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.
“Our Words Will Not Be Heard” Season 22. See this for a plot summary.
This is another anti-racist episode, with some stuff about homophobia added as well. Some of that is:
1. The head of SVU acknowledges that police don’t do as much about missing women of color as they do about missing white women (the media are also mentioned).
2. The head of SVU also gives a man suing the NYPD for racism some tips on what kind of demands to make in settlement negotiations (her suggestions are pretty good) (it’s emphasized that the people behind such lawsuits are looking for justice and change, not money). Part of what she says is that the courts need to mandate that the NYPD start a program of anti-bias training.
3. The bad guys in this episode are white supremacists who go after an inter-racial lesbian couple.
“In the Year we all fell down” Season 22. See this for a plot summary.
This is a little complicated, but I think there is an anti-racist element to this episode. At the center of the episode is a Manhattan restaurant with a BLACK LIVES MATTER poster at the front entrance. When her business is in serious financial trouble the owner DOES freak out and take the head of SVU hostage, but she’s willing to be a hostage to try and keep the situation from becoming critical (she is friends with the owner and loves the restaurant; she doesn’t want the owner to be killed). Also, at the end, after the owner surrenders without harming anyone, it’s revealed that the restaurant’s customers and/or the neighborhood in general raised money to help keep the restaurant from going under.
“Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing” Season 22. See this for a plot summary.
In this episode, a small part of it is about the immediate superior of the head of SVU. He’s a black man and seems willing to cooperate with legal efforts at reforming the NYPD and the rest of the NYPD leadership become incredibly hostile to him.
“Nightmares in Drill City” Season 23. See this for a plot summary.
The ADA working for SVU expresses opposition to prosecuting people for having some marijuana.
“The People vs. Richard Wheatley” Season 22. For a plot summary see this.
One minor character is a female detective married to another woman.
That character is a main character on the Law and Order spin-off “Organized Crime” and we are reminded that her wife’s family (both women are black) is suing the NYPD for excessive force.
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