S17.E16: Star-Struck Victims

[WendyCR72]

When a lack of evidence leads Barba to drop rape charges against a popular actor; Rollins takes matters into her own hands.

[wknt3]

The Good:

Good acting from the guest stars especially from the victim.

Andy Karl's acting and the writing for Sgt. Dodds.

Carisi.

The courtroom scenes. This is becoming a welcome trend.

It's nice to see a case portrayed as high profile without them depicting a media frenzy on the level of OJ or the Lindbergh baby.

The Bad:

No Fin.

Why are a Lt. and a Sgt. interviewing the bar manager? If you really want to have Mariska and Andy Karl together it would make far more sense to have them interview the celebrity and let him handle the routine police work alone.

Chief Dodds really crossed the line from political animal but decent guy to stereotypical evil SVU boss beholden to power.

Are we really getting another scene of Liv chewing out Rollins for breaking the rules to do what she thinks is right on her own and not respecting the chain of command without Amanda pointing out what a giant hypocrite she's being? Really? Really???

Overall this was a decent effort, and managed to be somewhat interesting even though just about everything in this episode has been done many times before on SVU.

Edited February 25, 2016 by wknt3

[Spartan Girl]

Damn, Dodds. Didn't think you had in you.

I really hope Buchanan's daughter being mentioned in "A Misunderstanding" is a foreshadowing of things to come...because it's high time he gets his slut-shaming comeuppance.

[Hero]

I hate the Buchanan character, but that guy is a great actor who plays sleezy lawyer well. I also loved him on The Wire.

Carisi was looking sexy tonight and that's all I really took away from the episode.

The Good:

The Bad:

No Fin.

Why are a Lt. and a Sgt. interviewing the bar manager? If you really want to have Mariska and Andy Karl together it would make far more sense to have them interview the celebrity and let him handle the routine police work alone.

Chief Dodd

I love how "the good" is blank...lol!

[Sarcastica]

I feel like calling the police and reporting Fin missing. 

Wow, Baby Dodds actually did something. I was actually impressed. Papa Dodds can GTFO.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Sarcastica

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Little Dodds spilled the tea, I'm impressed.

Is it just me or that scene with Carisi and Barbara had some sparkage?

My BarS on ship sank last week, so......

Oh yeah, Craig Bierko frightens me.

Edited February 25, 2016 by MrsRafaelBarba

[wknt3]

I hate the Buchanan character, but that guy is a great actor who plays sleezy lawyer well. I also loved him on The Wire.

Carisi was looking sexy tonight and that's all I really took away from the episode.

I love how "the good" is blank...lol!

That was a combination of technical difficulties and clumsiness not an intentional thing! I thought it was OK but nothing special. There certainly was some good stuff!

[RafaelBarbas]

The good:

Barba was there

The bad:

Literally everything else

The especially bad:

I'm getting a feeling they might be setting up for Barba to leave and Carisi to take his place as ADA. I will punch someone if that happens.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

@ Rafael Barbas ....

Carisi just passed the Bar Exam five minutes, please don't do that show!

I adore Barba, he's one of my Tv husbands.

[CleoCaesar]

Between my boyfriend Barba, sexy Carisi, and Dodds Jr. rocking that shorter haircut, this show is surprising eye-candy.

 

Case of the week was a snooze. If I were on the jury (who didn't see the undercover video), I'd vote not guilty too.

[RedheadZombie]

I finally like the new guy.

[The Bullpen]

I finally like the new guy.

This.  Dodds Jr. was really likable in this episode - combination of the new haircut, the acting, and the storyline/dialogue.  Dodds, on the other hand... asshat.

 

When Dodds Jr. came in at the end and spilled the beans to Benson, I thought, "Well, good, at least we'll finally get to see Liv apologize to Rolli---nope. NEVERMIND."  Why end the show there?!?  I wanted an apology from Benson, dammit!  Ugh.  Leave the show, Mariska Hargitay. 

 

[RafaelBarba35]

Okay the story was blah. Dodds Jr. I'm actually starting to like especially with that haircut.

Olivia needs to apologize to Amanda asap. Amanda needs to quit going rogue. She has a kid at home now. She needs to remember that.

Now onto my Rafi. Everyone needs to get off the poor man's back about everything. He is obviously stressed and putting more pressure on him isn't helping. I think it's making him forget stuff like the fact that the defendants don't have to take the stand if they don't believe the people have reached burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Come on Rafi, Lewis pulled this crap on you! YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER RAFAEL!! You didn't have a case, yet you let Olivia push you into taking it and now are facing the firing squad known as 1PP. What happened to the big brass... ego? Did Olivia take it and refuse to give it back again to get you to comply?

Also saying that sarcasm is a weapon for the weak? Pot calling the kettle black?

Sonny saying that if he passes the Bar exam it will be because of Rafi pushing him was so sweet.

Edited February 25, 2016 by RafaelBarba35

[LittleIggy]

Damn, Dodds. Didn't think you had in you.

I really hope Buchanan's daughter being mentioned in "A Misunderstanding" is a foreshadowing of things to come...because it's high time he gets his slut-shaming comeuppance.

The actor playing Fuchanan was great on "The Wire" and he is great at making me totally hate him on SVU.

[slowpoked]

I really hope Buchanan's daughter being mentioned in "A Misunderstanding" is a foreshadowing of things to come...because it's high time he gets his slut-shaming comeuppance.

God, I hope so. If Rita Calhoun had one episode of going over to the dark side, so to speak, it's high time Buchanan goes over to the other side too.

 

So the promos said this episode is ripped from the headlines, but I don't remember any actor getting accused of rape recently. Whose real-life story is this based on?

Edited February 25, 2016 by slowpoked

[stillbored]

God, I hope so. If Rita Calhoun had one episode of going over to the dark side, so to speak, it's high time Buchanan goes over to the other side too.

 

So the promos said this episode is ripped from the headlines, but I don't remember any actor getting accused of rape recently. Whose real-life story is this based on?

I think they're referring to Bill Cosby.

I thought the episode was ok, and I was really hoping Liv would apologize to Rollins (doesn't rollins usually fess up when she messes up - so why would Liv think she's lying when she's constantly denying releasing the tape). I don't like that Liv and Rollins have all that tension but I did laugh at the irony of Liv telling Carisi to tell Rollins that she doesn't like triangles.

If Little Dodds followed Rollins to the bar why didn't he stop her sooner. She had to have been in the bar for at least a little while before they entered the bathroom.

Big Dodds annoyed me. I can't see how anyone would think it's appropriate to have Little Dodds under the command of Olivia who is apparently under the command of Big Dodds. And Big Dodds was interfering way too much on this case since he was friends with the rapist.

I did like that it was Little Dodds who released the video.

[candall]

Of course a rape victim is going to be traumatized and scattered, but I think they went too far writing a victim who never gets a smidgen of self-awareness that repeatedly changing key points in her story will affect her case.

 

To their credit, I expected Previous Victim to appear at trial and shake things up, as usual, but no.

 

I don't think this is Bill Cosby--way too abstract.  Remember when they got Jerry Lewis for The Mel Gibson Story?

[Primetimer]

A vlogger's accusations against a TV star get ugly for everyone involved.

Read the story

[blxckbird]

I actually really liked the episode, it had a lot of drama I guess.. :D

And maybe that's just me, but did Mini-Dodds act a lot like Amaro in some parts? Like with some lines I could have sworn they were Amaro's.. but maybe that's just my point of view :)

The "vlogging" stuff IMO was really cringeworthy though..

[Grundoon59]

Normally I am not a St. Olivia fan so I would be on the Amanda side of the should Olivia apologize issue.  However when Amanda gave so much crap to Baby Dodds something along the lines of "who are you to tell me what to do, Sergeant?" (while i am thinking, duh he is sort of your superior officer, kiddo)  that I just couldn't take her side. Especially since we never saw him rat her out to Olivia as flying solo at the bar when they were both accused of "going rogue", although there were indications everyone knew he was just covering for her.  As usual, loved Barba & Carisi and missed Fin. 

[Princess Lucky]

Is it just me or that scene with Carisi and Barbara had some sparkage?

 

Right? Carisi was definitely giving him hearteyes. And if Barba has been such a dick to Carisi because he wants to hit that, but he doesn't want to admit it (which is the only reasonable explanation, because what kind of monster would be an asshole to a sweetheart like Carisi?) then I am fine with that. Sign me up. The Carisi/Barba visual alone has my seal of approval.

 

When Dodds Jr. came in at the end and spilled the beans to Benson, I thought, "Well, good, at least we'll finally get to see Liv apologize to Rolli---nope. NEVERMIND."  Why end the show there?!?  I wanted an apology from Benson, dammit!  Ugh.  Leave the show, Mariska Hargitay.

 

Right??? I really hope we revisit that moment next week. I can't imagine they'll gloss over it.

 

Then again, didn't Benson have a fight with Barba after the Black Lives Matter episode, and then the fight was resolved in a deleted scene? This show, I swear.

 

By the way, I was on Benson's side when she chewed Rollins out for the crazy undercover plan (because it was ridiculous), but the ending about the leak was insane. Why was Benson that mad? Obviously the precinct will get heat for this leak, but a rapist was exposed and other girls won't be victimised. Shouldn't she at least be happy about that? Between this and the way she was still all "I lost sleep over a distributor of child pornography" I was side-eyeing Benson the entire episode.

 

However when Amanda gave so much crap to Baby Dodds something along the lines of "who are you to tell me what to do, Sergeant?" (while i am thinking, duh he is sort of your superior officer, kiddo)  that I just couldn't take her side. Especially since we never saw him rat her out to Olivia as flying solo at the bar when they were both accused of "going rogue", although there were indications everyone knew he was just covering for her. 

 

Seriously, everytime I think I like Rolilins, we get a Rollins-centric episode and she does something which should get her fired (EVERY. TIME.) and she acts like a total asshole to everyone around her and I'm like "yeah no she's a mess". Dodds Jr. is her superior. Why does she think she gets to talk to him like that? Just because he won't assert his authority (for fear of people thinking he's acting like his dad) and she knows that? And then being all "I'm a mom and this changes nothing" but also being quick to say "omg I swear on my baby's life look at me I'm a mom I could never do anything wrong!"

 

I really hated this episode. The scenes of Rollins making out with Bierko and then the attempted rape, I literally had to look away. Pointless. And the entire squad, including Carisi, questioning the victim like that? I mean, they were right I guess, but it felt wrong to have them all being so doubtful. And Barba was so flippant about not pressing charges. This was one of the episodes where everyone is out of character, I guess.

 

The only interesting thing for me was that Carisi took the bar exam (when did he even graduate? Show, don't tell!) and he probably passed and he's adorable and he's nice enough not to consider Barba an asshole. Even though Barba is a total asshole.

 

What does this all mean? I want Carisi to stay a cop, for the record. I need him to have a lot of screentime and be in all the scenes because, at this point, all the other characters drag the show down and he's the only one who keeps it breezy and fun.

 

But what if he goes to work with Barba? I don't think they could flat-out switch them out and have Carisi be the ADA, but maybe we could get another duo, like Connie/Cutter on the Mothership. We haven't had a leggy blonde ADA since Cabot. Carisi would fit the bill perfectly.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Princess Lucky

[Monkeybball]

Mini Dodds!!!!!! He was the most likable part of this episode.

[gesundheit]

I loved that they filmed the on-set scene early in the episode on adorable Sylvan Terrace. I'm always surprised they don't shoot more stuff on that block.

 

The stuff with the vlogging was way overwritten. I swear sometimes I just picture a bunch of elderly folks in some writers room in L.A. yelling at the sky about what these whippersnappers are into today.

[gus]

 

And speaking of bullshit, we get zero follow-up on whether Liv took Tucker for a ride last week.

 

Robert John Burke is listed as a guest star for next week's episode.

 

Rollins IS a mess, and an emotional loose cannon in a way that's more reminiscent of Elliot in his heyday than of Olivia.  It's too bad that Olivia has trust issues with her even when she hasn't actually done anything wrong, but she brought it on herself.  And there's nothing wrong with Olivia having a different attitude as a commander than she did when she was in the ranks.  The command position requires her to have different priorities now.  Cragen was harsh with her, too, when she got out of line, and he had trust issues with both her and Elliot - but he kept them around.  Liv and Amanda have a different dynamic because they are different people and have a different history, but as far as supervisor - employee relations go, it's very much the same thing.  

[slowpoked]

I think they're referring to Bill Cosby.

 

Oh ok, makes sense, I guess. It's just too far off though to be promoted as "ripped from the headlines", because if it was indeed Bill Cosby, they could have made it closer to the truth, I guess. Bierko slipping drugs to his victims, more victims coming forward after the accusations are out, instead of just one, like in this episode. They've made episodes much closer to actual real life before that them being deliberately vague in this episode was sort of confusing.

[Gigi43]

Rollins made her own reputation being untrustworthy. However, Liv still does stupid stuff herself and once she makes a judgement, that's that. Liv didn't have proof Rollins did it, I understand why she assumed it was her but then she passed on the gossip of "Rollins just lied to my face!" to Dodds Jr. when she just had her gut feeling/assumption. Poor Barba, Rollins said maybe it was him and last week that scum Hank fake accused him of setting him up. Two episodes in a row now with a lot of Barba. Now, if only these detectives could realize Finn was MIA.

Good for Dodds' Jr. though. I get there are laws in place, and Rollins' was an idiot for putting herself in that situation, but when there is video of an accused rapist committing the crime, that should trump rules, I'm sorry. People needed to see that. I was looking forward to seeing Barba lead those guys into his 'trap', too bad it didn't happen.

They better not be setting Carisi up for an exit with the bar stuff. I don't even think I want him to go over to the ADA side, because we see more of the detectives and I need as much of this guy as I can get.

My friends sister is EMT, she tells me all the time it's unbelievable how many younger people (and she's 23!) take footage of being in an ambulance, in the hospital, etc, so the blogger doing it to complain in the ER was interesting to me. My friends never dealt with a rape but she's said there's kinda an assumption that if the patient is okay enough to be using their phone, they're just not seen as being in such dire shape.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Gigi43

[The Wild Sow]

 

I don't think this is Bill Cosby--way too abstract.

Mashup of him & Ben Roethlisberger?  The bathroom, the birthday (although in that case it was HIS birthday!), the started out consensual.....

[Snookums]

Olivia needs to apologize to Amanda asap. Amanda needs to quit going rogue.

 

 

Yes to both. Olivia was wrong (but it's clear why she'd think Amanda would do this) and part of being a good leader is acknowledging when you leap to conclusions or mess up. But Amanda brought a LOT of this on herself. She's basically the new Elliot--doing rando, stupid things on her own that leaves her entire squad showing their asses and handing the defense its case. I get Dodds covering for her because he thought his words convinced her to do it, but honestly.

 

I wanted to smack both Dodds and her during their scene; she totally did the whole entrapment thing to "prove" she can still do her job even though she's a mommy now, and Dodds? I get you were trying to show support but unless a new parent asks you for your help or opinion? Keep out of it. Amanda? HE'S YOUR SUPERIOR OFFICER. You want to get mad at somebody, get mad at Finn for not taking the sergeant's exam and ghosting on the squad.

 

Dodds, you need to man up and tell your dad to keep his nose out of your career. You want to stay in SVU? SAY SO, and work on keeping your dad out of your professional life.

 

As to the case itself, Big Daddy Dodds was right for the wrong reasons; this was a terrible case to take to court and that poor girl was brutalized twice over for nothing. Buchanan is a twenty pound garbage bag carrying thirty buckets of sleaze but he's a good lawyer; he knew better then to put his grody clients on the stand and Barba knew it too. You could just see his seething frustration with how everything was textbook How To Lose A High Profile Case.

[innocuouspuff]

I thought there were shades of Jian Ghomeshi in there too, though possibly accidental since this ep must have been written and filmed before the trial happened this month. But all the trial-related slut-shaming had me majorly flashing back to terrible editorials in the local newspapers. The lawyer in that case definitely tried to make hay of the victims not acting raped enough, story inconsistencies, the idea of being out to persecute a celebrity for gain, etc. Ghomeshi almost definitely is guilty, but the verdict is probably going to say otherwise due to all that.

As far as the actual case, the idea of the girls agreeing to one thing, then getting surprised with something else that you wouldn't usually do without discussing first seemed similar. Also the fact that the star accidentally incriminated himself before he was actually suspected, in the rush to claim that the girl totally wanted it.

Rollins is a mess. As usual. I love that Dodds leaked the tape, and knows Dodds Sr. wouldn't let him go down for it. SVU is rubbing off on him in a bad way lol, his daddy should have thought that through beforehand.

I would never have thought to pronounce it vlog, in one syllable.

Edited February 26, 2016 by innocuouspuff

[wknt3]

The stuff with the vlogging was way overwritten. I swear sometimes I just picture a bunch of elderly folks in some writers room in L.A. yelling at the sky about what these whippersnappers are into today.

 

Yeah with their vlogging and their social media and their streaming video series which are all high concept nonsense running around in bad 19th Century costumes...

[slowpoked]

Here's what I don't get, and why Barba didn't push this hard enough - so I kind of understand the girl acted weird before and after the rape that may have anyone reasonably doubt her. BUT, she did get a rape kit the same night the rape happened. I thought that that would be Barba's main offense, since for all of the apparently wrong things the girl did before and after the rape, she did get right the one thing that should matter the most. Did they even mention the results of that rape kit? Was it conclusive? Inconclusive? 

 

I mean, everyone knows Buchanan would resort to slut-shaming. That seems to be his MO anyway, but I think Barba should have driven the point more of the girl getting a rape kit afterwards because of the fact that she was indeed raped. 

[RafaelBarba35]

Here's what I don't get, and why Barba didn't push this hard enough - so I kind of understand the girl acted weird before and after the rape that may have anyone reasonably doubt her. BUT, she did get a rape kit the same night the rape happened. I thought that that would be Barba's main offense, since for all of the apparently wrong things the girl did before and after the rape, she did get right the one thing that should matter the most. Did they even mention the results of that rape kit? Was it conclusive? Inconclusive?

I mean, everyone knows Buchanan would resort to slut-shaming. That seems to be his MO anyway, but I think Barba should have driven the point more of the girl getting a rape kit afterwards because of the fact that she was indeed raped.

I don't think they said much about it but I bet Buchanan would easily say that it was rough consentual sex.

Edited February 26, 2016 by RafaelBarba35

[Xantar]

To be clear, nobody deserves to be raped. The victim really was raped, and her attackers deserved to be punished.

 

But man, she was such a dumbass that it was hard to be on her side. When she vlogged her latest accusation with yet a third version of events, I just mentally facepalmed. Never mind how she just made the case almost impossible to prosecute. Did she not understand how this was going to lead to her getting ripped apart in the public arena no matter what happened with the legal case? I guess the writers wanted to show darned kids these days what's what about the ways of the world.

 

On another note, the security footage of everyone dancing in the bar looked hilariously cheap. I've seen Star Trek sets more convincing than that.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Xantar

[Snookums]

But man, she was such a dumbass that it was hard to be on her side. When she vlogged her latest accusation with yet a third version of events, I just mentally facepalmed. Never mind how she just made the case almost impossible to prosecute. Did she not understand how this was going to lead to her getting ripped apart in the public arena no matter what happened with the legal case?

 

 

Nope, because to her, "public" means her followers, who write supportive messages and leave a trail of emoticons; she thinks "public" equates with "my private version of the world as I understand it." No matter how tech savvy, it's hard for "kids" (that is, legal adults but still very young) to grasp that society as they filter it through their social media is barely a scrap of what's out there, let alone the full contact bare knuckle boxing match that is a criminal trial, and how 'THE TRUTH' is not what actually happened, or what they tried to edit into happening. When Barba told her he was giving her a taste of what a trial would be like, he was doing her a kindness. You have to expect to be savaged.

 

But none of that changes what happened to her. She. was. assaulted. By two experienced predators who have their routine down to such a sickening and oily dance that it barely registers as sex for them anymore, let alone rape. It doesn't matter that "only" ten minutes of her night "weren't fun"; they weren't fun because she was assaulted. She was robbed of her innocence, and just because her constantly posting/vlogging version of innocence is derided or considered silly or stupid doesn't change that fact.

[Everleigh]

Dodds jr. is looking good with the shorter hair. 

 

The episode was kind of a mess but it felt realistic in how the victim was treated. It was kind of sad to watch the girl be picked apart for her mistakes and for not handling this extremely traumatic experience the "right way," while two rapists walked free. But it just goes to show how we as a society tend to be more concerned with the victim's behavior than we are with the rapist's. 

 

Oh, Rollins. Girl just can't help herself. I feel like not a big enough deal was made over how dangerous her little sting operation was. What if she hadn't been able to stop them? She had no backup or fall back plan for getting herself out of the situation. 

 

I do think Olivia owes Amanda an apology for accusing her of lying when she wasn't but I won't jump on Olivia for not doing so just yet because the episode needed to end where it did. Hopefully it's addressed next episode. I don't blame Olivia for not trusting Rollins though because this sort of thing is a pattern for her. Not just the going rogue but Amanda has straight up lied to Olivia before when she was struggling with her gambling addiction, so I think that's where the distrust comes from. Plus Amanda is constantly taking matters into her own hands and doing stupid reckless shit that puts herself, as well as Olivia's job as a commanding officer, at risk. Of course Olivia did the same with Cragen and Cragen rightfully chewed her out for it a few times, but just because Olivia made similar mistake when she was a detective it doesn't mean she doesn't have the right to get upset about Rollins doing it now. She's in a supervising position now. It's like when a parent gets upset or angry with their kid for doing something stupid even though they did the same exact stupid thing when they were young. They're not being hypocritical, they're just being adults with a different set of responsibilities. 

 

The stuff with the vlogging was way overwritten. I swear sometimes I just picture a bunch of elderly folks in some writers room in L.A. yelling at the sky about what these whippersnappers are into today.

 

Do people still vlog? They should have just had her snapchatting the whole thing. 

[blxckbird]

Also one thing that's bothering me (not just with SVU, but it was a theme in this episode): It's V-Log not "flog"!! "flogging" is some 50 Shades of Grey stuff :D I just really don't like when people pronounce it that way, especially since everyone seems to be into it now.. :/

[MorbidPet]

It was a good episode, I really liked that everyone had something substantial to do. Of course the episode lacked Fin though. Ice tweeted all regular cast gets 4 episodes off each season but that's not right right!? Kelli has been on maternal leave so I'm excluding her but has Peter been missing this season? And well MH hasn't so that's that. 

 

I love when Amanda screws up, I get where she was coming from and what her aim was but that stunt was dangerous on many levels. Liv deserved to reprimand her but I just wish she'd done it for the right reasons. She could've whipped her for going rouge but instead we saw her get on her ass about leaking the tape which she didn't do and to then not see Liv 1) scold Dodds Jr even a ltl and 2) not apologize to Amanda, just makes me dislike Liv even more. 

Why didn't they instead just write a scene where Liv scolds Amanda for being reckless, where some concern surfaced about the fact Amanda could've ended up in serious trouble in that bathroom. It would've served the episode and the characters so much by going down that route instead. It would've brought back some of the old Liv, the one who actually gave a f*ck about her squad. And they could've just hinted to the fact Amanda is a rape survivor and that it was traumatizing for her to go through that. I do like this Williams writer but that group of writers as a whole just don't know what they're doing with these characters any longer. Bums me out :( 

 

And yes Amanda was totally crossing the line with Dodds Jr but I don't like him so I couldn't care less (and I can't believe you like that ugly fugly new haircut, ewww), and it's also in character for Amanda to snap at ppl around her when she's in that mood and it's not like she's worked with Jr a lot, she being on mat leave and then he on sick leave after the shooting, so I could also excuse her behavior by saying she was testing him. And he didn't man up so I would not be surprised if she'd sock him again. Actually I would love to see it happen again! I'm in it for the drama, without Amanda, and now with Barba loosing some spunk, this episode would've been a total bore. Maybe slightly eye-opening but still a total bore. 

[blxckbird]

It was a good episode, I really liked that everyone had something substantial to do. Of course the episode lacked Fin though. Ice tweeted all regular cast gets 4 episodes off each season but that's not right right!? Kelli has been on maternal leave so I'm excluding her but has Peter been missing this season? And well MH hasn't so that's that. 

Maybe he meant everyone from the main cast has the option to take off 4 episodes? Like vacation days or something? Idk :D

[Easyspreestep]

The episode was kind of a mess but it felt realistic in how the victim was treated. It was kind of sad to watch the girl be picked apart for her mistakes and for not handling this extremely traumatic experience the "right way," while two rapists walked free. But it just goes to show how we as a society tend to be more concerned with the victim's behavior than we are with the rapist's.

To me she was more picked apart for have 3 different versions of her story. The video could have been explained if she had not lied 2 times before she told the truth, and she didn't even tell the truth to the police at first she vloged it. I'm not saying there is a right way or a wrong way to act after being assaulted, but she claimed to want justice, but gave the police wrong information and or flat out lied multiple times. After lying to the police and having them waste time investigating the wrong crime, she gets indignant about them not being able to prosecute. The victim has some responsibly in all this to. Let me be clear, I have NO problem with her dancing on the dance floor after the assault and if she would have chosen to have consensual sex with 100 men after I would not blink. What I do have a problem with is flat out lying to the police and then expecting them to get justice for her.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Easyspreestep

[lucindabelle]

It's s painfully obvious that the writing staff doesnt understands eithe blogging or vlogging since with a usual 800 hits the obvious answer to the defense lawyer (and wtf does wolf have against defenses waters!) is that then licks earn her maybe an envy Each Maybe!

And yolo, show? Still?

[biakbiak]

I am not saying Rollins wasn't wrong and hasnt lied to Olivia but I want Cragan to appear and remind Oĺivia how many times she trompelled over the line; even when the suspect was innocent but he supported her.

[wait.what]

What is up with Olivia's hair? She needs a new stylist. It's awful.

Rollins: I like the character, but her open mouth wide eyed stare of disbelief is irritating.

[Trepie]

I was frustrated with some of the way this episode portrayed the victim because people kept saying she was "a mess." But they didn't really show her being a mess. She wasn't completely consistent, but that's not unusual even for the show let alone real life victims. People want rape victims to be calm and collected enough to give a perfect account of events the very first time, without things like shock, fear, or shame affecting what they say. But at the same time if the victim doesn't look traumatized enough those same people won't believe anything serious happened to her.

But as others pointed out, this girl went for a rape kit almost immediately and reported it to police. I also wondered why we didn't get to see security footage of her leaving the bathroom and why that wouldn't show a more accurate impression of how she felt immediately after, to counter the dancing footage. Anyway, nothing else besides an inconsistent story seemed to be a "mess" with this girl. Did they mean because she drinks and goes out to have fun? Because the detectives shouldn't be calling her a mess for an active social life. It felt like a lot of telling me about the victim and not a lot of showing.

[Princess Lucky]

I was frustrated with some of the way this episode portrayed the victim because people kept saying she was "a mess." But they didn't really show her being a mess. She wasn't completely consistent, but that's not unusual even for the show let alone real life victims. People want rape victims to be calm and collected enough to give a perfect account of events the very first time, without things like shock, fear, or shame affecting what they say. But at the same time if the victim doesn't look traumatized enough those same people won't believe anything serious happened to her.

But as others pointed out, this girl went for a rape kit almost immediately and reported it to police. I also wondered why we didn't get to see security footage of her leaving the bathroom and why that wouldn't show a more accurate impression of how she felt immediately after, to counter the dancing footage. Anyway, nothing else besides an inconsistent story seemed to be a "mess" with this girl. Did they mean because she drinks and goes out to have fun? Because the detectives shouldn't be calling her a mess for an active social life. It felt like a lot of telling me about the victim and not a lot of showing.

 

I agree, and that's one of the reasons I really disliked this episode.

 

That said, my only issue with the victim was the fact she switched her story again when she went public. Only accusing the bar tender at first, I get it. Neglecting to mention Bierko's involvement, I also get, because he's famous and maybe she was afraid no one would believe her. Lying about a "consensual" (as she said at the time) sexual encounter with another man right before she was raped, I get that too, because she didn't want to give ammo to anyone questioning her "morals" or her story.

 

But going public and then, for the first time, adding that Bierko raped her too? And insinuating that she had revealed this to SVU (about Bierko) and they ignored her? That, I'm less sympathetic about. That wasn't a lie about her attack, that was a lie about what happened afterwards, about her contact with the police. I suppose she did it out of frustration, or even revenge, because they refused to prosecute, and I get that too, but I do think that was the final nail in the coffin of her case. She had no credibility after that. With SVU, because they knew she was lying, and with the jurors, because it was the third different story she presented.

 

Of course the SVU detectives kept calling her a mess even before that happened, so what's their excuse?

 

Seriously I hated this episode.

[Diana Berry]

Curious. Why isn't dodds Jr in the opening credits?

[MorbidPet]

Curious. Why isn't dodds Jr in the opening credits?

Cause they are killing him off in the finale. Okay, that might be wishful thinking but Karl will star on Broadway (in 2017 but with rehearsals and all they probably need him sooner) and from what I understand it's a fulltime gig. Only speculating but I think putting him in the opening credits also up his paycheck so SVU probably gets away with paying him less to have him as just a regular in the billing list.

[Jaded]

I didn't really like this episode at all. It's one where if I had skipped it on purpose or missed it by accident I wouldn't feel the need to go back and watch. I almost didn't watch it based on the commercials that had been running for the week beforehand. I want to keep liking Rollins but her doing things like going out and almost getting herself raped because she had no backup due to "going rogue" when she has a baby at home just drive me up a wall. 

Edited February 28, 2016 by Jaded

[FozzyBear]

Of course a rape victim is going to be traumatized and scattered, but I think they went too far writing a victim who never gets a smidgen of self-awareness that repeatedly changing key points in her story will affect her case.

To their credit, I expected Previous Victim to appear at trial and shake things up, as usual, but no.

I don't think this is Bill Cosby--way too abstract. Remember when they got Jerry Lewis for The Mel Gibson Story?

Yeah. I don't know if it was the writing or the acting, but the victim really did come across badly. She didn't seem traumatized so much as manipulative. I know we were supposed to believe her, but she came at everything with the weirdest affect.

PS. When Barba and Olivia were talking about how he would rip them apart on cross I was thinking "Why would they take the stand? Your case sucks and they know you have that tape you're dying to get into evidence." And then...

[wknt3]

Yeah. I don't know if it was the writing or the acting, but the victim really did come across badly. She didn't seem traumatized so much as manipulative. I know we were supposed to believe her, but she came at everything with the weirdest affect.

 

It was the writing. I think the actress did a great job, but this show has always had a problem writing journalists and has never been able to handle new media, no matter what the quality of the writing otherwise. So you get characters that don't come across as humans, but as some sort of obsessive manipulative robots.