S17.E04: Institutional Fail

[WendyCR72]

A starving toddler found wandering the streets alone leads detectives to the home of Manuela Ozuna and another child in grave condition. The police question Department of Child Services caseworker Keith Musio, whose vague and backdated reports on the family suggest he hadn't checked on the children in months. When the overworked Keith accuses his supervisor, Janette Grayson, of orchestrating the false reports, Chief Dodds promises to conduct an internal investigation. But when neglect leads to death, Barba takes matters into his own hands and arrests them for manslaughter. Meanwhile, Dodds indicates some changes coming to Benson's squad.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

That courtroom scene with Barba and Jeanette going at it.

Chile....

[RafaelBarbas]

It was a good ep overall but it needed more Barba and I am hella annoyed at that misogynistic line they had him say. That's so absurdly OOC for Barba. Do the writers just have a die with the characters' names written on it that they roll every few eps to decide whose character gets derailed?

[Spartan Girl]

Oh man that was heavy. Especially the scene when Liv and Carisi found that poor little girl in the cage. Broke my heart.

The one bright moment in the whole episode was when Fin gave a superb smackdown to that horrible mother. I hope he's right and the little boy never remembers a thing.

Wow, Rollins' pregnancy sure accelerated.

[Hero]

That little boy is adorable.

Rollins stomach grew a lot...lol!

I liked this episode, it reminds me of the earlier svu episodes.

Next weeks episode seems like they have already done something like that before.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Suzy123

[StaceyNotStacie]

Very heavy episode.  The courtroom scenes were very well done.

 

Considering how much they SORASed Amanda's pregnancy, I wouldn't be surprised if she gives birth during November sweeps.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Stacey1014

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Love the look Rollins gave the mom, when she talked about Keisha earning food.

She was like, really bitch?

Like the above poster stated, Barba's Maternal Outrage comment was OOC.

[wknt3]

The Good:

Fin and the videotaping kid. "Keep snitching and we'll drop all the charges!" LOL. Actually just about all of his lines this wek.

Lots of Barba. Righteous crusading Barba too!

Good use of Carisi again too. And he was really rocking the 3 piece suit. Let's hope that Fin's sartorial decline isn't contagious.

The acting from the guest cast was solid all around. I was afraid based on the promotion that this was going to be a "famous guest star chews the scenery episode" but aside from Whoopi's breakdown on the stand it was actually a restrained performance. I thought Jay Karnes might have been the one to go a little overboard actually, but it was probably just the way the part was written.

A good script that had a few SVU cliches (the squad gets called in on flimsy pretext because we can't be bothered making up an actual special victim to fitt his week's social issue) but handled most of them well and used every character well.

 

The Bad:

Another all Benson all the time episode. I'm tired of her personal life. I really hope that they're going to cut back a bit with the new Sargent. If not, why not use this plot to deny her the promotion and bring in new CO?

The whole evil conniving brass vs. our crusading heroes was a little bit overdone.

They probably should have put Rollins on desk duty before this. It wasn't believable that even Liv could look that far the other way. And I kept getting distracted by wondering how much time was supposed to have passed from last week's episode or if this was some sort of mutant alien baby about to burst out of her at any moment.

 

Overall this was another good episode. Not quite as good as last week, but a solid effort nonetheless. This is shaping up to be a good year.

Edited October 8, 2015 by wknt3

[Gigi43]

I liked the Criminal Intent with Whoopi a lot better than this one but this was good. She really needs to get away from that talk show and act more.

The case worker stuff really reminded me of an episode years ago where a boy in foster care died, the worker faked visiting logs and she shot herself in her apartment in front of Finn because of public harassment.

Loved Finn dealing with the cell phone and then telling the mother hopefully the son won't remember her. I was starting to think the show was going to try to make her sympathetic somehow (no way that was happening for me), glad that was the last we saw of her. Did I hear right she got EIGHT years? That's it?!

Barba was great as always. I really liked the spar with Jeanette.

Next week: Didn't they do this with Amaro last year?

Edited October 8, 2015 by Gigi43

[Ms Blue Jay]

Olivia looked so pretty in the opening scene at the gala with Peter Gallagher.

 

On the other hand, I can't stand to look at Rollins' face on HDTV.  It looks extremely plastic to me.  Her lips are getting Goldie Hawnish.

 

It was weird how basically Whoopi had no part until the end.  I guess I should have known it was coming.

The serial killer episodes are too harsh/disgusting for me but this 'lost children' type episode are too boring for me.  Let's get back to the sexual assaults or sexual abuse!

 

Let's hope that Fin's sartorial decline isn't contagious.

 

I noticed he wore two shirts with leather collars.  The shirts are not leather - just the collars.  One shirt was green with a brown leather collar : /

Edited October 8, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Wonder who will play Chief Eyebrows's son?

Mariska looked good, I'm getting use to the new hairstyle.

[shapeshifter]

I agree that Finn's lines and delivery of them were the bright spot.

I must be a terrible person/mother because the last shot of Rollins smoothing her growing (seemingly during the episode!!!) now nine-month-pregnant belly, leaning back in the chair like she was about to pop it out, made me LOL very loudly.

ETA: It just occurred to me that maybe the episode was taking place over real-life-court-case time and not over TV-court-case time, so Rollins being 9 months along after the trial would be about right.

Whoopi's soliloquy was very convincing out of context of the dead and tortured children and the threatened employee. Maybe she was trying to speak for the honest overworked case workers?

Even though the disclaimer said it wasn't based on anything, isn't this a ripped from headlines story? Possibly this past summer?

Edited October 8, 2015 by shapeshifter

[Ms Blue Jay]

Rollins was all like, "Let me out into the field" after sighing and groaning loudly as she tried to stand up.

[RafaelBarbas]

On Tumblr I saw someone point out that Barba was doing the hand-clench thing during the trial. That thing, if you remember, was what he said he does when he remember his father... hmm.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Earlier this year...

Two young kids left alone in an apt wandered outside, were seen running up and down the sidewalk. Surveillance cameras showed strangers trying to stop them from running into

the street.

They were clad in undershirts and soiled diapers.

Think it happened in the Bronx.

Pretty sure this eppy was loosely based on that incident.

[Muffyn]

I assume Rollins is having an alien baby since she’s growing so quickly.  That would be a different story line for this show.  By the end I was pretty sure they put a VW Beetle under her shirt. 

 

I did find it funny that the person who made the “tall poppy” comment to Barba was significantly shorter than him.  Raul is listed as 5’8-1/2” on imdb.  Mariska was towering over him in her heels.  They had to find a short actor for that visual (although, of course, tall poppy syndrome has nothing to do with a person’s height.)

 

I enjoyed seeing more courtroom scenes in this episode.  And we had both Carisi and Barba.  Maybe they are not making them alternate episodes this season?

[Princess Lucky]

Good episode. This season is shaping up to be pretty great, and very old school. I like it.

 

Whoopi's speech in the end was pretty impressive. Acting-wise but also in terms of content. She wasn't wrong. I don't recall her (or anyone) mentioning that a solution for the problem would be to hire more case workers, though. Not that this would ever happen, but I thought it should have been mentioned that the higher-ups are willing to spend US tax dollars on trials and incarcerations after the fact, but they'd never spend any money trying to correct the systemic problem. Still, her speech about how everyone ignores the problem was pretty intense.

 

I'm not sure what the point of all the flirting between Dodds and Benson was. I guess because he stuck her with his son at the end? So we knew she had a more cordial relationship with him, so she would basically be forced to accept his son in the squad without comment? Eh. And the "not a date" thing? Double eh. Though they both did look great.

 

That said, if the Benson Boyfriend candidates are Tucker, Barba and Dodds? Dodds has got to be the best option. Though I maintain Benson has the best chemistry with Tucker. But that's just because Tucker is smokin' hot. Still, Dodds seems more "together". Barba probably has no time for a personal life and he seems a little too angsty, whereas Dodds probably has a lot of free time in his hands, since a lot of his "work" involves schmoozing at fancy soirees. And Tucker is a total hardass and he's IAB, but he's hot. So. I don't know, I'm actually mildly interested to see if Benson will legitimately date any one of them. Whodda thunk it? Take Noah out of the equation and I'm all about Benson's private life!

 

As for Rollins and her gigantic fetus, I don't know. Every time she has a scene with a guy I suspect them, and same goes for Dodds. I did think the cop played by Scott William Winters (Dumas, is it? The blond guy early on, the cop who kicked the case to SVU) was a likely candidate. In fact, I expected him to run into Rollins at a crime scene, see her enormous pregnant belly, do the math in his head and go "oh shit". Maybe even approach her, take her aside for a chat. Maybe this tiny appearance was meant to remind us that he exists, so that he's revealed later? But then, he was only in the episode for 15 seconds. Not long enough to make an impression (except to those of us who love him from his Oz days). So who is it? Hm.

 

Oh and this was another great episode for my boo Carisi. He did indeed look fabulous in his 3-piece suit, and he got all emotional when they found the little girl, and when she died, because he's still not used to this type of tragedy, and he did manage to ingratiate himself with the case worker and get him to talk. Good stuff. This season the writers seem to be treating Carisi a lot better. Maybe because there'll be a new new guy? And there can't be two punching bags at the same time? Or is it just character development, Carisi learning the ropes and toning down his more extreme traits? Whatever it is, I'm loving it. And I'm loving Carisi, who is by far my favourite now.

 

Again, this season is looking surprisingly good. That said, I'd like to see a wackier episode (based on that whole Ashley Madison thing, for instance), a hilariously over-the-top mess, just to make up for all the creepiness and the sadness we've gotten so far.

[WendyCR72]

I double checked the title, and it was Fail, not Fall. My bad. My only excuse is the text of the synopsis was so tiny that the "i" looked like the other "l".

And maybe my glasses weren't on at the time, but I can't be sure! But I'll be more careful in the future.

Thanks and please adjust your brains accordingly. :-)

[Primetimer]

Yeah yeah, 'it's not a date.' Whatever it is, maybe-future-Lieutenant Benson and Deputy Chief Eyebrows have to put it on hold when a child-welfare case blows up.

Read the story

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Please show, not  Olivia and Chief Eyebrows.

 

BarSon is what I want, but tptb decide not to go there, let it be Tucker then. 

 

Robert John Burke is a Silver Fox and Tucker looks like he can lay serious pipe.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

He really does.

[Bananna]

yeah, this was really old school episode. It reminded me of a super old episode from the mothership where a girl died due to child abuse. The performances from the guest stars were good, especially Whoopi Goldberg I totally forgot that she could act.

 

Seriously how long has Rollins supposedly been pregnant? She looked from kinda pregnant last week to 'ready to give birth' pregnant. I don't really care about who Benson ends up with, but I was thankful we didn't get a Benoah scene amongst all this. I really don't know when I started to like Carisi, but he's become such a likeable character and a breath of much needed fresh air in this show.

[beaker73]

Very heavy episode.  The courtroom scenes were very well done.

 

Considering how much they SORASed Amanda's pregnancy, I wouldn't be surprised if she gives birth during November sweeps.

Off topic, but I love your profile pic.  I'm a huge Nats fan!

 

Heavy episode, indeed.  I was holding my breath during that whole opening sequence. I thought Bruno was going to get hit b a car or something.  

[editorgrrl]

I liked the Criminal Intent with Whoopi a lot better than this one but this was good. She really needs to get away from that talk show and act more.

When I saw Whoopi in the bumper I assumed she was reprising the same character, an evil foster parent. Even when they started talking about Bruno's mother ("Manuela something like a baseball player"), I thought the system had recently placed him with Whoopi.

So take my opinion with a huge grain of salt! But I thought the tall poppy was Benson.

Barba: You're NYPD's press boy, right? As you've already made clear, I don't work for you.

Abraham: Look, as a friend, I'd hate to see the tall poppy get cut down.

Benson: That was subtle.

The self-professed "commissioner's right hand" couldn't stop Barba from prosecuting, but he could quash Barba's friend's promotion. At the end, Benson assumed Dodds was bringing her bad news. But Dodds had flat-out warned her to back off or risk getting caught in Barba's noose, so I could still be wrong about who the other guy was threatening.

Also, when that woman said Rollins is obviously carrying a girl, was that a subtle dig to tell us, the viewers, not to make assumptions? (For example, about the father's identity.) I was confused by the way that scene was shot: Rollins was wearing black clothes under a huge coat (on August 7?!) and holding her notebook in front of her belly.

Edited October 8, 2015 by editorgrrl

[roomtorome]

It amazes me what this city (NYC - I live here) can manage to throw money at and what we choose to seriously and dangerously underfund.

 

Horrible cases have been revealed because of lack of funding and /or lack of trained case workers (or, simply people who actually care about children) out of ACS for years.  Insidious ones - many with prior complaints, etc - 

 

We have the sold the soul of this city to developers to build for foreign investors (per NY Times investigative piece) but we can't seem to find the political will to do the right thing by kids here - it's despicable.  Sorry for the rant, but I am a consumer advocate here on various issues and have been for more than 25 years and have seen more stuff happen that shouldn't and most is because of lack of money - which the city does have but choose to spend differently; probably like most every other city.

 

I'm glad for any chance this problem is highlighted here even if done through a fictional tv show - 

[WendyCR72]

When I saw Whoopi in the bumper I assumed she was reprising the same character, an evil foster parent

 

Ah, but she went to the pokey with "her boys". Remember the chilling smirk Chesley Watkins gave to Mike Logan when boarding the prison bus or van - after another of said boys - after arraignment - took a tumble out of an upper floor window (heavily implied to have been pushed)?

 

I'd think even fictional NYC would know not to place a speck of lint in her care after all that! (And I'll forever remember that CI episode if just for the unusual goriness and violence of the initial crime scene.)

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Josh Pais's has a very punchable face.

When he was all snarky with them at One PP, kept hoping Ray Donovan would bust into

his office. Then break his wrist, like he did in S1.

[CleoCaesar]

Is Rollins carrying quintuplets or something?

 

Barba was extra hot tonight. Something about the haircut.

 

Barba and I am hella annoyed at that misogynistic line they had him say. That's so absurdly OOC for Barba.

 

I'm drawing a blank - what'd he say?

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Is Rollins carrying quintuplets or something?

 

Barba was extra hot tonight. Something about the haircut.

 

 

I'm drawing a blank - what'd he say?

He told Benson and Rollins their maternal outrage wouldn't be enough to build a case

against ACS.

[Gigi43]

Josh Pais's has a very punchable face.

When he was all snarky with them at One PP, kept hoping Ray Donovan would bust into

his office. Then break his wrist, like he did in S1.

Stu's desire/set up to sleep with that porn star is actually closer to the "sexually based offenses", SVU should be handling than cases like this weeks are in a way. Pias is almost too good at being annoying. Edited October 9, 2015 by Gigi43

[Paron Xanthis]

The case worker stuff really reminded me of an episode years ago where a boy in foster care died, the worker faked visiting logs and she shot herself in her apartment in front of Finn because of public harassment.

That would be season five's "Careless," and it was probably one of the best Fin episodes ever, if you like Ice T and/or Fin.

[GarnetGirl]

I really liked this episode. Lots of heartbreak to go all around. I love the episodes with lots of Barba. From holding a press conference to confronting Whoopi Goldberg's character, he was awesome last night. As for the "maternal outrage" comment, I just don't think it was that out of character. He's always been kind of a jerk, and he is always hounding the detectives to get him more evidence. It was definitely insensitive, but not any more than the "take your daughters to work day" comment. I'm actually more interested in next week's episode, since it seems in the preview he might not be on the same page as Olivia, and I like when they argue. I also think that Barba has been winning big cases lately so they might be setting him up for a fall.

Dodd's son is being played by Andy Karl, who starred as Rocky on Broadway.

[CleoCaesar]

He told Benson and Rollins their maternal outrage wouldn't be enough to build a case against ACS.

 

...that indicates a hatred of women? What am I missing here?

It's gotten way to easy to label anything misogynistic IMO.

[RafaelBarbas]

...that indicates a hatred of women? What am I missing here?

It's gotten way to easy to label anything misogynistic IMO.

In addition he said this immediately after calling them both emotional. It might not be "misogynistic" if you go by the literal definition as hatred of women but it is certainly sexist.

[shapeshifter]

In addition he said this immediately after calling them both emotional. It might not be "misogynistic" if you go by the literal definition as hatred of women but it is certainly sexist.

Yes, the remark is more sexist than mysogynistic.

But was he speaking for himself, or was his meaning that the ACS and their legal representation would label their case as "maternal outrage"?

Both Live and Rollins looked taken aback by the comment. I wonder if it was the characters' reactions or if the actors were reacting to the line and the editors decided to use it? I don't know anything about television production, so I don't know if that's possible.

Or maybe they were trying to make Barba look like an a$$hole so shippers wouldn't object to Liv going off into the sunset with Eyebrows. I haven't read anything about that, but might be time to get some fresh faces--speaking of which, who's playing Eyebrows son?

Edited October 9, 2015 by shapeshifter

[Snookums]

She really needs to get away from that talk show and act more.

 

 

Completely. When the judge asked her if she needed a break and her reaction of O RLY YA THINK? was so perfect! How she'd been drowning in the hopelessness and pain of the city for a quarter century and the only time anyone noticed is when they wanted to feel righteously indignant and hide their own guilt and knowledge that the problem is everyone.

 

Everyone who doesn't want to pay higher taxes, accept how many kids aged out of the system having been raped and beaten with nobody doing jack shit. Everyone who demands literal wallpapering over the problem so they can feel better. She may have been a monster but she didn't start out that way. As she said, once I'm gone who's going to take over this job, the one you damn well know is impossible? Barba? The judge? All the kids in college who were thinking of going into social work until this mess erupted? Who? I mean, look at the crap mountain Liv had to transverse just to adopt Noah. That's ONE kid. One. 

 

On a lighter note, I once again go on record casting my vote for Tucker And His Bourbon Glass Of Icy Passion. I loves me some Peter Gallagher and would happily curl up in his eyebrows for a nap, but nothing compares to the chemistry between Tucker and Liv. Even Barba and she don't have that "tear your clothes off with my teeth" ROWR thing she and Tucker have going on.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Snookums

[Ms Blue Jay]

...that indicates a hatred of women? What am I missing here?

It's gotten way to easy to label anything misogynistic IMO.

 

You can't talk to people like that at work.  It's completely disrespectful to use people's vaginas as a way to judge their reactions to outrageous events.  He's dismissing their reactions as being a result of their Stupid Female Brains when they're simply doing their job.  He also called them both "emotional"?  Jesus.

 

To overexplain here, he's classifying the way that Rollins and Liv react to something as being sillier than the way men react to things, also known as the way you SHOULD react to things on the job -- i.e. NOT maternal, NOT emotional.  Women react 'wrongly' to things because they're women.

 

I'm having a much harder time buying it could be seen as not misogynistic.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[RCharter]

Oh man that was heavy. Especially the scene when Liv and Carisi found that poor little girl in the cage. Broke my heart.

The one bright moment in the whole episode was when Fin gave a superb smackdown to that horrible mother. 

I needed more of that....I was thinking

 

Mother: so can you, umm, like, check with the judge to see if I can attend her funeral?

Benson: nope.

 

On another note: the cast from Orange Is the New Black is taking over SVU!!!!

[RCharter]

Everyone who doesn't want to pay higher taxes, accept how many kids aged out of the system having been raped and beaten with nobody doing jack shit. Everyone who demands literal wallpapering over the problem so they can feel better. She may have been a monster but she didn't start out that way. As she said, once I'm gone who's going to take over this job, the one you damn well know is impossible? Barba? The judge? All the kids in college who were thinking of going into social work until this mess erupted? Who? I mean, look at the crap mountain Liv had to transverse just to adopt Noah. That's ONE kid. One. 

 

You know, there seems to be a lot of overlap between the "pro-life" groups and the "don't raise my taxes to take care of children" group.

 

It reminds me of that Howard Stern segment when Robyn accused pro-lifers of "loving the fetus and hating the child"

 

And seriously, there is no need to insult wolves like that.  They actually care for their young.

[CleoCaesar]

On another note: the cast from Orange Is the New Black is taking over SVU!!!!

No kidding. And the actor in this episode who played Keith Musio played someone on OITNB named Vince Muccio. They're not even changing the characters' surnames that much, haha.

[Aliconehead]

So am I the only one that is hoping Adam Brody shows up as Dodds son?  Okay it could be a hold over to my love of the Cohens from The OC

[solequeene]

Really great episode.

 

I like it when they touch upon real life issues without it being a PSA moment - I particularly like the ones that handle class and institutions. And we saw actual investigation, court scenes, Goldberg's well done scene, lots of Barba, no Noah... so, pretty much everything I want in this show.

 

On a shallow note, Carisi looked particularly hot, which is a source of happiness.

 

I like the idea of Benson/Dodds. They have nice chemistry and seems they could complement each other. As long as it doesn't take much time from the episodes, really.

[Snookums]

And seriously, there is no need to insult wolves like that.  They actually care for their young.

 

 

My husband got indignant at that line! "Wolves are EXCELLENT parents!" 

 

I really can't think of any animals that deliberately neglect and abuse their young the way humans do.

[frogprof]

 

Liv's hair gets paroled from butt-cut jail.

 

Nuh-UNH.

[Desperately Random]

He told Benson and Rollins their maternal outrage wouldn't be enough to build a case

against ACS.

 

 

...that indicates a hatred of women? What am I missing here?

It's gotten way to easy to label anything misogynistic IMO.

I'm with you CleoCaesar.  I wasn't bothered by that scene at all. Barba was telling them that in order to do his job and get a conviction he needs them to set aside their emotion and outrage so they can focus on doing their jobs and get him some evidence. And he was right. Their outrage (maternal or otherwise) was not going to get them into court. I do think he could have worded it better but having worked together for years, I'm sure he feels that he can be blunt with them. It's always been his style from day one anyway and was classic Barba, which is one of the reasons I love the character. He just cuts through it and tells it like it is.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Desperately Random

[FozzyBear]

I shall now name this episode "A Few Good Social Workers". You can't handle the truth!

I'm with you CleoCaesar. I wasn't bothered by that scene at all. Barba was telling them that in order to do his job and get a conviction he needs them to set aside their emotion and outrage so they can focus on doing their jobs and get him some evidence. And he was right. Their outrage (maternal or otherwise) was not going to get them into court. I do think he could have worded it better but having worked together for years, I'm sure he feels that he can be blunt with them. It's always been his style from day one anyway and was classic Barba, which is one of the reasons I love the character. He just cuts through it and tells it like it is.

Plus Benson has a loooooong history of demanding whatever ADA invent charges to sooth whatever moment of outrage she's going through. So yeah, it's going to take more than that to bring charges against civil servents who probably have a fair amount of protection from being prosecuted for just being bad at their jobs. You know, much like police officers and district attorneys.

Edited October 9, 2015 by FozzyBear

[Judois]

Really good episode. I gasped and cried out "Oh,no!" when they found the little girl in the cage. And then burst into tears. Baby danger always gets to me.

I agree about Whoopi. She played that part well and thanks for the reminder of that CI episode. She was great in that one,too.

[donsey]

I thought that final Dodds/Rollins scene a little pointed - possible baby daddy? Really enjoying the newest detective, Carisi...miss his mustache a bit though. On a shallow note, he and Barba are nice eye candy. Good season so far!

[FozzyBear]

I thought that final Dodds/Rollins scene a little pointed - possible baby daddy? Really enjoying the newest detective, Carisi...miss his mustache a bit though. On a shallow note, he and Barba are nice eye candy. Good season so far!

I was wondering if it's the son. To be Olivia's #2 he would have be at least around Rollins age. The last exchange could have been concern for his grandchild?

[Calamity Jane]

Very heavy episode.  The courtroom scenes were very well done.

 

Considering how much they SORASed Amanda's pregnancy, I wouldn't be surprised if she gives birth during November sweeps.

I was going to ask when SVU switched over to soap opera time.