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Not to derail the conversation, but I found this snippet of an interview with Noah about 1x10 specifically and something he mentions towards the end fascinated me. Noah says that for the scene between Robby and Langdon, they called in the stunt coordinator because they weren’t sure how far things might go. As a theater dork, I find this interesting because it suggests that at least the blocking for the scene was improved by the actors in real time and not planned out by a director. Really highlights how well Noah and Patrick play off one another, and I have hella respect for both of them as actors!

I totally agree that this story line completely sucks. But Langdon admitted he was using. He explained he got hooked on opioids as a result of a back injury, and try to claim the drugs in his locker were his attempt to wean himself off the narcotics. Not saying Robby’s approach was correct and there shouldn’t be repercussions, but Langdon admitted to using.

Shaw tampered with a witness. Whether what he did was morally right or wrong doesn’t matter. He broke the law. This is the exact same s**t Olivia does on SVU. Don’t like the way things are going while following the law? Take the law into your own hands. Also, Darryl wasn’t some hero saint. He lied to Shaw twice. If he’d told the truth (at least the second time) and come forward, maybe the DA’s office could have worked with him. But he lied. Compare Shaw’s actions to Riley, when it Riley was faced with a similar conflict of interest. Shaw has a bad habit of becoming a sanctimonious p***k when he decides he knows better than the law. No different than how St Olivia bulldozes things to fit her world view. I wish the writers would use SVU as a containment zone for that s**t. If they wanted to have Shaw do this, fine but give us a two episode arc of Shaw getting investigated for witness tampering. Let the “drama” come from Shaw having to search his soul and decide whether he wants to be a cop, or go back to being a DA.

This is why I’m thinking the character of Suzanne Forester was introduced. Elia Monte-Brown is a lot like Machad Brooks. A lot of steady work, maybe no break out roles, but more profile than Maroun’s actress. And fwiw I agree with you, I’d love to see Maroun leave! But it seems to me that the past 2 to 4 episodes have ended with Price having these 30+ second pensive staring events just before the credits role.

Everything being mentioned here is why I’m start to think this is leading up to Price’s exit. Which will be a major bummer for me because I only came back to L&O for Dancy, Donovan, and Waterson. I’m thinking Price is been written towards have a full on crisis of conscience, which will see him leave at the end of the season. He’ll either go back to being a Public Defender, or maybe go all in on this idea of Restorative Justice. Then, either Maroun will get promoted to EADA, or the “Restorative Justice” lady will flip positions with Nolan and will be the next EADA.

Yep. At this point I’m even more convinced that this season’s arc for Price is for his exit.

I agree, especially about L&O’s production location being perfect for him. I’ve read some of his interviews and he does seem to be enjoying himself with the role, but I get the sense that he would walk away in a heartbeat to prioritize family. Especially if Claire has a big role on the horizon and will have to travel for it. I also agree with you about wanting to have some stability with the characters Except for Maroun who can go anytime, I think there are a lot of interesting dynamics still open to be explored with the main cast.

I’m starting to have the sinking feeling this whole season might be a ramp up to Nolan’s exit. The death of a parent is one of those events in life that can trigger a deep evaluation of one’s own place in the world/satisfaction with life. We know Nolan used to be very passionate about his work as a Public Defender and judicial ethics. Maybe his father’s death, combined with Maroun bringing up all these instances of Nolan being so obsessed with the win, he’s lost sight of his humanity, is building up to Nolan resigning and moving away to pursue a career as an ethics lawyer or back to public defense. Personally I’d be disappointed, because I can’t stand Maroun, or the skills of the actress so I’d like to see her go. But Dancy doesn’t need L&O, and may have decided 4 seasons were enough.

Can Maroun please go be a public defender on SVU? She and Olivia can save the world together and I can continue to ignore SVU’s existence 🤦🏼‍♀️

I got the sense that Collins has a personal stance on abortion that does not align with her responsibilities to a patient's request. Not only did reperforming the ultrasound delay the procedure, but it can also be considered a form of emotional manipulation to try to get the expectant mother to reconsider. Include the fact that we know Collins is pregnant and I believe close to the same stage as the girl, she should never have been assigned that follow-up. I think that was supposed to be the case here. She is possibly unhoused, and without an income or insurance. If I remember correctly, one of the reasons she left the first time was she was desperate to get her kids to school. School is probably where they get their only hot, balanced meals. No money, no insurance she wouldn't have many options but to go to an ER which, can't turn her away. I believe Urgent Care could turn her away if she did not have insurance, and no way to pay up front. Also, without stories to follow we wouldn't have a show.

Maybe because I just watched this exact same scenario and sibling vs siblings debate on The Pitt, but I could understand how difficult Nolan found it to accept and let go. I found it interesting that he was on the more emotional side of the argument. And if Nolan had been the “Let Dad go peacefully” side we’d all be here fussing about St. Nolan. So like it or hate it, at least he wasn’t given the Olivia edit. 🤷‍♀️

I was actually thinking about this. I know we give the writers a lot of well earned grief, but in the vein of blind squirrels and nuts, I think they may have found a nuanced way to address the conflict of interest that is impossible to avoid when DA's are an elected position. Because there is no way to avoid the position becoming politicized, as well as having DAs becoming so concerned about optics and re-election that they begin to lose sight of law and justice. Most of the DAs on the mothership were shown to be men at the end of their careers, and while they sometimes made calls with an eye towards optics, they weren't as concerned with the next election cycle as Baxter appears to be.

Agreed. Part of why that final exchange between Nick and Nolan ruined an otherwise A+ episode to me is that Nick made it personal. "The problem with people like you ..." If the line had instead been "The problem with the view point of people like you..." or something along those lines, then it would have sounded more like Nick was arguing a POV. Arguing a POV has always been part of the "Order" side of L&O mothership, and it makes professional sense. The D.A. and the ADAs are supposed to argue all perspectives because that way it helps them anticipate moves and arguments the defense attorneys might bring. But the way Nick's line was written and delivered it came across as a dismissive, petty personal attack on Nolan as a person. It's rather like the nuanced difference between "Nick is more political than Jack, so Nolan can't trust which DA he's going to be working with case over case. Could be Baxter the man who wants justice for the victims, or Baxter the political operative who might let things slide in the perception of 'the greater good'". Vs the idea that Nick is corrupt/shady.

Editing. Editing for dramatic effect. I doubt the “failures” are trashed in the genuine timeline. They are most likely “dramatically” thrown out after the bake is completed and the editors just move that sequence to where they want it for the narrative.

Speaking of the editing… I will not be surprised if Hollie ends up the winner. Remember, the winner is chosen strictly on the merits of the final Killer challenge and is not cumulative of the whole season. All Hollie needs to do is knock that one challenge out of the park. The editors love the “underdog, comes from behind to win” stories in “reality” TV, and we’ve twice heard the “heart touching” story of how she’ll use the money to “see her family, who she hasn’t seen in 6 years” complete with pictures. If we’ve heard from any other contestants about their plans for the money, I think we’ve only heard it once; usually in the episode where they then went home.