S19.E09: Gone Baby Gone

[Xeliou66]

Since no one else did I decided to start the episode thread.

I for one am not looking forward to the Benson hour tonight. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by Xeliou66

[Fiero425]

It's gonna be harder to watch "feeling" this is one of those special kidnappings set up by a relative! I'm betting Sheila wanted NOAH and she paid a service to take him and make it seem like a kidnapping by a stranger! ;-)

[SuzieQ]

OH NO!!!  NOAH IN PERIL!

 

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[wonderwoman]

Pancakes! Pancakes! Sweet baby Jesus. So much potential for a nuanced story with Shelia turned into a steaming pile of bullshit laid at the altar of Saint Olivia because, of course, she had to be the one to save the day. MH is OUT OF CONTROL! 

[spacefly]

Did I miss something? How did Olivia know where to look for Sheila and Noah.

[Fiero425]

12 minutes ago, spacefly said:

Did I miss something? How did Olivia know where to look for Sheila and Noah.

Fin came up with the name of Sheila's sister! I think the cabin was under her name! I would crucify Sheila! The selfishness and guilt with her own daughter is no excuse for turning NY upside down so she could get satisfaction! She could have had a family with Olivia and Noah, but she had to have it all; NOW SHE HAS NOTHING but cold, steel bars between her and freedom! To sit around pretending to be so concerned when Noah missing is enough to get "the chair" IMO! ;-)

Edited January 4, 2018 by Fiero425

[Maximum Taco]

God dammit Sheila!

All you had to do was be smart enough not to use your credit card when purchasing that car seat and we would've been rid of sweet baby Benson forever....

I wasn't the only one rooting for Sheila to succeed and Noah to remain missing right? Right?

[augmentedfourth]

I was rooting for someone to shoot Sheila by the end so we don't have to run the risk of having her trial drag out for the rest of the season. Even if they don't go that exact route, we all KNOW this isn't the last we've heard about her.

[HunterHunted]

8 minutes ago, Maximum Taco said:

God dammit Sheila!

All you had to do was be smart enough not to use your credit card when purchasing that car seat and we would've been rid of sweet baby Benson forever....

I wasn't the only one rooting for Sheila to succeed and Noah to remain missing right? Right?

Except if Noah is permanently gone, Olivia will never stop wistfully looking at children and wondering about Noah (what he's up to, where he is). Unfortunately, this is the best Noah solution.

Also Sheila has no right to criticize anyone else's parenting. She raised a junkie prostitute whose pimp sold Noah to a child pornographer. Ellie never bothered to even tell Sheila that she had a grandchild. Sheila's not a great parent.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Since no one else did I decided to start the episode thread.

Thanks. Only if you want to, @Xeliou66, you can probably  make this look like the other episode threads by following these steps:

1. In your first post, click on the pencil (edit) icon.
2. Under Episode Topic, tap/click/slide (depending upon your device) to change it to an Episode Topic.
3. Remove the season and episode numbers from the title field, and enter them in the fields that have now appeared for them (they will look right after you are done).
4. Click the Episode Air Date and select the date that comes up if you do it tonight, or, if tomorrow or later, just be sure to select January 3.
5. At the bottom, click the Edit Topic button.

 

So this was why they introduced Sheila? I guess we should've seen it coming.
Not realistic, in my opinion, but probably better than either realistic continuing family drama or saccharine relationships. (I'm assuming Brook Sheilds is moving on to other projects.)
Why didn't Olivia tell Noah that Grandma was sick? I guess maybe "she did a bad thing" is a better object lesson in being responsible for one's actions and choices?

Wow. Way to throw the new immigrant under the bus, Show.

[Maximum Taco]

59 minutes ago, HunterHunted said:

Except if Noah is permanently gone, Olivia will never stop wistfully looking at children and wondering about Noah (what he's up to, where he is). Unfortunately, this is the best Noah solution.

Also Sheila has no right to criticize anyone else's parenting. She raised a junkie prostitute whose pimp sold Noah to a child pornographer. Ellie never bothered to even tell Sheila that she had a grandchild. Sheila's not a great parent.

Ah. See I was hoping St. Benson (solver of crimes, finder of children, fixer of all things, patron saint of Special Victims) would go on the road looking for him. And we'd just get short 5 min cutaways of her in each episode, while the rest of the episode concerned the other detectives. 

Benson foiling a child trafficking ring while searching in Montreal for Noah.

Benson finding a serial rapist while combing the Peruvian Rainforest for Noah

Benson solving the first space rape while investigating the International Space Station because Noah was spotted there. 

And so on. 

[Fiero425]

3 minutes ago, Maximum Taco said:

Ah. See I was hoping St. Benson (solver of crimes, finder of children, fixer of all things, patron saint of Special Victims) would go on the road looking for him. And we'd just get short 5 min cutaways of her in each episode, while the rest of the episode concerned the other detectives. 

Benson foiling a child trafficking ring while searching in Montreal for Noah.

Benson finding a serial rapist while combing the Peruvian Rainforest for Noah

Benson solving the first space rape while investigating the International Space Station because Noah was spotted there. 

And so on. 

Don't give them any ideas! Heaven knows they've run out when it's so predictable! Next week they swear to keep us guessing to the last! BS! ;-)

[RafaelBarba35]

Glad the Noah drama is over.  Predictable as shit.

 

OK my fave stuff:

Rafi being very worried and awkward. Especially that hug. So cute and awkward. 

That last scene with all of them together. Uncle Sonny. Aunt Amanda. Uncle Rafa! 

Very casual Rafi! ?

Rafi excited to see Noah! We went from holding a baby like a bomb to being very happy to see him! I'm convinced that that was mostly Raúl than Rafi but whatever!

That's jaywalking! 

Jessie!! She got so big!!

Edited January 4, 2018 by RafaelBarba35

[Fiero425]

5 minutes ago, RafaelBarba35 said:

Glad the Noah drama is over.  Predictable as shit.

 

OK my fave stuff:

Rafi being very worried and awkward. Especially that hug. So cute and awkward. 

That last scene with all of them together. Uncle Sonny. Aunt Amanda. Uncle Rafa! 

Very casual Rafi! ?

Rafi excited to see Noah! We went from holding a baby like a bomb to being very happy to see him! I'm convinced that that was mostly Raúl than Rafi but whatever!

That's jaywalking! 

They just had to have their scene at the door! I never would have known the place was overrun with faux uncles and an aunt! Why was she blocking the door? Rafi helped her keep the kid in the 1st place! ;-)

[TDT]

1 hour ago, augmentedfourth said:

I was rooting for someone to shoot Sheila by the end so we don't have to run the risk of having her trial drag out for the rest of the season. Even if they don't go that exact route, we all KNOW this isn't the last we've heard about her.

Surprised that they didnt do a "..it's not over!" ending where Sheila somehow overpowers the two arresting officers,then escapes..

[Fiero425]

1 hour ago, TDT said:

Surprised that they didn't do a "..it's not over!" ending where Sheila somehow overpowers the two arresting officers, then escapes..

She's a true chameleon; lies through her teeth to her grandson, uses a handyman who's going away for kidnapping, and then knocks Olivia on her arse and takes her gun aiming it at her! Everyone's still sorry for her and says she's a good person! "The CHAIR" please! ;-)

Edited January 4, 2018 by Fiero425

[QueenMab]

Ahhh jeeez! Another Benson Trainwreck. One after another. Why are these people friends? She's like a magnet for emotional trainwreck crap. Five months of this. I hope they're not going to push Barba and her together. She had to bend over for him to hug her she's so much bigger. He'd never hugged her before you can tell. What an awkward funny hookup that would be. This neverending Benson emotional crap. And we knew it was Sheila a month ago. 

And they just had to have a twenty something wanting to hit on Benson. Stop it! It's getting silly!

[ForeverAlone]

I would have liked this episode more if this was just a straight up case of kidnapping and nothing involving Benoah. Because of that, there were just too much heightened emotions from everyone involved. Of course, most of us called Sheila being behind Noah's disappearance back when we first heard about this, so the "twist" discovery at the middle of the episode didn't shock me, but rather just confirmed my expectations. When the focus was on the investigation and not emotions running overboard, I thought the case was interesting. However, my biggest problem with this episode is of course the victim was Noah, so that clouded everyone's judgement. One of the aspects of this show I have consistently hated from the beginning, is the police brutality that often results. Granted, that occurs much less since Elliot retired, but they went to the well for this episode way too much. I was really not okay with Amanda smacking around a suspect and mistreating his daughter. I hate to see that in shows, even though I know we are supposed to root for that sort of behavior. It just makes me cringe. The same with Olivia going rogue and going up to the cabin without backup. At least all she had to deal with was a crazed Sheila, and not someone who was an accomplished criminal. 

For the most part, there was ample team stuff in this episode. Even Rafael had something to do other than hold Olivia's hand. And of course some good Fin, though of course Dodds was right on with ordering Olivia to stay away from the case (even if she didn't listen to him of course). 

Here's hoping this is the end of this season's Benoah drama, but I don't know if we are that lucky. 

And when the final scene begun with Rafael on Olivia's doorstep, I was SOOOO afraid that they would start kissing or something, but thankfully the rest of the squad was there acting as a "family." I normally hate that sort of thing, but I would rather see that than any sort of Barson drama. That is my one red line for this series. No romantic Barson. I'm good with good, platonic friend Barson (which we saw in abundance this episode), but I draw the line at romantic Barson. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by ForeverAlone

[Everleigh]

Not terrible but predictable. I know they had Barba explain away why Olivia didn't see it coming, and sure it makes sense that she'd want a family, if not for herself, for her son, but I still don't buy that Olivia wouldn't have suspected Sheila sooner. Isn't it a statistic that most missing kids are taken by a relative? Olivia would know this better than anyone. Plus Shelia entered their lives in a shady way to begin with. 

The scene at the end with everyone in Olivia's apartment together and Olivia realizing her squad is her family was cute and all but I never felt like this particular group of detectives acts like family. The original crew definitely seemed like family back in the day, and presently Benson and Barba seem to have a close relationship, as do Amanda and Carisi, and of course Fin is cool with everyone (which reminds me, I miss Fin and Amanda's friendship), but overall I actually feel the group lacks that family dynamic, but I guess referring to them all as Aunt and Uncles is all we need. 

[QueenMab]

They're a faaaamily. A soap opera family. An ADA that is so familiar he's uncle Rafa! Two men in the room fully capable of making their own family. But this is a soap and we got to bask in the golden glow of "the family" all together. They have no one in the world but each other. Carisi and Barba, in NYC, can't find a girlfriend, can't get laid. Don't have any family ( Carisi's big Italian family apparently all disappeared) and Barba's mother and aunts and uncles and cousins all went back to Cuba I guess. How warm and fuzzy. Are viewers really? really? invested in this soap opera unreal crap? Really?

[ChristiKRN]

I didn't see the whole episode because of getting home late from work; I tuned in when Benson was on the phone saying they did not have any jurisdiction and to use any means necessary to get info.  Then Rollins and Carisi are interrogating Sheila's lawn guy/? lover and his daughter and Rollins is roughing them up with their badges on full display.  Then there was the scene towards the end with Fin telling Dodds Sr that Benson was not involved with the case at all. All Dodds Sr has to do is read the official police report to know she disobeyed his order to stay away; I still wonder if he may holding a bit of grudge towards Benson in relation to Dodds Jr's death and is looking for something to hang her with.  Couldn't help but think that their actions are going to come back and bite them in the derriere in the future. 

All I can say is No, No, and No to a Benson-Barba romantic relationship. I can't handle these ships. 

[Xeliou66]

Well, most of us saw that coming several episodes ago. We knew Granny was going to snatch Noah and run. I’m just glad it’s done and they didn’t have to drag it our the whole season, I just hope this is the last we’ve seen of Sheila and they don’t get into her trial. Holy shit I’m sick of Benson melodrama and Noah in danger stories.  

I have to say the episode was a bit better than I thought it would be, I liked that there was a lot of detective work and we got to see Fin and Carisi a lot, and I liked that there was no carryover with the Carisi/Rollins stuff with Carisi behaving like possessive douchebag. 

I was very disappointed with Fin that he didn’t travel with Benson to the cabin, what the hell was he thinking letting her go alone? Even if for some reason he had to stay in NYC, he should’ve definitely called that town’s police and told them to stake out the house. Him being an idiot almost caused Benson to get shot, and Fin is usually very reasonable. 

Rollins did cross the line roughing up a suspect, please don’t make her into the next Stabler or Amaro. I didn’t like either one of them and I’m so sick of rage-aholic cops, I’m glad we don’t have any now and I hope Rollins doesn’t become one. Carisi should’ve stopped her, he’s always respected the law and people’s rights. 

Again, an epic waste of Barba. His only purpose now is to be Benson’s puppet, he had one scene where he was helpful when he went to the lawyer, but other than that he was nothing but there to listen to Benson. I’m sick of Barba being Benson’s bitch who bows to her every command and worships her on a pedestal. It’s sickening.

And speaking of sickening, that scene at the end in Benson’s apartment was incredibly cheesy and over the top, way out of place for SVU and the L&O franchise. The whole family thing feels so incredibly phony, SVU has never acted this way and again it’s a sign of how Mariska is living in some kind of fantasy land where everyone loves everyone so much. It’s a joke.

Nice to see Chief Dodds back if only for 2 brief scenes. I have to wonder if Benson or Fin will get in trouble for a Benson being involved, it would be easy to find out Benson traveled to New Hampshire just from the police report, I wonder if he will suspend her or reprimand her? Probably not since St Olivia can do no wrong anymore, but Dodds should make her face the consequences of her reckless actions. 

I just hope we are through with Noah and Benson melodrama. 

[HunterHunted]

37 minutes ago, Xeliou66 said:

I was very disappointed with Fin that he didn’t travel with Benson to the cabin, what the hell was he thinking letting her go alone? Even if for some reason he had to stay in NYC, he should’ve definitely called that town’s police and told them to stake out the house. Him being an idiot almost caused Benson to get shot, and Fin is usually very reasonable.

Not only did it shock me that she went alone, but that she went in a taxi--to a remote cabin in New Hampshire. And I realize all of this was done so that Olivia could have her one on one scene with Sheila. 

37 minutes ago, Xeliou66 said:

Rollins did cross the line roughing up a suspect, please don’t make her into the next Stabler or Amaro. I didn’t like either one of them and I’m so sick of rage-aholic cops, I’m glad we don’t have any now and I hope Rollins doesn’t become one. Carisi should’ve stopped her, he’s always respected the law and people’s rights. 

Hitting the suspect was stupid and it didn't produce any results. It was threatening to arrest the daughter that caused him to confess. I don't love the rage-aholic cops, but showing cops physically hitting suspects sends a really bad message.

[wknt3]

The Good:
My cable or my DVR decided that it had had enough of this of this BS so the last half was mostly pixelation and static. I usually don't read other comments here before posting my own thoughts, but I gather that after a surprisingly decent first half it became what we all saw coming. I doubt I'll bother catching the rest.
Fin. It was nice to see him getting some good moments and being treated as the veteran second in command.
Chief Dodds. He was used well, had good lines, and showed why they need more recurring characters to interact with.
Another episode where Benson wasn't doing everything herself from the jump.

The Bad:
The entire plot. Even as I was surprised at how well it was being executed I was still rolling my eyes.
Rollins. After the last episode the last thing she needed was another questionable choice that threatens to undo all the hard work they did rebooting and restoring her as a usable and sympathetic character.
The predictable melodrama. As I said I only caught bits and pieces of the last 35 minutes or so, but I saw enough to confirm my worst fears and from the comments here I didn't miss anything good.
Benson going in alone. They need to bring in a guest star to tell her "You're not Batman." FFS after everything they've been through the last 10 years she's charging in without backup or a tactical plan? I was hoping against hope I missed some setup, but from the comments I'm gathering not.

Overall it was exactly what we all saw coming a month (or more) ago. Another St. Benson Avenging Angel story and more pointless Benoah drama. I wonder where they go from here? A new Benoah story? Do we actually get some episodes where the writers and producers get full say? Does Mariska go back to dominating the COTW? I feel more suspense over the direction of the show than I ever did about Noah.

Edited January 5, 2018 by wknt3

[sockii]

I was disappointed they went the utterly obvious route with having Sheila behind the kidnapping. From the moment they first introduced her character my significant other was yelling at the tv, "You know she's going to end up trying to steal the kid", and yep, that's just what happened.  I would have much preferred it being some former perp or whoever with a vendetta, and using it as a chance for Sheila and Liv to come together, but nope. Can't have anyone else in Mama Benson's life to steal the spotlight. Sigh.

I did appreciate the break in format, though—and in a way that was action-driven, unlike the snooze-fest of "Something Happened". It was nice seeing Fin acting like a real senior officer as he deserves...though I have a dreaded fear they are going to set him up for some kind of fall with the chief, falling on his sword to protect Benson when the sh!t hits the fan, and I'm going to be beyond upset if that happens.

I also found myself liking Barba for the first time in ages—I wondered how they would fit him into the story line, but it was nice seeing that more human side to the character again, trying to be supportive yet a bit awkward about it. That's a Barba I could actually be a fan of. I also liked his scene confronting the other lawyer, as for a brief moment it felt like a flash of what I'd first expected when Chernuchin came on the show.

The bad—Rollins and Carisi going way overboard with the suspect and daughter. I felt like I was watching Chicago PD for a moment, not SVU. And then Liv going off on her own to confront Sheila? Again with this kind of stupidity? Did I miss something between when she told Fin to drive her and then she showed up at the cabin on her own. That. Made. No. Sense. Well except in the idiotic way SVU keeps doing that.

Overall I hope this just means the end of the Noah-centric drama for the rest of the season. And I guess the questionable behavior of the whole unit, here, is how they're going to set things up for Stone to try to get things back in line?

Edited January 4, 2018 by sockii

[illdoc]

I spent the first few minutes of the end scene wondering who the little girl playing with Noah was until it finally occurred to me that it's Jessie! Finally, someone remembered Rollins has a daughter!

[Fiero425]

1 hour ago, sockii said:

I was disappointed they went the utterly obvious route with having Sheila behind the kidnapping. From the moment they first introduced her character my significant other was yelling at the tv, "You know she's going to end up trying to steal the kid", and yep, that's just what happened.  I would have much preferred it being some former perp or whoever with a vendetta, and using it as a chance for Sheila and Liv to come together, but nope. Can't have anyone else in Mama Benson's life to steal the spotlight. Sigh.

I did appreciate the break in format, though—and in a way that was action-driven, unlike the snooze-fest of "Something Happened". It was nice seeing Fin acting like a real senior officer as he deserves...though I have a dreaded fear they are going to set him up for some kind of fall with the chief, falling on his sword to protect Benson when the sh!t hits the fan, and I'm going to be beyond upset if that happens.

I also found myself liking Barba for the first time in ages—I wondered how they would fit him into the story line, but it was nice seeing that more human side to the character again, trying to be supportive yet a bit awkward about it. That's a Barba I could actually be a fan of. I also liked his scene confronting the other lawyer, as for a brief moment it felt like a flash of what I'd first expected when Chernuchin came on the show.

The bad—Rollins and Carisi going way overboard with the suspect and daughter. I felt like I was watching Chicago PD for a moment, not SVU. And then Liv going off on her own to confront Sheila? Again with this kind of stupidity? Did I miss something between when she told Fin to drive her and then she showed up at the cabin on her own. That. Made. No. Sense. Well except in the idiotic way SVU keeps doing that.

Overall I hope this just means the end of the Noah-centric drama for the rest of the season. And I guess the questionable behavior of the whole unit, here, is how they're going to set things up for Stone to try to get things back in line?

That particular time, Fin just drove her to the airport! Fin had to stay behind and in charge of the squad! The Chief had told her to stand down and Fin had to be there to cover for her too! He lied to the man's face! Why do we cheer that and smackin' a suspect around not even in their jurisdiction? Another situation where Olivia should be fired so she can have quality time with her son she says she loves so much! She's still a workaholic! Why couldn't Sheila be satisfied with what she had? She would be spending the rest of her life running and lying to Noah! Crazy; truly one bent broad! ;-)

[candall]

The whole thing was kind of goofy.  Sheila uses her credit card to buy a spare million-dollar car seat and then decides she'll just hide out in her sister's cabin and raise Noah there in the fresh New Hampshire air?  The clever disguises where Noah's in a blue-not-black shirt--instead of, say, a Spiderman mask--and the kidnapper pulls off his hoodie right before he stares at the security camera.  And Olivia, the steely-eyed 30-year SVU veteran, comes unglued and realizes "Hey, all these years I've been telling parents to calm down, unaware how upsetting it is when your child disappears--until it happened to me."

So much opportunity for Olivia to use her soft "breathy" voice!  I know MH loves that.

 

I didn't hate it.  I laughed out loud when Olivia, all alone and out of nowhere, was creeping up the cabin stairs with her gun drawn.  The only thing missing out of the Official SVU Cheese Playbook was Olivia saying, "You're going to have to kill me, Sheila, and Noah will never forgive you."

[Fiero425]

3 hours ago, candall said:

The whole thing was kind of goofy.  Sheila uses her credit card to buy a spare million-dollar car seat and then decides she'll just hide out in her sister's cabin and raise Noah there in the fresh New Hampshire air?  The clever disguises where Noah's in a blue-not-black shirt--instead of, say, a Spiderman mask--and the kidnapper pulls off his hoodie right before he stares at the security camera.  And Olivia, the steely-eyed 30-year SVU veteran, comes unglued and realizes "Hey, all these years I've been telling parents to calm down, unaware how upsetting it is when your child disappears--until it happened to me."

So much opportunity for Olivia to use her soft "breathy" voice!  I know MH loves that.

 

I didn't hate it.  I laughed out loud when Olivia, all alone and out of nowhere, was creeping up the cabin stairs with her gun drawn.  The only thing missing out of the Official SVU Cheese Playbook was Olivia saying, "You're going to have to kill me, Sheila, and Noah will never forgive you."

I felt the same way! Of course Noah never seems to tell Olivia anything unless she interrogates him! He meets someone in Sheila's life and never coughs it up! Most kids I know blab about their day and who they met! Sheila betrayed everyone; Olivia, the handyman, and of course Noah lying through her teeth! It's hard to have any sympathy for her; "give her the freakin' chair!" Olivia will go to every parole hearing insisting she can't be trusted out on the street! lol! ;-)

Edited January 4, 2018 by Fiero425

[Calamity Jane]

1 hour ago, candall said:

So much opportunity for Olivia to use her soft "breathy" voice!  I know MH loves that.

 

Of all the many things that bug me about this show nowadays, this is #1, and nothing else comes close, really. I just cannot stand it when she's using that voice to convey emotion.  Is it because her face no longer moves enough to show subtle feelings?  It grates.  I think I have to stop watching again - skipped last year, and it seems to have been a good move.  

[TV Diva Queen]

2 hours ago, Fiero425 said:

I felt the same way! Of course Noah never seems to tell Olivia anything unless she interrogates him! He meets someone in Sheila's life and never coughs it up! Most kids I know blab about their day and who they met! Sheila betrayed everyone; Olivia, the handyman, and of course Noah lying through her teeth! It's hard to have any sympathy for her; "give her the freakin' chair!" Olivia will go to every parole hearing insisting she can't be trusted out of the street! lol! ;-)

Great idea for another "L&O: Parole Hearings".  Olivia and McCoy go to every parole hearing they vowed to attend.  

[slowpoked]

14 hours ago, ForeverAlone said:

I would have liked this episode more if this was just a straight up case of kidnapping and nothing involving Benoah. Because of that, there were just too much heightened emotions from everyone involved. Of course, most of us called Sheila being behind Noah's disappearance back when we first heard about this, so the "twist" discovery at the middle of the episode didn't shock me, but rather just confirmed my expectations. When the focus was on the investigation and not emotions running overboard, I thought the case was interesting. However, my biggest problem with this episode is of course the victim was Noah, so that clouded everyone's judgement. One of the aspects of this show I have consistently hated from the beginning, is the police brutality that often results. Granted, that occurs much less since Elliot retired, but they went to the well for this episode way too much. I was really not okay with Amanda smacking around a suspect and mistreating his daughter. I hate to see that in shows, even though I know we are supposed to root for that sort of behavior. It just makes me cringe. The same with Olivia going rogue and going up to the cabin without backup. At least all she had to deal with was a crazed Sheila, and not someone who was an accomplished criminal. 

 

That is what annoyed me when they had that cliffhanger last year about the kidnapping. Of course, everyone's emotions will be amplified 1000x because it's the boss' baby. Everyone drop everything they're doing, no eating, no sleeping until they find Benson's son. Benson acting like she isn't taking orders from anyone, when we all fully know that if this was Amanda's daughter who got kidnapped, she will make sure Amanda stays off the case and just be in the waiting room waiting for her phone call. God, everything has gotten so predictable in their quest to get Mariska that Emmy nomination. 

And of course they HAD to make Sheila the bad guy. Because St. Benson. Because no one ever comes in on Benson's life who doesn't mess her or Noah up. Because we can't have a happy ending resolution where Sheila is a good grandmother that we do not have to see each episode on updates as to how they get along. They had to make her go to prison. 

[Iguessnot]

I was surprised I didn't hate this. However listening to Brooke Shields doing that baby talk to Noah drove me insane. Immediately made me miss Phaedra Parks from Real Housewives of Atlanta who always spoke to her sons in an intelligent adult manner. It's about the only thing I can commend her for. Hearing people speak to children and teens as if they are r*******, bugs the heck out of me.

[atlantaloves]

Good God from Zion, that was horrible. Terrible writing, and I am sorry, I am sick of that kid.  

[Xeliou66]

I have to say, I disliked how Barba was just used to comfort Benson. I’m sick of Barba just being their to kiss Olivia’s ass, he has barely been used this season and his main role seems to be supporting and worshipping St Olivia. 

I also don’t like how they had characters screwing up cause the rules go out the window when the almighty Olivia is questioned. Fin had a huge lapse in judgment and he’s usually very by the book, he should’ve gone with Benson to NH or at least notified local police and had them stakeout the cabin, Benson could’ve gotten shot because of Fin’s screw up. And Rollins was out of line slapping the suspect, please don’t make her an angry enraged cop, I was so sick of Stabler and Amaro’s out of control rage issues and constantly crossing the line, one thing I like about the show now is there is no angry cop, please keep it that way. 

I have to say, I’m worried that they will start making all the characters unethical because Peter Stone is coming on and the only way Churnuchin knows how to write Stone is as an adversary to unethical people ( Voight and his merry minions ) and so they will start making SVU characters unethical in order to make Stone look good, I think Churnuchin would like to replace Barba with Stone permanently in order to make himself feel better about Chicago Justice being a bust, and honestly given the fact that they only use Barba to be Benson’s yes man I wouldn’t blame Raul if he left the show, Barba is severely underused. 

And I hope Dodds holds Benson accountable for disobeying his order to stay off the case, although since it’s St Olivia it’s doubtful anything will happen because she can do no wrong. Best line of the night though was Fin calling Dodds a dick under his breath, Ice’s delivery and facial expression was hilarious. 

And I will repeat just how nauseating that final scene was, so over the top and Hallmark-esq. It’s ridiculous that they would all be such a perfect family, they would have their own lives and better things to do than kissing Olivia’s ass and making the drama queen feel better. Just another fairy tale ending from Mariska who’s obviously become delusional this season. 

[allonsyalice]

That last scene with Raúl totally made it. I'm glad to see he's (sort of) warmed up to Noah instead of just awkwardly holding him away from his body

[ShortyMac]

Such emotional whispering. Much drama.

I'm so sick of this crap. Olivia's Constipated Anguish Face staring into the void.

What's next on Benson's Traumatic Event checklist?

[txhorns79]

Quote

What's next on Benson's Traumatic Event checklist?

Her dead mother was not her actual mother, so Benson finds out she is a child of rape once removed sending her world reeling?  Or perhaps discovers that she is actually a twin?  Maybe amnesia?     

[wknt3]

20 hours ago, Fiero425 said:

She's a true chameleon; lies through her teeth to her grandson, uses a handyman who's going away for kidnapping, and then knocks Olivia on her arse and takes her gun aiming it at her! Everyone's still sorry for her and says she's a good person!

There is a simple explanation for all of it  - she's bipolar. If you've been watching the show for any length of time you should know that whenever you see a character doing terrible things, but an entire elite squad of detectives forgiving them or feeling sorry for them instead of being morally outraged or cynical like usual it means they are suffering from bipolar disorder and will be diagnosed in a future episode. So if Brooke Shields wants to come back they will put just her on meds and Lucy will have to find a way to make up the 125 hours of work Benson gives her per week...

Edited January 5, 2018 by wknt3
typos :-(

[shapeshifter]

Amanda's slapping the guy is problematic in so many ways. Let me count them:

1. It implies it's okay because of her gender, which is a bundle of issues in and of itself waiting to be unpacked.
2. The guy who got slapped is a victim of Sheila (as we have heard Olivia say about others countless times).
3. The guy who got slapped is a "stranger in a strange land," and, like the character from that novel, he is sacrificed for the shortcomings of others.
4. The main purpose of the slapping was to terrorize his daughter into giving information 
   —which is a form of torture, and which primarily yields false information since the victim will make up information to make it stop.

Feel free to add more to the list.

 

1 hour ago, txhorns79 said:

1 hour ago, ShortyMac said:

What's next on Benson's Traumatic Event checklist?

Her dead mother was not her actual mother, so Benson finds out she is a child of rape once removed sending her world reeling?  Or perhaps discovers that she is actually a twin?  Maybe amnesia?     

This show really has gone full-on soap, hasn't it? Like maybe Rafi and Olivia can't ever consummate their unrequited love because they're really half-siblings.

[QueenMab]

According to Chernuchin, this was just the tip of the trainwreck iceberg for Benson folks. Remember he was going to "put her through the wringer" this season? And give Barba major shit from Stone. My dear is that these two are going to re-consumate their "relationship" by drawing together and carrying each other through their respective trainwrecks and the season will end with them standing at the altar, everybody soooooo happy those two got together ( nevermind immoral, unethical and unprofessional, or the lawsuits from Project Innocence and the ACLU lined up around 1 Hogan Place 2or3 times) and 54 year old Benson beaming with a "baby Barba" on the way. But it's OK because Barba was forced to take a job somewhere else and that will be Esparza's exit. It's a bona fide soap folks, and I expect them to take the cheesiest road possible. All to glorify Benson as the be all end all answer to everyone's prayers and dreams. At any rate I'm lighting a candle that Peter Stone hands Benson (and Barba) a major shitload of shit about how wrong and unethical they are on sex crime cases and Stone shows Benson's "magical charms" don't affect him one bit. I would take a Benson Barba hookup if it meant Stone buries their self righteous, self centered agenda driven careers so deep an archaeologist couldn't find them. I can dream....

.

[QueenMab]

On the other hand, if Benson runs true to form, she will manage to take Stone out for drinks and pour enough scotch down his throat to get him to bang her ass off within 24 hours of meeting him. And every man in her life will get jealous and vie for her precious love and attention. Let the games begin. It's a SOAP folks. It's Melrose Place, New York.

[Jaded]

When I looked at the comments for this episode on TVLine there were so many comments from people giddy with glee over the prospect of St. Olivia and Barba getting together. Quite a few commented it was past time.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

And I will repeat just how nauseating that final scene was, so over the top and Hallmark-esq. It’s ridiculous that they would all be such a perfect family, they would have their own lives and better things to do than kissing Olivia’s ass and making the drama queen feel better. Just another fairy tale ending from Mariska who’s obviously become delusional this season.  

While I was watching that Norman Rockwell moment, I thought, "Grandma Sheila, YOU HAD ONE JOB!" Now we're all gonna suffer.

Quote

The whole family thing feels so incredibly phony, SVU has never acted this way and again it’s a sign of how Mariska is living in some kind of fantasy land where everyone loves everyone so much. It’s a joke.

I wonder if Mariska has seen the comparisons of the current SVU to what happened with The Good Wife during its final season or so? On TGW there were many episodes where Julianna Margulies' character barely deigned to interact with most of the regular cast. And there was that infamous situation with a certain cast member that led to some kind of CGI trickery to make it seem like their characters were in same scenes together. Most viewers doubted the actors were even in the same zip code when the scenes were filmed. Presumably JM's ego had escaped its normal confines and the show became warped and mishappen as a result. Similarly, Mariska might know people are now calling SVU the Olivia Benson Hour and this new manufactured family stuff is her way of trying to tamp that down.

[QueenMab]

Barba and Benson got together in "Twenty Five Acts". Rollins said it twice flat out. I will NEVER believe they haven't been banging each other for five years. That is what turned this from a Police Procedural to a soap for me. No man let's a woman bulldoze his career unless sex is involved. And I always believed her total lack of respect for Barba is because she found out what was under those fancy suits waaay back and has treated him like someone she's seen naked and can treat him accordingly. And is the reason all her other "relationships" have tanked. Barba has been there all along. Barf. IMO

[candall]

10 hours ago, Calamity Jane said:

Of all the many things that bug me about this show nowadays, this is #1, and nothing else comes close, really. I just cannot stand it when she's using that voice to convey emotion.  Is it because her face no longer moves enough to show subtle feelings?  It grates.  I think I have to stop watching again - skipped last year, and it seems to have been a good move.  

It used to drive me nuts, too, but now I'm fascinated because it's almost her default voice.  I wonder if it's like "vocal fry," where you use it deliberately here and there, then it requires less and less thought, until you finally slip into the habit of speaking that way all the time.

(Vocal fry makes me stabby.  I beg the young women in every third commercial to please stop running a cheese grater over her vocal cords and go back to being tonal.  Give me Olivia "Breathy" Benson any day.)

[Packerbrewerbadger]

When Sheila put the gun on the end table I thought for sure Noah would pick it up and it’d go off.....

And I agree with earlier poster about  how strange it was that Noah didn’t tell Olivia about the man he met at grandma’s. 

[shapeshifter]

32 minutes ago, Packerbrewerbadger said:

And I agree with earlier poster about  how strange it was that Noah didn’t tell Olivia about the man he met at grandma’s

—probably didn't have time between Mommy's work, Grandma's outings, and bedtime rituals.

 

Was it just coincidental that Mariska and Brooke looked so much alike? I'm sure they would have the same on-set stylist, but was Brooke Sheilds in part cast because she was the same age and phenotype, and, if so, what was the point? Was Sheila supposed to be Olivia's evil twin or alter ego?

Edited January 5, 2018 by shapeshifter
Cause always have more words in my head

[Xeliou66]

4 hours ago, QueenMab said:

According to Chernuchin, this was just the tip of the trainwreck iceberg for Benson folks. Remember he was going to "put her through the wringer" this season? And give Barba major shit from Stone. My dear is that these two are going to re-consumate their "relationship" by drawing together and carrying each other through their respective trainwrecks and the season will end with them standing at the altar, everybody soooooo happy those two got together ( nevermind immoral, unethical and unprofessional, or the lawsuits from Project Innocence and the ACLU lined up around 1 Hogan Place 2or3 times) and 54 year old Benson beaming with a "baby Barba" on the way. But it's OK because Barba was forced to take a job somewhere else and that will be Esparza's exit. It's a bona fide soap folks, and I expect them to take the cheesiest road possible. All to glorify Benson as the be all end all answer to everyone's prayers and dreams. At any rate I'm lighting a candle that Peter Stone hands Benson (and Barba) a major shitload of shit about how wrong and unethical they are on sex crime cases and Stone shows Benson's "magical charms" don't affect him one bit. I would take a Benson Barba hookup if it meant Stone buries their self righteous, self centered agenda driven careers so deep an archaeologist couldn't find them. I can dream....

.

I am afraid they are gearing up for a Benson/Barba romance as well. It makes me sick how Barba has been reduced to doing nothing but trying to please St Olivia, he’s always just their to kiss her fat diva ass and make her feel better. The one thing I do hope for when Stone comes on is that he rips Barba for taking a lot of weak cases to court just to please St Benson, it’s really pathetic how he lets her boss him around. 

[QueenMab]

There is another maybe possibility if the writers wanted to actually twist us a bit. Sometimes people get a tidal wave of PDA's and attachment to someone because detachment is coming. By now, it's quite possible Barba knows Stone is the new EADA, and I feel he might be introduced in the upcoming "Weinstein" episode. Someone has to come in from the outside, and no connection to the case to handle it. For several reasons, Barba is going to be de-nied the big case because of wealthy connections and maybe his "closeness" to Benson, who will no doubt be the big shot lead Det. on the case. Barba eating more career denting shit because of Benson. Struggling with morals and conscience, having to detach emotionally, and Barba considering some other recently offered opportunities because of all the crap. And Barba has consistently had outside relationships, we've been shown for years with his uneccessary to be there appearances in various outfits.." not my yacht". He didn't go to St. Bart's alone or with a buddy to relax. There is NOTHING to do there but have sex. It's a fave honeymoon place. I see a lot more possible personal soap opera story arcs if they went this way. Lots of conflict, crisis of conscience, disloyalty, trust issues, all that crap this show feeds on. JMO