Show Analysis: Dr Huang Will See You Now

[SunnyBeBe]

Can someone help me with the details?  I think the ME is describing how the victim's death occurred to Olivia and Elliott, and it includes someone falling onto a vibrator.  It's pretty brutal and eventually causes death.  I know, it doesn't sound funny now, but when she told it and the looks on their faces. It was pretty funny. 

[Princess Sparkle]

This is more unintentionally funny, but I was doing a mini-marathon of episodes last night, and watched Smut AKA the episode where a guy taped himself raping women to get off, and after they played a tape in the courtroom, Grayleck gave us this gem:
"That's not an objection you're raising" while staring at his crotch.

That's also the episode with the classic:
Benson - "We've busted perps with porn stashes that would make Jenna Jamison gag."
Finn - "And that ain't easy."

[Bastet]

Quote

I love the last scene of the episode where Jennifer Love Hewitt plays a victim whose rapist stalks her and rapes her four times over fifteen years.  Each time he tells her to "be a good girl, behave yourself."  And at the end, he's locked in a cell, and she goes right up to the bars and says "be a good boy, behave yourself."  It's like watching her finally reclaim her own life, and super-satisfying.

That one is on right now, and I love it for bringing attention to backlog of untested rape kits.  The scene you describe is the perfect ending.  "Now I'll always know where you are.  Be a good boy.  <slams cell bars shut>  Behave yourself." 

[Princess Sparkle]

I watched Strange Beauty over the weekend (the episode where Steve from Sex and the City amputates a healthy woman's leg as part of a sexual fetish), and the way the writers were treating body modification in general was insanely frustrating to me.  At one point, we have Warner suggesting that the next logical step in society from stretching your earlobes (which historically has taken place since the time of King Tut, who also had stretched earlobes) is voluntary amputations.  Then, one of the possible perps does ear pointing, which is not my cup of tea, but some people are into it and that's their choice.  The woman doing the surgery stole some anesthetic from her place of work for her surgeries, yet Olivia and team act as if the much greater offense is her doing the surgeries in the first place, and then scoff that her reasoning for doing the surgeries is for people who wish to take control of their appearance through body modification.  Look, I know things such as ear pointing are never going to be mainstream, but I have heard from multiple people that body modification of any sort can be a way of taking control of your appearance, and the disdain in which the SVU writers treated her, and the other people getting body modification was gross. I'm not even going to touch the fact that they find this woman at "Freak Night."  I get that this is maybe more of my hangup because I have friends who are piercers (and therefore have done, or have friends who have done things similar to some of the people in the episode) but my god, they were acting as if they were some kind of deviants.  

[Spartan Girl]

The end of "Betrayal's Climax", with rape victim Avery lamenting how boyfriend Manny (the gang member who basically knew his gang was going to rape her and was too cowardly to stop it) died thinking that she didn't love him anymore and that she should have told him when she had the chance, was very frustrating to me.

The writers obviously weren't paying attention to their own work. Because the last time Avery saw Manny, she DID plead with him that she loved him, even while HE was treating her like shit, covering up his own guilt with the excuse that she must have wanted it because of the forced orgasm. She didn't find out his own involvement until later, in private with Rollins, and less than a minute later, they found out that that he'd been killed in prison.

I mean, it's understandable that she was sad over what happened, but the whole "I should have told him I loved him" stuff was overkill. And not in all in line with what really happened.

[WineCheeseChocolat]

Agree with these ones:

On February 13, 2015 at 0:17 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Also satisfying was the stalker in "Surveillance" got murdered by his own stalker.

On March 25, 2015 at 0:24 PM, Spartan Girl said:

"Hammered" might be a weird choice for a satisfying moment, given that the guy basically gets away with it at the end.  But I kind of found it satisfying that after all his whining and crying about how he shouldn't be punished for something that he didn't even remember doing and later bemoaning his remorse to Olivia -- though he wasn't  remorseful enough to confess before the trial wound up in a mistrial -- asking how he could live with himself, Olivia just shakes her head with an icy cold, "I don't know." and leaves him to get bombarded by the press.  I just love how Olivia has zero fucks to give for that guy.

On March 9, 2015 at 9:02 PM, mtmjr said:

I love the last scene of the episode where Jennifer Love Hewitt plays a victim whose rapist stalks her and rapes her four times over fifteen years.  Each time he tells her to "be a good girl, behave yourself."  And at the end, he's locked in a cell, and she goes right up to the bars and says "be a good boy, behave yourself."  It's like watching her finally reclaim her own life, and super-satisfying.

On April 22, 2015 at 10:40 AM, DollEyes said:

 Delurking with one of my favorite SVU episodes, "Undercover," when Liv posed as an inmate of a women's prison to find the guard who raped/murdered an inmate and raped her daughter. MH's Emmy nomination that year was justified for that episode alone. It made me laugh (when Munch was innocently explaining to the other detectives why no one would believe the mother's story because in some peoples' minds she was just a "crack ho" & the inmate's daughter interrupted with "Don't call my mama a 'ho!"), it made me cry (when the mother got killed and the daughter got sick with TB), it made me cringe (when Liv was almost raped by the guard) and it made me cheer when the guard got busted and Liv asked him, "Who's the 'bitch' now?"

MH killed it with the tear-filled voice as she delivered that line.

And that scene also had a Finism:

Harris: She was trying to escape!

Fin: And you had to drop your pants to stop her.

Quote

From Manhunt, the episode with the particularly sadistic serial killer who is apprehended in Canada, but smug as hell because Canada won't extradite unless they waive the death penalty, which isn't going to happen.  Now, I am opposed to capital punishment and thus, in theory, am with the Canadian government lawyer who argues against extradition and is thoroughly appalled at Alex's blatant ploy amending the petition so that it lists only the theft, knowing full well as soon as Canada turns him over she's going to add the murder and rape charges.  But when the judge uses his own "this court prefers not to speculate on a hypothetical situation that may or may not result from its ruling" words against him to grant the extradition, I grin in spite of myself.

I also love the final scene, when Munch goes to tell the surviving victim - who has been essentially housebound in terror ever since she escaped, and keeps her lights on because otherwise she sees his face in the shadows - she can turn her lights out tonight.

Manhunt was such a great Munch episode. It's one of my top five favorites.

Also, when the detectives took custody of him after he stepped over the boarder, Munch says "Welcome home."

Also:

The ending of Countdown from S2. It's my all-time favorite episode. After several all-nighters, red herrings and a lot of nail-biting, they finally save the girl before the sicko kills her. And then the mom who (understandably) didn't even want detectives to question her raped and traumatized eight-year old, makes an impassioned speech to the DA to cut a deal with Sicko so he will reveal where the body of the one unrecovered girl is and the parents can finally get closure.

In Grief from S4, the grieving father who killed the guy who abused and raped his daughter, which led to her suicide, is convicted of murder. Stabler (who has been Taking It Personally all over the place because, daughters) tells the guy he's sorry. The father looks him right in the eye and says "I'm not."

S1, BabyBenson (who subsequently pukes over it, showing us all how green she is at this) tells the raped and blinded victim of a Serbian war criminal that he will never hurt her again (because he's dead).

In Stolen from S2 or 3 a boy is the center of a custody fight between his biodad, adopted parents and biological grandparents, all who are good people and victims of circumstance and the fallout of the murder of the biomom. The dad gets custody, but Cragen observes them outside the courthouse and says "They're talking. That's a start."

In Competence from S2 or 3, creepy grocery store manager gets away with raping Katie so she can be found mentally competent and keep her unborn child. But SVU finds that he's fathered children with other mentally challenged women who worked for him and confronts him with child support petitions for all of them.

A few from later seasons. The sexual abuse at a boys private school, when the victims finally get an apology. I think S14.

S15, where the young mother gets compensation from the men who watched the videos from when she was forced into porn as a child. She gets her daughter back and sets out to make a new life for herself.

Also in S15 when Benson goes to the morgue and sees Lewis' body, finally putting the whole shitastic arc to bed.

And at the very end of S15 when Benson becomes Noah's foster mother and the season ends with her cuddling him. I know most would rather no babies, but it was nice to see her get some happiness after Harris/Lewis PTSD, Stabler abandonment, child of rape, alcoholic/dead mother, shitty luck with relationships, stabbings, poisonings, harassment, etc, etc, etc.

[Bastet]

Quote

The ending of Countdown from S2. It's my all-time favorite episode. After several all-nighters, red herrings and a lot of nail-biting, they finally save the girl before the sicko kills her. And then the mom who (understandably) didn't even want detectives to question her raped and traumatized eight-year old, makes an impassioned speech to the DA to cut a deal with Sicko so he will reveal where the body of the one unrecovered girl is and the parents can finally get closure.

"I cried every second that Sophie was missing. I wanted to crawl out of my skin. Sometimes I didn't realize that I'd been screaming at the top of my lungs. Not knowing for three days nearly killed me. I can't imagine this poor woman going through that for years. And letting it go on for the rest of her life? I mean, I want him dead, but you have to help this woman."

She'd spent much of the episode annoying me, but definitely redeemed herself in the end.  That was a great scene.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Bastet

[Spartan Girl]

"Nationwide Manhunt": Ugly Bronwyn getting beat up and locked in a trunk by the serial killers she helped escape. Not to mention Olivia finally getting to rip her a new one for all the shit she got away with. And the fact that she FINALLY got her stupid bitch ass in handcuffs was icing on the cake.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[Bastet]

The one where Sherilyn Fenn bangs her stepson was just on, and I love at the end when Kyle, finally seeing her for who she is, serves her with divorce papers and when she says he doesn't know what he's doing, replies, "No, I know exactly what I'm doing.  Mom."

[Cobalt Stargazer]

On 5/30/2016 at 1:22 AM, shapeshifter said:

When this episode re-aired this week on ION, they cut the part of the scene in which Fin said, "That's my Jew," and Munch says, "Shalom," which seemed odd since they aired it intact a few weeks ago on the same network. In the cut version, they left in the following scene in which Munch says, "My Jew?..." and Fin says, "I'd be your boy!..." which didn't make any sense with the previous lines cut. I personally did not find it offensive in context, but I did find it hilarious. Even if they just cut it for time, I think it was a mistake because it is one of the best bits of the series, and, like I just pointed out, it causes the remaining lines to not make sense and also makes the audience wonder if something offensive was cut.

On a semi-related note, the episode where Fin and Lake were going to interview some doctor at a fertility clinic always makes me laugh for the scene where they're in the waiting room together. Another patient decides that they're together together, and she says something like, "I know that many couples your age have decided to start families, which I think is beautiful." Lake reaches over and puts his hand on Fin's with this dopey smile on his face, and Fin just looks all, "Whatever, man."

[WineCheeseChocolat]

ME Warner although I don't remember what episode:

Quote

I speak for the dead and I'm not done yet.

Also Warner in S7 Fault about a pissy Stabler:

Quote

Sometimes all that brooding intensity is just annoying.

Stabler in S11 Perverted after unsuccessfully trying to break a door down:

Quote

Either the doors are getting stronger or I'm getting older.

Cabot in S4 Desperate:

Quote

Defense Attorney: My client is the sole caretaker of his young son.

Cabot: Well he wouldn't be a single father if he hadn't killed his wife.

Novak in S8 Uncle after the creep got off

Quote

Novak: The bite mark evidence was thrown out.

Dani Beck: How could you let that happen?!

Novak: I guess I suck.

Going back real old school now...Munch in S1 to Cassidy although I don't remember the episode:

Quote

I don't want to rain on your parade, I want to blow up all your floats.

Speaking of old-school Cassidy/Bensidy...S1 Closure:

Quote

Stabler (completely out of the blue): How long have you been sleeping with Cassidy?

Benson: I'm not! Well, not much.

...And old-school Benson in S1 Slaves:

Quote

Creepo who kept the girl in a cage: Honey, I'd like a mineral water, no ice.

Benson: And I'd like your balls in a blender but ain't life a bitch?

Also S1 Cragen in the very first epidode, to TakingItPersonally Benson:

Quote

You used your get out of jail free card on this case. There's only one in the pack.

Really Captain? How many breaks did you give her in the subsequent 15 years?

Judge Donnelly in S10 Zebras:

Quote

Is everyone crazy today? Five minute reccess. People, take your meds.

Barba in S14 Her Negotiation when they called him in about Lewis:

Quote

You called me in here on a Class B misdemeanor because you wanted to use up all your favors in one fell swoop?

Also Barba in the same episode:

Quote

Judge: Mr Barba I'm surprised to see you slumming.

Barba: I miss arraignment court, your honor. It keeps me humble.

Judge: I doubt that.

Fin in S15 Psycho/Therapist about Lewis:

Quote

We should've shot him when we got there. Hey, we were all thinkin' it.

Fin in one of the later S15:

Quote

Murphy: There are shades of gray in SVU.

Fin: Not to me. You touch a woman or kid, you're scum.

Murphy in S15 Beast's Obsession at the Lewis escape briefing:

Quote

Benson: He called me this morning from the nurse's cell phone. He says he misses me.

Murphy (strolls in): Which is exactly why I've been ordered to take command of this unit.

Rollins (with an oh shit I offered to blow this guy and now he's going to be my new boss look on her face): Lieutenant Murphy?!

Benson: What are you going here?

Murphy: 1PP didn't call? That's classic. You can't be in charge of a manhunt when you're the target of the man you're hunting.

Benson: He is our suspect and this is my unit.

Murphy: No longer. As of now I'm acting commander of SVU.

...and then a little bit later...

Murphy (to Amaro with a I haven't forgotten the time you decked me look): We've met.

Amaro: Yes we have.

Murphy: Amaro can go to Bellevue with Rollins. Fin, go to Rikers. (To Benson)...you are to stay here or a hotel. Intelligence will provide 24 hour protection.

Benson: I don't need protection.

Murphy: It's not your decision. Is that the captain's office? I'll be needing it.

Sorry for the length, but I love how Murphy just walks in, knocks the whole squad down a peg, either pisses off or makes everyone feel supremely awkward and just doesn't give a damn.

Also, this entire exchange from Spring Awakening in S15:

Quote

Benson: Meet Trevor Langan. He's a high-priced mouthpiece for lowlifes.

Langan: And for you, once. How soon we forget.

Benson: So you caught a pro bono?

Langan: I do a few a year. Keeps me an honest lawyer.

Murphy: An oxymoron.

...a little later...

Rollins: He's tall.

Benson: Like that's a skill set.

Rollins: You two have history?

Benson: I don't date lawyers.

Rollins: Since when?

 

My next installment will be solely devoted to Cabot/Petrovsy (sp) barbs.

Edited August 30, 2016 by WineCheeseChocolat
Adding a few more

[Spartan Girl]

Bumping up this thread because there's a moment from "Victims" that's always bugged me.

Quick recap of episode: a paroled rapist that attacked a little girl is murdered and the squad immediately suspects the girl's mother. Little girl is still traumatized from her ordeal and the parents have split up because the mother kept blaming the dad for everything that happened. As it turns out the mother had been stalking him but couldn't go through with actually shooting him. She laments to Olivia that even though she should be happy that someone killed him for her, it doesn't make a bit of difference because the family is still in ruins.

Look, I know that it's hard for couples to stay together after something horrible happens to their children. And certainly that guy deserved to burn in hell. But the fact that her family was ruined was kind of on her: she blamed the dad even though none of it really was his fault, and even went as far as to keep the daughter away from him. Which is unfair not only to the father, but also to the daughter, who obviously missed him and needed as much of his love and support as possible.

So that put a dent in my sympathy for her.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Spartan Girl

[WineCheeseChocolat]

Few more I thought of:

S11 Bedtime Benson is undercover to get the welfare dude who made women trade sexual favors for benefits. He's getting really creepily massaging her and goes for the boob grab just as she writing down her job and she jumps up and arrests him.

Quote

Bogden: Just jot down your last job, whatever.

Benson: That's easy. Special....Victims...Unit!

Bogden: You're a cop!

Benson: and you're a creep!

Speaking of Benson's comebacks to pervs, S1, she didn't exactly have her game going. When questioning Richard White, William Lewis V.1.

Quote

You know what you are? You're a nosy parker.

Wut?

Cabot during S2 or 3. The defense was saying the perp didn't know what he was going and showed a picture of the defendant's brain lit up in bright colors.

Quote

You've presented a very provocative argument. What it lacks in substance, it makes up got in pretty colors.

And S15 October Surprise. Amaro is telling Barba that he's defending Munoz because Barba left the barrio and went on to better things.

Quote

Barba: Thank you for the bodega psychoanalysis, detective.

[AntiBeeSpray]

This.

'I'm not the one who stabbed the captain with a pickle.' -- Benson to a perp.

That one gets me every time XD.

[Spartan Girl]

The end of "Crush" where Ezra Miller, the best friend of the abuse victim, helps the team expose the corrupt judge that unfairly sent her to prison for sexting pictures of herself.

[skittl3862]

"I should be in the hospital getting checked for rabies!"

Benson: "I seriously doubt you gave the dog rabies."

[DollEyes]

From "Undercover," the episode where Olivia went undercover in a women's prison to find Harris, the psycho guard who raped/killed an inmate and raped her daughter, there were two funny scenes: one, where Munch innocently explained why people wouldn't believe the mother because in their minds she was just a "crack ho" and the daughter said "Don't call my mama a 'ho!" and this scene, after Harris was caught trying to rape Olivia & he tried to lie about why he was alone with her, but Fin didn't buy it : 

Harris: "She was trying to escape!"

Fin: "And you had to drop your pants to stop her?" 

Edited September 24, 2016 by DollEyes

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, DollEyes said:

...

Harris: "She was trying to escape!"

Fin: "And you had to drop your pants to stop her?" 

Ice T must look forward to getting to see his new lines each week.

[Monkeybball]

Rollins: "Trick or treat!"

Clown: "WHO WANTS A TRREEEEAAAT?"

Fin: NYPD.  What the hell are you doing Bozo?

[katisha]

On 02/12/2015 at 5:06 PM, Bastet said:

The molested piano student who became a reluctant molester himself.

I was going to post something about this exact perp.  I saw this very old episode the other day and it was a really good one.  Despite his own horrific acts, you couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor guy who was systematically abused and raped by his piano teacher for so many years and ended up treating his own young students exactly the same.

[Monkeybball]

On 9/30/2016 at 7:06 AM, katisha said:

I was going to post something about this exact perp.  I saw this very old episode the other day and it was a really good one.  Despite his own horrific acts, you couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor guy who was systematically abused and raped by his piano teacher for so many years and ended up treating his own young students exactly the same.

I felt horrible for that kid.  (By the way, that actor is just ridiculously amazing too).  But I was surprised they didn't even point out the fact that the old piano teacher was standing over him and saying "you know what to do to help him, Evan."  I think as the man who raped/molested Evan his whole life, he has a certain degree of power and control over him, and him directing the kid to do it should have been considered when they wanted to punish Evan.  It's somewhat akin to Stockholm Syndrome.  

[Spartan Girl]

The victim on last night's "Imposter" who slept with a guy that she thought could get her son into Hudson, and cried rape when it turns out he was bamboozling her.  Like many people pointed out, it was her choice to sleep with him, and she wound up ruining her own life and destroying her family.

[katisha]

On 07/10/2016 at 2:25 AM, Spartan Girl said:

The victim on last night's "Imposter" who slept with a guy that she thought could get her son into Hudson, and cried rape when it turns out he was bamboozling her.  Like many people pointed out, it was her choice to sleep with him, and she wound up ruining her own life and destroying her family.

Hear, hear.  To me it was a clear case of "caveat emptor" and the other "rape" victim said it so much better - she got hustled, pure and simple.  

[kelslamu]

I don't feel sorry for the mom trying to get her kid into college or the pole vaulter.  I just can't. 

[katisha]

I know Season 10 isn't one of the better past seasons but I saw the episode "Smut" again the other day, with the perp who drugged his victims with a nearly undetectable substance which made them forget everything while he brutally raped them.  Of course, being TV, he oh-so-conveniently had taped these sex sessions but it was still very satisfying when at the last moment, when it looked as though he was going to get away with it, the detectives discover that the first woman in his videos was actually his fiance at the time and that seals his fate.  The perp was especially creepy and sleazy so that made his capture much more satisfying. 

[Princess Sparkle]

Is that the infamous "That's not an objection you're raising!" episode?

[Spartan Girl]

Jake Stanton, the ex-football player Treat Williams played in "Spiraling Down". The poor guy wasn't a pervert, but all those concussions left him so mentally impaired he was incapable of making any good judgements. I know there was no possible way for a happy ending in that episode, but did they really have to end it with him killing himself?

[katisha]

On 15/10/2016 at 2:23 AM, Princess Sparkle said:

Is that the infamous "That's not an objection you're raising!" episode?

That's the one!

[katisha]

13 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Jake Stanton, the ex-football player Treat Williams played in "Spiraling Down". The poor guy wasn't a pervert, but all those concussions left him so mentally impaired he was incapable of making any good judgements. I know there was no possible way for a happy ending in that episode, but did they really have to end it with him killing himself?

Yes, I felt a lot of pity for him, and it was mainly to do with Treat Williams' portrayal.  I think in a different actor's hands the character wouldn't have been nearly as sympathetic.

[katisha]

Watched an episode from S5 tonight, Brotherhood, and I'd forgotten how satisfying the conclusion was.  If nobody has watched this one lately, it was about a fraternity where pledge masters were having wayyyyy too much sadistic fun with their pledges, resulting in one of them being murdered by a pledge who was traumatised after being raped with a pledge paddle.  The satisfying part was when a ledger which contained chapter and verse about the rape, which had initially been disallowed because the defence lawyer and father of the murdered pledge master, played by Gary Cole, had found out it had been stolen by the girlfriend of one of the abused pledges, was admitted back into evidence after Gary Cole's character accidentally-on-purpose made reference to it when he realised the other pledge master that he was defending was throwing his son under the bus and blaming him for everything.  The best scene is where Novak makes the pledge master read out loud to the court directly from the ledger the part that describes exactly how he raped the pledge.

(Side note: As an Australian, I have no direct knowledge of fraternities or sororities but I have to say their depiction in movies and TV makes them look BRUTAL, and like you'd have to be insane to even want to be in one!  Are they really that bad?)

Edited October 23, 2016 by katisha

[shapeshifter]

6 hours ago, katisha said:

....(Side note: As an Australian, I have no direct knowledge of fraternities or sororities but I have to say their depiction in movies and TV makes them look BRUTAL, and like you'd have to be insane to even want to be in one!  Are they really that bad?)

My youngest daughter was in a sorority that focused on raising money for charities and tutoring members who needed academic help. I guess her older sisters watched too much SVU, because they were sure it was really just binge drinking parties.

[Michel]

On Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 7:13 AM, katisha said:

The best scene is where Novak makes the pledge master read out loud to the court directly from the ledger the part that describes exactly how he raped the pledge.

You forgot the best part.  When Casey gets him to do that, he is trying and failing not to cry on the stand, knowing that he's screwed.

Edited November 10, 2016 by Michel

[Noirprncess]

So far, I haven't liked the S18 episodes.  They have made Liv pretty insufferable and several of the cars were either ridiculous or improbable or both.

[bethster2000]

I'm sick of Olivia.  Period.

I wish they would bring back Amaro.  Maybe it's not the most popular opinion, but I think Danny Pino was terrific.

[shapeshifter]

In the recent episode, "Broken Rhymes," Olivia takes aside the interrupting ad nauseum mother of a ten year old witness and lectures the mom effectively about the reality of the victim's transgendered, girl-next-door life.

[mikesgirl99]

On 11/8/2015 at 9:08 PM, PrincessEnnui said:

In one of the early seasons, there was an episode which focused on a group of Black men who were on the down low with each other which featured this satisfying exchange:

 

Suspect: I am not gay. I have relationships with women and sex with men!

 

Finn: That. Makes. You. Gay.

 

Now, Finn didn't say it exactly as typed, but it was a slow, firm statement that shut the suspect right up. So, satisfying. Also doubles as funny. 

I liked when Finn was at the station explaining to everyone about being on the Down Low and they all give him a strange look and then he says 

 

"Don't look at me. I just know stuff."

On 11/8/2015 at 9:08 PM, PrincessEnnui said:

 

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 11/12/2016 at 5:16 PM, bethster2000 said:

I'm sick of Olivia.  Period.

I wish they would bring back Amaro.  Maybe it's not the most popular opinion, but I think Danny Pino was terrific.

I am too.

Word. I really liked him as a character and I liked Danny Pino in Cold Case as well.

[skittl3862]

Huang: You gamble, Elliot?

Stabler: Only with birth control.

[WineCheeseChocolat]

Speaking of Snarky Ashley from Undercover, this was great too.

Benson: Ashley, the man who attacked you stole the rape kit from the hospital.

Ashley: He's smarter than you?!

[DaynaPhile]

Zombie thread...so I only have access to seasons 13 and forward...if I wanted to have a mini marathon, with the greatest Barba snark, best storylines, most fabulous one liners from anyone, what episodes would you all recommend?

[ForeverAlone]

If I am going to put together my own personal Barbathon (and trust me, I do this all the time), here are my favorite Barba episodes (in order of airing, not favorite):

25 Acts (14)

Legitimate Rape (14)

Girl Dishonored (14)

Traumatic Wound (14)

Her Negotiation (14)

October Surprise (15)

Military Justice (15)

Psycho/Therapist (15)

Pornstar's Requiem (16)

Forgiving Rollins (16)

Agent Provocateur (16)

December Solstice (16)

Devastating Story (16)

Daydream Believer (16)

Devil's Dissections (17)

Criminal Pathology (17)

Community Policing (17)

Depravity Standard (17)

A Misunderstanding (17)

Edited November 22, 2016 by ForeverAlone

[AntiBeeSpray]

Early SVU. But I do like the episode that Robin Williams was in via s9 ('Authority'). I just like the vibe within the show from the earlier episodes. Sure it was serious, but it wasn't over the top like the more recent seasons have been.

[AntiBeeSpray]

From 'Authority':

This scene. I love it, along with Munch and co. in it. 

[wknt3]

1 hour ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

Early SVU. But I do like the episode that Robin Williams was in via s9 ('Authority'). I just like the vibe within the show from the earlier episodes. Sure it was serious, but it wasn't over the top like the more recent seasons have been.

I agree on both counts although I think the recent seasons have been a little more grounded with the exception of Mariska Hargitay's ego. I personally divide the show into 4 eras - 1.Early SVU. With a further division pre and post Ice T. There was the very early years where it was very realistic, but probably not sustainable and they were still figuring things out. The Fin shows up at about the same time they really figured out the formula. 2. The Campy Years as they start to go over the top with the twists and ridiculous plots. Which starts out kind of fun and different and ends up with monkeys in basketballs and serial killer CSIs. 3. Grimdark SVU. The Amaro years. I haven't seen all of these episodes, but it just seems relentlessly depressing with Amaro's rage, Rollins constant self destruction, Benson's stalkers and everybody being suspended all the time.  4.Benson & Basics. The past few years where they've tried to go back to basics as far as focusing on sexually based offenses and exploring social issues through investigations and trials. Dominated by Benson whether it makes sense and is helpful or not. I think there is good and bad in every era although there is very little good in the Grimdark years (pretty much Donal Logue, some occasional good dialogue, and the hope that they might get their act together which they did eventually, but not before Belzer and Florek were gone and there was no restraint on it becoming L&O:Benson.)

[DaynaPhile]

3 hours ago, ForeverAlone said:

If I was going to put together my own personal Barbathon (and trust me, I do this all the time), here are my favorite Barba episodes (in order of airing, not favorite):

 

This is a great list! Are they all S13 and beyond? I wish I knew where to watch earlier seasons since Netflix took them off, but even my possibly sketchy website resource only has 15 and beyond. 

Edited November 22, 2016 by DaynaPhile

[ForeverAlone]

Yes. They are all actually season 14 through 17, because those are the Barba years. I could watch that man all day, every day. :) :) :) 

[DaynaPhile]

I know, right?

[JyDanzig]

8 hours ago, DaynaPhile said:

This is a great list! Are they all S13 and beyond? I wish I knew where to watch earlier seasons since Netflix took them off, but even my possibly sketchy website resource only has 15 and beyond. 

Hulu has the complete series -- that was basically the main reason for me to sign up for Hulu.  There are those times when I need an old L&O-verse ep at that very moment, and these cravings always seem to hit in one of the 4 hour windows on any given day when no L&O reruns happen to be airing.

ForeverAlone has a lot of strong episodes on their list, but here's a few others I'm a fan of:

Season 13 (pre-Barba): I realize I love the whole 5-show block that runs from episode 6 through 10 this year -- it was a new writing staff, and after working out the kinks on the first few eps they had this great little run of really strong shows: "True Believers", "Russian Brides", "Educated Guess", "Lost Traveller", and "Spiraling Down".  Later in the season I think "Hunting Ground", "Justice Denied", and "Valentine's Day" are all great.

Season 14: "Lessons Learned" (great Barba show!), "Criminal Hatred" (I like the defense attorney adversary for Barba in this one), "Born Psychopath"

Season 15: "Thought Criminal" (a return of the defense attorney from "Criminal Hatred", this is one of my favorite trial's in the recent years)

Season 16: "Holden's Manifesto", "Undercover Mother"

Season 17: "Transgender Bridge."  Also, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I really like the two-parter that ends the season, "Intersecting Lives" and "Heartfelt Passages"

I kind of want to go to do my own mini-marathon now after writing that...

Edited November 23, 2016 by JyDanzig

[ForeverAlone]

I think the season 17 finale was the best one in years. I don't typically rewatch most of the later season finales, just because I find them rather unpleasant. But I think season 17 had a strong opener and closer and that is refreshing to watch. 

[skittl3862]

For me, the best of SVU is seasons 2-7. That's "real" SVU to me; the episodes I've seen probably 100 times and still sit through again and again. I can take or leave season 1. Season 8 took a nosedrive with Dani Beck and kind of rebounded through the end of the season. Then the Campy Years, as mentioned above. I stopped watching by the time Stabler left.

I've never seen a single episode of season 13. Seasons 14-16, I mainly tuned in for only the episodes that my friend told me had enough Barba to be worth my time (I'm a longtime Raul Esparza fan from the Broadway days). Amaro leaving got me back into the new episodes season 17. I really, really disliked his character.