Law and Order: SVU Reviews S

 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 watching the episodes that involve the character John Munch, I’m going to ignore most of his political statements)

“Risk” Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “When a baby dies after drinking baby formula found to be laced with cocaine, the detectives clash with Sgt Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke), who has been pursuing a drug syndicate smuggling cocaine in baby formula. Tutuola's experience in the Narcotics Division proves useful and Stabler is sent undercover as a potential dealer. The team is led to one of their own, Detective Greg Kendall (Matt Mulhern), a highly-decorated cop who has gone rogue. However, the operation hits a snag and Stabler is faced with a choice to either kill or be killed.”

This is about a corrupt cop.

“Rotten” Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “In their investigation of a prisoner's death, Benson and Tutuola learn that he was assaulted before being incarcerated. They subsequently discover several killings of drug dealers in the precinct where the man was arrested, and that two cops (William Mapother and Terry Serpico) from this precinct had a connection to every case.”

First, there’s a gay jail guard.

This story was obviously inspired by the real-life NYPD assault on Abner Louima in 1997 (they raped him with the handle of a toilet plunger or a broom- he survived and the cops who attacked him were convicted). SVU pursues not just the cop easiest to convict, but another cop who they believe was also involved. While investigating that officer they learn that the two suspects were killing drug dealers in summary executions and that one of them was getting paid for it by drug dealers. In this fictional version, SVU successfully indict both cops.

“Mercy” Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “When the body of a baby girl is found inside a cooler, the detectives need to investigate just who she is, and how she got there. They soon learn that the little girl had a genetic disorder known as Tay–Sachs disease that would lead to a painful death in childhood. When the parents (Elizabeth Mitchell and Gregg Edelman) admit to having killed their daughter humanely to spare her that fate, Cabot has to prosecute them for murder, despite reservations. Taking an interest in the case, Detective Munch sits in on the trial.”

There are two minor things I want to note:
1. A character who’s innocent mentions that he has a high-paying union job. I wouldn’t say that people will be surprised to learn that union jobs pay well, but at the same time it can’t hurt to mention that here and there.
2. One of the detectives reminds people, positively, that in NY a teen doesn’t need to tell their parents that they want an abortion, they can just get it.

“Tortured” Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “A Tibetan woman who was tortured in her home country is found murdered, with her foot missing. After an exhaustive search of potential suspects, the killer (Charlie Hofheimer) is found to be a victim of torture at the hands of his mother (Margaret Colin) who tried to use violence to cure him of his shoe fetish.”

There are two minor things and one big thing.
1. The FBI psychiatrist tells us that he’s a member of something called “Physicians for Human Rights.”
2. There’s a small aspect of the story that involves a gay couple.
3. Although it turns out to be irrelevant to why the victim was killed, she was Tibetan and there’s a lot of stuff about Tibet in the first half of the episode and you get the impression that most of the main characters are pro-Tibet. There’s talk from various sources about how bad China is to Tibet (for example the use of torture). To be honest until about 5-10 years ago I didn’t care much about Tibet. Then I watched the movies “Seven Years in Tibet” and “Kundun,” and I read a small amount about it when events there were big enough to be reported on by the BBC. I’m concerned about Tibet and believe they should have independence. I believe I have read that the Chinese are forcing some Tibetans to move elsewhere in China and are moving Chinese settlers into Tibet, which is pretty genocidal.

“Fallacy” Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Benson and Stabler try to prove self-defense when a rape victim (Katherine Moennig) kills her attacker. Events take an unusual turn when they learn that the victim is transgender. The victim's boyfriend (Chad Lindberg) is shocked to learn this and commits suicide. When the woman's lifelong anguish is detailed in court, Cabot begins to feel guilty about sending her to prison (which would be a male prison for a pre-op transgender woman). “

If you include the DA (a regular character on the original Law and Order show) most of the main characters are sympathetic to the transgendered woman who killed a man who had learned she had male genitals. At one point the ADA offers her a fairly good deal considering a man died, but when she realizes she’ll be in a male prison, she has the deal cancelled and goes to trial. She’s convicted. Her lawyer seems a little unethical and looking forward to the publicity he’ll get for defending her, but I don’t think that takes anything away from his statement that when people learn the truth about a transgender person they’re often just killed.