S16.E01: Girls Disappeared

[WendyCR72]

In the 16th-season opener, Benson adjusts to being a foster mom to baby Noah, whose life is in jeopardy after Amaro does some undercover work linked to Noah's deceased biological mother. Meanwhile, a new addition to the squad has a rough start.

 

This thread will open at 10:00 p.m. ET after the episode airs.

[Primetimer]

Benson avenges her foster son's mother's death while copping a 'tude with the new guy; Amaro is an ass.

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[MrsRafaelBarba]

Barb a is still hot.

Noah is adorable

Can't stand the new guy.

[WendyCR72]

Benson with a 'tude. That's new! Oh, wait...

[soybombyx]

Is the new guy Italian? Gosh, they really did not make that clear.

That said, I am so getting zeppole at the local fall festival next month.

[windfall]

Geez the body count on this show was pretty high. I wonder how long the baby scenes will last. 

[Lebanna]

Baby Noah is gorgeous, but I hope we don't see much of him again. It's nice to see Olivia happy with her son, but now we know she is, let's just leave it there - okay show? Don't you dare hurt that baby.

Amaro and Rollins broke up, I guess. She didn't look thrilled to see him.

Moustache guy isn't permanent, is he? He hasn't made the credits. He might be worth keeping just for Fin's facial expressions around him, which are pure art. They never said if he got that girl her visa, though, the bastard.

I love it when Barba gets all defensive of his Liv. The writers must love it too, since they keep going there. He's so protective of her, and now of little Noah as well. Aw.

Lots of Spanglish as well this week. Good fun.

They inadvertently got a lot of people killed this week, though. Perhaps not their most successful plan ever, if it leads to dead teenagers.

[TaraS1]

Bizarrely, as I usually FF through every scene without Kelli Giddish in it, I actually kind of enjoyed this premiere.  Benson didn't annoy me with her Benson-ness, Rollins had an increased role and I liked the new guy because he brought a different energy into the squad.  Something about him made me want to watch more of him.

 

I do hope Rollins and Amaro are still hooking up, though.  Loved that reveal last season.

[stillbored]

I don't like the new guy. I find him obonxious and he has no problem lying yo get what he wants. It's one thing to lie about a co-conspirator it's totally different thing to lie that you will be able to protect the witness when he had no idea if he could get her that level of protection.

Baby Noah is adorable but I'm assuming he's going to be spending way more time with a baby-sitter then his mom (also, Benson might have a hard time keeping baby-sitters if they keep getting shot at).

[at8ax]

Countering stillbored, I like the new guy *because* he is obnoxious. I look forward to seeing how the show exploits this different energy.

 

On the other hand, I am still trying to pick my jaw up from the floor after the show's climax. This master criminal, surrounded by armed and armored police, pulls out his revolver in order to ... well, there's no finishing that, as there's no rational reason. I considered "death by cop," but he was acting defiant, not suicidal. Cause of death: suddenly stupid.

[gesundheit]

It was nice to see Blanca from Orange is the New Black without her monobrow (as Selena)!

 

I hadn't really watched with regularity in a couple of years, but I really liked this premiere. I mean I actually felt excited a few times! It feels like it got fresher, and I'm definitely interested in what arc they've got planned for this new guy.

[ethalfrida]

That was the best SVU they've aired in a few years. Up to this point I've watched out of loyalty.  Last night actually had my attention.

[RafaelBarbas]

I hope this season continues to use Barba properly. I pretty much gave up on the show last season so now my main metric of episode quality is the amount of Barba. I loved how protective he was of the kid (both Benson's and the other woman's son).

[oucellogal]

Haha, totally agree with stillbored that Olivia might have trouble finding babysitters. "You'll need to do feedings, diapers, nap routine...oh, and there might occasionally be psychopaths try to shoot you. That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

 

I loved seeing all these guys again after the summer hiatus! It was like a reunion with old friends! Well, except for the new guy, who I'm going to reserve judgement on until I see him in action a few more times. Wish they'd dial back the accent, though; none of the others have thick NY accents, and I find Rollins' southern accent to be pretty adorable.

 

Barba steals every scene he's in, in a good way. Can he please be in every episode this season?

 

And now, to wade into the shallow end of the pool, Amaro looks hot in uniform. That's all.

Edited September 25, 2014 by oucellogal

[Aethera]

More Barba, less Amaro, please.

 

So I skipped one of the episodes last year, and just read the recap. I was so sick of that Big Bad, whatever his name was.  So I think I missed that Amaro and Rollins were hooking up?  Or I've blocked it out.  Ick.

 

The new guy, eh.  I thought there was supposed to be a new guy in charge of the squad, not a weird guy who has bounced around SVUs.  And I couldn't tell if he was supposed to be good or crappy at his job in all his scenes. All he accomplished was making me crave zeppole.  I miss NJ.

[frogprof]

>"YOU OVERLY DEFENSIVE FERRET"<

I am totally adopting this as my new name for my brother.

Can't stand Barba , LOATHE the new guy. Liv needs to ensure that his all-borough tour of SVU WILL continue in the Bronx.

This whole episode just seemed like bits and pieces thrown into the blender and whirred together to see what came out. Hope the next one is better.

[WendyCR72]

Sort of glad I don't regularly watch SVU since I missed what sounds like a new annoying cop. And sorry to the Barba fans, but I still see him as creepy killer Kevin Mulrooney from CI. My issue, I know! But still...

[2KllMckngBrd]

I loved the premiere. It did have an awfully high body count, but I'm not complaining; it was very exciting. Especially all that continued sexual tension between Liv and Barba. I saw no chemistry w/Haden, at least to me, and even less w/Brian, so its fun to see her get her flirt on.

 

That baby is totally gorgeous, but I agree w/all the other posters who said only in small doses. Olivia happy and a mom is great but this is still ultimately a procedural. Use it to make Liv less of a miserable character, but not completely weak in the knees.

 

That whole segment where bodies were dropping like flies to "a beat" made me flashback to NY Undercover. Then I had to remind myself that that show was done by the same folks. I liked it, just don't do it every week, or it will get old real fast.

 

Amaro looked hot as hell in his "blues". Hoping that we will see a lot less smack 1st, and answer IAB questions later Amaro, but we'll see? Maybe being dropped to patrol, if only for 5 minutes, will humble him a little.

 

Not sold on new guy yet, but did love how he wasn't intimidated by the squad. I love how you can always bank on these folks hating on whoever is new. Finn hate. Check. Nick hate. Check. Captn's for 2 seconds Donal Logue, and other guy hate. Check and check. etc... These people never like anybody at 1st. and by season's end they are lying and scheming to protect them. Gotta love it.

 

Hope we get a Munch and Cragen visit at some point. Maybe if Live gets to adopt the baby she can have him baptized. That could be a reason to get the old gang together; maybe even Alex and Casey too. Could even pull Elliot's very catholic ass back on scene. Yeah I know. Not going to happen, but a girl can dream.

[Crucial]

I love it when Barba gets all defensive of his Liv. The writers must love it too, since they keep going there. He's so protective of her, and now of little Noah as well. Aw.

 

 

I love the looks he gives Liv, especially after she is leaving.  I miss Cabot but I sure love Barba.  I'm glad the show is back and I've missed it.  If they could only get rid of Kelli Giddish.  I just don't like the actress and think she pulls every scene down.  The new guy and his moustache were far too annoying and hope it's a limited time he is on screen.

[txhorns79]

I miss Cabot but I sure love Barba.

 

I like the character.  However, I will say there are times when I want someone to tell him he can have a casual day.  He always looks so dressed up in comparison to the rest of the cast.

 

I will also admit my cold, black heart melted a bit in the scenes with Liv and her very, very adorable baby.  The show has been so intent on keeping Liv in a semi-miserable state for years, I just hope she can have some real happiness. 

[lucindabelle]

I found this hard to follow. What happened to Luna? Now long had it been since Selena had seen her kid?

[RafaelBarbas]

I like the character.  However, I will say there are times when I want someone to tell him he can have a casual day.  He always looks so dressed up in comparison to the rest of the cast.

 

 

Barba CAN'T really take a casual day- a big part of his character is that he dresses to intimidate, and to distinguish himself in ways he couldn't when he was a poor kid in the barrio. The borderline overdressed suits are kind of like war paint for him- they get him in a particular headspace.

[Calamity Jane]

I think I'd like New Guy much better without the moustache.  The squad needs a shake-up, and he might be able to re-energize them.  Even with him and little Noah, the show seems tired, tired, tired to me.

[WendyCR72]

I think I'd like New Guy much better without the moustache.  The squad needs a shake-up, and he might be able to re-energize them.  Even with him and little Noah, the show seems tired, tired, tired to me.

 

Almost 16 years in, any show would feel tired.

[Bill C.]

The verdict's still out on Detective Carisi (sp?), though his effectively being a mirror universe Ned Flanders doesn't help his case.  OTOH, he served as a decent enough stick to Olivia's carrot.

 

I'm hoping beyond hope that there's some sort of followup on Angel's trafficking cartel, though, if only for its apparent scale.  He was able to get a man killed in prison, another in a hospital...

 

And after the nearly nonstop wringer she went through last season, seeing Liv with little Noah and being happy was a welcome change of pace.

[2KllMckngBrd]

The verdict's still out on Detective Carisi (sp?), though his effectively being a mirror universe Ned Flanders doesn't help his case.  OTOH, he served as a decent enough stick to Olivia's carrot.

 

I'm hoping beyond hope that there's some sort of followup on Angel's trafficking cartel, though, if only for its apparent scale.  He was able to get a man killed in prison, another in a hospital...

 

And after the nearly nonstop wringer she went through last season, seeing Liv with little Noah and being happy was a welcome change of pace.

Agree with your whole post.

 

Lmao on completely accurate Simpsons Ned Flanders shout out. Now he really is going to have to shave that '70's Serpico 'stache or my fam is going to wonder why I am humming the Simpsons' theme every time he appears onscreen.

 

I hope he continues not only calling Olivia on her attitude, but also the whole squad. 'Cuz al the newbies start out that way, then over time, seem to get sucked into the same vortex of thinking Olivia's shit can't stink (and Elliot when still there). Although it has to be said that Finn seemed to be able to hold out the longest, and I don't think he ever completely felt anything more than a begrudging respect for Elliot.

 

I did wonder about the neat little bow that whole sitch was tied up into. The kind of juice you would think be necessary, to pull off that kind of coordinated silencing, should take a little bit of mention and work each episode, over a season, to solve. Plus it would be fun to see them deal w/the case of the week, but also see the team meeting to work on Angel's ring.

 

Benson has the baby. Now I want to see her get Barba!

But again, small doses. lol

[MorbidPet]

I really do like babies but, and I know it's not Noah's fault, but I just can't stand him. The ratio of Benson/baby in the episode was okay and I do hope he'll turn Liv into a fun character to watch again but just the amount of promotion he & Benson got - and not the rest of the squad - bothers me. Those stupid hash tags and the promo, and the key art only featuring Liv - hated it! But it seemed to work, the numbers were up (yeah I know the competition wasn't that great but still, the numbers were up) and it's NBC not the writers/show runner that run the promotion (I still say Warren tweeted too much baby & he can slam me all he wants on Twitter, I reserve my right to have an opinion)

 

Okay *breathe* it was an okay ep but I hope the baby drama is over and done with now. Keep him off screen and Liv happier on screen and we'll be fine show. I liked the new guy, had a feeling I would from the sneak peeks, I love any character that stirs the pot. And props to Scanavino for filling the Logue void, I didn't even reflect on Logue missing until afterwards.

I like Barba and I'm so happy it seems like we'll see him in the first three eps. I hope Hannibal doesn't take up too much of his time later on in the season. I think we need him but *ewww* not in a romantic way with Liv. Icky. Keep him suited up, awkward and amazing.

Fin is awesome but what's new about that!? Love everything about Rollins (and Kelli) and I liked that she had a strong voice in this episode, whatever's going on with Liv hasn't shackled her down. I think the Rollaro thing is still on (going by #AskWarren tweets) but has been on hiatus since Amaro put on the uniform, even if I'm a Finanda shipper I don't mind it as long as it doesn't take over an episode, I like tension and awkwardness in the squad room and I think a on-again-off-again hook up can really bring that if the actors can pull it off.

 

Some real great guest stars coming up in the next episode. Can't wait to see Keach and Polo rocking it out. Keach seems to be on fire.

[oucellogal]

 

The ratio of Benson/baby in the episode was okay and I do hope he'll turn Liv into a fun character to watch again but just the amount of promotion he & Benson got - and not the rest of the squad - bothers me. Those stupid hash tags and the promo, and the key art only featuring Liv - hated it! But it seemed to work, the numbers were up (yeah I know the competition wasn't that great but still, the numbers were up) and it's NBC not the writers/show runner that run the promotion (I still say Warren tweeted too much baby & he can slam me all he wants on Twitter, I reserve my right to have an opinion)

 

I agree with this. Becoming a mother was a huge mental shift for me in terms of priorities, decision making, etc., and I'm really interested to see the impact that has on Olivia. And I didn't even think they showed too much of him, but the promotion was so over-the-top. I knew from the moment they started that ridiculous #SaveBabyBenson hashtag that it was meant to sensationalize, and that the actual Moment Of Danger would be, like, 30 seconds and then everything would be fine. The way they used Noah in the show was fine, but the way the promo monkeys used him? WAY over the top. 

Edited September 26, 2014 by oucellogal

[vavavoom]

Okay *breathe* it was an okay ep but I hope the baby drama is over and done with now. Keep him off screen and Liv happier on screen and we'll be fine show. I liked the new guy, had a feeling I would from the sneak peeks, I love any character that stirs the pot. And props to Scanavino for filling the Logue void, I didn't even reflect on Logue missing until afterwards.

 

I completely agree.  I was nervous going into this episode that it would be 75% baby and 25% case, but the ratio wasn't so bad.  I hope to see less of the baby moving forward. 

 

I didn't mind the new guy, but that's probably because I couldn't take him seriously with that mustache!

 

Tino and the other bearded bald guy looked so much alike to me.  Amaro looked sexy in his uniform so I can't complain about the episode too much.

[lucindabelle]

I like new guy too. He doesn't have to be liked, just effective, and so far he is.

[yankee1151]

I don't like the new guy. I find him obonxious and he has no problem lying yo get what he wants. It's one thing to lie about a co-conspirator it's totally different thing to lie that you will be able to protect the witness when he had no idea if he could get her that level of protection.

Baby Noah is adorable but I'm assuming he's going to be spending way more time with a baby-sitter then his mom (also, Benson might have a hard time keeping baby-sitters if they keep getting shot at).

Ha, yeah.  I wouldn't even want to stand next to Benson, let alone be her freaking babysitter.  Danger!   I did like the episode (heavy on the Barba is good for me) but I wonder about it all being wrapped up in a neat little bow (despite the body count).  If that dude was so powerful that absolutely no one would testify against him or even name him, wouldn't he have, like, a second-in-command?  Someone who would try to avenge his death or whatever?  Not that I WANT this to be a multi-ep arc, but it seemed awfully strange how easily it was resolved once that dude was caught and killed.  What about the wife?  She might be kind of upset that she'll be losing her fortune.... ok maybe I'm overthinking this.  Also, I knew it was someone from that car service as soon as I saw the little logo on the car driving away with one of the girls in the beginning.  Not sure why.  

 

New guy is just a little too cartoonish for me.  They could have had him be an obnoxious ass without the pornstache, for one thing.  I hope that girl did get her visa.  

[Aethera]

Oh man, Pornstache and Ned Flanders.  Yep, and Yep.

 

I would really like Liv to stay on her own for a while.  Barba is great, but not in a romantic plot.  And I still can't remember the Amaro/Rollins thing from last year…I'd better go read some recaps.

[Joimiaroxeu]

the Amaro/Rollins thing from last year

Oh man, I thought that was one of the best reveals on this show in a long time. Rollins was dressed casually, watching the news on TV in her apartment and in walked Amaro wearing presumably nothing but a towel slung low on his hips. The immediate implication was that their relationship had become a whole lot more personal than anyone had realized up to that point. It was so much better than simply showing them in bed together or having him step into the shower to join her already there.

[windfall]

I don't remember this show ever being good about dealing with the fallout of the cases and/or following up on the victims/criminals/etc.That being said, it definitely would like a bit of closure since taking down a large human trafficking operation should have some ramifications. I understand the limitations of the episodic format, but still, I find it difficult to care about the characters if we're never going to see them again.

[Princess Sparkle]

I can't lie - I rewound the new guy's introduction scene 10 times because it made me laugh so hard.  I know it wasn't the intention, but "I brought zeppole!" was the perfect icing on the cake to that entire scene.