S17.E17: Manhattan Transfer

[krimimimi]

The situation with the nun also seemed like too much of a retread of the story with the mother whose daughter had been trafficked (the girl Liv gave her necklace to). But the deal with the mom infiltrating the ring there was a lot like this. Plus we just had corrupt police (adjacent). Ho hum.

 

For a character who has been working with special victims for as long as Liv has to be that tone deaf to the nun's fears really pissed me off. I place that squarely at the feet of plot induced loss of skill set, and the writers should be ashamed. But even if that hadn't been so bad, there's still no planet where taking the nun home, tainting your witness and possibly exposing your child to risk (even if only because the nun was presumably at risk) is a "good thing." And all of that was classic Liv.

 

I hope all this is for Liv to go undercover.

Sadly my first thought on reading this was: "I hope all this is for Liv to go undercover... in Chicago." I used to like Liv. I hate what they've done with her. (That I continue to watch and enjoy HTGAWM proves that my problem does not lie with conflicted, gray (or even outright shady) characters. So what could it be, writers?)

 

All I could think about is how Unstabler Elliot would be about Tucker.  Maybe they'll bring back CM for a nice conflict.  I know it's a UO but I miss Elliot.

Hated Elliot towards the end, but I too miss him. Unfortunately, the writers always have to take things 10 steps too far. Elliot was fine initially, and at the least, he kept the show from devolving into the St. Liv crapfest it has often since become.

 

I think my enjoyment of the show and the decline there of can be linearly linked to Munch's presence (or lack thereof). Carisi is helping me with that a bit, but I miss Munch's paranoia and snark.

 

 

I wasn't sure that there might not be some rule about disclosure of relationships. Clearly at the latest if people are married, some form of disclosure is taking place.

I think Barba was mad because Olivia said "don't ask me that", not because it had been such a long 90 seconds.

I agree, but it still made me wonder. While I've never missed an episode, I pretty much go into a fugue state anytime Lewis or Noah come into play and just kind of struggle through. But I dimly recall people trying to encourage Liv not to publicize/disclose/reveal that Johnny D(?) (or whatever necklace girl's uber-pimp's name was (I'm not great with names)) had fathered Noah, and I thought Barba was one of those people. So I felt Barba was kind of OOC in this scene, but that he had every right to be pissed with her anyway. Also from the standpoint of not being looped in by someone he's friendly with.

 

 

On the upside, this show can still do comedy. Unfortunately, I think it's mostly unintentional, but I hold out hope that there is a rogue element in the writers' room, trying to lighten our load.

 

I did giggle when Barba said to her, "Didn't he have you and both your partners arrested?" and Olivia was like, "That's all in the past!" (cue eyeroll)

 

I had to laugh when Olivia said she was somewhere safe, and then it shows her in the apartment. Did everyone else just forget all the times dangerous things have happened to her over the years? Then again, it's not like they put her in Amanda's apartment....

I did laugh at that. (May have technically been scoffing. Sort of a "Pah!" sound.) But it did not occur to me that it could have been Amanda's place. Splendid! That got a genuine smile out of me, and may I just commend you on your "glass half full" outlook? You are so right. It could have been (and sadly usually is in SVU) worse.

[TV Anonymous]

Benson slept with Tucker? When did that happen?

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

SVU Gives New Meaning To The Term 'Internal Affairs'
And not in a good way. A sex-ring bust goes awry, then really awry as SVU's investigation implicating the church and 1PP sets Liv's entire life on fire.

[SunnyBeBe]

There are several interpretations here about what really is going on with the suspension of Olivia, as well as her bizarre babysitter choices and they would help make sense of it.  I gasped when she offered for the nun to go to her apt.  Are you kidding me? That's a very dangerous location. lol

 

 The writing around her character is so annoying at times.  All I know is that when she made the announcement at the end about leaving.....I cheered!  Yay!  Great news, IMO.  I think it's a great idea. Whatever the real reason she's gone, perhaps she can use the time to take some parenting classes, personal safety  and self defense courses.  

[skittl3862]

Did neither of these 2 cops nor the ADA notice the Monsignor's creepy, pervy line about how beautiful Cara Gutierrez was when she was confirmed? When she was 7? I got icky chills when he said that.

 

How did 1PP know to contact Olivia? And what exactly is the reason given for her firing? Being involved with Tucker? I can't imagine there actually being a conflict of interest professionally. He's not her direct superior and as others have said, he can always recuse himself in an IAB investigation that involves her.

 

I really, really, hope they don't go the route of alcoholic Olivia. Unfortunately, it appears going in that direction. That plot has been done multiple times on this show (Rollins gambling was just last season, wasn't it?). I don't know why they need to turn Olivia into the most tortured cop ever. Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey (the characters, not Taylor Swift's cats) should both be dead 10 times over by now. At least when Stabler was here, the writers switched it up, but it's just too much when it's just her.

 

I don't know why they can't let the poor woman have a happy, successful relationship with a hot guy for once (preferably with many shirtless Tucker scenes *ahem*) and give another character the drama.

[stillbored]

 

How did 1PP know to contact Olivia? And what exactly is the reason given for her firing? Being involved with Tucker? I can't imagine there actually being a conflict of interest professionally. He's not her direct superior and as others have said, he can always recuse himself in an IAB investigation that involves her.

 .

I thought they fired her because they think she's involved in it or at least they figure that Tucker is (there's a deleted bonus scene were Tucker's collegue is telling him that the superiors believe Tucker is involved in the whole thing). Which suggests that Barba had to inform someone that Benson and Tucker were a couple because NOBODY else knew.

[pezgirl7]

Did neither of these 2 cops nor the ADA notice the Monsignor's creepy, pervy line about how beautiful Cara Gutierrez was when she was confirmed? When she was 7? I got icky chills when he said that.

 

I missed that, but where I live in the US, most Catholics get confirmed around 16/17, their junior year of high school. So perhaps it's that way in NYC as well? Still creepy.

 

Benson slept with Tucker? When did that happen?

 

Barba said something about them sleeping together, and Olivia didn't deny it.

[Desperately Random]

I missed that, but where I live in the US, most Catholics get confirmed around 16/17, their junior year of high school. So perhaps it's that way in NYC as well? Still creepy.

 

 

You're right that most Catholics are confirmed when they are in their teens. They should have been talking about when Cara made her First Communion. That is done when in grade school.  I made mine when I was in the second grade so saying how beautiful Cara was when she made her First Communion would have made more sense. Obviously, someone did not do their fact checking.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Desperately Random

[TV Anonymous]

Barba said something about them sleeping together, and Olivia didn't deny it.

 

That is my question. I am a loyal L&O viewer (not just SVU), I do not recall seeing Benson being intimate with Tucker. Did I miss anything?

[Princess Lucky]

That is my question. I am a loyal L&O viewer (not just SVU), I do not recall seeing Benson being intimate with Tucker. Did I miss anything?

 

I think it's a given that they slept together after 17x15, when they were going for that nightcap, and they've been sleeping together ever since. Their body language in this episode (in Manhattan Transfer) was really intense, meant to demonstrate that they're physically intimate (Benson kept touching him, they were standing literally nose to nose as they argued, and then they hugged at the end in that bar). They're totally doing it.

 

My question is when did they start. I think they had probably done it before, too, last season, circa Padre Sandunguero, but this time they're giving it a go at a relationship. I'm debating whether or not they were dating during that "Benson is taken hostage" episode. I think either they were doing it but weren't yet "official", and that incident brought up their feelings, or they started doing it/dating right afterwards.

 

We never actually saw a sex scene, of course, because when have we ever? But I think it was explicitly confirmed in this episode, with all the touching and the fact she didn't deny it to Barba and all the hand-holding in the end. They're a couple for sure. I don't know if we'll actually get to see a kiss or anything though, it might be too soapy. I mean, I'm all for it. But maybe deducing intimacy is all we'll ever get.

[skittl3862]

I missed that, but where I live in the US, most Catholics get confirmed around 16/17, their junior year of high school. So perhaps it's that way in NYC as well? Still creepy.

 

You're right, I was thinking of first communion. I'm not Catholic. Either way, in SVU land, it's a creepy thing for a priest to say.

 

I think it's a given that they slept together after 17x15, when they were going for that nightcap, and they've been sleeping together ever since. Their body language in this episode (in Manhattan Transfer) was really intense, meant to demonstrate that they're physically intimate (Benson kept touching him, they were standing literally nose to nose as they argued, and then they hugged at the end in that bar). They're totally doing it.

 

My question is when did they start. I think they had probably done it before, too, last season, circa Padre Sandunguero, but this time they're giving it a go at a relationship. I'm debating whether or not they were dating during that "Benson is taken hostage" episode. I think either they were doing it but weren't yet "official", and that incident brought up their feelings, or they started doing it/dating right afterwards.

 

I, er, binged all episodes featuring Robert John Burke over the weekend (judge away) and my working theory is they started seeing each other after Padre Sandunguero. They had a very friendly scenes together in Parents' Nightmare and Surrendering Noah- which definitely stand out considering his hardass "rat squad" role in the past. By Townhouse Incident, the fact that out of all of NYPD, she decides the one person who cares if she lives or dies is Tucker makes me think it was ongoing, not necessarily an on-again, off-again thing. Would you put your life in the hands of your occasional booty call? We as the audience were let in on it during Collateral Damages, but that doesn't mean it wasn't behind the scenes all along.

 

Of course, this all probably gives the SVU writing team way too much credit for planning something an entire year in advance with a longtime recurring character instead of their usual "Oh wait remember Cassidy from 12 years ago?!" shoehorn techniques. But if I were the shipping type, I think watching their scenes together in hindsight suggests a changing relationship.

Edited March 14, 2016 by skittl3862

[torqy]

Olivia made this episode almost unwatchable, for me.  Losing perspective, poor judgment, jumping to conclusions, up in everybody's faces making accusations.  Settle down, Quick Draw McGraw!

 

You have neatly summed up what has been wrong with this show for a very long time...

 

If I could still drink, my drinking game would be taking a shot of the most expensive single malt whenever Fin is sighted (since said sightings are so rare).

[Zoe]

Father Eugene was Fred?? I dint recognize him at all. Time marches on...

[DangerousMinds]

On 3/17/2016 at 8:09 PM, Zoe said:

Father Eugene was Fred?? I dint recognize him at all. Time marches on...

I just now found out that actor was the kid in Caddyshack!