This is a set of reviews of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I’ll often do no more than make brief notes about an episode, although occasionally I’ll go deeper. Also, often there are dissenting main characters on almost any political issue, but you can usually tell what the general position of the show is. All the rest of the reviews are available by clicking on the l&osvu label at the bottom.
“Making a Rapist” Season 18. Wikipedia summary is: “When a DNA rape kit is tested 16 years later, the man originally convicted of the crime, Sean Roberts (Henry Thomas), is released from prison. He befriends the victim and her daughter (Alexis Collins), being invited to the daughter's wedding. One month after Roberts' release, the daughter is found raped and murdered with evidence pointing to him. Meanwhile, Fin Tutuola is accused of framing Roberts as payback for tarnishing his arrest record, having been the original arresting officer. Vice President Joe Biden makes a cameo appearance in the cold open.”
Biden’s cameo is worth noting. He’s a pretty good Dem, what I would call a moderate liberal (see this for my thoughts on the word “liberal”). I am going to vote for him in the fairly solid Dem state of Colorado. As I wrote in most of a post here, I think he might be guilty of sexually assaulting Tara Reade. I’m going to vote for him anyway because A) CO is not too far from being a swing state (and I would like him to do well in the popular vote), B) he might be innocent, and C) even if he's guilty, he is still better than Trump in every way, including when it comes to sexual assault, (Trump has been accused of assaulting several women and has even bragged about it).
“Broken Rhymes” Season 18. Wikipedia summary is: “After a transgender individual (Sabel Gonzales) is assaulted in a public bathroom, SVU questions the CEO of a record label (Wyclef Jean) who may be linked to the assault. The case is initially believed to be a hate crime, but things take a twist when the prime suspect reveals his connection to the victim and several people are found brutally murdered. With the victim's life on the line, things eventually become very intense for both the detectives and the suspects.”
This is about transphobia. It is almost the first time I have touched on that on this blog and I need to get some things off my chest. Until about 5-10 years ago I frequently laughed at the the relatively harmless but still offensive jokes about transgender people that pepper popular culture in this country. In 2001, while helping to lead a coalition of student groups that were helping faculty and staff at the University of Colorado get domestic partner benefits, I didn’t value the importance of getting CU to offer equality to transgender staff and faculty. That was influenced by the fact that we (the coalition) were not steering events- we were formed the day before the Regents started discussing a measure to add sexual orientation to CU’s non-discrimination policy and were scrambling to organize support for that on the CU-Boulder campus. Some of our partners in the student LGBTQ community attacked me over this but it was partly a misunderstanding and partly, in hind-sight, that I simply didn’t value that issue very much- a third element is that we probably couldn’t have gotten the Regent who sponsored the measure to add the TQ in LGBTQ to his measure and if we had, it probably would have failed. To some extent the broad movement for LGBTQ equality had to decide if the LGB had to wait for equality until the TQ was also going to be included. As embarrassed as I am by my past failure as an ally to reject transphobia, I also don’t think that the LGB should wait. Supporting the measure the Regents were discussing was the right thing to do.
In early 2002 I started to educate myself. I learned that the unemployment rate for transgender people was something like 80%. Sometime around 2010 I learned, from this TV show, more about how much lethal violence there is directed towards transgender people. Around 2010 or 2015 I started to become sensitive to to transphobia in popular culture. In 2003 I included pro-transgender language in a political statement for the group Students for Justice in N. Ireland but I probably did a bad job of it and left out certain words or something. In the last 10 years I have had a few acquaintances who are transgender and once spoke out against a mildly anti-transgender statement.
“Chasing Theo” Season 18. Wikipedia summary is: “A six-year-old boy is abducted from his bedroom after his mother (Rachelle Lefevre) throws a wild party with drugs involved. The case brings forward several suspects and the detectives are led to multiple locations and tip-offs. The case becomes distressing for Rollins and Benson, both mothers. As hours go by, the squad becomes desperate to find the boy, which makes the mother and her ex-girlfriend fret. Meanwhile, Benson breaks up with Tucker after several days of thinking, breaking both her and Tucker's hearts.”
The child’s mother is a woman who is a white lesbian dating an Asian-American woman.
“No Surrender” season 18. Wikipedia summary is: “Fin revisits his military roots when a fellow Army Ranger (Sarah Booth) is the victim of sexual assault and does not handle it well. SVU is soon called in to assist and it is revealed that the woman was sexually assaulted after a party she threw. The case becomes difficult when the victim refuses to cooperate and Olivia and Fin become convinced that the rapist is someone against her being a Ranger, but the rapist turns out to be someone unexpected after a secret is revealed.”
This is partly about women in the military. Although I’m not a fan of the US military (I almost always politically object to the missions they’re given and I think there is a casual attitude about civilian death) I also believe that in at least two cases the US military did a good thing (the Civil War and World War II), and that they’re capable of doing the right thing, and that there are a lot of good people in the US military. With that in mind, I am concerned about equality for women in the military. I think that they should have it and that means integrating them fully into all units of the Army and Marines. I don’t know how many women will meet the physical requirements that the men have to in order to be, for example, in the infantry, but those who do should be made to feel welcome.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Roseanne Reviews L
This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
“Scenes From a Barbecue” Episode 24, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners hold a Mother's Day barbecue at which feisty Nana Mary exerts her motherhood muscle on Bev, surprising Roseanne and Jackie with how alike their relationships are.”
Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 50% were by people of color.
“The Pied Piper of Lanford” Episode 25, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan ponder opening a motorcycle shop with their friend, Ziggy. Ziggy gets cold feet at the last minute but leaves behind a generous token of gratitude: $20,000. Brad Garrett appears in this episode.”
Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Why Jackie Becomes a Trucker” Epiosde 3 Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie is horrified to wake up in bed with Arnie after a drunken fling. Roseanne tries endlessly to return DJ's new dog to its owner. Dan and his pals discover Leon's gay when they invite him to their poker game. Jackie decides to start a new career as a professional truck driver.”
First, out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 30% are by people of color.
Second, although I have decided to not offer notes about gay characters like the note I just made above about people of color, I am going to occasionally comment on their presence on the show. In this episode Leon plays poker with Dan and his friends and lets them know that he’s gay when they assume he's straight. Their response is positive but of course a bit flawed. One guy says that he knows a gay man in Chicago and asks Leon if he knows the man.
“Tolerate Thy Neighbor” Episode 5, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne witnesses the Bowmans' possessions being donated to what she believes is charity while the Bowmans are out-of-town. Kathy Bowman is furious that Roseanne watched without realizing the house was being robbed. Bob Hope makes a cameo appearance during the end credits of this episode.”
There’s a lot of pro-LGB stuff in this episode. Leon’s boyfriend shows up at his work and Roseanne encourages Leon to let him stay at home while Leon’s mom visits- usually the boyfriend leaves when that happens. Jackie says that if she were gay she would tell her parents.
Out of about 55-60 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by a person of color.
“Trick me up, trick me down” Episode 6, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “When Dan and Roseanne play a gruesome Halloween prank on Kathy Bowman, Roseanne is worried that Kathy will get revenge. Her fears turned out to be for naught as Kathy wants nothing to do with Roseanne and her childish pranks. At the lodge's Halloween party, Jackie discovers that the moose she has been flirting with is Booker, her former boyfriend.”
Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 15% were by people of color.
“Scenes From a Barbecue” Episode 24, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners hold a Mother's Day barbecue at which feisty Nana Mary exerts her motherhood muscle on Bev, surprising Roseanne and Jackie with how alike their relationships are.”
Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 50% were by people of color.
“The Pied Piper of Lanford” Episode 25, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan ponder opening a motorcycle shop with their friend, Ziggy. Ziggy gets cold feet at the last minute but leaves behind a generous token of gratitude: $20,000. Brad Garrett appears in this episode.”
Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Why Jackie Becomes a Trucker” Epiosde 3 Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie is horrified to wake up in bed with Arnie after a drunken fling. Roseanne tries endlessly to return DJ's new dog to its owner. Dan and his pals discover Leon's gay when they invite him to their poker game. Jackie decides to start a new career as a professional truck driver.”
First, out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 30% are by people of color.
Second, although I have decided to not offer notes about gay characters like the note I just made above about people of color, I am going to occasionally comment on their presence on the show. In this episode Leon plays poker with Dan and his friends and lets them know that he’s gay when they assume he's straight. Their response is positive but of course a bit flawed. One guy says that he knows a gay man in Chicago and asks Leon if he knows the man.
“Tolerate Thy Neighbor” Episode 5, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne witnesses the Bowmans' possessions being donated to what she believes is charity while the Bowmans are out-of-town. Kathy Bowman is furious that Roseanne watched without realizing the house was being robbed. Bob Hope makes a cameo appearance during the end credits of this episode.”
There’s a lot of pro-LGB stuff in this episode. Leon’s boyfriend shows up at his work and Roseanne encourages Leon to let him stay at home while Leon’s mom visits- usually the boyfriend leaves when that happens. Jackie says that if she were gay she would tell her parents.
Out of about 55-60 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by a person of color.
“Trick me up, trick me down” Episode 6, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “When Dan and Roseanne play a gruesome Halloween prank on Kathy Bowman, Roseanne is worried that Kathy will get revenge. Her fears turned out to be for naught as Kathy wants nothing to do with Roseanne and her childish pranks. At the lodge's Halloween party, Jackie discovers that the moose she has been flirting with is Booker, her former boyfriend.”
Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 15% were by people of color.
Monday, September 14, 2020
Law and Order SVU Reviews I
This is a set of reviews of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I’ll often do no more than make brief notes about an episode, although occasionally I’ll go deeper. Also, often there are dissenting main characters on almost any political issue, but you can usually tell what the general position of the show is. All the rest of the reviews are available by clicking on the l&osvu label at the bottom.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Street Revenge” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “A string of rapes in West Soho inspires a group of vigilantes to organize against both neighborhood crime and the NYPD. While a reporter (Gavin Lee) takes every opportunity to publicly criticize police efforts, the squad struggles to find a lead in the case until one of the vigilantes (Hani Furstenberg) is attacked and another (Keir O'Donnell) claims to be in love with her. As Cragen and Benson fight for control over the investigation, Amaro becomes sidetracked with his wife's involvement with a man from her unit in Iraq.”
There’s a critical reference to the NYPD’s old policy of “Stop and Frisk,” a policy of frequently searching people on the street that resulted in Black and Latino people being searched disproportionately, which lead to it being declared unconstitutional and stopped. There’s also a weak statement against the murderer of Trayvon Martin, the Black teenager killed in Florida 2012 by a white man. It's a weak statement because it didn’t say anything about the racial nature of the crime. But it’s still better than nothing.
“Father Dearest” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “Benson and Amaro investigate the disappearance of a teenaged girl named Cate Avery (Shannon Maree Walsh) after her young brother (Jake Katzman) calls 9-1-1. While Tutuola and Rollins look into a possible abduction, they discover the girl had been searching for her biological father, an anonymous sperm donor (Eric Close). The investigation takes a startling turn when a suspect (James Van Der Beek) is found to be targeting several young, vulnerable women, all with the same personal connection. The returning Dr. Huang (BD Wong) must delve into the suspect's past to save the other women in similar situations.”
Although it might have been mentioned in an earlier episode, this is the first I remember hearing that the character Dr. Huang (an FBI forensic psychiatrist who was a main character seasons 4-12 and who showed up here and there before season 4 and since season 12) is gay. The actor is gay, but I must have missed this when I first watched this episode about 10 years ago. It’s pretty significant that such a high profile character is gay.
“Learning Curve” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “As Tutuola's son Ken (Ernest Waddell) seeks out Munch's help to tell his father that he is getting married, his fiancé (Miguel Govea) is brutally assaulted by a local street gang. He becomes the latest in a string of recent hate crimes against gay men, and before SVU can make an arrest, a school teacher (Tony Hale) is similarly brutalized even though he does not fit the pattern. As the detectives search for a connection, they learn that he was dismissed from an elite private school for having an inappropriate relationship with a student (Dylan Minnette). In trying to help Cabot make her case, they quickly realize that the facts do not add up and that another teacher (Jane Adams) may hold the clues to what really happened.”
This episode is largely about homophobia.
“Strange Beauty” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “While off-duty, Rollins spots a young woman (Morgan Lynch) screaming in the back of a moving taxi. The unit quickly identifies the victim as a rebellious teenager, estranged from her family and experimenting in the world of tattoos and self-mutilation. The case takes an unexpected turn when Dr. Warner presents the detectives with a cleanly severed leg, reminiscent of a similar finding in an old unsolved case. The detectives are drawn into the psychological elements of self-mutilation and ritual amputation as they investigate two brothers (David Eigenberg and Patrick Fischler) and a one-legged acquaintance of theirs (Britt Lower) in order to link the cases and find the missing woman.”
One of the suspects, the innocent one, is a gay man
“Terrorized” season 18. Wikipedia summary is: “When Lt. Benson finds a boy alone in Central Park, he draws a gun on her. The SVU team finds the boy's parents as they execute a planned terrorist attack at the park. When the father is killed by police in a shootout in Central Park during an event, the boy's mother (Natia Dune) says that she was forced to carry out the attack, as she was raped and beaten for five years by the father and his brother. Benson and Barba are at odds over the mother's claims, with Benson pushing for leniency. Meanwhile, a distraught Deputy Chief Dodds accuses Benson of getting his son killed. “
At one point a building super says something anti-immigrant and Finn says something critical of that comment.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Street Revenge” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “A string of rapes in West Soho inspires a group of vigilantes to organize against both neighborhood crime and the NYPD. While a reporter (Gavin Lee) takes every opportunity to publicly criticize police efforts, the squad struggles to find a lead in the case until one of the vigilantes (Hani Furstenberg) is attacked and another (Keir O'Donnell) claims to be in love with her. As Cragen and Benson fight for control over the investigation, Amaro becomes sidetracked with his wife's involvement with a man from her unit in Iraq.”
There’s a critical reference to the NYPD’s old policy of “Stop and Frisk,” a policy of frequently searching people on the street that resulted in Black and Latino people being searched disproportionately, which lead to it being declared unconstitutional and stopped. There’s also a weak statement against the murderer of Trayvon Martin, the Black teenager killed in Florida 2012 by a white man. It's a weak statement because it didn’t say anything about the racial nature of the crime. But it’s still better than nothing.
“Father Dearest” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “Benson and Amaro investigate the disappearance of a teenaged girl named Cate Avery (Shannon Maree Walsh) after her young brother (Jake Katzman) calls 9-1-1. While Tutuola and Rollins look into a possible abduction, they discover the girl had been searching for her biological father, an anonymous sperm donor (Eric Close). The investigation takes a startling turn when a suspect (James Van Der Beek) is found to be targeting several young, vulnerable women, all with the same personal connection. The returning Dr. Huang (BD Wong) must delve into the suspect's past to save the other women in similar situations.”
Although it might have been mentioned in an earlier episode, this is the first I remember hearing that the character Dr. Huang (an FBI forensic psychiatrist who was a main character seasons 4-12 and who showed up here and there before season 4 and since season 12) is gay. The actor is gay, but I must have missed this when I first watched this episode about 10 years ago. It’s pretty significant that such a high profile character is gay.
“Learning Curve” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “As Tutuola's son Ken (Ernest Waddell) seeks out Munch's help to tell his father that he is getting married, his fiancé (Miguel Govea) is brutally assaulted by a local street gang. He becomes the latest in a string of recent hate crimes against gay men, and before SVU can make an arrest, a school teacher (Tony Hale) is similarly brutalized even though he does not fit the pattern. As the detectives search for a connection, they learn that he was dismissed from an elite private school for having an inappropriate relationship with a student (Dylan Minnette). In trying to help Cabot make her case, they quickly realize that the facts do not add up and that another teacher (Jane Adams) may hold the clues to what really happened.”
This episode is largely about homophobia.
“Strange Beauty” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “While off-duty, Rollins spots a young woman (Morgan Lynch) screaming in the back of a moving taxi. The unit quickly identifies the victim as a rebellious teenager, estranged from her family and experimenting in the world of tattoos and self-mutilation. The case takes an unexpected turn when Dr. Warner presents the detectives with a cleanly severed leg, reminiscent of a similar finding in an old unsolved case. The detectives are drawn into the psychological elements of self-mutilation and ritual amputation as they investigate two brothers (David Eigenberg and Patrick Fischler) and a one-legged acquaintance of theirs (Britt Lower) in order to link the cases and find the missing woman.”
One of the suspects, the innocent one, is a gay man
“Terrorized” season 18. Wikipedia summary is: “When Lt. Benson finds a boy alone in Central Park, he draws a gun on her. The SVU team finds the boy's parents as they execute a planned terrorist attack at the park. When the father is killed by police in a shootout in Central Park during an event, the boy's mother (Natia Dune) says that she was forced to carry out the attack, as she was raped and beaten for five years by the father and his brother. Benson and Barba are at odds over the mother's claims, with Benson pushing for leniency. Meanwhile, a distraught Deputy Chief Dodds accuses Benson of getting his son killed. “
At one point a building super says something anti-immigrant and Finn says something critical of that comment.
Roseanne Reviews K
This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
“Valentine’s Day” Episode 17, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne anticipates a special Valentine's Day gift from Dan; Darlene is disappointed when her crush instead invites Becky to a school dance. First appearance of Martin Mull as Leon, Roseanne's new boss, and Bonnie Sheridan as Bonnie, the new waitress at the diner.”
Of about 30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Communicable Theater” Episode 18, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is “Roseanne lends more than moral support when Jackie lands a part in the community-theater presentation of “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Jackie finds herself unprepared when she has to step in for the sick lead actress.”
Of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Vegas Interruptus” Episode 19, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “A snowstorm threatens Roseanne and Dan's trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, but saves Roseanne's job.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Troubles with the Rubbles” Episode 21, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne meets her new neighbors, Kathy and Jerry Bowman and their young son, Todd. Kathy is snobby and aloof to Roseanne, while Jerry and Dan hit it off, and D.J. and Todd become fast friends. After a particularly nasty argument with Kathy, Roseanne has to eat some crow for D.J.'s sake.”
Out of about 35-40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Dances With Darlene” episode 23, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “When Darlene is invited to the school dance, Roseanne brings home fancy dresses for her to try on, annoying Darlene. Meanwhile, it is evaluation time at work for Roseanne and Bonnie, but the inspector seems more interested in seducing Leon. Roseanne and Bonnie learn that Leon is gay when his boyfriend stops by the restaurant.”
In this episode we learn that Leon is gay. Although during his first several appearances he and Roseanne are definitely in conflict, he is not a “bad guy” and eventually becomes close to Roseanne and her family. This was around 1991 and was a pretty big step forward for efforts to oppose homophobia.
Out of about 25-30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Valentine’s Day” Episode 17, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne anticipates a special Valentine's Day gift from Dan; Darlene is disappointed when her crush instead invites Becky to a school dance. First appearance of Martin Mull as Leon, Roseanne's new boss, and Bonnie Sheridan as Bonnie, the new waitress at the diner.”
Of about 30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Communicable Theater” Episode 18, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is “Roseanne lends more than moral support when Jackie lands a part in the community-theater presentation of “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Jackie finds herself unprepared when she has to step in for the sick lead actress.”
Of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Vegas Interruptus” Episode 19, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “A snowstorm threatens Roseanne and Dan's trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, but saves Roseanne's job.”
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Troubles with the Rubbles” Episode 21, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne meets her new neighbors, Kathy and Jerry Bowman and their young son, Todd. Kathy is snobby and aloof to Roseanne, while Jerry and Dan hit it off, and D.J. and Todd become fast friends. After a particularly nasty argument with Kathy, Roseanne has to eat some crow for D.J.'s sake.”
Out of about 35-40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Dances With Darlene” episode 23, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “When Darlene is invited to the school dance, Roseanne brings home fancy dresses for her to try on, annoying Darlene. Meanwhile, it is evaluation time at work for Roseanne and Bonnie, but the inspector seems more interested in seducing Leon. Roseanne and Bonnie learn that Leon is gay when his boyfriend stops by the restaurant.”
In this episode we learn that Leon is gay. Although during his first several appearances he and Roseanne are definitely in conflict, he is not a “bad guy” and eventually becomes close to Roseanne and her family. This was around 1991 and was a pretty big step forward for efforts to oppose homophobia.
Out of about 25-30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
Friday, September 11, 2020
Law and Order SVU Reviews H
This is a set of reviews of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I’ll often do no more than make brief notes about an episode, although occasionally I’ll go deeper. Also, often there are dissenting main characters on almost any political issue, but you can usually tell what the general position of the show is. All the rest of the reviews are available by clicking on the l&osvu label at the bottom.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Scorched Earth” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “The detectives of the Special Victims Unit are called to the scene when a hotel maid (Anika Noni Rose) reports being assaulted by an Italian diplomat (Franco Nero). Bureau Chief ADA Cutter and ADA Cabot prosecute the high-profile case, which quickly grows more complicated as the maid's credibility is publicly questioned. Detective Amanda Rollins joins the Manhattan SVU from Atlanta, while Detective Benson struggles to cope with the fall-out from the shooting in the precinct.
Inspired by the New York v. Strauss-Kahn case.”
There’s a lot of stuff about the Sudan that I’m going to ignore because I don’t know which conflict it’s about and I’m no longer familiar at all with any of them. There is some good class stuff. The rapist says about the charges against him: “on the word of a maid?” and Finn says “my grandmother was a maid.”
“Personal Fouls” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “As a long time coach (Dan Lauria) is inducted to the Metro Basketball Hall of Fame by former students, an ex-player (Aaron Tveit) accuses the coach of sexually abusing him as a child. Detective Nick Amaro transfers into the SVU squad from narcotics and is thrown onto the case. The detectives interview former players but no one admits to abuse, forcing Detectives Benson and Tutuola to dig deeper into the coach's most successful player (Mehcad Brooks) and his manager (Heavy D).”
There’s one significant anti-homophobic statement by Finn and Rollins (Finn mentions that his son is gay and is the bravest man he knows for being out), with Finn saying that it’s still a big problem in the Black and Latino communities. I’m not sure why it is worse in those communities but I’ve gotten that impression before. I think it might be the strength of homophobic churches in such communities.
“Official Story” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “The CEO (John Doman) of a private military contractor is confronted by Occupy Wall Street protesters and later found drugged and sexually assaulted in a park. Benson and Amaro begin their investigation, but find the victim unwilling to cooperate. A much larger crime and conspiracy in Iraq is unveiled when the SVU squad and the new Executive ADA, David Haden (Harry Connick, Jr.), learn that the attack was retribution by a father (Holt McCallany) for the rape of his daughter (Megan Ketch). Meanwhile, Benson begins to develop feelings for Haden as they work the case.”
This is an episode where a corporation becomes the bad guy, and even better, it’s one taking over military functions from the military, something that I oppose. It’s responsible for a horrible crime and and is referred to as being “above the law” and commits serious crimes in its efforts to cover-up its original crime.
“Child’s Welfare” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “Benson's half-brother Simon Marsden (Michael Weston) turns up in New York after a five-year absence and says that Child Services is threatening to take his children away from him. Benson asks defense attorney Bayard Ellis to represent her brother, but the seemingly simple case turns into a disaster for Ellis and his client. As Olivia tries to balance her personal life, the unit lands a case where a homeless couple finds a newborn baby abandoned near a hospital. Munch, Tutuola, Amaro and Rollins follow the evidence to a shocking discovery: a couple (Danielle Straastkad and Graham Anderson) abducting women and imprisoning them so they can give birth to girls, while abandoning boy babies.”
The part of the episode about Benson’s half-brother is anti-racist because he’s married to a black woman (and is the step-father of her son and the father of her daughter) and that plays a role in his problems. His problems with social services begin when he is stopped for a traffic issue and the police officer learns that he has a joint on him, and there’s a pattern of non-white people getting treated more harshly in that situation than white people are. There’s also a judge with a similar attitude. There’s even talk by a civil rights attorney about a class-action lawsuit in relation to part of this.
“Justice Denied” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “A rape victim (Cynthia LaForte) is brought to the hospital after a harrowing hours-long ordeal, and Benson recognizes the suspect's M.O. from a case she solved eight years ago. The jailed suspect (Guillermo Diaz) confessed to Benson after a tough interrogation in 2004, but has been claiming his innocence ever since his conviction. The SVU is forced to reopen Benson's old case to determine if they are dealing with a copycat or a case of wrongful imprisonment. Re-interviewing a past victim (Samantha Soule) reveals that she may have been raped by someone else, causing Benson's detective work to be challenged and scrutinized. Olivia's personal relationship with Haden is also placed in jeopardy when Bayard Ellis gets involved with the case.”
It turns out that the man originally convicted IS innocent. It’s an important episode because it shows that even good detectives like the characters on this show can get innocent people prosecuted and convicted. On the other hand, it wasn’t done intentionally and I’m sure that sometimes that happens, but of course with a TV show like this there’s no way that Benson would do that. It reminds me of the John Grisham book “The Confession” about a man wrongfully convicted and executed based on a confession that was gotten after several hours of questionable interrogation techniques. Apparently the police can lie to people they’re interrogating. Although I’ve heard of worse, that seems very questionable, if not just wrong- it seems like the goal is to manipulate someone into a confession based on nothing but the suspect allegedly having motive instead of sorting out the facts and determining guilt (in this episode they did have other evidence, but in the Grisham book all they had was an alleged motive). At the very least I would say it should be done sparingly and there should be publicly-known criteria for when it can be done. In the Grisham book it was wrong. I wonder how often rich people with a team of high quality lawyers are wrongfully convicted? I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the time when someone is wrongfully convicted they have a public defender.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Scorched Earth” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “The detectives of the Special Victims Unit are called to the scene when a hotel maid (Anika Noni Rose) reports being assaulted by an Italian diplomat (Franco Nero). Bureau Chief ADA Cutter and ADA Cabot prosecute the high-profile case, which quickly grows more complicated as the maid's credibility is publicly questioned. Detective Amanda Rollins joins the Manhattan SVU from Atlanta, while Detective Benson struggles to cope with the fall-out from the shooting in the precinct.
Inspired by the New York v. Strauss-Kahn case.”
There’s a lot of stuff about the Sudan that I’m going to ignore because I don’t know which conflict it’s about and I’m no longer familiar at all with any of them. There is some good class stuff. The rapist says about the charges against him: “on the word of a maid?” and Finn says “my grandmother was a maid.”
“Personal Fouls” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “As a long time coach (Dan Lauria) is inducted to the Metro Basketball Hall of Fame by former students, an ex-player (Aaron Tveit) accuses the coach of sexually abusing him as a child. Detective Nick Amaro transfers into the SVU squad from narcotics and is thrown onto the case. The detectives interview former players but no one admits to abuse, forcing Detectives Benson and Tutuola to dig deeper into the coach's most successful player (Mehcad Brooks) and his manager (Heavy D).”
There’s one significant anti-homophobic statement by Finn and Rollins (Finn mentions that his son is gay and is the bravest man he knows for being out), with Finn saying that it’s still a big problem in the Black and Latino communities. I’m not sure why it is worse in those communities but I’ve gotten that impression before. I think it might be the strength of homophobic churches in such communities.
“Official Story” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “The CEO (John Doman) of a private military contractor is confronted by Occupy Wall Street protesters and later found drugged and sexually assaulted in a park. Benson and Amaro begin their investigation, but find the victim unwilling to cooperate. A much larger crime and conspiracy in Iraq is unveiled when the SVU squad and the new Executive ADA, David Haden (Harry Connick, Jr.), learn that the attack was retribution by a father (Holt McCallany) for the rape of his daughter (Megan Ketch). Meanwhile, Benson begins to develop feelings for Haden as they work the case.”
This is an episode where a corporation becomes the bad guy, and even better, it’s one taking over military functions from the military, something that I oppose. It’s responsible for a horrible crime and and is referred to as being “above the law” and commits serious crimes in its efforts to cover-up its original crime.
“Child’s Welfare” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “Benson's half-brother Simon Marsden (Michael Weston) turns up in New York after a five-year absence and says that Child Services is threatening to take his children away from him. Benson asks defense attorney Bayard Ellis to represent her brother, but the seemingly simple case turns into a disaster for Ellis and his client. As Olivia tries to balance her personal life, the unit lands a case where a homeless couple finds a newborn baby abandoned near a hospital. Munch, Tutuola, Amaro and Rollins follow the evidence to a shocking discovery: a couple (Danielle Straastkad and Graham Anderson) abducting women and imprisoning them so they can give birth to girls, while abandoning boy babies.”
The part of the episode about Benson’s half-brother is anti-racist because he’s married to a black woman (and is the step-father of her son and the father of her daughter) and that plays a role in his problems. His problems with social services begin when he is stopped for a traffic issue and the police officer learns that he has a joint on him, and there’s a pattern of non-white people getting treated more harshly in that situation than white people are. There’s also a judge with a similar attitude. There’s even talk by a civil rights attorney about a class-action lawsuit in relation to part of this.
“Justice Denied” Season 13. Wikipedia summary is: “A rape victim (Cynthia LaForte) is brought to the hospital after a harrowing hours-long ordeal, and Benson recognizes the suspect's M.O. from a case she solved eight years ago. The jailed suspect (Guillermo Diaz) confessed to Benson after a tough interrogation in 2004, but has been claiming his innocence ever since his conviction. The SVU is forced to reopen Benson's old case to determine if they are dealing with a copycat or a case of wrongful imprisonment. Re-interviewing a past victim (Samantha Soule) reveals that she may have been raped by someone else, causing Benson's detective work to be challenged and scrutinized. Olivia's personal relationship with Haden is also placed in jeopardy when Bayard Ellis gets involved with the case.”
It turns out that the man originally convicted IS innocent. It’s an important episode because it shows that even good detectives like the characters on this show can get innocent people prosecuted and convicted. On the other hand, it wasn’t done intentionally and I’m sure that sometimes that happens, but of course with a TV show like this there’s no way that Benson would do that. It reminds me of the John Grisham book “The Confession” about a man wrongfully convicted and executed based on a confession that was gotten after several hours of questionable interrogation techniques. Apparently the police can lie to people they’re interrogating. Although I’ve heard of worse, that seems very questionable, if not just wrong- it seems like the goal is to manipulate someone into a confession based on nothing but the suspect allegedly having motive instead of sorting out the facts and determining guilt (in this episode they did have other evidence, but in the Grisham book all they had was an alleged motive). At the very least I would say it should be done sparingly and there should be publicly-known criteria for when it can be done. In the Grisham book it was wrong. I wonder how often rich people with a team of high quality lawyers are wrongfully convicted? I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the time when someone is wrongfully convicted they have a public defender.
Roseanne Reviews J
This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
(After the episode review of “The Wedding” below, I will stop considering Crystal a non-family member)
“Bird is the Word” Episode 7, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky is suspended for allegedly making an obscene gesture in her class photo, earning her popularity at school, but making Roseanne angry that she has to visit the principal. Dan has plans for Becky's suspension.”
Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 35% are by people of color.
“Dream Lover” Episode 10, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “When Dan starts dreaming about the woman who works at the mall hardware store, Roseanne feels threatened. She decides to meet the woman.”
Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“The Courtship of Eddie, Dan’s Father” Episode 13, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “It is Ed Conner's turn to favor the family with a surprise visit, resulting in a short-lived truce with Dan that ends when he announces that he and Crystal are planning to marry.”
Out of about 30 lines by non-family members none are by people of color.
“The Wedding” Episode 14, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan struggles to accept the unlikely pairing of Ed and Crystal, especially when Crystal announces that she is pregnant. Dan refuses to attend their wedding.”
Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, about 5-10% are by a person of color.
“Home-EC” Episode 16, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne is upset that Darlene's home-economics class only invited fathers to discuss their careers. She visits the class to talk about being a working mother, then takes the students on a field trip to the supermarket, followed by them preparing a meal at the Conner home. Meanwhile Dan is helping DJ's bullying problem but it turns out DJ hired a bodyguard to defend him.”
It recognizes the WORK done by housewives as valuable, as valuable as that done by the spouse who works outside the home. That's important.
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 10-20% are by people of color.
(After the episode review of “The Wedding” below, I will stop considering Crystal a non-family member)
“Bird is the Word” Episode 7, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky is suspended for allegedly making an obscene gesture in her class photo, earning her popularity at school, but making Roseanne angry that she has to visit the principal. Dan has plans for Becky's suspension.”
Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 35% are by people of color.
“Dream Lover” Episode 10, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “When Dan starts dreaming about the woman who works at the mall hardware store, Roseanne feels threatened. She decides to meet the woman.”
Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“The Courtship of Eddie, Dan’s Father” Episode 13, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “It is Ed Conner's turn to favor the family with a surprise visit, resulting in a short-lived truce with Dan that ends when he announces that he and Crystal are planning to marry.”
Out of about 30 lines by non-family members none are by people of color.
“The Wedding” Episode 14, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan struggles to accept the unlikely pairing of Ed and Crystal, especially when Crystal announces that she is pregnant. Dan refuses to attend their wedding.”
Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, about 5-10% are by a person of color.
“Home-EC” Episode 16, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne is upset that Darlene's home-economics class only invited fathers to discuss their careers. She visits the class to talk about being a working mother, then takes the students on a field trip to the supermarket, followed by them preparing a meal at the Conner home. Meanwhile Dan is helping DJ's bullying problem but it turns out DJ hired a bodyguard to defend him.”
It recognizes the WORK done by housewives as valuable, as valuable as that done by the spouse who works outside the home. That's important.
Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 10-20% are by people of color.
Friday, September 4, 2020
Law and Order: SVU Reviews G
This is a set of reviews of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I’ll often do no more than make brief notes about an episode, although occasionally I’ll go deeper. Also, often there are dissenting main characters on almost any political issue, but you can usually tell what the general position of the show is. All the rest of the reviews are available by clicking on the l&osvu label at the bottom.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Hate” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “The team find themselves threading on a thin line when a man (Reynaldo Rosales) murders two Arabs (plus a third while in custody) and claims his genes and biology enforced the hatred and violence in him. However, Detectives Benson and Stabler discover a different reason for his Islamophobia and are determined to discredit his claims of genetic predisposition to violence.”
I’m not going to say anything about the psychology involved, but this is a pretty good episode about hatred. One thing it touches on is the racist theory that that the “others” are getting all the economic opportunities. It does suggest a theory that hate crimes laws could be used on, for example, black people that kill KKK members. I think that’s ridiculous, it’s completely different than the other way around. I think hate crime laws are a good idea. Hateful violence is more terroristic towards the community targeted than violence in general and is certainly closers to being genocidal, which is a special crime and deserves special laws (if we’re talking about murder or attempted murder, you could say it’s inching towards being genocidal).
“Ritual” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A young boy is killed in a ritualistic manner which Fin identifies as that of Santeria and the detectives question the leader (Barry Shabaka Henley) of a local chapter. Their attention turns elsewhere, however when they learn that the victim was one of many slave children smuggled from Nigeria.”
This has a little to say about modern-day slavery. As far as I can tell it happens outside the world of SEX slavery trafficking, which is the kind of trafficking that the detectives found when they found the killer. It’s very similar to the kind we’ve studied in history books- slaves are separated from their family members and it seems that there is no schooling of slaves who are children, possibly in part to keep them from rebelling. it also appears in this episode to be racial, although there’s at least one other SVU episode about slavery and that one focuses on a different kind, where a white woman is brought to America by a single individual and not a network of criminals. At the end the highest member of the network they get their hands on is a Nigerian and I think it would have been better and perhaps even more realistic if it had been a white American.
“Lowdown” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A prosecutor (Dean Strange) is found dead with HIV in his system. Suspicion points to another attorney (Michael Beach) who was secretly in a sexual relationship with his co-worker. Casey Novak puts her job on the line and involves the suspect's wife (Bethany Butler) to get a confession.”
This episode is about homophobia, especially in the Black community.
“Criminal” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A criminology professor (James McDaniel), who served a sentence for killing a woman when he was 19, is among the suspects in a graduate student's rape and murder. His daughter (Zoe Saldana) says he is a good man, but Captain Cragen, the arresting officer in the original crime, refuses to believe that he has been rehabilitated. After a false conviction, the SVU realizes that the real perpetrator is another student (Joe Towne) who killed out of jealousy.”
This is about the wrongful conviction of a Black man. On one hand, it doesn’t say anything about the role that racism must play in many such convictions because it was the SVU that arrested and charged him and the SVU ADA who prosecuted him. They could have and should have said something about that. On the other hand, it was an honest mistake and I imagine that even when racism does play a role it’s often still something close to that- it’s not a conspiracy, it’s just how this society is- including not just many of the police and some ADAs and judges, but many witnesses and jurors as well.
(Now that I’m getting into some of the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)
“Hate” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “The team find themselves threading on a thin line when a man (Reynaldo Rosales) murders two Arabs (plus a third while in custody) and claims his genes and biology enforced the hatred and violence in him. However, Detectives Benson and Stabler discover a different reason for his Islamophobia and are determined to discredit his claims of genetic predisposition to violence.”
I’m not going to say anything about the psychology involved, but this is a pretty good episode about hatred. One thing it touches on is the racist theory that that the “others” are getting all the economic opportunities. It does suggest a theory that hate crimes laws could be used on, for example, black people that kill KKK members. I think that’s ridiculous, it’s completely different than the other way around. I think hate crime laws are a good idea. Hateful violence is more terroristic towards the community targeted than violence in general and is certainly closers to being genocidal, which is a special crime and deserves special laws (if we’re talking about murder or attempted murder, you could say it’s inching towards being genocidal).
“Ritual” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A young boy is killed in a ritualistic manner which Fin identifies as that of Santeria and the detectives question the leader (Barry Shabaka Henley) of a local chapter. Their attention turns elsewhere, however when they learn that the victim was one of many slave children smuggled from Nigeria.”
This has a little to say about modern-day slavery. As far as I can tell it happens outside the world of SEX slavery trafficking, which is the kind of trafficking that the detectives found when they found the killer. It’s very similar to the kind we’ve studied in history books- slaves are separated from their family members and it seems that there is no schooling of slaves who are children, possibly in part to keep them from rebelling. it also appears in this episode to be racial, although there’s at least one other SVU episode about slavery and that one focuses on a different kind, where a white woman is brought to America by a single individual and not a network of criminals. At the end the highest member of the network they get their hands on is a Nigerian and I think it would have been better and perhaps even more realistic if it had been a white American.
“Lowdown” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A prosecutor (Dean Strange) is found dead with HIV in his system. Suspicion points to another attorney (Michael Beach) who was secretly in a sexual relationship with his co-worker. Casey Novak puts her job on the line and involves the suspect's wife (Bethany Butler) to get a confession.”
This episode is about homophobia, especially in the Black community.
“Criminal” Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A criminology professor (James McDaniel), who served a sentence for killing a woman when he was 19, is among the suspects in a graduate student's rape and murder. His daughter (Zoe Saldana) says he is a good man, but Captain Cragen, the arresting officer in the original crime, refuses to believe that he has been rehabilitated. After a false conviction, the SVU realizes that the real perpetrator is another student (Joe Towne) who killed out of jealousy.”
This is about the wrongful conviction of a Black man. On one hand, it doesn’t say anything about the role that racism must play in many such convictions because it was the SVU that arrested and charged him and the SVU ADA who prosecuted him. They could have and should have said something about that. On the other hand, it was an honest mistake and I imagine that even when racism does play a role it’s often still something close to that- it’s not a conspiracy, it’s just how this society is- including not just many of the police and some ADAs and judges, but many witnesses and jurors as well.
Roseannne Reviews I
This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.
(After the episode review of “The Wedding” below, I will stop considering Crystal a non-family member)
“Like A Virgin” Episode 3, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan think it is time to talk to Becky about birth control, then later catch Darlene making out on their couch.”
Out of about 15 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Like A New Job” Episode 4, season 3, Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne quits her hair-salon job for a waitress job at the luncheonette in Rodbell's Department Store. Becky and Darlene fight over their room yet again. After Dan sends Darlene to live in the basement, Roseanne has trouble letting Dan resolve disputes between the kids.”
Out of about 20 lines by non-family members, about 2/3 are by a person of color.
“Goodbye Mr. Right.” Episode 5, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky and Darlene think DJ's a psycho when they find his under-the-bed secret stash of dismembered dolls; Jackie is injured in the line of duty and Gary gives her an ultimatum.”
Out of about 40-45 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by people of color.
“Becky, Beds, and Boys” Episode 6 Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan shop for a new mattress. Becky starts dating Mark, a rebellious teen who Dan and Roseanne dislike. First appearance of Glenn Quinn as Mark.
Out of about 15-20 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Trick Or Treat” Episode 7, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne dresses as a male trucker for Halloween and mingles with some guys at the Lobo Lounge. Dan is upset because DJ wants to be a witch for Halloween.”
Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by people of color.
(After the episode review of “The Wedding” below, I will stop considering Crystal a non-family member)
“Like A Virgin” Episode 3, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan think it is time to talk to Becky about birth control, then later catch Darlene making out on their couch.”
Out of about 15 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Like A New Job” Episode 4, season 3, Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne quits her hair-salon job for a waitress job at the luncheonette in Rodbell's Department Store. Becky and Darlene fight over their room yet again. After Dan sends Darlene to live in the basement, Roseanne has trouble letting Dan resolve disputes between the kids.”
Out of about 20 lines by non-family members, about 2/3 are by a person of color.
“Goodbye Mr. Right.” Episode 5, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky and Darlene think DJ's a psycho when they find his under-the-bed secret stash of dismembered dolls; Jackie is injured in the line of duty and Gary gives her an ultimatum.”
Out of about 40-45 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by people of color.
“Becky, Beds, and Boys” Episode 6 Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan shop for a new mattress. Becky starts dating Mark, a rebellious teen who Dan and Roseanne dislike. First appearance of Glenn Quinn as Mark.
Out of about 15-20 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.
“Trick Or Treat” Episode 7, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne dresses as a male trucker for Halloween and mingles with some guys at the Lobo Lounge. Dan is upset because DJ wants to be a witch for Halloween.”
Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by people of color.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)