Carver tells Fin thank you. He reads the guy his rights as he takes him away.

As Fin is taking him out, with Carver following, a mobile news van pulls up and Fin asks if he has them on speed dial. Carver says he did not call them, and adds he does not have to arrest Mr. Thagard (Thomas Sadoski) he is just a misguided Garrison fan. Fin says he gets his game, a thug attacks, the cops get heavy handed and Carver is Mr. Nice Guy. Carver says Fin’s captain said he came there to apologize, if he wants to make it straight he should let the guy go. The reporter comes up and questions Carver but he says for once the NYPD is doing the right thing, and Fin lets him go.

Back in the SVU squad room, Nicole Gleason is waiting for Fin. She says she wants to help, but Fin is skeptical. She says she wanted that story on the front page and blames her boss. Fin says his own boss is not happy with him right now because of her. She reminds him that he came to her and he got a lead out of it. He says the lead was a waste of time as the real killer got Scotty Wu. She says so that means the killing is on her, but Fin says it is his fault. He is going nowhere on the case and innocent kids are being killed. She says he does not have to carry it alone, and tells him to enjoy his pity party and she walks off.

Later, Fin is looking at the pictures of the three victims, and Benson walks up. He tells her if she came to give him a pep talk, to save it. She came to give him a pile of papers, and angry, he shoves them on to the floor, thinking it is paperwork. She tells him they are employee files of every vendor who does business with the Center for Immigrant Services, from t he company that does their payroll to the ones that clean their toilets. She figured one of the people that goes in and out of there on a daily basis may be their bad guy. Fin says she stuck her neck out running down leads for him, and she says this is the thanks she gets? Fin says he has been putting his foot in it with every woman that crossed his path today. As they move to pick up the files, Benson asks about Nicole Gleason, and Fin says he bit her head off and she was just trying to help him. Benson asks what it is about this case, and he says everything, their skin color, people just don’t seem to care. He thanks her for the files and she says the best way to thank her is to nail the bastard. Fin yells over to what looks like a snoozing Munch to get back on the hate mail.

Later, Fin complains that are not finding dick. Munch says he’s seen enough bad grammar that he thinks the problem is education, not immigration. Munch finds several letters from a man complaining about “anchor babies.” The letters are from Fallsburg NY, marked as inmate 13602, he’s in prison. When Munch says it is tine to get bored by the security tapes, Fin says, “You son of a bitch” and Munch responds, “Well screw you too.” Fin comments he wasn’t talking to him, and Munch asks if he has an imaginary friend now. Fin says “Joe Thagard. He works for the company that shreds the center’s paperwork. “ Munch says this would give access to the victim’s home addresses. Fin tells Munch he was the guy who busted up Carver’s office spouting anti-immigrant crap, and Fin cut him loose three hours ago.

The police break down the door to Thagard’s place, and they enter en masse, but there is no sign of Thagard. Munch finds a bulletin board filled with photos of the victims and other kids from the center. Thagard appears to have been taping some of the shredded paper files together to get information. Magda, Ruby and Scotty’s faces in the photos are crossed out, and it looks like he has four more kids to go.

Back to the SVU squad, they are taking some of the kids and parents in to make sure they are safe. Fin, meanwhile is in Bayridge, getting the Al-Haziz family. When Fin walks in the open door, he calls out but no one answers, He sees a man on the floor and a woman on the couch with her mouth taped shut. She motions to the hallway. Thagard steps out with the boy, and Fin, gun drawn, tells Thagard to step away from him. Thagard runs and fun tells the boy to stay in another room. Fin follows Thagard and stops him as Thagard tries to climb out the window.

Later, in the SVU interrogation room, Thagard swears he did nothing and drank a few beers and got into the wrong apartment. He denies doing anything, saying it was the family’s terrorist pals who did it. Fin continues to question him, and Thagard says they will never be “rid” of them, someone has to. Fin calls him a baby killer, and Thagard says he only has one word for Fin, “coon.” Fin gets close to Thagard’s face. Cragen and ADA Alex Cabot (Stephanie March) watch from the observation area, Cabot commenting that Thagard just signed his death warrant. But Cragen says Fin won’t take the bait. Fin says, ”That’s the best you got?” Thagard says Fin has nothing. Fin’s phone rings, and Fin tells Munch to tell him something good. Munch says it is all good here in "xenophobe manor." He tells him they found 50 gallon drums in Thagard’s garage and open link chains that CSU found blood and tissue on. Fin goes back and tells Thagard about the evidence. Thagard says what he did was right, saying those people wrecked his life and are destroying the country. Fin tells him Thagard will now be part of the rainbow coalition they call prison, which means he gets plenty of “them” to be his new pals. A knock on the door is heard, and Cabot enters with Randall Carver. Carver says he will be representing Thagard, pro bono. Fin can’t believe it. Carver says Thagard’s mind has been filled with hate by people like Gordon Garrison. Carver says Thagard is as much a victim as the three children.

In court, Thagard is being arraigned for three counts of murder in the second degree, and he pleads not guilty. Cabot asks for remand, and the judge agrees. Cabot says the parent in the city will sleep better at night, but Carver says they shouldn’t be, as the real criminal is still at large. Cabot asks if he is claiming Thagard didn’t do it, but he say no, he is saying that wasn’t responsible, handing Cabot a motion which indicated Gordon Garrison brainwashed Thagard. Carver says persistent viewing of the program “Flashpoint” convinced Thagard that undocumented immigrants pose a threat to national security. Cabot says that they’d better watch out because listening to NPR will turn them into zombies. Caver says to mock him, but hate speech from authority figures is the greatest danger to the country since McCarthyism. The judge says there are legal precedents for a brainwashing defense, and the judge allows it.

Back at the SVU squad, Benson and Stabler comment on the case, and Cabot tells them the defense did not work for Patty Hearst. Munch says that “Princess Patty wouldn’t have picked up a machine gun if the SLA hadn’t screwed with her cerebellum.” Cabot said she would probably get off if she was tried today, but in 1976 no one heard of the Stockholm syndrome or the Rev. Jim Jones. Fin comments that Jim Jones brainwashed his followers to drink the Kool-Aid, and Thagard never met Garrison. Stabler adds there are people who watched Flashpoint that didn’t hurt a fly. Cabot says Garrison is not on trial, all the jury can consider was if Thagard was nuts. Stabler says Thagard knew what he was doing, and Fin adds so was Carver, he was on every new show last night. Munch adds that is the point, before the internet and the 24 hour news cycle, kooks could Xerox pamphlets, and now any crackpot can go on television and get millions of lemmings to jump off any cliff they tell them to. Stabler comments that while hate speech has a wider reach, it hasn’t caused the murder rate to spike. Munch asks did he know that the department of Homeland Security issued a report on the rise of right wing extremism after Obama’s election. Fin asks if they could just leave the brother out of it? Munch adds that all his is saying is that they have to take these radical fringe groups seriously. Cabot says she will start by showing the jury who Joe Thagard really is.

In Supreme Court, Thagard is on the stand testifying about watching Flashpoint and said some of the things he said made sense. He could not get a job and Garrison said it was because of the illegals and rants about anchor babies and they get to stay forever because of it. But Carver adds not if their children are dead. Thagard says he must have been crazy to hurt those kids, and he knows murder is a sin. But when he watched Flashpoint it made sense, that desperate times call for desperate measures. He wanted to be a patriot. He adds he is not smart or rich and powerful, but he loves his country and Gordon said love isn’t enough, he had to prove it so he did it. He says he is so sorry he killed the kids and would do anything to bring them back. Carver says it was not his fault, he had a tough life and that made him vulnerable to that sleazeball Garrison. He wishes he never listed to Garrison.

Cabot cross examines Thagard, asking him if he truly believed that a patriot would murder children. Thagard, crying, says soldiers have to kill in wartime, but Cabot says he is no soldier, in fact he was dishonorably discharged from the Coast Guard. Thagard says he was persecuted by his CO. Cabot mentions the CO’s name, Eddie Velasquez, naturalized as a US citizen, and says Thagard said he was not going to take orders from a dirty beaner. Thagard denies it, saying Velasquez wasn’t qualified. Cabot comments that Thagard hated immigrants before Flashpoint and he has always been a home grown racist. Carver objects, asking if there is a question in that pretty little speech. Cabot rephrases to ask if he was truly brainwashed, why didn’t he take credit for the crimes or call up Flashpoint and crow to Garrison? Why not proclaim his deeds to the world? He says that never occurred to him. She contends he wasn’t brainwashed, he was just a murderer who didn’t want to get caught.

Later, outside, Fin approaches Carver who is sitting on a bench. Fin asks if Carver is not used to getting his cage rattled. Carver says score one for Cabot but he hasn’t brought out his big guns yet. Fin doesn’t get why Carver is defending Thagard, and Carver says Thagard is a symptom not the disease. Carver says that Garrison, Limbaugh, Beck and O’Reilly are like a cancer spreading ignorance and hate and the have convinced folks that immigrants are the problem, not corporations that fail to pay a living wage or a broken health care system. Fin tells him to save the soapbox the cameras aren’t even running. Carver says his father was a clansman and told him stories about lynching, and when he asked his father why, he said some men just need killing. Fin comments, “Daddy issues, huh? If you get Thagard off, him and all those knuckleheads kluckers will be real proud of you, might even give you your own pointed hood.” Carver says he hates the klan and everything they stand for, but it taught him that a good man can be swept up by evil forces. The problem is bigger than Thagard, those kids would still be alive if Garrison had not driven them to kill.

Back in court, Garrison is on the stand and being questioned about his show and his immigration comments. One man stand up and yells that they love Garrison, and another yells that Garrison is a fascist pig. The judge calls for order. When Carver says Garrison can say whatever he wants on the air, Garrison says god bless the first amendment. Carver remind Garrison of the limits of free speech and says you can’t yell fire in a crowded theatre, but Garrison counters that you can if it is burning. He says this country is ablaze, and Carver says he is pouring gas on the flames. He says he never told anybody to kill, but Carver brings out a time where Garrison said they need to send the people back from where they came, on a boat, in the back of a truck, or even in a pine box. Garrison said he did not mean murder, and Carver said Thagard took Garrison at his word.

Cabot cross examines, and Garrison says he never met Thagard or had any contact. He says he did not brainwash, he is just a social thermometer, taking the temperature of the people. When Cabot asks if it is rectally, the judge chides her, but Garrison says it is OK. She doesn’t have to agree with him. He quotes what he says is a Voltaire saying about not agreeing but defending his right to say it, and Cabot corrects him that this was not Voltaire, saying as usual he is playing fast and loose with the truth. He asks whose side is she is on, and she says the truth, and what he is doing makes her want to reach for a barf bag. She adds that Carver thinks Garrison is a god to his followers, but all she sees in a impotent man spewing hate to line his pockets. He says to watch her tone, calling her sweetheart, and she asks, “Or what? You’ll do what to me, Mr. Garrison?” She calls him a powerless buffoon and an entertaining clown, half the people who watch the show do it to laugh at him and don’t take it seriously. Garrison stands up and yells, saying not to let her talk to him that way, and the gallery erupts, someone telling Cabot to go to hell bitch, while another defends her, and a fight begins. The judge tries to gain control, but the fight continues and the judge orders the jury out. Carver stands up and yells that she is trying to say these people aren’t brainwashed as one word from Garrison and they are throwing punches. Garrison is sitting on the stand smiling with glee over the mess. The judge says Carver is out of order, and Carver says Garrison is out of order, Garrison made this happen the same way he made his client kill.

Later back in Supreme Court, the jury returns with the verdict of not guilty on all counts, to the surprise of Cabot and Fin. Fin watches as Thagard seems happy and whispers something to Carver. Carver looks back at him with a shocked face. He turns back and looks worried.

Fin is in Cabot’s office, asking how this could happen. He wants to wipe the smile off Thagard’s face with a belt sander. Cabot says she underestimated Carver, he gave Thagard a makeover. Fin says Garrison looked like the real psycho, especially after his fans went nuts. Fin wonders why they even bother.

Later in a bar, Fin commiserates with a drink, and Nicole Gleason show him a Ledger which shows Thagard’s picture on the front with the headline ”Gordon Got Me Off.” She offers to buy the next round, but Fin says he is not sure he would be much fun tonight. She says she can’t be scared off that easy. Fin’s phone rings, and it is Randall Carver. He asks what the hell he wants, and then says he does not want to see him. But then he adds he is on his way. Gleason tells him to call tonight, she will wait up.

Fin arrives at Carver’s office and asks what is the big emergency. Carver tells him what Thagard whispered to him in court after the verdict: “Thanks, now I can go kill more of those kids.” Fin says they have to stop him, and Carver looks back. Fin walks up to see what Carver is looking at, and it is Thagard’s body, lying in a pool of blood. Fin looks back at Carver, and the camera pans down to Carver handing Fin the gun, zooming in as we fade to black.




All Text Content (Recaps, Review, Commentary) © allthingslawandorder.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Dick Wolf Talks The Law & Order Brand to TV Guide

TV Guide has permitted me to include their feature interview with Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order. It’s a very interesting read. The article on the TV Guide web site can be accessed directly by clicking the title of the article below. Dick Wolf's feature was part of a larger TV Guide feature on the people who helped make the best television for the decade.


The Brand Manager: Dick Wolf's Family of Crime Dramas Took Advance Planning

Dec 7, 2009 03:06 PM ET by Mickey O'Connor

Former advertising executive Dick Wolf got his start in television writing for shows like Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice. But his greatest accomplishment is Law & Order, which mastered the TV-show-as-brand concept by cornering the market on cops-and-courts procedurals. (This year it ties Gunsmoke's record for longest-running scripted television program.) L&O laid the groundwork for two successor series: Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Wolf, one of the influential television industry players interviewed for TVGuide.com's Best of the Decade section, talked with us about the germ of the idea that led to his gritty TV empire. He also told us what he watches.

TVGuide.com: Tell me about the conception of Law & Order as an idea. How did you pitch it?
Dick Wolf: In 1988, you could not give away hour-long shows in syndication; you could only sell half-hour shows. So the original thinking was to try to make an hour-long show that could be split in half and sold as two half-hour shows. We thought about a bunch of things, including night and day, life and death... law and order obviously moved to the front of the pack. There had never been a show about prosecutors and there had never been a split-format show. It seemed like an opportunity to capitalize on two openings in the marketplace. Luckily, we didn't have to split them because I really don't think it would have worked.

TVGuide.com: When it comes to spin-offs, people tend to be a little cynical. When it came time to spin-off Law & Order, what was your initial reaction?
Wolf: Well, first of all, it wasn't a spin-off. It came out of a two-hour movie called Exiled with Chris Noth after he had left the show. I didn't think that a movie called Exiled would get the type of promotion or notice that would inform the public of what it was so it was originally called Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, and it became the highest-rated movie of the week of the year on NBC. That sort of clicked on a light bulb that said we can probably do this again with a new series.

But it's not a spin-off. None of the characters were ever in Law & Order that did SVU. I came out of advertising and I did a lot of work with Procter & Gamble, where nothing is better than a brand extension and nothing is worse than a brand extension that doesn't work. So there was a lot of pressure to come up with an idea that was unique enough. The one thing I knew that people have an insatiable interest in is sex — the original title was Sex Crimes — but Barry Diller didn't want to have "sex" in the title so we went with the sex crimes unit's official name [Special Victims Unit].

Then the third one was sort of obvious. Gee, we have two that work; why don't we have a third? Vincent D'Onofrio was really the only person that we had to go to. He wouldn't do TV at that point. I told him the show was basically Sherlock Holmes, completely different from L&O or SVU.

I've said for years that this is not a franchise, it's a brand. CSI, and this is not a put-down, CSI is a franchise and a franchise to me is The Palm [restaurant]. If you want to get a steak, you know that whether you're in Chicago, New York, L.A., or San Francisco, you go to the Palm and you're going to get a great steak. A brand is Mercedes: It doesn't matter which one you buy, you're going to get a really good car. It's a subtle but very distinct and overwhelmingly important difference.

TVGuide.com: There are so many crime dramas on the schedule these days. How do you keep your shows from blending in? What makes them different?
Wolf: Well, the simplest answer is the writing. Once the writing on a show starts to suffer, the shows disappear. What's also so remarkable with L&O and certainly SVU, the show-runners are absolutely, to me, the most crucial elements of making the show work. Neal Baer has been [on SVU] for the last 10 years now; he came in the second season. Rene Balcer started on L&O in the first season as a staff writer, then developed CI with me, had that for five years, and is now back at L&O running that. CI is currently being run by Walon Green, who ran L&O in its early years. So you've got incredibly talented writers leading this show and that is really the secret of their continuing success.

TVGuide.com: Let's talk about the concept of "ripped from the headlines." How important is that to the DNA of your shows?
Wolf: Absolutely — but it's kind of a misnomer because we don't do the story. The secret of making it interesting is we take the headline but not the body copy. Like, we do a show that everybody said, it's Martha Stewart, and I said it may remind you of Martha Stewart, but Martha's never killed anybody that I know of.

I want to talk about casting. Some of your shows have had major casting changes without much fanfare. The foundation of the show stays intact.
Wolf: We've been incredibly lucky. L&O, for example. How do you complain about going from Michael Moriarty to Sam Waterston? And from Chris Noth to Paul Sorvino to Jerry Orbach to Dennis Farina and now to the two younger cops? It's been a continuing puzzle and a joy to me to be able to do this, but at the same time miscasting could really, really hurt any of the shows.

On Criminal Intent, Vincent had taken his character as far as he wanted to take it after eight seasons, so we're moving to literally an entirely new cast. But how can I say, gee, too bad we had to do that, when the new cast is Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows and [Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio].

TVGuide.com: Is it a conscious choice not to give us too much personal information about your characters?
Wolf: Yes. I don't know how many newsrooms you've been in, but if you look around in those newsrooms, in your mind how many of those people's apartments have you been in? People come, they go, you see them at work, you don't know whether they're married to a beauty pageant winner or somebody you go, wow, how did he end up with her or how did she end up with him? It frees up what we do in these shows, which are police procedurals.

TVGuide.com: Law & Order now ties Gunsmoke for the record for longest-running drama. Is capturing that record important to you?
Wolf: What do you think? It's fabulous, it's unheard of, obviously there's 60 years of commercial television and God knows how many hundreds if not thousands of series that have been on over the last 60 years, and we're tied to the longest run in history. If we come back next year, we'll have the record. It's one of the few things that I can honestly say I'd be incredibly disappointed not to achieve.

TVGuide.com: Who or what TV shows inspired you?
Wolf: There have been great shows from the time I was growing up, starting with Dragnet, The Defenders, NYPD, Naked City, now we're going back to shows nobody under 55 has even heard of. Steve Cannell is an old friend of mine, and my absolute favorite hour-long show of all time is The Rockford Files. If you look at it today, it's still contemporary because the writing is fabulous. It's always the writing that distinguishes the good from the average.

TVGuide.com: What are you watching these days?
Wolf: I loved The Sopranos. The CSIs are not my cup of tea, but I know they're good shows. The first season of True Blood blew me away. I'm also still really proud of the shows that I worked on: Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues. I kind of like Dancing with the Stars: It's on at 8 o'clock and it's kind of light; it's really fascinating to see people get in shape that quickly. I watch a lot of news. Probably at midnight or 12:30 every night, I turn to The Military Channel. I think Discovery has some of the most fascinating shows, like Deadliest Catch, which is great. I love TV. I probably watch more than is good for me.




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Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order “FED” Bratt and Merkerson Behind the Scenes, and Interview with S. Epatha Merkerson

NBC has made available some behind the scenes footage of the December 11 episode of Law & Order, “FED”. They also provided an interview with S. Epatha Merkerson, who speaks about the episode and the special guest star, Benjamin Bratt, who returns as Rey Curtis. I am sure fans will enjoy both videos below.

Don’t forget to watch on Law & Order on Friday at 8:00 PM ET/7C on NBC!






Don’t forget the interview with Benjamin Bratt which was already released here and is also listed below.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Confidential” Gets Stars Lena Olin, Richard Burgi, Russell G. Jones

NBC has released some information about an upcoming episode of Law & Order SVU titled "Confidential”. Here’s the story from NBC:

Lena Olin, Richard Burgi and Russell G. Jones Guest Star on "Law & Order: SVU"

December 8, 2009 10:35 AM
Episode titled "Confidential" to air February 2010

NEW YORK - December 8, 2009 - Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Lena Olin ("The Reader") will guest star with Richard Burgi ("Desperate Housewives") and Russell G. Jones on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Executive Producer Neal Baer announced today. The episode titled "Confidential" premieres this February on NBC.

In "Confidential," Olin guest stars as Ingrid Block, the high-powered attorney of Richard Morgan, a billionaire investment banker, played by Richard Burgi. Jones guest-stars as Morgan's head of security, who discovers a woman has been abducted from his building.

"Ever since I first saw Lena Olin in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," I've been a huge admirer of her work," said Baer. "To have her guest on 'SVU' in this intense role is what makes my job so gratifying."

Olin recently completed filming "Remember Me" opposite Robert Pattinson, Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper, which will be in theatres this March. Other film credits include "The Reader," with Kate Winslet, and "Awake" opposite Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba. She and husband Lasse Hallstrom collaborated on the 2000 film "Chocolat," which received five Academy Award nominations, and on "Casanova" (2005). She then starred in "Alias" opposite Jennifer Garner in her first American television role ever. In 1988, Olin garnered international acclaim opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in her first English speaking film, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." In 1989, she earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in "Enemies: A Love Story."
Burgi currently stars as Karl Mayer on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," opposite Teri Hatcher. His many television credits include "24," "Point Pleasant," "CSI," "The District," "Judging Amy," "The Sentinel," "Just Shoot Me," "Seinfeld," "Nip/Tuck," and "Reaper." His film roles include Curtis Hanson's "In Her Shoes" opposite Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette, "Fun with Dick and Jane" with Jim Carrey, "Cellular" opposite Kim Basinger, and "Shanghai Red" with Vivian Wu.

Jones recently won Obie, Audelco, and BTAA awards, and received Outer Critics and Joseph Jefferson Awards nominations for his role as "Christian" in the Pulitzer Prize winning play "Ruined" at Manhattan Theater Club. He received a SAG Award for his ensemble role in the film "Traffic" and has guest-starred on "Law & Order," and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Anchor” Advance Photos

A few photos of Wednesday’s new episode of Law & Order SVU “Anchor”
have been released by NBC and I’ve posted them below. This episode features guest stars John Larroquette and Thomas Sadoski. Don’t forget to tune in Wednesday December 9 at 9PM/ET, 8/C!

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Anchor" can be found here.









Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order “FED” Photos Plus L&O and SVU Episode Info Week of December 6, 2009

All photos from NBCU

NBC Universal has released some advance photos of the December 11 episode of Law & Order “FED” which includes Law & Order alumnus Benjamin Bratt, reprising his role as Rey Curtis.

I’ve also included the episode information for the new episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order SVU for next week. It looks like this is all that we may have as far as new episodes for the franchise until January, so make sure you catch them!


Law & Order SVU “Anchor” Air Date 12/9/2009 (9 PM ET/ 8 C Wednesday, NBC)
THE "ANCHOR BABIES" OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES ARE REPEATEDLY BEING MURDERED, AND THE CASE PUTS IMMIGRATION SUPPORTERS AGAINST THE RADICAL FANS OF A HOT-HEADED TALK SHOW HOST.

When two young girls are similarly murdered a little over a month apart, Detective Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) decides to investigate the gruesome crimes. After a third killing, Fin discovers that all three children were "anchor babies" of immigrant families, and reaches out to the Center of Immigrant Services. After sifting through the Center's hate mail, and witnessing a fight between immigration lawyer Randall Carver (guest star John Larroquette) and Joe Thagard (guest star Thomas Sadoski), a fanatical follower of a xenophobic talk show host, Fin begins to narrow in on the killer. Also starring: Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson), Chris Meloni (Detective Elliot Stabler), Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).

My recap and review of Law & Order SVU "Anchor" can be found here.

Law & Order “FED” Air Date 12/11/2009 (8 PM ET/ 7C Friday NBC)
A CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER IS MURDERED IN THE MIDST OF AN ELECTION AND THE DETECTIVES BECOME TRAPPED IN A HAZE OF DANGER AND POLITICAL SCANDALS. BENJAMIN BRATT RETURNS AS "REY CURTIS."

As election day rapidly approaches, Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) discover the disfigured remains of a man with the word "FED" written across his bare chest. Missing a crucial piece of evidence, the detectives decide to retrace the steps of the victim, a campaign volunteer, to hone in on the challenging investigation. After the victim's perplexing past emerges and the list of suspects multiplies, the detectives find themselves dealing with more than just dirty politics. S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Alana De La Garza and Linus Roache also star.











"Anchor" Promo



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Benjamin Bratt Talks About Returning to Law & Order

Here’s a short video (below) from NBC with Benjamin Bratt talking about his upcoming return to Law & Order.





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Jeff Goldblum, Saffron Burrows on the Law & Order CI Set

Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows were recently photographed on the set of Law & Order Criminal Intent. Here are a few photos that I am sure the Jeff Goldblum fans will enjoy.

The names of some of the episodes for the upcoming season are also out there. I have them listed below, but I have no firm dates. Frankly, after how the schedule for CI got so messed up last season, I am not sure if I would want to publish any date even if I had it. The show is scheduled to start up in March of 2010:

1. Puntland (part 1)
2. Puntland (part 2)
3. Love Sick
4. Abel and Willing
5. Love on Ice








Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order “Shotgun” Recap & Review

All Photos from NBC

Law & Order “Shotgun” was one of those episodes that I was on the fence about it as I watched it, but as it wound down, I found that I liked it more after I saw the outcome and had time to think about it.

In this episode, an elderly man, played by Elliott Gould, shoots three people in defense of what at first appeared to be a robbery of his tax service business. But things are never that cut and dry in the Law & Order Universe. It wasn’t a robbery, it was a shakedown at the hands of someone who wanted to buy the man’s property for his own personal gain. Elliott Gould was perfect for the role as a store owner, as he seemed to play the innocent act very well. But the proof of Gould’s acting skill is at the very end, where the look on his face changed while he was talking with Bernard, commenting how the situation just fell into his lap. It was a very brief, calculating look that spoke volumes.

This episode had a very “Criminal Intent” feel to it, which is why I think it took me a while to warm up to it a bit. I haven’t always been a fan of the way Law & Order CI tells their stories. In fact, this would have been a great case for Goren and Eames; too bad that ride is coming to an end.

Cutter (Linus Roache) seems to be a totally different man this season. For some reason I felt that last season he was a little cold, distant, and power hungry; this season he seems to be letting more of his personal beliefs creep into his case, sometime showing more emotional involvement in the case. But the old Cutter is still in there, he jumped at the chance to give Stan the citizen award, only to have Jack (Sam Waterston) toss it right back in his face when they had to prosecute Stan. (I think Jack enjoyed that a little too much.) I was a little surprised that Cutter had to be told what a “ho” phone is; I’d never heard of one either but it seemed easy to figure out.

Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Bernard (Anthony Anderson) are a very comfortable pair. In this episode Anderson received a little more of the focus, as he tried to be friendly with Stan, only to feel deceived and betrayed later. After Bernard shared his own personal story from growing up, it seemed Bernard trying to help Stan may have been his way of paying back the store owner who helped his family when Bernard was a child. Anderson did a great job in conveying his disappointment with Stan just by using facial expressions. I have to admit, though, that I thought it was just plain mean when Bernard sat himself on Angel’s hospital bed, clearly with the intent to cause pain. I have always been under the opinion that type of behavior is low for anyone in law enforcement (or anyone else for that matter).

Somehow, I get the feeling that the annoying reporter Len Pewls will be someone who pops up frequently whenever they need someone to reflect the media’s political commentary. Of course, McCoy is also getting to be the designated bearer of the political comment for the show, this one being a “Joe the Plumber” reference. Personally, I agree with his assessment of these kinds of media created folk heroes, but I thought using “Joe the Plumber” was a rather dated reference.

As far as the crime itself, I think that anyone willing to commit armed robbery – even if the real intent wasn’t really armed robbery in this episode – should be aware that they are other people out there that carry guns and they have a right to protect themselves and their property. I am not saying that it is right that store owners just shoot to kill with any threat, just that criminals can sometime get more than they bargain for. Stan was very wrong to shoot to kill, but was able to get away with it, seeing that he had a perfect explanation for his actions.

Here is the recap:

Stan Harkovy (Elliott Gould) and his assistant Gregory (Armando Riesco) are closing up shop early at “Your Friendly Tax Service.” Meanwhile, three men, one of them with guns, ready themselves for am “easy score.” The next we see of them, one are being carted away by EMS at Your Friendly Tax Service, and there is a bullet hole in the front window and blood everywhere in side. An officer on the scene tells Detectives Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) and Cyrus Lupo )Jeremy Sisto) that it appeared to be an armed robbery. Two men lie dead on the floor, assumed to be the robbers. Apparently they asked for money and one of them began to beat an employee. The owner, using a scatter gun took them out. They look to Stan Harkovy, sitting in the back area, seemingly dazed. Lupo notes that the gun is a Remington pump, and says, “Don’t mess with grandpa.” Bernard asks Stan how he is doing, and he says they wouldn’t leave, and he didn’t want to do it, he didn’t want to kill anybody.

At the 2-7 in interrogation, Stan said that he and Gregory started to close up. Three kids bust in, one of them had a gun out, waving it around. He emphatically says he never saw them before. They yelled at him to give up his money and there was only $30 in his cash box and he said they were wasting his time. The one with the gun started to his Gregory, kicking him the face, and he thought this was it, they were both dead. The guy kept hitting Gregory and he was like a son to him, he had to do something. When Bernard asks who he shot first, Stan says he is not sure. Bernard asks what Stan did when they started firing, and he says he doesn’t know, it was so fast he just kept shooting until they were all on the floor. Lupo asks if he ever used that gun before, and he says no, he bought it when he first started his business. He takes it out only to clean it. Bernard asks if this is his first time in being robbed, and Stan quietly says yes, adding that in 45 years he has never had any trouble. He gets along with everyone. Lupo questions “with everyone,” adding he is one of the few white owned businesses in that neighborhood, asking that he be never had an issue. Stan says he is no racist, commenting that brown, black, purple – people have to have their takes done. But Lupo questions if he never had any trouble, why did he buy a gun in the first place? Stan clarifies that when they first opened, they stayed open late, and Evelyn, his wife, “god rest her soul” thought they needed protection. Today was the first time he ever had to use it. He adds, “All this for $30.”

At the emergency room at St. Justin’s Hospital, the detectives speak with Gregory while his injuries are being tended to. He seems to confirm Stan’s story. He says Stan did what he had to do and he thought they were going to kill them both. He never saw these people before. Stan got along fine with the people in the neighborhood. Bernard notices a tattoo on Gregory’s arm and ask if he runs with a gang. He says no, it is Japanese, and Lupo recognizes it as meaning “the fist and Zen are one” and asks if Gregory is into martial arts. He is a second degree black belt in karate, saying a lot of good it did him; when he saw that gun he froze. Stan saved his life.

Bernard tells ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) that Stan and Gregory corroborate each other on the sequence of events and it looks like the beat-down set it off. She noticed that Duane Jefferson had priors for bank robbery, Pierre Hobbs had car jacking, assault, CPW. Van Buren adds that the third accomplice Angel Colon, who survived, had no record, and is an applicant to become a corrections officer, adding it seems like a big step from there to armed robbery. Bernard wonders if he was building up his resume. Rubirosa says they will charge him as soon as he gets out of surgery, and says as for Stan Harkovy, it seems like textbook justification with no charges. But Lupo asks what about his unregistered shotgun? She says she doubts anyone in her office is going to want to pursue a misdemeanor against a 70-year-old hero who just saved his employee’s life. After Rubirosa walks out, Lupo comments that a guy kills two people and he just walks out of here like nothing happened? Bernard says he gets the feeling Stan is going to remember every day what happened. Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson) adds that two doers with serious priors target a store front tax service, they’d have to know that there’d be slim pickings. Bernard wonders if they thought it was an easy mark. Van Buren goes on that this boy wanted to be a corrections officer, then tells them to send Stan home and talk to Andrew Colon’s people and find out how he got mixed up with these thugs.

Lupo opens the interrogation room door and Stan gets up, asking he can leave? Lupo says for now, and that the DA may have more questions, telling him just don’t leave town. Stan asks where else is he going to go, he had blood on him. Bernard tells him to go home and take a shower. Stan asks how is the kid that went in the ambulance; Lupo informs him he is still in surgery. When Stan asks if he is going to make it, sounding concerned, Lupo motions and says nothing, meaning that he does not know, and walks off. Stan tells Bernard he hopes he pulls through, he didn’t think they would all die. Bernard warns him there are going to be a lot of reporters outside and asks if Stan has anyone who can come pick him up. Stan’s son is in California, and he doesn’t want to talk to any reporters. Bernard says he can use the back door and put him in a cab and asks if he has fare, and Stan says yes. He thanks Bernard for sneaking him out. Bernard tells him not to be surprised when the reporters show up at his door. Stan says when his wife died, he thought that was the worst day of his life. Bernard tells him he knows it can be hard, but gives him his card to call him, night or day, if he every needs somebody to talk to. As they walk out, Lupo watches from the other side of the squad room window After he closes the door, Bernard turns back to face the squad room, likely looking back at Lupo.

At the apartment of Sonya Colon, she doesn’t know the other two robbers, and she first gets defensive about her son. But then tells the detectives that Angel he was waiting for that job and wanted to get a bigger apartment. She did not know if he had a girl. Lupo notices a photo of Angel and asks if he is a black belt. He is second degree. When Sonya moves to answer her phone, Lupo speculates about two guys in the name neighborhood being black belts, Bernard noting Angel was at the Way of the Warrior Dojo.

They talk to the owner of the Way of the Warrior Dojo, who said Gregory and Angel took night classes a few years back. He thought they were friends, but a sparring episode turned into a street fight and he had to pull them apart. He doesn’t know what it was about, he just told them to come back as karate is about maintaining control. As they detectives leave the Dojo, Lupo says “So Gregory lied to us. That’s not very Zen of him.”

Speaking with Gregory outside the tax service, he is shocked to find that it was Angel that was robbing them. He did not recognize him with the hood and shades. He said the fight they had was over a girl, Alicia Rodriguez, who left him to hook up with Angel. He says he got past it about it. When Bernard implies that Gregory was the inside man on the robbery, and Lupo indicates Gregory planned that Stan would take them out with the shotgun, he says that is crazy. He suggest they talk with Alicia, she is pregnant, he saw her recently and said it is all good, there are no hard feelings. Stan walks up, upset and asking when they are going to let him open up, and Lupo tells him it is still crime scene and they will let him know when he can open up. Stan says that the phone in his apartment is driving him crazy, they want to take his picture and interview him. A man yells out from a car nearby in support of Stan. Stan says he didn’t ask for this, wondering why they can’t leave him alone. Gregory walks Stan away, and Lupo wonders about Alicia’s baby and maybe Angel is the father and that is why he needed a bigger place?

The detectives speak with Alicia, who said Gregory seemed happy for her about the baby. She did not tell him that Angel was the father. Alicia seems upset with Stan, saying he could have shot them in the leg. Angel just wanted money to get a better place for her and the baby, but when Lupo mentions the $30, she says Angel said there were gold coins in the place in a cigar box. Angel heard about it from the guy who set up the robbery As they walk off, Bernard says, “Gold coins in treasure box” and Lupo answers, “Arrrg.”

At the hospital with Angel, he doesn’t want to talk to them, but Bernard raises the level of his bed to force him up. He admits that Duane told them there was $100 grand in Krugerrands there. But Angel said he knew somebody who worked there would have told him there were coins. But he didn’t know Gregory was working there and as soon as he saw him there he wanted out. He stood by the door and hoped he didn’t recognize him. Bernard sits down hard on the bed, causing Angel to groan in agony. When he told Duane there were no coins, he said to keep his mouth shut, and not to tell Pierre, saying coins or no coins he would put money in his pocket, so he went along. He screams to the nurse for painkillers. As Lupo and Bernard exit the room, Bernard saying money or not, Duane Jefferson was walking into that store, and Lupo said that the coins were a story to get his crew to go along. Bernard wonders if Duane was not in it for the money, why did he and his friend die?

At Stan’s place, the phone is ringing, and Stan says, “Krugerrands? I don’t have any gold. You can search the office.” As Lupo says they did, Stan answers the phone, and then says no comment and don’t call back. He tells them it was a reporter wanting to know if the police gave him back his shotgun. When Bernard calls him Mr. Harkovy, he tells him to call him Stan. Bernard tells him to look at the picture of Duane Jefferson again, and asks if he is sure he never saw him. He says he is sure. Lupo asks if he can think of anyone who wanted to hurt him, and Stan says yeah, the three guys he shot. His phone rings again.

Back at the 2-7, the detectives enter Van Buren’s office, and she is on the phone and is on hold. Bernard tells her that Stan has been living about his office for the past 30 years and he owns the building and has little money and that’s about it. There is no evidence there of a safe or Krugerrands. She gets back on the phone, now off hold, asking when the doctor can call her back. She then says,” What…yeah, you have a nice day too” as she hangs up the phone in frustration. She tells the detectives that Duane’s brother claimed the body from the ME and, handing them the file, tells them maybe he knows what his brother was after.

At the funeral home, they speak with Duane’s brother, who is not sorry his brother is dead. They are not close and didn’t talk. He says Duane worked the door at an after hours poker club and the last time he saw him, he wanted him to meet him at a diner down the street to pay him back the $1,000 he owed him. Duane was flashing cash and had a new leather coat – the one he is wearing in the casket. Bernard asks where his good fortune came from, and he tells them there was a white kid in the diner – Max – who was a poker regular who was going to set up Duane on a score. He told Duane whatever.

Later, waiting outside the poker club, they see someone matching Max’s description leaving the poker place, and the detectives stop him. Asking hi for his ID, as he was patronizing an illegal gambling operation, they find it is Max Purcell (Jack T. Carpenter). The ask him about Duane Jefferson but he plays dumb. When Lupo says they have a witness from the diner down the street who saw him talking with Duane, Max admits that the cards weren’t going his way in the poker game, somebody had aces and was “sitting on the nuts" burned him for 8 grand. Duane fronted him a loan, he said Duane works for a loan shark. He insists he paid Duane back a few days before he got killed. He swears he is a guy who just really sucks at poker.

The next day in the 2-7, as Van Buren is moving to answer her ringing phone, the detectives tell Van Buren about Max Purcell. He is a trust fund brat and his parents are deceased, he lives in an apartment on 5th Avenue. She asks what is his connection to Max and the accountant, and there is non they can find. She answers her phone, it is her doctor’s office and she is told her doctor is not available now. Bernard gets a message and tells Van Buren that it is about Stan and it is urgent. She tells them to go. As they leave, she gets back on the phone, saying between 4 and 6 will work and asks if they will have her test results. She says “Alright, thank you” and slamming down the phone, adds, “Have a nice day…have a nice day when I’m cured.”

At the hospital, a security guard tells them that the old guy showed up with flowers for Angel Colon and the mother freaked out. Sonya is screaming for Stan to get out of there, and he innocently says he was just trying to see how he was doing. As Bernard moves Stan out saying they should get a beer, Stan said he just wanted to say he is sorry. Sonya continues to scream as Lupo tries to calm things.

At a bar, Stan and Bernard are having a beer, and Stan said he just wanted to show them he is not a monster. Bernard tells him a story about and old Japanese guy in his neighborhood that owned a bodega who paid him $20 a week to sweep the floor every day. Bernard says he looked out for them and let his mom ran up a tab when she was low on cash. Stan says that is what makes a neighborhood – people looking out. Bernard tells him he will get that back. But Stan says it is to much, he got a call from the councilman’s office that they want to give him an award. He is not a hero and does not think he can go back into his office. Gregory walks in and asks if Stan wants to go, and Bernard asks Stan about retiring, saying the neighborhood is gentrified and he could get a good deal. Stan says he doesn’t know about that. Gregory says that Bernard is right, “you are sitting on the nuts.” Bernard pauses, and asks Gregory if he plays poker, commenting about the expression. He said he heard some guy say that when he came into the office a few weeks ago, asking Stan if he remembers, he is the one who wanted to buy the place. Stan says, “Oh yeah” and referred to him as a punk saying he was full of crap and looked like a drug addict. Bernard asks if he left a name, and Gregory said it was Max, with a crazy haircut and a silver earring. Stan motions for them to leave, and Bernard thanks them Lupo walks in and Bernard tells him it wasn’t robbery, it was a shakedown. Max Purcell sent Duane in to scare Stan into selling his place.

Max walks out of The Grinnell with his grandfather Julian Hayworth (John McMartin), wanting to get out of going to the ballet but his grandfather won’t hear of it. Lupo and Bernard approach and arrest Max. His grandfather tells him to keep quiet and tells someone to call Otto Bradshaw, that he need him right away. Hayworth asks if they are arresting Max for his gambling, but Lupo says they don’t arrest gambles. Bernard adds, Shakedown artists yes, but not gamblers.”

In court, Max is being arraigned for one count of attempted robbery and two counts of second degree murder. Max says he is not guilty. The judge is surprised to hear that this relates to the accounting office robbery, and Rubirosa clarifies that he was acting in convert with the dead robbers, saying Max orchestrated this to coerce the owner to sell the building. Bradshaw contests this, and asks where the vigilante who gunned down three men. EADA Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) who just raced in, says they are not prosecuting Harkovy. Bradshaw says Jack McCoy is telling them to arm themselves with unlicensed weapons and fire away at the least provocation. Cutter counters that Stan acted in self defense, it was Bradshaw’s client that put these events into motion. The judge says it is a tough sell, and sets bail at $100K. Cutter says to Rubirosa that Stan deserves a medal and if their strategy is to turn him into some crazed vigilante it won’t work. But Rubirosa is worried about proving motive, asking what is a trust fund kid like Max wants a building so badly that he terrorizes the owner. Cutter notes that Max’s grandfather didn’t bother showing up for the arraignment, and maybe he is ready to throw the kid to the wolves?

At the Hayworth Group offices, Cutter and Rubirosa speak with Hayworth. When Cutter says Max doesn’t understand the trouble that he is in, Hayworth says that is the pathology of gambling. Max got that bad gene from Hayworth’s late son in law. He says maybe he wanted to turn the building into a craps parlor. He adds that Max gets a modest stipend from a trust fund and couldn’t afford to put a down payment on it, much less buy it. When Rubirosa notes all the photos of buildings on the wall and asks if Hayworth owns all of them, he said he has, one time or another. He sold off most of his blue chip properties and the recession put his portfolio in the crapper. As they walk into his office, Rubirosa asks that maybe Max thought that he would get into the family business but says he and Max don’t have that kind of relationship. Cutter notices a model of the Caroline Hayworth Library at Hudson University and Hayworth said his daughter went there, she was an only child and Max’s mother. He promised everything he had after he died to Hudson to build it in her memory. Rubirosa comments that Max could not have been happy with that, but he said a deal is a deal and Max has his trust find. Hayworth asks if there is anything else, and Rubirosa says she does not think so, asking a distracted Cutter for his input. He says there are no more questions. As they exit the office, Cutter comments that it is a nice library, and not something you can just put anywhere.

At the university, they are told that Hayworth promised to donate the money at the end of the year in the form of an annuity and will receive an annual payout on the interest until the time of his death. The library will be fully funded. She tells them that Max came in a few weeks ago, claiming that his grandfather lost a lot of money since he made the donation and wants them to tear up the contract. They declined. But Cutter is looking at the maps of location for the library, and finds that the current location for the library and that Max saw the map and that he knows they are expanding in to Spanish Harlem, right through Stan’s building.

At DA Jack McCoy’s (Sam Waterston) office, he, Cutter, and Rubirosa watch a news story about Stan Harkovy day in Spanish Harlem where thousands came to celebrate. The reporter, Len Pewls (Jason Jones) says he wants to applaud Stan for defending his employee and his business against armed predators. Rubirosa comments that Pewls jumped right on this bandwagon, and McCoy replies that Stan is a perfect excuse for his thinly veiled racist commentaries. Cutter gives McCoy fair warning that he will be giving Stan his award at a ceremony tomorrow. McCoy asks why, and Cutter indicates that when the defense is calling Stan a vigilante, he thought it can’t hurt to showcase his heroism. He adds that he respects Stan as it could not have been easy persevering in that neighborhood all these years. McCoy adds that it is a free country, and says he is more interested in his case against Max. Cutter thinks they nailed his motive as Max’s grandfather is about to give away his inheritance to build a library at Hudson University and there was nothing he could do about it. Rubirosa adds that Max found out that Stan’s building is located at the new location for the library. Cutter says that if Max got control of that property he could hold it up and force Hayworth to pay him off. McCoy comments that was too bad for Max that he ran into someone more stubborn than his grandfather.

At the Citizen Commendation Awards Ceremony in the courthouse, Cutter is giving a glowing opening to Stan. Stan rises to great applause and gives a humble acceptance speech. After it is over, Rubirosa comments to McCoy that it looks like Hudson University sent someone to kiss Stan’s ring – the development officer handling the library gift. Now that Harkovy has all this public sympathy, it may cost them.. Bradshaw walks up to them and hands Rubirosa a motion to dismiss.

Back at Supreme Court, Bradshaw argues that a person can’t be charged with felony murder if his accomplice are killed in the crime. Cutter counters that presumes a comment intent among participants, while robbery was the intent of Max’s accomplices, Max’s intent was intimidation. But Bradshaw asks for the proof that Max sent those men into the store, saying it is speculation based on a coincidence that Max knew one of the robbers from a poker game. Cutter says one man’s coincidence is another man’s circumstantial evidence. But the judge isn’t buying it, and dismisses the indictment until there is proof.

At the prison interview area, Cutter and Rubirosa speak with Angel and his attorney. Angel admits he should not have been there and asks if there is anything they can do for him. Cutter wants him to do something for them first, and Rubirosa shows him Max’s photo, asking if he knows him. Angel does not know him, and Duane never mentioned them, and asks if they can’t just check his phones, He tells them Duane had to cells, his regular one and his “ho” phone. When Cutter seems perplexed as to what is a “ho” phone, Angel clarifies that it is a disposable so he can run around on his ladies. Rubirosa says they only found one cell phone, asking if Angel knows any of the ladies Duane called. He said he called Pierre’s sister a few time, and Pierre was not happy about it.

Back at the 2-7 the detectives tell Rubirosa that they traced 15 calls to Pierre Hobb’s sister, back to a cell that had calls to other women, but no calls to Max. Lupo notes calls to a Desiree’s House of Beauty, located on the same block as Stan’s store. The calls start the day Max went to visit Stan about buying the place.

With Lupo, Bernard, and Rubirosa at Desiree’s House of Beauty, a woman admits that she gave Duane her number and he called her that night. She doesn’t know why Duane was there, but another woman says Duane was waiting on a white guy. He leaned on his car across the street staring through their window, it was a blue BMW. Lupo shows her the photo of Max and she says that is him. She said Harkovy was chasing Max, and then Duane ran out there, and then Max went into his shop, implying Stan saw Duane. As they leave, Rubirosa comments that she thought Stan told them they didn’t see Duane until the day of the shooting, and Bernard unhappily confirms that.


As they walk outside in the rain, Cutter asks Rubirosa how they can be sure that Stan lied or that he even got a look at Duane. Rubirosa says the woman at the salon is pretty sure he did and he backed off when he saw Duane. Cutter reminds her Stan is 68 and in the fear and confusion of a hold up he might not remember a face he only saw for a few seconds. Rubirosa reminds him he was sharp enough to kill three men. She acknowledges Cutter is in Stan’s fan club but Stan has been looking at Duane’s mug shot for two weeks and she thinks it is incomprehensible he did not remember seeing him. Cutter says that maybe Stan did recognize him and did realize it was just intimidation. Rubirosa adds that his life and Gregory’s never were in danger.

Back at Stan’s business, Gregory recounts the crime for Lupo, Bernard, Cutter and Rubirosa. But while doing so, the detectives notice an inconsistency with the location of the blood spatter and Gregory’s story about who was shot first. Gregory admits that Duane, not Pierre (who was beating Gregory) got shot first. He lied because before the cops came, Stan said it would look better if they said the first guy they shot was the one who was beating him. A silence hangs over the group as they mull over what they just heard, and Bernard says before they jump to conclusions, let him talk to the man.

Lupo and Bernard are back at Stan’s place, and Stan is vacuuming He says the kid was by himself when he came into his building. Bernard, raising his voice over the vacuum, says but he had an argument, and he chased him outside. Stan seems to ignore the question so Bernard unplugs the vacuum, telling Stan that this is important. Stan says maybe he went outside. He didn’t see any black guy, but Bernard says there is witness who says he did. Stan gets angry, asking there is a witness knows what HE saw? He asks the detectives who is that person, but Bernard says it doesn’t matter. But Stan, in a raised voice, says it matters to him, and asks why he is doing this, he thought he was his friend. Bernard counters that he recognized one of the robbers, the guy that was with Max, and asks him to tell him the truth. Stan is silent, and Bernard states, “You did, didn’t you?” Stan says, “I am an old man. I don’t remember what I saw.” He looks back blankly at Bernard, who doesn’t look too happy with Stan. Lupo pipes up and says he sees that Stan has something from Kingsley properties, a commercial real estate broker. Stan asks how does he know, it’s junk mail. But Lupo notes that it is hand addressed junk mail. Bernard gives a questioning look back to Stan, and Stan looks back at him without responding. Lupo and Bernard walk out without saying a word, leaving Stan there standing silently.

At the office of Kingsley Properties, a woman says Harkovy came there to get an informal appraisal on his property, before the robbery. Someone had made him an offer and he wanted to know if it was a good deal. But she says it wasn’t’ she knew Hudson U was eyeballing the area and she confirmed it. She told Stan to sit tight and that Hudson would pay far more than any private developer. And now with all the attention for Stan, he can tack on another 10% just for the sympathy factor.

Back in McCoy’s office, Rubirosa tells him that Stan knew before the guys come into the store that he was sitting on a gold mine and has been milking it to drive up the price. Cutter says assuming that was true, why would Stan intentionally gun down men he knew were only sent to intimidate him. Rubirosa wonders if he just wanted to get Max off his back or send a message to Max that he could not be intimidated. Cutter comments if Stan could have made all those assumptions in a split second. McCoy wonders if he was just pissed off that the men who were trying to scare him, and Cutter, at a loss, says he does not know. McCoy says, “You don’t know, or you don’t want to think about all the crow you’ll have to eat if we charge him? Folk heroes. That’s the problem with these “Joe the Plumber” types. More often than not they come back to bite you in the ass. You now have a witness who can put Max Purcell with Duane Jefferson. Re-charge him, see if he’ll deal.” Rubirosa asks what about Stan, and McCoy glances to Cutter who is pondering. McCoy tells them to go to the grand jury and act for an indictment for murder. Cutter asks, “You sure? Even if he recognized Duane Jefferson, his office was still being robbed, his employee was still being beaten. The homicides were legally justified. “ McCoy, grinning a knowing grin, says Stan recognized Jefferson and he lied about it and that is consciousness of guilt, adding he shot those men because he had his own agenda. Cutter, silent, reluctantly nods.

In the grand jury, Max testifies about the Hudson University library plans and admits he targeted Stan’s property because that was all he could afford. He took Duane because he was nervous about the neighborhood. Duane waited outside but Stan would not listen to Max, chasing him out of the store, calling him a punk. Duane ran out of the hair salon and when Stan saw Duane coming he ran back into the store. Max is sure Stan saw Duane. He also admits he paid Duane $8,000 to send some guy to shake him up and look like a robbery and never thought Stan had a gun. He also admits he is taking a plea deal for his grand jury testimony.

Stan, on the stand, talks about opening the office 45 years ago and that he and his wife put everything into it. He talks about how supportive of he is of the neighborhood, saying the office is like a part of him. He adds when these punks came in to rob him and beat up Gregory, he couldn’t stand there and let them do it, he just couldn’t. He admits he is not happy he killed them, but they should not have come into his office and do what he did. When Rubirosa asks about Max offering to buy the place, he told Max to go to hell. He admits he followed Max to his car to tell him what he thought about his offer. He says he did not see Duane and anyone who says that is a liar. But Cutter takes over the questioning, asking why did Stan shoot Duane first? He insists he didn’t. Cutter adds that they gear forensic testimony saying that Stan shot Duane first. He says he was scared, they were beating Gregory. Cutter presses as to why he didn’t shoot the man first who was beating his employee? Stan says he could have shot Gregory. But Cutter counters that Gregory was on the ground and Stan had a clear shot at the man who was kicking him, the only man who was armed. When Stan says he was confused, Cutter brings up the fact that the realtor told Stan about the value of his building and that Stan recognized Duane and knew it was just a shakedown and he was going to send Max a message. Stan is emphatic when he says he didn’t plan this, all he wanted to do was go home at night, watch his programs and do a crossword puzzle, but they came in looking for trouble. He stood up for himself and there is nothing wrong with that, and he knows it. But Cutter looks at him with disdain, shaking his head. Rubirosa looks at the jury.

Outside the courthouse, Len Pewls is reporting as McCoy walks up, Pewls is referring to McCoy saying that since he took office, he is using it to pursue his quixotic, liberal wet dream. He ambushes McCoy and asks why is he prosecuting Stan Harkovy. McCoy says he can’t comment as grand jury proceedings are secret. Pewls asks when he is going to stop displaying such a liberal bias in his prosecutions. McCoy stands his ground, asking since when is it liberal bias to stand up for human dignity, human life, and fairness under the law? He tells Pewls he should re-examine his own values before he starts questioning his.

Outside the grand jury room. McCoy approaches Cutter and Rubirosa who are waiting for the decision. The jury has been deliberating for 4 hours and they heard some raised voices. McCoy says it is a hot potato, and Rubirosa adds that Stan is a charmer. The buzzer rings and the decision is handed to Cutter, who opens it – it’s no true bill. Rubirosa says, “Sorry Jack.” He responds, “These are the rules we play by” and he walks off.

Stan is in his office, on his phone with a reporter while packing. Bernard enters and Stan asks him if he has a 1040 he wants him to take care of. He says he just came to see how he was doing, and Stan says fine, the University made him an offer and he is going to buy a condo in Palm Beach and move down there. Bernard says he got what he wanted, but Stan says he didn’t want it like this, and his face changes a bit as he says it fell in his lap. Bernard says maybe so, but he knows he felt bad about it and had a chance to come clean and he didn’t. Stan looks a little angry, asking what does Bernard know about anything? He adds, “Talk to me in 40 years” and they glare at each other. A customer walks in, and Stan asks if he can help them. She says she does her own taxes, but wanted to bring her young son to meet a real live hero. While Stan asks the boy what is his name, Bernard walks out of the store, and Stan’s eyes follow him. Bernard turns back and Stan looks at him with a half smile, and as Bernard shuts the door, Stan’s face gets serious as we fade to black.




All Text Content (Recaps, Review, Commentary) © allthingslawandorder.blogspot.com unless otherwise noted

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order “Shotgun” Interviews and Behind the Scenes Video

Here are two videos to get you ready for Friday’s episode of Law & Order, “Shotgun” which features guest star Elliott Gould. One video includes interviews with Anthony Anderson, Jeremy Sisto, and Elliott Gould. The other video is a behind the scenes look at the filming of the episode.

Don’t forget – Law & Order, Friday night at 8:00 PM (7/C) on NBC. My recap and review of Law & Order"Shotgun" can be found here.

Interviews with Anthony, Jeremy, and Elliott


Behind the scenes of “Shotgun”





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order SVU “Perverted” Recap & Review

All Photos from NBC

There was big trouble for Detective Olivia Benson in this excellent episode of Law & Order SVU, “Perverted.” And there may be even more trouble brewing down the road for the SVU team, as they find that Israeli scientists have discovered a way to fabricate DNA. ( A New York Times article from August of this year says that “Any biology undergraduate could perform this.”) Imagine what this can do to forensics, not to mention all the crime shows on television these days. But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.

The squad gets a rude awakening when one of their own, Olivia Benson, is arrested for the murder of a biker. But it wasn’t your typical “damsel in distress” story. Olivia's career and life weren’t the only things under attack, Stabler’s career could also have been at risk had Benson been found guilty. The presence of IAB always creates tension within the group, but in this case, Lieutenant Tucker was particularly nasty about the whole thing, almost thrilled at the fact that he had a murder charge to hang over Benson and by association, over Stabler. Mariska did a great job in conveying a varying range of emotions: fear, anger, confidence, and frustration. It was also the first episode that I can recall in a long time where I felt that her relationship with Elliot seemed very comfortable and real, especially when he was doting on her when she was laid up with the flu.

This was one time that Stabler kept his raging emotions in check, and rather than lashing out verbally or physically against IAB, he kept his cool and kept himself focused on finding out who was setting up Olivia. This is the Stabler that I like and the one I want to see more often. By the way, I laughed when Stabler told Olivia “Let’s get you into bed” as I found myself thinking, he wishes! Likewise, I was thrilled when Stabler went to kick down the door and was unsucessful. Doors seemed to be kicked in so easily on TV crime shows, and this has always been one of my pet peeves. The only time Stabler may have run at the mouth a bit was with Warner when he questioned the accuracy of her DNA testing. Considering what was at stake here, I think it was a wishful thinking that the tests were wrong, and maybe it was Warner who overreacted a bit. But unlike the other dust-ups in the past few episodes, this one seemed very natural and expected, with neither of them really at fault for saying what was on their mind as they were both very concerned for their colleague.

Likewise, the rest of the team had a big role in cracking the case, and every one of the actors delivered their best. Munch as grammar police (the Knight’s with the apostrophe issue), Munch being referred to as Skelator, his car Bessie, the Higgs bosun reference, well, I could go on and on about the great Munch scenes here. I loved it when he stood up to IAB and tried to get Olivia to remember, and invoke, her rights. Munch always adds that special something to each episode and I really wish they would use Richard Belzer more.

The one thing I didn’t quite get was when the SVU team told Benson they could not talk to her about the case because it involved her, and she responded that they CAN discuss things that don’t involve her. This confused me because how would anyone truly know what did, or did not, involve her? I would think that they couldn’t discuss ANY part of the case, since they don’t really know how much she was involved and/or at what point she may have been involved. I think that they should have offered her no information about the case, period.

A nice turn of events – albeit a little gimmicky – was having Benson being defended by Trevor Langan, played by Mariska's real life husband Peter Hermann. Personally, we don’t see enough of the sleazy (yet very skilled) lawyer Langan, so I ignored the gimmick and just enjoyed the scenes.

I wonder if Stabler will ever tell Kathy that he morgaged the house to bail out Olivia? And how exactly was Tucker able to get his hands on Benson's personal medical information? It was nice, though, when Benson called Tucker on his lie about getting the information from Stabler. It was the one time I think she felt like she suddenly had the upper hand in the interrogation.

Can someone explain to me why the undercover guy had to create a scene so Stabler could cuff him so he could tell him about the surveillance of the biker group. Why he didn’t just pick up the phone and call someone like Cragen to tip them off? It’s not like Stabler had walked into the biker club and had a problem arise while he was there; Stabler was just sitting in his car minding his own business and probably could have just obtained the information via a simple phone call.

All in all, this was a great episode, with the entire Law & Order cast at its best!

Here is the recap:

A family is sightseeing, and the daughter sees a body in a treed area. Later, Detectives Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) are on the scene with ME Warner (Tamara Tunie). Stabler says dispatch is a comedian, he wrote it up as a sexually mutilated tree-hugger. Warner tells him that someone did some illegal pruning, left the berries and chopped the branch clean off. She thought the perp took it as a trophy at first until CSU saw a squirrel run up a tree with it. Fin quips that he thought squirrels preferred nuts. Stabler says the victim is a big guy, and are they thinking more than one human attacker. Warner says he was tasered. Fin sees a jacket that says “Death Knight’s NYC” and says it was obvious the victim was in a motorcycle club, adding they are an outlaw gang out of the East Village, involved in drug running, prostitution, and contract killing. He finds his name was Clyde Vandyne. Stabler wonders if Clyde pissed off a rival gang. Fin answers “or payback.” He asks if Stabler or Benson ever questioned Clyde on a rape case or a domestic, and when Stabler says he doesn’t think so, Fin asks what Clyde was doing with Olivia’s card.

Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) wipes her nose and then answers the door. It’s Stabler, and he tells her she looks terrible. She tells him to stop with the sweet talk. Stabler hands her the file on Vandyne the dead biker “with a missing kickstand,” and asks her if she has seen a doctor. She says it is just a bug. Stabler says the swine flu is just a bug. She looks at Clyde’s picture but doesn’t recognize him and wonders if he found her card on one of their victims, and maybe the victim got revenge. Benson lays down on the couch and Stabler covers it up, saying he will figure it out and tells her to rest. She insists she is fine put he puts his hand on her forehead and he says she is burning up. She says her temperature is 101, down from 102 from last night. He says he is going to make her some tea. She comments that the murder happened outside St. John’s, and Stabler says they checked and to no one’s great surprise, Clyde did not worship there. Stabler looks in Benson’s refrigerator and it is almost bare and says she has no food in this house. She responds they invented this great thing called delivery. He sees travel brochures on her counter and asks if she is planning a tropical getaway. She says a girl can dream, and tells him to stop snooping. Benson comments that Clyde did a nickel in Attica for assault with a deadly weapon and wonders if it was over a woman. Stabler says it was a brawl at a bike expo, and then says, “Let’s get you into bed.” He adds that he should get hazard pay for coming to see her, and that Fin is at the clubhouse.

At the Death Knights Clubhouse, Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) is arguing with the bikers for not cooperating. Fin says they will have to put eyes on them 24/7. Munch asks them if anyone ever pointed out the grammatical error in their logo, saying the apostrophe is extreme. One guys, responds, “Listen Skelator, get your bony ass out of here before someone mistakes you for a pool stick.” But Fin steps in, saying they just came there to make notification. Munch says they are not leaving until they get an address, and asks where Clyde was crashing. They get a laugh for an answer.

They both walk out of the clubhouse, Munch griping. Fin thinks they need to separate one from he herd, and one lone biker drives up. They ask for his license and registration for driving his bike on a sidewalk, and he says a piece of crap Crown Vic is in his space. Munch says “No need to insult Bessie” and asks again for the license and registration. The biker pulls it out, and Munch says it is a class D license, calling him Timothy, who corrects his name as T-Bone. Fin says he needs a class M to operate a motorcycle, and says he has to come with them, calling him “Bone.”

As Munch and Fin bring T-Bone into the SVU squad, Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) is waiting, saying “15 of you against one defenseless girl.” T-Bone says that sounds good, to sign him up. They bring him over to a video screen where Stabler is watching a video of a woman being attacked on the club’s web site. T-Bone says it was just a typical Saturday night, he says Starlet was just enjoying it. Fin says the girl was unconscious and she can’t give consent, and Stabler adds that he and his pals will be having their club meetings in prison for the next decade two. T-Bone says, “Back off, steroid” adding it was all in good fun. Cragen says it is all fun and games until somebody loses a penis, and the look on T-Bone’s face changes. Cragen said the video was from the day Clyde got back from Attica, and Stable asks if Starlet was Clyde’s welcome home present. T-Bone said Clyde was late coming from upstate and they got bored. He said Clyde made Starlet his old lady, adding she is a step up from a mamma, meaning a sheep, for anyone to use. He said until Clyde took possession of her, nobody cared about Starlet. Cragen asks where is she, saying unless Starlet tells them different, he is locking his ass up for rape.

Elsewhere, Stabler tries to kick in a door but it won’t budge and he hurt his foot. As he groans, he makes a phone call, saying Starlet is not home. He adds that he tried that, either he is getting old or the door is getting stronger, saying he will look for the building manager. As he walks down the hall, he walks right into Starlet. He identifies himself as a police officer but she begins to run off. He chases her and grabs her purse, knocking it to the ground and papers fall out. She stumbles on the steps and he asks if she is OK. She says she is not, someone whacked her old man last night and the last thing she needs is to get busted. Stabler says if she had anything to do with Clyde’s murder he would understand, but she asks why would she kill Clyde. He says he saw the video and she says it wasn’t rape. She adds she works in the City Clerk’s office and it is on the up and up. But he sees the papers that fell out of her purse are blank birth certificates. They go into her apartment, and she says she just did what Clyde told her she doesn’t know what he did with them. She has a tattoo on her back saying she is the property of the Death Knight’s, and she says this means she belongs, and it got her out of Sturgis, SD. She has sex with the club anytime they want it. She says she is 19. He asks why she talked to Benson but she says she never heard of her, adding that Stabler is the first "pig” she even had a sit down with. He asks what Clyde was doing with her card, and she says he didn’t get it from her. She asks where is Clyde’s hog, and he says it was not at the crime scene or the clubhouse. She says after he slapped her around last night he rode off on it. She says she loved that bike.

Back at the SVU squad, Cragen tells Stabler they found the Harley, highway patrol responding to a 911 call the night before. Cragen plays back the recording of the call, it was a hit and run at 113th and Amsterdam that a brunette driving a black Mustang rear ended him and drove off and got a partial license number, HWC. Cragen brings up a list he was given of black Mustangs matching that partial plate, and are shocked to see Olivia Benson’s name on the list.

Cragen is talking to Benson in a parking garage, with Benson saying she never saw Starlet before. Cragen says Starlet if going to jail for her misuse of her clerk’s office job. Cragen walks over to Benson’s car. She tells him she never needed a car but hit a mid-life crisis last year. He asks what else she hit, seeing her front end damaged. She is shocked, saying she hasn’t driven the car in a month. She says the parking attendant must have dinged it up, but Cragen says that is a pretty big coincidence. When she moves to look closer, he stops her saying they have to get crime scene down there, and he has to notify IAB. She looks stunned, and says she did not do this. He says he believes her, but he tells her to go home and get over the flu and take a couple of days.

But she goes into the squad, and Stabler asks what she is doing there, she is sick. She comments that she has bigger headaches, and when she asks if there are any breaks in the Vandyne case, Munch says Cragen says they have to follow procedure and not talk with her about it. She insists someone is framing her. She asks to be informed of any details that do not involve her, and Stabler indicates that CSU expanded their sweep of the crime scene, and the found a bloody bowie knife in the trash bin, no prints, but found two blood types and they are running the DNA. Fin adds that assuming the perp didn’t attack another victim, it could he is, and Benson adds, or hers. Stabler reminds her there are 2 other matches to the partial plate, but she asks how many are brunettes with front-end damage to her car? Munch says someone could have taken a tire iron to it in her garage, but she says there is no sign of debris. Fin says no one is thinking she did this, but she asks, “Really? You should have seen the looks I got coming in downstairs.” Munch tells her not to be paranoid, it is not about the case, it is about how contagious she looks. She asks about the 911 call, Fin responds it was traced to a Kahlil Assad and when she asks if she can tag along when they check it out, Stabler says that is probably not a good idea, citing procedure. After a pause, Benson says. “And I’m the prime suspect.” She walks away and Stabler asks where she is going, and she says to clear her name.

At the morgue, Benson is standing over Clyde’s body, and Warner enters. She tells Benson there was residue over his mouth as it had been taped at some time. The wound is consistent with the bowie knife that was recovered. The right femoral artery was transected, probably inadvertently. Benson said she came by to ask a favor, and that Warner needs to take a DNA swab from her.

At Columbia University in Pupin Hall, Fin and Munch enter a lecture in process. Fin holds up his badge and asks which one of the rocket scientists is Kahlil Assad, and he raises his hand. Munch says he was harder to track down than the Higg’s bosun particle. He says his class load was very heavy, and says he did not make a 911 call. He said a stranger pulled up in a car and said his battery was dead and asked to use his cell, and they find the call was made three blocks from where the accident occurred.

Back in Cragen’s office, Munch gives Cragen the description of the person who used the cell, a Caucasian male, 5’ 10” to 6’, brown hair and nicely dressed. Cragen says that is a dead end. Fin adds Kahlil thinks the guy was driving a silver Mercedes but did not get a plate. They wonder about the coincidence of someone speeding away from an accident yet still having time to get Benson’s partial plates. CSU is still going over her car and her garage security tapes for that day have already been recorded over. Fin says somebody is setting her up. Cragen sees Benson in her desk and tells her he ordered her on bed rest. She says she is reviewing her cases as there must be a connection for Clyde to get her card, insisting it has to be through a victim because they always hold something back. He takes the files, and says he will have her partner follow up on them, and tells her to go home.


Meanwhile, Stabler is staking out the clubhouse, on the phone with his wife. He cuts the call short when he sees a biker pouring something from a bottle in front of his car. Stabler tells him to drop the bottle and put his hands on his head, but the guy says he will put them up his ass, saying to stop messing with his brother’s bitch. The biker swings at Stabler, and Stabler slams him against his car, asking him if he is a moron for assaulting a police office in broad daylight. As Stabler cuffs him, he whispers that he is undercover, and to watch his back. Stabler turns to see a wall of biker’s approaching. Stabler identifies himself as police and tells them to stay where they are. Stabler asks what is the color of the day, and the biker says indigo. He says his partner is running surveillance in the building he parked in front of, 3G. He says they are coming out in a hour and go see him then. Stabler pulls him up and says he has to go to his kid’s school play, otherwise he would be doing paperwork on that idiot all night long. He takes off the cuffs and says the guy just used up any of the free passes they are going to get.

Later, in the building, the partner is upset that he can’t believe that Russell jeopardized a six-month covert operation, and Stabler says he can’t believe they knew he was investigating Clyde’s murder. The guy in charge is pissed, but adds he doesn’t know who killed Clyde and had no bad blood with anyone in the group. Stabler knows they have been doing a lot of wiretapping and asks if Benson’s name ever came up. He brings out a file and shows him Benson’s photo, and asks, “You mean her?” Stabler asks why he has her jacket, and the guy asks if Stabler is worried they have a rogue detective. He tells Stabler to relax, he has been monitoring their investigation and her name never came up. Stabler asks for copies of all his surveillance photos, but the guy says not until next week. Stabler says he will lose his undercover today if he finds out he was involved in Starlet’s gangbang. He says he is only a prospect and those perks are available for full members only. Stabler says Benson if facing a bogus murder rap, and he needs his help. He says he will show him one picture. They have a photo of an unknown man putting something on Clyde’s motorcycle last week, and found it was a GPS device.

Back at the SVU squad, Benson is laying on a couch and Lieutenant Tucker (Robert John Burke) from IAB wakes her. She says it is a little early for internal affairs, and he comments that she knows why he is here. She starts to explain about her car, but he stops her, saying before she says anything else, that Clyde’s killer had been identified – it’s her.

As Tucker reads Benson her rights, Cragen asks him if he ever heard of profession courtesy. Tucker ignores him and Cragen is apoplectic. Fin yells out for her not to say anything to the rat squad, he is calling the DA’s office to get a lawyer. Tucker asks if she understands her rights, and she says yes. Munch pipes in about the Supreme Court and Tucker is ignoring him, telling Cragen that Benson is suspended. Munch asks if they are talking her to central booking, and Tucker says he knows the drill. Benson stops, and says she has been locked up twice under cover, and this is not right, just talk to her. He asks if she is waiving her rights, and Munch pipes in that she knows better than that and tells her not to say anything to anyone but her lawyer. Tucker suggests they get her a good lawyer, and she asks if there is an interview room open. Cragen says no. She says she wants to do this, and Tucker says for her to tell him about Sunday night.


In an interrogation room, Benson tells Tucker that on Sunday night she was home, in bed, sick and alone. When she asks what his probable cause is for the arrest warrant, he says for her to hold her questions until the end. He comments that she is single, and she says yea, and when he asks about a boyfriend, she asks if he is interrogating her for a murder or a dating service. He says he finds it odd nobody stopped in to check on her. He asks what her relationship was to Clyde, and he says she has no history with him. While she is talking, Stabler runs into the observation room wondering what is going on, and Cragen says he tried to stop her but she waived her rights. He bangs on the window but Cragen tells him he is not supposed to be there. He shows him the surveillance photo he obtained as Tucker gets up to leave the interrogation room. He asks if there is a problem, and Stabler says he needs to talk to his partner. Tucker says to Cragen as her commanding officer he is allowed to observe but Stabler is not, and tells Stabler he will let him know when he will be interviewing him. Stabler tells Cragen to shut it down, she’s not thinking straight, she’s sick. Tucker questions that Stabler never interviewed a sick perp? Stabler says she is not a perp. Tucker says where there is one dirty cop, usually the partner is dirty too and the only reason why Stabler is not in the hot seat is because he has nothing on him – yet. Stabler gives him a bit of a look, but then asks if he can talk to her for a minute. Tucker says no, but if there is something he would like to relay he would be more than glad to. Stabler says no, and Tucker responds that he guesses Stabler will be on his way.

Tucker returns to the interrogation room, and asking where were they, Benson says he was trying to put her in an alley where his wasn’t. He asks why she saw a psychiatrist last year, and when she is stunned at the question, he says rumor was it was posttraumatic stress. She is appalled, and says, “Wow. Munch was right. Big Brother really is watching.” He comments she wasn’t shot in the line of duty, and said she sought help for an issue she was having and she didn’t see a company shrink so how did he get this information? He said it was from Stabler, and she says he is lying. She adds that surprisingly he sucks at it, and then presses for who told him. He goes on saying that she deals with a lot of rapists on the job, and asks if one of them attacked her. She says it has nothing to do with this case, but he says it does if she had a flashback as people with PTSD get them all the time. He thinks Clyde attacked her in the alley and she had a flashback, but she says he is wrong. As he continues to push his theory, she says to stop playing games and tell her what he thinks he has on her. He says her DNA was a positive match to the blood on the knife. She looks surprised at first but then a little happy, saying that she told Warner to run the DNA, and why would she do that if she was guilty? Tucker says she would if she wanted to be caught. She is incredulous, and goes on to say there are no cuts on her, pulling up her sleeves and pulling open her shirt top. She asks where the blood came from, and he says she had a bloody nose during the struggle, and they will document all her wounds at a strip search during intake. She suddenly gets a slightly concerned look on her face, and then says she made a mistake. He says then she needs to make it right. She says she means talking to him – she wants a lawyer.

Outside in the squad room, ME Warner calls out to Stabler, and he asks her to hold on. Cragen tells him he showed Benson the photo as Tucker was taking her out the back, and she doesn’t know him. Stabler says they have a problem because he got this from the gang unit and he can’t show it to the Death Knight’s because they will know they are under surveillance. Cragen says odds are slim they would have helped and even money they just killed a guy. He says he will show it to Starlet, and Cragen says to blow it up out of context, and distribute it to the other houses and release it to the media as a person of interest. But Stabler worries that he will get spooked and be in the wind and asks where does that leave Liv? Cragen says right now, Central Booking – it’s bad, they have her DNA on the knife. Stabler claims it is not possible, and Cragen says try telling that to a jury, especially with her – pointing to Warner – as a witness. Warner tells Stabler that Benson told her to run her DNA. Stabler feels that Benson is sitting in a cell because Warner screwed up, saying she made a mistake and tainted the evidence. Warner is about to bitch slap Stabler, saying she is re-running it but did not make a mistake and taint the evidence. She does not know how, but that is Benson’s DNA on the knife.

At Central Booking, Benson is waiting and attorney Trevor Langan (Peter Hermann) walks up, adding that he always felt he would find Benson’s partner there one day. She tells him to keep walking; she wouldn’t want to keep one of his "skel" clients waiting. He says that skel client would be her. She says her DEA rep is on her way now, but he says she does not appreciate the seriousness of the charges against her. She comments that even if she wanted his representation, she can’t afford it. He says his retainer has already been paid. When she asks by who, he says some friends. He says it is nice she is getting preferential treatment, keeping her out there rather than in the bullpen with the crack whores and schizos. She quips she is getting breaks all over the place. He adds it won’t be her buddy Cabot throwing softballs in court, Public Integrity handles all misconduct by cops. She comments he assumes she is guilty, and he clarifies of course not, but they will go over alternate theories of the crime later. She says this will not be his usual smoke and mirrors, this will be the truth. He indicates they only have a few minutes, this is usually where he introduces himself and explains how the process works – she says she knows.

At arraignment court, Benson is being arraigned for murder in the second degree. She pleads not guilty, but a biker, entering the courtroom with a group of bikers, shouts “guilty!” The judge yells for that person to be removed. When the judge hears bail, the prosecutor asks for remand. Langan counters that ROR is more appropriate, citing that Benson is a decorated officer with significant ties to the community. The prosecutor says she has no family and should be considered a flight risk. Langan says her family is 40,000 strong – her brothers and sisters in blue. The prosecutor brings up the positive DNA identification. The judge sets bail at $250K, and she will be held for trial until bail is posted. As she is being led off, one of the bikers whispers that they have friends at Rikers and he will make sure they stop by and say hello.

As Benson is being released, Stabler is waiting for her and she asks what did he do. He said what was he going to do, let her get shivved in Rikers? She asks if Kathy knows he mortgaged the house for her, and he says there is no risk, she is innocent. She asks where are they with the real killer, and she shows her the newspaper with a large photo of the man tampering with the motorcycle, with the headline “police seek man for questioning.” Stabler adds that somebody has got to know him.

Back at the SVU squad, Munch says that a woman just called the tip line and swears the guy in the photo is her ex, Lawrence Jasinski. Fin adds that he is a private investigator out of Jersey City until they yanked his license two years ago for illegal wiretaps. Cragen tells them to track down Stabler as he is sure he will want to be there when they pick Jasinski up.

At the office of Lawrence Jasinski, Fin and Stabler enter to find his office in complete disarray with papers strewn everywhere. Someone found him before they did. They find pictures of Benson on the floor, and Stabler comments someone has been tailing her. Her business card is there, they hand out so many when they canvas and they think Jasinski was scooping them up when they left. This explains how her card got on the victim. They hear moaning and find Jasinski under a bookcase, badly beaten. As Fin calls for a bus, Stabler asks Jasinski who did this to him – they were bikers. He denies killing anyone, he just followed Benson for a client. When Jasinski looks as if he is blacking out, Stabler smacks him with some papers and asks again, this time Jasinski answering that the bikers took his file - Brady Harrison's. Stabler gets a look of realization on his face – Brady Harrison is someone he and Benson put away six years ago for a string of date rapes.

Back at the squad room, they have Brady’s picture up on the big screen, Cragen calling him the “rohypnol rapist.” Munch says that Brady’s and Clyde time in prison overlapped and they had an altercation while in there. Clyde came out without a scratch but Brady went to the infirmary. Stabler and Fin are going out to pick him up – hopefully alive.

When Stabler and Fin arrive at Brady’s place, his home is also in disarray. Fin calls out to another officer but there is no answer. They split up to check the house, and while doing so, the officer walks in the back door. She said she found a dogs body in the yard, the throat slit. No sign of Brady.

Later, the police raid the biker club. Stabler asks where is Brady but they don’t give him any information. Russell, the undercover guys, tells Stabler they don’t have him, and runs off, Stabler chasing him. They run into another room and fake some noise. Stabler asks what did they do to Brady, and Russell said he wasn’t home, they don’t have him.

Benson is at home, on the phone with Stabler, looking at the police car parked below her apartment. She complains she does not need a baby sitter. Meanwhile, in the squad room, Munch says they found Brady took his silver Mercedes to an auto body shop to repair a front bumper. But Stabler reminds them that Benson’s DNA is still on the knife. Cragen and Warner enter, Cragen saying that he talked to Brady’s PI in the ER, and was told Brady to follow Benson into a diner and bag her utensils after she left. But Warner says the sample off the knife was her blood, not from saliva. When Stabler asks her if she just stopped by to throw another monkey wrench into the case, she retorts that she hasn’t stopped running tests since this went down. She found a small anomaly. In normal DNA, 80% of the markers are methylated, but in Benson’s sample on the knife, none are. When Warner said she had to get information from Israel to find the answer, Munch asks, “Did my people help you?” She said maybe, but they just set crime investigations back about 20 years. Last summer, the scientists there found a way to fabricate DNA. She says someone can take a random vial of blood and spun out the white blood cells, which are the only ones that contain DNA, which means the blood sample would have no DNA. Brady took Benson’s DNA, amplified it, and put it in someone else’s blood, essentially making the entire sample Benson’s. Warner adds it is brilliant and frighteningly simple. Cragen asks Munch if he has anything to connect Brady to the scientists in Israel, but he found something interesting on Amsterdam.

At the RPG Research Facility on Amsterdam, Fin approaches a man in the lab, Joseph Soltice (J. Robert Spencer). He says a man upstate hooked him up for her services and wonders why he hasn’t heard from him. Joseph says he does not know what he is talking about. He says he is talking about the blood trick he did for Brady Harrison, and asks if $25 g’s is still the going rate, putting down a brown bag with what looks like money inside. He looks in the bag, and then says it was to sequence his genome, to find out what genetic markers he is carrying, and asks if that is what he wants done. But Fin says no, he wants to set someone up for murder. He says he won’t do anything without the proper references. Fin says he appreciates that he takes precautions but Brady is not answering his home or cell phones and he misplaced his track phone number, asking Joseph if he has it. He has the contact number he gave him, and Fin hands him his phone, telling him to call and check him out. Joseph sees Fin’s gun in his pocket, and dials the number. Fin says to tell him it’s Fin from cellblock 8. Meanwhile, the call is being tracked by the police. They get a message, but they also got the general vicinity, and they see it is in Benson’s neighborhood. Stabler shouts to radio the patrolman and tell him not to let anyone in her building.



At home, Benson hears a knock on the door, and comments to who she thinks is officer Callahan, saying he has a bladder the size of a pea and asks how many bathroom breaks does this make? Before she gets to the door her phone rings, but someone breaks in and it is Brady (Patrick Heusinger). He says if it (the phone) is for him he is not here. Benson runs to her room and tried to lock her door and screams, but he pushes it in. She picks up a lamp, but he points a taser at her, saying that they are not very evenly matched. She asked if that is the taser he used on Clyde, and he comments he thought she would use her gun, and then digs that they take them away from her when she is facing trial for murder. She says there is a copy downstairs watching the building, but he just laughs, saying not anymore. Her cell phone rings, but he picks it up. He says they only have a few minutes so she’d better ask her questions now. She asks why did he set her up. He asks why she had Clyde terrorize him in prison. She says she did not even know Clyde and, shouting, asks if he thinks she arranged some jailhouse brawl. Brady shouts back, saying she know what she is talking about. She says, “Oh my god, he raped you.” Brady said Clyde brutalized him and told everyone that he was a punk there for anyone to sodomize, to trade as a sex slave. She asks why he didn’t report it, but he comments like she didn’t know, like the guards didn’t know. Benson emphatically states that she did not know. He counters that she couldn't stand that he had no remorse for what he did to those women so she set him up. When she questions who told him that, he screams, YOU! DID!” and asks doesn’t she remember? “A pretty boy like you is gonna be real popular in prison. Maybe when you’re raped, you’ll understand what you put those women through.” But Benson says she never should have said that, even to scare him. She swears she did not arrange for him to be raped, and says she is so sorry. He says he is not sorry for setting her up for Clyde’s murder, DNA still trumps this hearsay confession. She asks where he got her blood, and he says that one he is taking to his grave. He pulls out a gun and points it at his own chin, but Benson yells "don’t" and manages to push the gun away before he can fire. The gun is knocked to the ground, and he calls her a bitch. They struggle and she manages to get her hands on the taser and zaps him in the back, knocking him to the ground.

Stabler comes into the room, gun drawn, asking if she is OK. With Brady's gun in her hand, she says she is OK. As Stabler cuffs Brady, she adds she thinks she is finally getting over this damn flu. He says good, she will get to meet the guy who helped set her up.

Back at SVU, Benson asks Joseph how many other innocent people like her did he set up? He says there is no law against what he did. Stabler says that when they raided his lab they found the bookkeeping and that he had other customers. Benson adds there are at least a dozen people standing trial, or are already in prison for crimes they did not commit because of his fabricated DNA. He says it is nothing personal, it is a brand new market, and he cornered it. She yells at him, asking if he knows what this means, and Stabler says every perp will claim their DNA was cooked up in a lab. Joseph said it is so easy, any biology undergraduate can do it, it is a whole new world. Benson looks stunned, and Joseph laughs, adding “Guess your free ride is over.” Both Stabler and Benson look concerned, as we fade to black.






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