ChristiKRN

I thought this episode was actually pretty good. To echo everyone's else thoughts, Wallace Shawn and Judd Hirsch were excellent. The storyline was also OK; a few good twists to hold your interest. I don't think they needed the subplot of mercy-killing the mother; it just seemed like a thrown-in idea. The Ben and joe story in itself was enough to carry the show due to Shawn and Hirsch's acting expertise. I am not liking the "formula" the show is using. We see Carisi and Fin for a little while in the first half, mainly for investigating at the crime scene/executing warrants and then they disappear in the second half. Fin's contribution was negligible in this episode, and there is never enough Carisi. We just keep getting a whole lot of Benson and Rollins as being the main ones who can speak with victims and suspects with a dash of Benson telling the ADA how to do his job. Isn't Rollins supposed to be on desk duty only? Why was she going to the prison instead of Fin or Carisi? We are seeing Rollins being set up for a major downfall/personal storyline from hell ( for us the viewers) with Dr. Al. He's gone from the boyfriend who cheats on her with prostitutes to wanting to pay for her abortion to being someone special/something more or less like being married. WTH?? I guess having money and the perks that go along with it can make a person overlook a lot of glaring flaws. They made a point to mention "Vincent" many times; I wonder if there will be a future episode where we meet him as an elderly serial child molester/rapist? Good reason to bring back Wallace Shawn!

I saw those photos, too. My reaction: Sweet Jesus- they are trying to make me quit watching the show. Two things I don't want to see at all: Noah and Stone hanging with Benson and Noah like they are a little family. The only thing that could be worse is Rollins bringing Dr. Al and Jesse along to join them. Fans are getting tired of Stone being shoved down their throats, so what do we get? Even more Stone. I think I know more about Stone in essentially half of a season than I do about Cabot, Novak and Barba combined.

That was just ridiculous that the husband did not have to face any charges. Why was Stone even arrested in the first place? The woman didn't want to press charges; there was no evidence, rape kit or witness. Only in SVU land can you brandish a gun in a public place and hold someone hostage and not be arrested, but if a woman says you raped her several years ago and doesn't want to file charges, you will have Benson leading the charge in arresting you at your workplace. I'm also disappointed as to how Fin and Carisi just keep getting dropped in the back half of the episodes. I think fans like myself genuinely enjoy what they contribute to the show, so I don't get it. Disclaimer: **as long as it is not scenes of Carisi being jealous of Rollins' latest bf or wanting to hook up with Rollins**. I kept expecting Carrie Brady to show up as the wife he talked about!! :)

I know this is fictional, but shouldn't the squad have recused themselves from investigating this case due to a conflict of interest? If the case had gone to trial, any evidence they had found that supported Stone's case could have been viewed as shady. I thought Philip Winchester did a good job tonight, also. I was half-expecting Stone to bow down at the feet of St. Olivia and apologize to her for making her have any doubts about him; thank God he didn't- I couldn't have stomached that. I did like the scene of Fin, Carisi, and Rollins discussing their feelings about Stone and the case. It was very realistic. Tonight was Peter Scanavino's 100th episode as Carisi. Would have liked to have seen him more prominently featured. It also appeared that we saw a hint of jealous Carisi again when he was talking to Rollins about Dr. Al. Let it go, Carisi!! I also agree that the elite squad didn't look so elite tonight when not a single one of them suspected that it could have been the other guy she was making out with besides Stone. I guessed it within seconds of him being introduced.

I agree that Leight was skilled at bringing in new characters, such as Barba and Carisi, and developing them properly. I don't think that Barba would have imploded like he did under Leight' s watch. I also don't think that a character with such a high moral standard like Carisi would have done some things like he has over the past few seasons if Leight was still in charge, such as telling his niece to lie under oath or hitting on Rollins. Carisi seems to be very popular with SVU fans, so I'm not sure why they tend to put him in the background. Fans also seem to like what Fin brings to the table. Rollins in general and Benson's dominant presence in every episode seem to have mixed reactions, but they still like to push those two. I'm seeing mixed reactions about Stone being featured as much as he is, but we are still seeing quite a bit of him.

I thought this was one of the best episodes of the past few seasons; take it with a grain of salt, considering what we have been served up during this time frame. It's always good to see the dynamic duo of Fin and Carisi more involved with the case. Who needs Benson and Rollins when you have those two investigating and interviewing victims and suspects? <I'm surprised that I was not electrocuted by the SVU gods for typing that comment> I am OK with the tiny doses of personal lives that were interjected in the episode, such as Fin taking a potshot at Dr. Al and hearing that Carisi had a worthwhile date at the restaurant. It's when they go overboard and have multiple scenes dealing with personal issues, like they tend to do with Benson, Rollins and now Stone, that it is nauseating. And I agree with everyone who said that we are being set up for a major Noah storyline arc (no pun intended ;)). I think what we will see in the series finale is Liv retiring so that she can deal with Noah's problems. I'm also dreading the Rollins' labor and delivery episode which I am expecting will have Benson at her bedside and wiping her brow. Is the statute of limitations for sexual assault in NY still 5 yrs? Why were they pursuing an arrest against the ADA who let the chef get off with the other rapes for this? Or were they arresting him for letting the chef off? The woman was attacked as a teenager, and she looked closer to 30 than 20-22 when she came into to report the crime.

Exactly!! I need to see Badass Stone in the courtroom; fair, decisive, competent, intelligent. Empathy and kindness when dealing with victims and their families also goes a long way. I need to see him telling Benson what he needs from the squad to help make his case, not Benson telling him how to do his job and then him rolling over. It seems the writers are pandering to the fans who "ship" every new male character with either Benson or Rollins. I think that is why we are seeing so many Benson-Rollins bonding scenes; some fans want them to be BFFs, not the boss-employee relationship that they should have. What also bothers me about this grieving Stone storyline is that it was established that he did not have much of a relationship with his sister until after his dad died and he took over guardianship, which only lasted a few months until she died. Why would he be grieving in this way if he really wasn't that close to her to begin with? It doesn't ring true.

The writers are really pushing Stone down our throats. I think there were only 3-4 Barba-centric episodes during his entire run; I'm thinking it was probably around the same number for Alex and Casey. I was really hopeful when he initially came in and called them all out on their crap, but it already seems that he has fallen under Benson's spell. He's attempting to prosecute un-prosecutable cases at her whim, such as the federal agent for "kidnapping" the little girl a few episodes ago. He has lost his professionalism a few times. Obviously, there is going to be no suspense in terms of the outcome. Hopefully, this will be a reality check for Stone and he will get back to the no-nonsense ADA to whom we were initially introduced . If it doesn't, he may indeed set a record for the SVU ADA imploding. I think Xeliou66 is right; I think Benson is going to come in to save the day and that will draw Stone more into her web of righteousness and politicism. Also disturbing about this episode is that Dr. Al is also going to be featured as George Newbern is first-listed in guest cast list. We all know that means more Rollins' drama; dear God almighty.

I couldn't agree more... SVU is in dire need of some fresh blood and perspective. I used to love Benson for her strength and commitment (which she obviously still has), but I think it started to change for me around the end of the William Lewis saga, when she was ridiculously stupid enough to offer herself up to him in exchange for the little girl. To me, it seems that she doesn't have confidence in the rest of the squad to solve the case as evidenced by her continual push to be the lead in all cases when she should be delegating more. Then, she complains about not having enough time with Noah. She's developed a martyr complex of mythical proportions, which has made her a less likable character for me. This could have been a great episode. Good case, good investigation, but then it started to fall flat. They could have fleshed out the trial more but instead we were subjected to multiple scenes of Benson and Rollins' shock and horror (which were horribly acted by both actresses) followed by roses and baby-bump cradling. Whoever wrote and directed those scenes should be fired.

Dttruman, I liked the investigation part of the episode, too. Fin and Carisi are a dynamic duo; they maintain a level head and get the job done. They really need to be featured more prominently; they just drop off lately in the episodes. Bonus: Stone seemed more rational this week. The plot was not shocking; the mother, who was an attorney, killed them, was on board with allowing the nanny to take the fall, and then used a psychiatric defense when she was caught. The only thing that was shocking was Benson being shocked that a mother could kill her children. Once again, they didn't use the psychiatrist to her fullest potential. The defense could have used her to testify. Once again, they had Benson giving her judgment on the stand that she is not legally insane. Why would Stone even want her to testify to that? Kudos to the defense attorney for calling out Benson on her lack of degrees. The worst parts were generally anything involving Benson and Rollins together. It would have been OK for them to have a very brief scene to discuss their dismay as mothers for another mother to have killed her kids, but it went overboard as it usually does with them. This is nitpicky, but Rollins' facial expressions were distracting, especially in the 1st interview with the mother. I don't know if she was trying to convey disbelief, empathy, trying to stay awake, smelling something bad... Not impressed with the acting. I'm not sure of the message they were trying to convey tonight. Women are too weak to handle pressure? Women who attempt to achieve everything can break, so they shouldn't even try?

Exactly my thought. She should have been an integral part of the episode from the discovery of what triggered her dissociative fugue state to the aftercare. However, it was Benson and Benson only once again to the rescue. Carisi seemed to be developing a rapport with Grace/Sophie, but only Benson can be allowed to really help her in a way that was out of her scope. Stone is a disappointment; I had high hopes for him. The way he flew off the handle at the father for no reason was inappropriate and unprofessional. Not a good sign when the ADA can't separate personal issues from his professional life. He's like the male Rollins. Fin swiping an edible marijuana was meant to be funny, but I'm pretty sure having marijuana in his system would be cause for termination if he was randomly drug-tested. Is openly selling edibles even legal in NY? The actress who played Grace/Sophie was good, and her performance was a highlight of the episode. The investigation part of the episode was also well-done. But it derailed with the Benson takeover and just everything Stone-related.

I still can't get over this episode. I've been trying to figure out what bothered me the most about the episode but there are so many issues. SVU has always done "ripped from the headline"-based storylines; that's not the problem. The problem was that there technically wasn't a crime being committed by holding people illegally entering the country in these detention centers. It may be morally wrong to separate the kids from their parents and being fenced in, but technically not a crime (that is just an opinion; I don't want to start a political debate), so why was SVU spending so much time on this issue? If they had spun it off to the detained people being sexually assaulted, then they would have had a reason to be involved but not for the reason they were. My biggest issue was Benson's reactions as a lieutenant/ leader of an elite detective unit. Everything from arresting the federal agent for kidnapping to forcing Stone to attempt to prosecute something legal to her outburst in open court. I would expect it from Rollins but not the person in charge. It showed that her emotions overrule her logic, and perspective, not a good quality for the boss. It would have been fine if she expressed her dismay and disgust to someone privately but not how she handled it. I hope there is some fallout somewhere down the road with Dodds Sr.; his running tab on her missteps has got to be getting pretty lengthy. Jack McCoy better intervene with Stone ASAP. He needs to use Barba as an example of what not to do. He's derailing at a significantly faster rate than Barba did. Too much time spent on Rollins' pregnancy already this season. Per Dr. Al, if she got knocked up on July 4th, then that means she is only about 3 months along; she looks like she is about 6-7 months along. It's going to be a long pregnancy. Should she even be allowed out from the squad room if she's pregnant? I sincerely hope Dr. Al gets accused of something and she tries to cover something up, leading to her long-overdue suspension or firing. I'm not impressed at all so far this season. The only bright side is seeing more of Fin and Carisi, who have managed to be the only ones keeping a level head.

Sweet Jesus. This episode was as bad as the episode from 2 seasons ago when Benson persuaded Barba to prosecute the college security guard passing himself off as an college admissions dean for rape. I don't even know where to start. They could have made an episode out of trying to nail Uncle Luke, the sex trafficker, and getting justice for the girl who was dumped at the ER since they are the Special Victims' unit after all. That was obviously small potatoes when they can shed light on even more hot button topics than they did last week. Benson literally lost her mind tonight. Once again, she couldn't keep her emotions in check from arresting the federal agent to barely holding it together in front of the media to interfering in the courtroom proceedings. Where the heck is Dodds Sr to either put her in place or just fire her altogether? She was completely out of control. At first, I thought Stone was going to hold his ground with Benson but obviously I was wrong. Who can say no to Benson and a little girl's drawing of her home in another country even when there was not a policy or law to stand on? What the heck is wrong with him? And to "threaten" him with she can find another ADA who will help? I would love for Benson to try any of her BS with Jack McCoy. If I was Carisi, I would be insulted that Benson feels like she is the only one that can connect with a victim as evidenced by how she took over in the ER. Too much Rollins' pregnancy drama. It started off at the beginning and kept rolling throughout the show. If the show is chronological, Dr. Al cheated on her in the spring with prostitutes then she had unprotected sex with him on July 4th, knowing he was with prostitutes. Dumb as a rock.

I thought the episode was mediocre at best. Peter Scanavino shined in his scenes with Sam, and showcased why Carisi should be have a bigger role in cases. He's smart, has empathy, remains professional with perps, and doesn't allow his personal views/issues to influence his actions and behaviors (with the exception of the case involving his niece last season). Fin is also good at remaining level-headed in scenes with both victims and perps. They are the SVU dream team. For a show that leans towards female-empowerment, SVU makes Rollins and Benson look unprofessional, emotional and erratic as they allow their personal issues to color how they deal with victims and perps. I already see Stone starting to lose perspective. It really doesn't ring true to me that he is so grief-stricken over his sister because he didn't have a whole lot of interaction with her before his dad died. I see Benson starting to influence him. They couldn't get a conviction for rape on the father, so we will go after him for his son's crime. Barba 2.0 in the making. Speaking about parental complicity, wonder if Stone will feel the same when Noah starts to kill animals and injure his grade school friends? Noah is starting to look like a little sociopath in the making; sweet as pie when he gets what he wants but cold as ice and even a little violent when he doesn't get his way. You know as well as I do that this is just a start of another personal issue arc for Benson this season. Soon she will be coming in to work with lacerations and bruises, making excuses. I don't know why Benson was so upset about not being able to catch a teenage boy who is an athlete and someone else half her age. She's over 50; who reasonably could? Too much time was spent on this. I liked the female psychiatrist they used to evaluate Sam. Professional and neutral; reminded me of Dr. Huang. They need to use her more. With the season premiere starting off with Stone being a man-whore, Benson facetiming with Noah, and pregnant Rollins with her two-timing boyfriend, it seems they are setting the tone for season with a focus on personal issues. Interesting that Carisi and Fin weren't featured with personal stuff like Fin with his grandson. It makes a statement, doesn't it?

I thought Peter Scanavino did a good job tonight, especially in his scenes with Sam. Prime example as to why he should have more of a presence on the show. Carisi has come a long way from his 1st episodes. I would be in an alcohol-induced coma right now if I drank every time I heard the word "rabbit". In addition to trying to beat the longest running record, SVU was also trying to set a record tonight with how many hot button topics could be addressed in 1 show. Rape/incest, mass school shootings, abortion... I was surprised when they implied that Benson may have had an abortion in the past, considering how early on in the series she has expressed interest in having a child. If these 2 episodes were of any indication, we are going to be given a heavy dose of personal drama this season. There were times during the episode that it seemed the main storyline took a backseat or served to prop the personal issues.

I am very fearful that Stone is going to turn into Barba 2.0 also. I loved the Stone that we saw in his 1st episode as the SVU ADA; he pulled no punches and put everyone in their place. But I see him turning into Benson's means of pushing her own agenda. It is a shame. I've said it before, they need more regular cast members to create more balance and to flesh out storylines. They need at least another detective, a CSU, TARU, a ME. It sounds like they may have a recurring psychologist but they are wishy-washy about how much screen time she will have. It also sounds like she is going to end up being Stone's personal psychologist more than a forensic psychologist. A girl can hope...

There is only 1 way I can tolerate this baby storyline: Rollins' baby daddy is accused of assaulting/raping one of his prostitutes; he asks her to help him out b/c of their baby; she interferes with the investigation and it leads to a very lengthy suspension for her ( aka Giddish's extended maternity leave) . I wouldn't put it past Rollins and she is way overdue for being held accountable for her actions. But probably Benson, Fin and/or Carisi would feel sorry for her and cover up her actions., so there goes that idea. I hope I'm wrong, but I have a feeling this season is going to be on par with Days of our Lives. This is not knocking Days; Days is the expert on soap-opera drama, not SVU. Xeliou66, I swear I didn't read your reply until after I hit the submit button on mine; our thoughts on this whole pregnancy thing are pretty similar. Haha...you know what they say about great minds? :)

I do like that they are getting a new psych expert. When Dr. Huang was still a part of the cast, his expertise just fleshed out storylines. It makes me miss BD Wong; he was phenomenal in the role. I am a little worried that they will use the character only to help Stone with his grief. The extent of his grief seems a little strange since he wasn't a big part of his sister' life until her last months; my guess is that it is another step into the deeper abyss known as personal drama for characters. Rollins' baby/boyfriend drama is going to be front and center this season. I feel it in my bones. The photos that were released in advance of the 2-hr premiere significantly featured Rollins with Dr. Al, with her 1st kid, receiving support from Fin and Benson. The synopsis of the next episode mentions Rollins' decision to give it another try with the prostitute-loving Dr. Considering how well she dealt with him cheating on her last season, it's just not going to be pretty when things go bad again. Especially if he is the baby daddy, and I think it is a safe assumption that he is. I agree that Fin and Carisi are the more professional and ethical detectives of the unit, although they both had moments when they derailed last season. They both need to be featured more prominently in their detective roles. How they have handled the glimpses into their personal lives is the way it should be done for both Benson and Rollins. Those little glimpses make us care about the characters but we don't feel like we are beaten over the heads with their personal lives. I could not handle it if they made Carisi the baby daddy. I had a hard enough time adjusting to Declan being baby daddy #1; heck, I still haven't accepted it.

Sweet Jesus, CelticBlackCat, I think you just made my head explode. ; ) And this pregnancy is going to be worse because there will be relationship drama added into the pregnancy drama. Hopefully, Carisi will just wise up and realize that Rollins is a trainwreck that can't be put back on track. Just let it go, Carisi. Lol...And Rollins is in need serious need of a new 'do. Fans get all over Mariska for her hair styles over the years, but she just has the same lifeless, aging style. Credit to Mariska on this, but they only look about 5 years apart in age rather than >15 yrs. Seriously though, I was hoping for some solid storylines requiring good detective and team work with some unexpected twists and less personal drama. Looks like it might be a long season.

I don't know how to post articles, but I just read on E! online that Kelli Giddish is indeed pregnant again and (surprise, surprise) the pregnancy will be written into the storyline again. Well, that confirms why Dr. Al is being introduced.; I think it's a pretty safe assumption that Declan is not the baby daddy for #2. She has to got to be as dumb as a rock to sleep with someone who cheats on her with prostitutes and not use protection. More Rollins drama- dear God.

Sounds like we are going to be getting a heaping dose of personal drama again this season. Is Kelli Giddish pregnant again in real life? I don't think I read any confirmed reports. My question is: why do they feel to need to write in her pregnancies? They could easily have hid them, and written in her maternity leave as being suspended for her multiple digressions. That would be more realistic than Rollins' obvious dislike of birth control and STD protection. They ruined the Murphy character for me when they made him the 1st baby daddy. I would love more Carisi and Fin- focused storylines, too. They both shine when they are the leads in a case. I get that Ice T has other outside projects that may limit him but what about Carisi? He seems to be a fan favorite, more popular than Rollins; give him more to do!

I make no secret of the fact that Rollins is one of my least favorite characters ever. She took it to a whole new low in how she treated the escort who had been horribly victimized simply because her boyfriend cheated on her with a prostitute; I still can't figure out why Benson didn't tear her a new one with her behavior. I think what bothers me the most about her is that she screws up regularly on the job, but never has to suffer the consequences of her actions so she never learns. My second thought when I read the news about George Newbern (after thinking "Good God-more Rollins drama!") was Kelli Giddish must be pregnant or planning on expanding her family soon to give her the groundwork for another baby daddy. Please let me be wrong; I can't handle another kid.

I thought Peter Scanavino really shined in the episode when he went undercover as a sexual predator at the homeless shelter; SVU needs more Carisi-based episodes. Generally speaking, it seems that SVU fans do want to see more of Carisi and Fin and less of Benson-centric episodes and Rollins' personal drama. I'm not sure why the powers-that-be don't get it.

I'm sorry... I don't know how to post articles but I just read that George Newbern is going to have a recurring role this season. Per Spoiler TV: Newbern will play Dr. Al Pollack, a charming, handsome and very wealthy doctor who is a past and future love interest to Detective Rollins (Kelli Giddish). They have had a tumultuous relationship in past and he has a bit of a wandering eye, but when they reconnect things might be different this time- or not. I'm guessing this is the boyfriend that caused Rollins to humiliate and degrade the prostitute that was beaten and raped by the military officers because he cheated on her with a prostitute. Lord help us if that attitude and personality rears its ugly head on a regular basis now.

Nice post, Xeliou66. I guess my list would be filled with more of what I don't want: 1. I agree with less preachiness. I appreciate what Mariska has done in helping reduce the rape kit backlog, etc, but it needs to be tuned down several notches. 2. I much prefer Stone when he calls the squad on their crap and does his job as he sees fit, not as Benson tells him to do. I don't want to see him turn into Barba of the last 1 1/2 seasons of his storyline arc, which was character assassination in my book. I especially don't want a Stone-Benson romance. 3. Storylines where the squad does actual policework and works together to solve a crime. Storylines with an unexpected twist. 4. No storylines showing a member of the squad going rogue/committing a crime/abetting a criminal/ etc. All of them had moments over the years; some more than others. It's expected of Rollins, but it was disappointing to see Carisi tiptoe down this road. 5. I don't mind a little peak into their personal lives every so often, ie watching Fin with his grandson. What made that scene enjoyable was that those scenes with Fin are few and far between. Key phrase being few and far between. No kid-in-danger storylines; I have a feeling we are about due for a Jesse-in-danger, but my guess is they are holding that storyline until they can get Donal Logue back for an episode (ugh- it still kills me that they made him the baby daddy; what a waste of that character). 6. I would like to see them add at least 1 other integral member to the squad and some support people. They need some fresh blood. Maybe there would be less Benson-centric episodes. 7. I also would like to see previous cast members, like Cragen, Munch, Warner, and Huang. I believe I read somewhere that Barba will be making an appearance; he better have gotten back his cajones. How about Amaro, Tucker, or some of the recurring defense attorneys, like Elizabeth Marvel's character? I would even add Murphy in (see #5 above) because I like Donal Logue so much. I don't want to see anyone with a Georgia accent or who has the last name of Rollins. Haha-dare I say Stabler?