S19.E04: No Good Reason

[Xeliou66]

Well, I don't know MH, but when she says she is almost exactly like Olivia that's pretty telling. It's also telling how all the storylines have to not only revolve around her, how so many episodes have scenes that seem like a PSA from the Joyful Heart Foundation, and how almost every episode has people thanking Benson and talking about what a hero she is, and the last episode was the worst PSA hero Benson moment the show has ever had with Benson apparently changing the lives of an entire high school with a single speech. It's clear that MH views herself as some sort of guardian angel for rape victims and plays Benson this way. 

Also interesting is how eveyrone involved with the show says basically the same phony statement about how wonderful, inspiring, terrific blah blah blah MH is, they obviously have to say it in order to stay on the show. It's clear that Mariska's ego is out of control and she is really hurt the show since she started having so much creative input, she views the show not as telling interesting stories but as being a soapbox to push her agenda and as some sort of fantasy-therapy for real rape victims. It's really hurt the show and Mariska deserves all the backlash she gets from fans. 

[torqy]

I gave up on this show a couple of seasons ago, for many of the reasons discussed above. Just popped in here to see what others are saying currently.

Mrs. Torqy is still watching, but recently said "Wow, SVU is starting to get old. I mostly FF'ed through the last episode." If die-hards like Mrs. Torqy are losing interest, the show is in trouble.

MH having more control of the show reminds me of the changes to M.A.S.H. after Alan Alda assumed more creative control.

[RafaelBarba35]

This episode was BORING! I felt like I was watching an after school special or some anti bullying thing schools put on in like middle school. Bleggh! Lot of good those did. 

What's the point in having Barba in the episode when there is no court. He was about as useful as he was in Townhouse Incident (not useful at all).

[The Mighty Peanut]

Didn’t they already do a Steubenville rape based episode?

[SerenityInSpace]

On 21/10/2017 at 9:01 PM, Xeliou66 said:

Well, I don't know MH, but when she says she is almost exactly like Olivia that's pretty telling. It's also telling how all the storylines have to not only revolve around her, how so many episodes have scenes that seem like a PSA from the Joyful Heart Foundation, and how almost every episode has people thanking Benson and talking about what a hero she is, and the last episode was the worst PSA hero Benson moment the show has ever had with Benson apparently changing the lives of an entire high school with a single speech. It's clear that MH views herself as some sort of guardian angel for rape victims and plays Benson this way. 

Also interesting is how eveyrone involved with the show says basically the same phony statement about how wonderful, inspiring, terrific blah blah blah MH is, they obviously have to say it in order to stay on the show. It's clear that Mariska's ego is out of control and she is really hurt the show since she started having so much creative input, she views the show not as telling interesting stories but as being a soapbox to push her agenda and as some sort of fantasy-therapy for real rape victims. It's really hurt the show and Mariska deserves all the backlash she gets from fans. 

They obviously have to say it? Why do you think that just because you dislike MH, everyone must dislike her and therefore what they say is false?

[dttruman]

On 10/22/2017 at 2:53 AM, torqy said:

I gave up on this show a couple of seasons ago, for many of the reasons discussed above. Just popped in here to see what others are saying currently.

Mrs. Torqy is still watching, but recently said "Wow, SVU is starting to get old. I mostly FF'ed through the last episode." If die-hards like Mrs. Torqy are losing interest, the show is in trouble.

MH having more control of the show reminds me of the changes to M.A.S.H. after Alan Alda assumed more creative control.

You my friend have chosen a great example. I think I completely stopped watching it in the late 70's. It was all about BF Pierce, how great of a doctor he was and how the Army was supposedly always killing the civilian population. Those were the two situations that they worked off of, to create different episodes. I completely enjoyed the first few seasons and they brought in a couple of good replacement characters when others were written out, but they were never as good as the originals. The only sit-com that I thought never got stale or full of themselves (like Alan Alda or in this case Mariska Hargitay) was "Barney Miller"

[dttruman]

On 10/29/2017 at 7:27 PM, SerenityInSpace said:

They obviously have to say it? Why do you think that just because you dislike MH, everyone must dislike her and therefore what they say is false?

We don't dislike her, we just don't like the major changes that have been made over the last few years. If you were one of the regulars on the show and you saw all these changes, wouldn't you worry about stepping on someone's toes or saying the wrong thing. Don't you think it's unrealistic for Barba to always be taking criticism (or advice) from Benson concerning his prosecution of cases or Carisi (from "Complicated") removing the little girl's body from the grave when the M.E. (a character that they have cut out) should be doing that.

Edited November 7, 2017 by dttruman
Being more specific

[Joe Hellandback]

coThe Good; I have to say I didn't see the conclusion coming, I thought it was going to turn out that none of the boys were guilty and that one of the girls was jealous and had violated the victim with a foreign object. 

The Bad; huge resources devoted to a 15 year old girl who hasn't come home yet after getting drunk at a party, even calling in the head of SVU when she was off duty? COME ON! And frankly I don't think I've ever wanted to slap a victim quite so much, she was truly obnoxious. No way does taking pictures of a drunk 15 year old girl in her underwear qualify as child porn, the family of that boy has every right to sue the NYPD.

SVU clichés; 

Benson convinces a victim to testify with her whisper voice

The SVU just have to arrest the suspects in the middle of class in the most embarrassing way possible (knowing that one has committed no crime!). 

Benson and Rollins lead a victim through her rape accusation when all she can remember is that she blacked out after drinking and is now sore the morning after. 

Other; People always comment on the trope that the rapists in SVU are so often white, wealthy and upper class males (I mean if you're a white, male, wealthy doctor/stockbroker played by the guest star then you're ALWAYS guilty). I always figured that was partly political correctness but also the poor simply can't afford good lawyers to give Barba a run for his money in the courtroom. The stereotype of the wealthy white middle aged male sex abuser is from the 'recovered memories' scandal of the 80s, they were the sort of guys who could afford to send their daughters to therapy and were the victims of their allegations. The assembly scene at the end was well intentioned but way OTT, it reminded me off Revenge of the Nerds. 

5/10

Edited November 6, 2017 by Joe Hellandback
Missing word

[Save Yourself]

I thought the PSA was a rip off from Mean Girls, maybe that's because I'm old!