Law & Order Franchise

I thought it was super cool when Carisi said in his closing argument that Megan was one of the strongest and most resilient victims he ever came across. That probably was the thing that convinced the jury. Him pointing out what the defense attorney did was a violation was true too.

Seriously, that was a majorly scuzzy move on that lawyer's part. She's awful.

Honestly, I think her husband sucks. It's nice he came around at the end, but he sucks for doubting her in the first place.

Solid episode with a good guest turn. 4 stars.

Deadlocked juries RARELY happen on this show, but I think it was the best-case-scenario here.

First of all, Stacy is guilty in the eyes of the law. The fact that Ryan is one of the most imperfect victims the show has ever produced doesn't change the fact that when Carisi gets her sobbing that he was 16, and she was 28, he's right. If not morally, than legally. Statutory rape is the crime a person should NEVER want to be charged with. Because there is no legal defense possible once the age is revealed.

It would have been SO much easier for her case if Ryan had deliberately drugged her. But it didn't seem that way.

Ryan isn't exactly a scumbag to me (he's just a kid) but he's the most imperfect victim I can think of. Frankly, I'm amazed Carisi brought Stacy to trial with that specific baggage. The thing this show refuses to get is how much discretion D.A.s have. They are not obligated to bring charges to every case, even one where a defendant is actually guilty. The absolute unwavering stances there the Law & Order franchise always takes are a bit ridiculous. There is a phrase "Not a jury in the world would convict them." And real-life D.A.s actually take that into account. And despite Stacy rejecting a plea deal, if I were Carisi, I would have let it end there. Especially because it's clear Ryan never wanted this, and his new possessive stepmom is, by God, taking some righteous Parental Initiative! She's calling Stacy a pedophile. Whatever else you want to say about the stepmom, she's dishonest. Just by saying that. And if she is dishonest about something that huge, JUST to bias the judge, why should her demanding this case move forward be taken seriously at all?

I mean Stacy's husband is throwing b.s. accusations that Ryan is a rapist himself, but the truth is the molly means he had a FAR better case for believing that untrue thing than the stepmom does her nonsense.

I hated Billy, but the fact that he's trying to stay in the marriage because he believes HE is the one who screwed up is a point in his favor. Wouldn't be the first instinct of another guy whose wife was charged with that. The lawyer was right to put him on the stand so he could say that.

The fact that Ryan had to do a rape kit makes the premise of the episode completely unusual.

Carisi is right that if you flipped the genders Ryan would be getting more sympathy. But if you had flipped the genders, the teen girl likely wouldn't be sharing ecstasy with the grown man without telling him.

I will say this. I LOVE Stacy's lawyer (who happened to be her brother-in-law). He is one of the best defense attorneys I have seen on this show because I don't ever feel he's arguing in bad faith to get a scumbag off the hook. The angry and pointed questions he asks Ryan feel like he's protecting his client who he genuinely believes has been mistreated, and even violated, even knowing she "cheated" on his brother. Upon the mistrial he hugs her at the end and says she's free, and it's over. And the episode ends when it does to show he's right. Because Carisi is not going to bother refiling those charges. Not after all that.

Carisi being amused he was her brother-in-law was pretty good, but when he was talking about the billboards he was on, I was envisioning a far shittier, scummier lawyer. The fact that he was so good and empathetic was a nice surprise for me and a bad one for Carisi.

At many points Carisi objected to his cross over "relevance" and I was like, "Really? You don't see how those specific questions could be relevant?" I mean, I know Carisi is just doing his job, and the questions asked really DID make Ryan look bad, but the judge says "Overruled," to every objection because she wasn't actually born yesterday.

When the defense lawyer withdraws one of his statements, I thought it was interesting, because nobody objected. He probably would have gotten away with it, but his complete professionalism kicked in, and he did it automatically. I mentioned I loved this guy, right?

I thought Bruno's confession to Liv was interesting, and I like his character when she asks him if he ever told anybody, he's like "Yes. You. Just now." Man, shit like that is why I like that character.

I think there WAS a way for Carisi to get her to accept the deal. And the show didn't do it because it wanted that messy trial. But she's like "I can't be put on the registry! My teaching career would be over!"

In real life it already would be just based on her being accused of that. The sex offender registry would not hurt her career any further. It would already be over. Unrealistic shit like that is why I don't like television.

Still, it was a pretty juicy episode. The hung jury was the best move because I would have been unhappy with BOTH a guilty OR not guilty verdict. Both verdicts seem right and wrong at the same time. So it's good the jury couldn't make up their minds either. 4 stars.

In earlier seasons, during the height of the Stabler era, the show would often have criminals say and do things that are so bugfuck crazy, you have to wonder how these psychos functioned in civilized society before they did the shit they were just caught for. These people are so fucking nuts they ought to be repeatedly publicly using their hands as toilet paper, and yet they somehow never set off ANY red flags to the many, MANY supposedly normal people in their lives they interacted with.

Pastor Caleb is an especially alarming level of toxic crazy. Him being in the profession he is is quite galling. Every inch of his behavior screams red flag.

His "bust" in the Church is one of the best the show ever did. I have to wonder what the fuck his parishioners were thinking as he ran out of the Church. It's SVU, so it doesn't do the fucking tired runner chase the Rick Eid televised abortion of a relaunch does every fucking week. But when he says in interrogation that God wanted him to do this, I was a little disappointed and miffed Liv didn't say to him, "Then why did you run?" If his actions were truly blessed and preordained, why did he run?

I'll tell you another thing that bothers me about his crazy. His lawyer is shitty. He says an incredibly stupid legal theory even for THIS franchise. He suggests his client at least sincerely believes this and nobody can disprove it. I'm like, that's the best you got? I'd be like, "Ladies and gentleman of the jury, my client is clearly not guilty by reason of insanity. Here, let me play this confession to prove he is totally bugfuck beyond a reasonable doubt." And you know what? That could have worked.

Of course, I bet Carisi (who isn't in the episode for budgetary reasons) would have been smart enough to ask if he truly believed his own bullshit, Why Did He Run?

Why did he run? Why did he run?

Because he's a rapist scumbag who wanted to rape an unconscious woman. Baby-making had NOTHING to do with it. Because if she hadn't caught pregnant he never would have been caught. And if he had PLANNED to impregnate her the entire time, Why Did He Run?

Here is what I like: The obnoxious doctor who refused a DNA swab is the best suspect we saw all episode. What I loved is the second Liv swabbed him, he drops the asshole routine. Says she's gonna be disappointed the swab won't match, and he visited Essie so often precisely BECAUSE Liv had gotten into his head. What an interesting arc for that character nobody ever noticed before. SVU does that sometimes, which is EXTREMELY rare in any non-genre show, and it's happened quite a few times too.

Even in these current seasons the show has its good share of scumbag criminals. But Pastor Caleb harkens back to the guys Stabler would constantly be giving the "Can you believe this shit?" look to every episode. I won't say I've missed villains like that. But I'll think it. The only flaw in the episode is it could have used some Chris Meloni side-eye. 4 1/2 stars.

What's interesting about the episode, to me at least, is that in that hostage situation a few weeks ago, I believed Dante's culpability was minimal. I believed the idea that he was being coerced and manipulated from all sides. I guess the fact that Carisi lied to him about having his back after the fact really negatively effected me. Carisi seemed a little annoyed with the idea that the defense might play The Race Card in prep, but the truth is Dante's race makes Carisi using him that way feel shitty. It always did.

But despite my bad feelings about that, when laid out at trial over what Dante did and did not choose to do, there's really no excuse. The D.A. who tried the case pointed out that if he was truly afraid of Boyd, he could have walked out to the police outside while he was in that cooler for 40 minutes.

No, Dante simply didn't care about Tess being raped, and thought his chances of getting out of this unscathed were better at Boyd's side.

The defense attorney Vaughn was a piece of work. There is no question he can frame a good argument, but the truth is he strikes me as utterly slimy and untrustworthy. And the would-be lawyer in prison made me think that's probably why Dante was drawn to him to begin with.

I have to say Velasco sucks at his job. His one job was to make sure Tess stayed in that hotel room, and she snuck by him. It didn't have the tragic ending the Mothershow always uses with cops failing to protect witnesses they swear up and down they will (they always wind up dead), but it's still annoying.

Carisi losing his cool in court was kind of amusing, but not remotely believable. I'm not saying the dude is unflappable, but he's been portrayed as a decent lawyer, and decent lawyers don't do that shit. They made his character less believable to amp up the drama. Not good.

I will close with something nice. Oftentimes SVU will take an "arc" that lasts multiple episodes, and stretch it out over an entire season, which is, pardon my French, annoying as fuck. Especially on a weekly procedural franchise like this one. I have a sneaking suspicion an earlier season would have Dante found not guilty and and would have had him keep showing up as a repeated thorn in SVU's side, including in some quite legally preposterous ways. I think Liv's arc last season with the missing girl got SO much negative feedback that SVU probably won't be doing that shit again anytime soon, but it's not like that was remotely the first and only time the show did it, and in such a fucking ridiculous fashion.

One thing about the verdict I don't get. I don't get how he was found not guilty as an accomplice on the rape. Granted, it was the weakest of the charges, but he was found guilty on everything else, and it's obvious the D.A. struck a chord with her line of questioning. If I were on that jury, and only knew the testimony I had heard in that courtroom, I would have found him guilty of the rape too.

I will live with this being the outcome. SVU has a bad tendency to milk it whenever one of the series regulars either becomes a big part of the case or is an actual victim. Glad this show is quitting this while they're ahead. They might not have in an earlier season. 3 1/2 stars.

I've mentioned in previous reviews that D.A.s have discretion on what to charge. Angela is guilty of a horrific crime, and totally unrepentant. And yet Carisi gets her a plea without jailtime.

This happens a lot in similar circumstances, but I wish the franchise were more consistent about these things from episode to episode. The left hand doesn't always seem to know what the right is doing.

Erik Palladino had a recurring role on the show over 20 years ago as a detective, and it ALWAYS jars me that Law & Order always brings back major actors in different roles. I like his role here as the father though. He's extremely tough (I kind of love how he's actually upset at his son for lying to the police and wants him to tell the truth) and he handles the revelation about the abuse better than you'd think a guy like that would.

I hate runners, but in fairness, that was a pretty good use of the trope, and everybody was applauding Curry, so it was at least kind of funny.

Bruno says a horrible true thing about what he'd do if that was his kid, Finn's all "I feel you," and Bruno's like "I'm a cop. You shouldn't be agreeing with me." It reminds the viewer the actual reason Bruno was rich is he absolutely refused to cover for corruption in his former department. I was like, "Oh, yeah. This is an actual law-abiding cop. I totally forgot those existed."

My favorite moment was at the end when Sam asked Bruno if his future was Angela's, basically doomed to hurt other people. And damn, that's scary to think about. I will say this. He has something Angela didn't. People believe him. It's amazing this show has been on the air for over 30 years, and Liv makes the observation that 20 years ago, people like Eddie got away with shit like this because juries didn't understand sex abuse or what it does to memories and timelines. And I'm thinking maybe one of the reasons society understands that a little better might actually be SVU having been on the air for so long. That's a real-world answer to a fictitious idea, but yeah. I think Glee had a LOT to do with people accepting gayness in a way no other projects did. I think the same is probably true for the way SVU has informed people about sex abuse (minus the dark years Rick Eid was showrunner).

I thought it was good, and the lady who played Angela did a dynamite job. I sympathized with her greatly, but I also feared her, which is great. 4 stars.

I hate this show and only watched it for the crossover. My hatred is so deep I don't want to spend too much time on this review. I'll get too angry.

This shit episode was written by Rick Eid and Art Alamo, the two worst writers on the show. As far as crossovers go, it's a total fucking failure. Crossovers need to put their best foot forward for somebody who only watches one of the two shows. They are designed to get other people interested in the show they don't watch. For me, it's this show because it's such a fucking toxic trainwreck every week. Leave it to Eid to kill off the beloved SVU character of Maria. This episode also engages in the Mothershow's epic bad policework, this time involving SVU detectives. From Liv Benson stupidly losing track of Anna, to Bruno "Being made" without ever once acting like he wasn't a cop, it pisses me off this televised abortion's shitty writing affect characters I actually give a shit about.

This is my first introduction to Brady. And I don't just dislike her because Liv instantly seems to. Like Liv, I blame her incompetence for Maria getting killed. She is legit sucky at the Job, from escalating a situation Liv was trying to calm down, to threatening a sexual assault victim. And the ICE raid during the teaser is pretty much the best example I could ever give about why I don't watch and tolerate this shit anymore.

I don't expect the SVU conclusion to be great (this episode has given it little to work with). But I expect it will be a pretty normal, standard hour of television that doesn't make me pissed off beyond all belief like this just did. I'm disgusted and I fucking hate these crossovers. 0 stars.

Stabler's cameo was awesome. What a great use for him.

Cassie's life is not blown up at the end because unlike the Mothershow this one is not written by total sociopaths.

Honestly, it was just passable. Probably because it was anchored to the shitty first part and couldn't be anything better. I'm actually just glad this is over. 3 stars.

It's the SVU guy in him. Once they start messing with sex trafficking and killing little kids Stabler doesn't give a FUCK about the undercover assignment.

Speaking of which first "fuck" and "shit" in the entire Law & Order franchise. Not sure how to feel about that.

Sort of paused on the Joe Jr. stuff, but at least it hasn't been forgotten.

Dean Norris now a series regular.

Stabler's stuff with Bunny is SO good. He is SO good with kids.

I missed this show. 4 stars.

The ending suggests supernatural elements. Not ENTIRELY a first for the franchise (see the ending to Homicide: The Movie) but the first time it's happened on a Law & Order show.

I actually thought it was pretty great. Randall's stuff at Elliot's bedside was really cool as was Bernadette's. I really liked the episode. 4 stars.

I loved Randall laughing at the doll. "He's got your head. Mind your own business."

Is Jet really leaving? I know there's turnover on Law & Order shows but she's kind of a staple.

That ending was predictable but still somehow shocking. The villains are not supposed to do that!

Good episode. 4 stars.

That ending was a fustercluck. I REALLY don't like Eli Stabler. He just made things a thousand times more complicated for his father.

To join the gang Reyes has to get the shit beat out of him. Aren't people the stupidest? This is why I hate people.

Sometimes I hate television too.

Thinking more on this and I'm genuinely upset. Because it's fucking stupid. What are the odds it's Eli who enters the building and shoots THAT specific kid? The franchise was very well regarded in the earlier days for taking an entirely measured and realistic approach to policework and courtrooms. Somewhere along the way the Mothershow and SVU became "Ripped From The Headlines" trashy tabloid fodder. But I liked this show because the characters and the things they were going through felt more grounded and believable. Shit like this is ridiculous.

I have a saying. Every great TV show is two bad episodes in a row away from becoming an irreparably terrible TV show. This episode was NOT that cautionary first bad episode. But it's one of those episodes that could and probably WILL lead to that. This was frankly the most worrying thing I've ever seen from the show, and even if those two bad episodes occur later on in the season, I will still consider this one the shark jump. 1 star.

The very nature of the show means it's sometimes going to be upsetting.

This was TOO upsetting. This went TOO far. I am very disturbed and a little disgusted. I find this show has value for the positive moral judgments it places on the people fighting evil. This was simply too much evil.

I couldn't stand it. I couldn't take it.

I like that about me. 1 star.

Good ending. This didn't exactly walk back last week, but we're further away from the dreaded two bad episodes in a row than we were. Which is good.

When Eli is asked if he identified himself you realize it WAS a bad shooting.

I love his girlfriend telling Elliot she hopes he's kicked out because he doesn't want this. I believe her.

Randall's stuff with Vargas was fun.

Back on track (I think). 4 stars.

This was a pretty heinous week with a pretty heinous suspect.

I'll say this though. I never trusted Atlas. I was praying my distrust of him was wrong but damn, that's sick.

I don't much like the mother either. She's all "I have to focus on my son," instead of "I have to disown my son." I thought she might have been all right when she angrily tells him he ruined their family, but nope. She sucks and is an enabler.

I can't get over him beating his father for something he knew he himself did. How sick is this kid?

The mother says he won't survive in prison. She's right. And that makes me feel the tiniest crumb of sympathy for him, which makes me feel incredibly guilty. I love Liv telling him the next time he'll hear his sister's voice is in court.

Something about this season I've noticed is it's gotten back to the sensibility of the earlier seasons in having truly horrific crimes and suspects. Not every week, but recent seasons of the show have been more grounded and realistic. I didn't exactly MISS this kind of storytelling, but it was kind of riveting in the same way a car wreck is. I kind of couldn't look away. 3 1/2 stars.