S15.E24: Spring Awakening

[FormerMod-a1]

Amaro must face the consequence of his reckless behavior; when an online ad for escorts leads to the rape and robbery of tourists, Benson discovers she has a connection to one of the suspects.

 

[Sarah D. Bunting]

If Benson's goddamn stupid brother is back, I don't even know.

[soybombyx]

Oh Lt. Murphy, I'll miss you and your voice of reason.

[LeGrandElephant]

How can she be the commanding officer and the sole caretaker of an infant?

[WendyCR72]

You're assuming these writers have any interest in realism anymore, LeGrandElephant.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

If it means the relentless hammering of Benson's biological clock will finally cease, I'm fine with it.

[MyrtleGroggins]

Oh Lt. Murphy, I'll miss you and your voice of reason.

 

...and your totally stylin' Selling-The-Lonely-Irishman-Look Undercover PowerSweater.

 

 

Lots of loose ends entangled together, if not exactly tied up in this episode.

 

I did like the return of TallDude McLawyerPants, though they seemed to lay it on a little thick with the whole overly concerned/he's-totally-into-Liv bits.

 

The Return of Munch was great.  I would be delighted to have a soupçon of Munch every couple of episodes next season, just to add a bit of snark and levity to the gang.

 

Happy Ending Babycakes was fine, if—like Sars said—it means an end to the ticking of the biologic doomsday plot device.  It was a nice change of form compared to last year's psycho cliffhanger finale.

 

The only thing I didn't like: the gratuitous lack of Barba in the episode!  Why make him a regular character if he doesn't show up as much as he did last season?  They couldn't flash him by in a polka-dot tie for three minutes to make us all happy?  Le sigh.

[jennyalana]

Is anybody else worried that the burned body wasn't Ellie but some random girl and that the very much alive Ellie (along with the head-hauncho pimp/sex trafficker who supposedly ordered the ...what did they call it?... the gang rape and murder that Little Tino 'copped to) come back for Noah and try to take him away from the now bonded Olivia? The burned body was just to unnecessary for it to not mean something. Do we, the audience, know for sure that the body was Ellie? I know they did a tox screen but would they bother doing an expensive DNA test when there were (supposed) eye-witnesses? We shall see I guess! 

[fastiller]

Are Benson and Mayhem still a thing?

 

When Benson and Finn were leaving Ellie in the half-way house, I asked them (loudly enough that my cat wondered if I was yelling at him) whether they'd learned nothing from 100 years of that going pear shaped.

 

My prediction?  The person everyone is so afraid of?  The one that has Tino so scared he's copping to "green-lighting" (is that what they said?  what is it anyway?) Ellie?  It's his mother.

[Lebanna]

Munch was adorable this episode. It was so good to see at least one character happy and looking out for his friends on a sensible, sane level. So much love. Hopefully he shows up a few times next year in his new job.

 

Rollins and Amaro sitting in a tree... she's got feelings for him, the way she fought for him this episode and the way she emphasized the word 'partner'. This cannot be good.

 

I'm not happy about the burnt up corpse thing either. Olivia's lost, what, two or three possible foster kids she got attached to already? There was a baby that died, and Calvin? Can we just not go there this time? No more baby drama, please.

 

Barba's the salt of this show. It's okay without, but you notice that something vital is missing that would make the whole thing better.

[MyrtleGroggins]

Rollins and Amaro sitting in a tree... she's got feelings for him, the way she fought for him this episode and the way she emphasized the word 'partner'. This cannot be good.

 

Well, since it's been strongly implied that they're sleeping together (unless Amaro makes it a habit of hanging about his coworkers houses half naked, and we've only just recently seen it), I'm glad she at least seems to like him, and they aren't just using each other for sexytimes.  Not that there's anything wrong with that (if both parties are into it), but to go to all the trouble of hiding a workplace relationship, I'd hope they were at least a bit fond of each other.

 

It's awfully mean of me, but I hope that if Donal Logue's new show isn't spectacular and life-changing, that it gets cancelled early in the season and he comes back to SVU. /I'mAHorriblePerson

 

[soybombyx]

 

When Benson and Finn were leaving Ellie in the half-way house, I asked them (loudly enough that my cat wondered if I was yelling at him) whether they'd learned nothing from 100 years of that going pear shaped.

 

I always wondered how many people were killed or harmed after Benson and/or Stabler told them "you'll be safe with me!!" 

[FinnishViewer]

 

I did like the return of TallDude McLawyerPants, though they seemed to lay it on a little thick with the whole overly concerned/he's-totally-into-Liv bits.

Isn't he Mariska Hargitay's husband in real life?

[soybombyx]

I'm not happy about the burnt up corpse thing either. Olivia's lost, what, two or three possible foster kids she got attached to already? There was a baby that died, and Calvin? Can we just not go there this time? No more baby drama, please.

 

dutronc and I have a running joke about why do people always want to leave their babies with Olivia?

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Sarah's post on the finale!

[TVAddict]

@fastiller, I agree about it being the forty-swilling mama running Lil'Tino's show.  She's obviously got a stable full of working girls cranking out babies for porn sale or whatever.  

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Benson and Mayhem broke up midseason.

 

Yes, Trevor Langan is Mr. Hargitay.

 

I suspect if they could differentiate six different semen types they probably knew for sure it was Ellie. Not that that would stop this clown car of a show from 180-ing on that in the premiere. 

[MorbidPet]

I had very low expectations for the finale but it didn't suck as bad as I thought it would. If we get cuddle time with Benson & Noah every frickin episode next season though I'll hurl. She can only have that baby if it stays off screen & it makes old Liv come back cause Liv this entire season has sucked in my opinion.

 

The case was basically only there to give Benson the baby but I still enjoyed it since we got to see Murphy in above white sweater & doing his lovely Irish accent. I was dreading his exit but then it turned out so awesome with the head nod from Munch (love Munch) and Liv's Mary Poppins comment. I'm going to live in oblivion this summer and only face the fact that he's no longer with us until this fall.

 

Loved Amanda's 'since when' comment to Liv. And I love her badassery even when ridiculous, but I just love everything about her so what can you expect. Not sure how I feel about the rather obvious fact she seems to have feelings for our man in orange (speaking S15 so that's Amaro not Cragen). I can take tension - sexual tension most preferably - but I won't stand for pining. Detective Amanda Rollins doesn't pine.

 

And the fact Mariska doesn't even have chemistry with her own hubby on screen makes me hope she'll save all her love to Noah next season (again off screen tho). Mayhem was a travesty to watch. All in my humble opinion of course.

[TVAddict]

I loved that Liv commented that being tall "is not a skill set."  Heh.

[Snookums]

 

My prediction?  The person everyone is so afraid of?  The one that has Tino so scared he's copping to "green-lighting" (is that what they said?  what is it anyway?) Ellie?  It's his mother.

 

They couldn't have made it more obvious if she'd been in court wearing a green sequined Christmas sweater and pointed to traffic lights every time she was onscreen. 

[millennium]

This show is so awful.    It ought to be canceled.   Seriously.

 

Amaro severely beats a man just exonerated by a court of law, then Rollins helps him wriggle out of a prison sentence by entrapment and extorting the beating victim's wife?   

 

Only weeks after Olivia goes on television and admits to beating Lewis to within an inch of his life while restrained? 

 

These are the people appointed to protect the city's most vulnerable?

 

I like the Dirty Harry approach as much as anyone, but it has no place in the Law & Order universe.

[AntiBeeSpray]

I didn't mind this episode tbh. It wasn't the worst one from this season. Not anywhere near where the show used to be, but as long as it doesn't go totally off a cliff, I'm ok.

 

One thing I'm hoping they DON'T do:

 

She gets to adopt the kid, then she finds out that it's TOO much to be able to run the department and has to step down. That would be WAY too predictable and one big huge stereotype.

 

Wasn't a fan of Amaro getting away with things, but honestly, I'm willing to bet a lot of cops in real life get away with a lot worse. What he did was wrong, but yet... what the guy he beat up did, was just as bad or worse. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Edited June 1, 2014 by AntiBeeSpray

[DangerousMinds]

The show is done for me. This season has just gone downhill. And the breakup of Bensidy was the last straw. I mean really? Why bother putting them back together just to go "Oh he doesn't want kids or marriage so splitsville"? What a waste of DW time and energy!  That was the best and most likely ONLY relationship she will ever have. The other characters have gone nuts too. 

I didn't get the sense that they broke up because of the idea of kids and/or marriage. The relationship had just run its natural course. And I definitely don't think that was the "best" and "only" relationship she will ever have. Yikes.

[Desperately Random]

The show is done for me. This season has just gone downhill. And the breakup of Bensidy was the last straw. I mean really? Why bother putting them back together just to go "Oh he doesn't want kids or marriage so splitsville"? What a waste of DW time and energy!  That was the best and most likely ONLY relationship she will ever have.

 

I agree that this season has been one of the worst but not because of Olivia and Brian breaking up, That relationship only lasted as long as it did because they were both going through a difficult time in their lives and needed to help each other through it. I never saw any romantic love but more friendship and support. Their last few scenes it became clear that they were not meant to be together and I thought their break up showed they were both mature adults who knew that were better off as friends.

The reason that this season was such a disappointment was the show has forgotten what it's about and that is a criminal drama. The writing was very weak and always having one of the detectives knowing the victim, perp or witness has become ridiculous and just plain bad story telling. Also constantly having the detectives being kidnapped, tortured, continuously investigated by IAB, arrested, or thisclose to losing their jobs needs to stop. This show needs to go back to how it was in the first few seasons. That is when the writing was good and the stories had me engaged and entertained. Now I watch out of habit and hope it improves.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Desperately Random

[MyrtleGroggins]

My prediction?  The person everyone is so afraid of?  The one that has Tino so scared he's copping to "green-lighting" (is that what they said?  what is it anyway?) Ellie?  It's his mother.

 

It's always Mom, off in the corner, running the show! It would be nice for her plotline to come back again, perhaps mid-season, once we've forgotten about her a little bit.  Y'know, just as long as she doesn't leave a dead hooker's dead baby in Liv's bed, that would be a bit too morbid (and SO 2012, though I don't know if the writers remember previous seasons, based on the current season's writing...)

 

I always wondered how many people were killed or harmed after Benson and/or Stabler told them "you'll be safe with me!!"

 

How awesome would it be if they copped to it: "Since we've just doomed you to die a grisly death (now that we've given you our assurances that you/your family/your spoon collection is totally safe), shall we just save some time and angst and shoot you now?"

 

...And be honest, what other relationships has she had in 15 years that lasted even CLOSE to this long? Oh right that would be NONE. Her other "relationships' lated a day or two at most...

 

For all we know, Liv's had a slew of relationships that were just never featured on screen.  Or she had a long-distance thing going for a while.  Or she decided that she wanted to take a break from dating for a while.  Or she was dating a lady and didn't want to deal with harassment at the office.  Or she moonlights as a dominatrix under the pseudonym of Officer Pain.  I don't take the lack of focus on or discussion of relationships as evidence that they're NOT ongoing, except when it's explicitly stated.  So, for Liv, it's true that her longest relationship was with Stabler (as she stated) - but that doesn't mean (to me, anyway) that she didn't have (a) relationship(s) with someone who was simply unremarkable and unnecessary to the part of the life that we see - perhaps the person wasn't affiliated with the legal or orderly systems, didn't have a sixth cousin serving a sentence at Rikers for drug dealing, and worked 3rd shift, so couldn't hang out at most social events.  You know, boring, and regular.

 

As a parallel, we almost NEVER see or hear about the personal lives of the DAs over the years (except for Jack McCoy on the mothership...) but that doesn't mean that they don't exist.  The only one I remember off hand from SVU was the implied relationship between Casey Novak and Chester Lake, but I can't recall any details from any of the others. 

 

I sometimes wish that they never featured home/intimate relationships at all in this type of program (i.e. police-procedural and their ilk), except in the most vague and minor ways, like Munch cracking jokes about his bevy of ex-wives, Stabler grousing about how much school supplies cost, an off-hand comment about a blind date here or there, and that sort of thing.  I like that the detectives are (sort of) portrayed as real people, but I want to see how their interpersonal work relationships play out; I'd rather they leave the family stuff at home and stick to the cases and the friendships (or animosities!) between the principal players.  When the coworkers start seeing each other, it gets muddier, but that's true of real life as well.

 

 

If the relationship breaking up had NOTHING to do with kids, then WHY right after her breakup did she get this kid?...And fyi? "Friends" do not sleep together...And I got news for her, a child is NOT going to give her love. Not right now.

 

 

The timing really could just be a coincidence.  Also, time is awfully fluid in the SVU-verse - Bensidy might have been broken up for a month or two by the time Baby Doe/Noah was bequeathed unto Liv.  She's been following his case throughout the season, but I doubt that the family court judge had some sort of Bensidy Bat-Signal that indicated when the relationship was done and the time was right to foist the kid off onto Liv.

 

Also, sometimes friends do have sex (once, many times, and everywhere in between*) and remain just friends.  Not always, and it takes a lot of communication to make sure that all parties are on the same page, and it's definitely not for everyone, but it does happen, and can be perfectly normal and functional.

 

In some ways, the wee bairn is going to give Liv completely pure and unconditional love - to a baby, its parental figure is basically its whole world.  Granted the baby is also going to give unconditional crying and a seemingly inhuman amount of bodily fluids and poop, as well.  Also, I hope that the writers are clued in enough to either allow Liv and the baby to bond and have a happy life (and figure out the work/life balance thing), OR that if they plan to pull the rug out later in the series and take the baby back for some reason (CrispyMama is still actually alive, alien invasion, whatever), that in the time leading up to that, Liv is smart and guards herself as much as she can to not get too attached to the kiddo.  I just don't want to see baby-induced anguish as the next season's "dramatic" overtone - Liv has had enough cruelty inflicted on her by the writers over the years.  It's time for her to be content for a while.  Keep the sadness to the victims' stories, writers!

 

Hmm.  Apparently I had a lot of words about this.  AND ON THIS DAY, BREVITY DIES.

 

* Upon re-reading, that sounded much more salacious than I had intended it to!  Nudge nudge, wink wink

[DangerousMinds]

Brava Myrtle!! All so perfectly said.

[Desperately Random]

I second that. Well done Myrtle and I agree with pretty much everything you said. I would love a return to the SVU we had in the first six season. When the story was about the crimes and the detectives personal lives were off screen except for the occasional mention or brief scene. I wouldn't mind Olivia keeping the baby as long as we don't have any baby drama next season. I think Olivia could be very happy and fulfilled being a Mom and that is what I would like to see happen for her character. Let's establish she has a great live-in and she is thrilled being a mother and get back to the squad.
As for her and Brian, that relationship ran it's course and came to its natural conclusion. I know Dean Winters got a new job (and congrats to him) but even if he hadn't, I never saw Brian and Olivia going the distance. It was two damaged people getting together and being there for each other but ultimately realizing that wasn't enough to sustain a long term relationship.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Desperately Random

[Desperately Random]

I disagree.If they were just "friends" then why did they move in together, share a bed,etc? Sorry but your explanation does not hold water. I saw love there. And what is wrong with to people who l ove each other being friends? Maybe married couples call their spouse their best friend!  Just because YOU never saw them going the distance does not mean they would not have.

 

They moved in together because they had reached that point in their relationship where they wanted to take the next step. People do it everyday and sometimes it works out but sometimes it doesn't. And I do think they loved each other but love is not always enough to keep a relationship going. Couples who still love each other break up everyday because they have too many differences to make it work. And the writers gave plenty of clues that Olivia and Brian were not really compatible. After they moved in together and had that dinner party, I never saw a scene with them where they seemed happily in love  with each other. All I saw was tension and disagreements. That's why they both realized that although they did love each other, that it wasn't going to work out and they were better off as friends

 

 

. And what if his new show c rashes? Then what?

 

 

Do what every other actor does whose series ends/gets cancelled. Get out there and get another acting job. He's been in this business a long time. He knows how it works.

And he is still Mayhem after all, so DW will be fine.

[Lebanna]

Yes, basically it's up to the writers what happens. If they want Brian to never been seen again, the actor never comes back. If they want him to come back and tell Olivia that he can't live without her and he's realized that raising kids with her would be different to raising them with anyone else - that's what happens. If the writers decide to have Liv and Barba discover their heretofore unspoken passion for one another and screw like minks on his spacious desk (a girl can dream!)... well, that's what we'll get.

 

Whether Olivia would have been better off a sticking it out with Brian in real life (I'd personally be sad to see her settle for less than true, romantic love, at this point) doesn't matter much, since the writers only care about drama, and that relationship was dull to watch last season, even if it was rather sweet. Right now, Liv's story is more interesting to the writers if she's a single mother dealing with a demanding promotion. Whatever we would prefer, even if that is never hearing about their romantic lives ever again, we'll just have to put up with it.

[Desperately Random]

If the writers decide to have Liv and Barba discover their heretofore unspoken passion for one another and screw like minks on his spacious desk (a girl can dream!)... well, that's what we'll get.

 

Great post Lebanna but that part is my favorite! I'm not one for relationships on my crime dramas but I will make an exception for that one.

I agree that Brian and Olivia were sweet but dull. There was no passion there. It was just comfortable and safe. Now with Barba there would be sparks, passion and romance. Olivia, after all she has been through, deserves a man that will bring that kind of excitement into her life. (And I bet he's good at changing diapers and feeding because that man seems to be good at everything.)

Edited June 2, 2014 by Desperately Random

[MyrtleGroggins]

If the writers decide to have Liv and Barba discover their heretofore unspoken passion for one another and screw like minks on his spacious desk (a girl can dream!)... well, that's what we'll get.

 

Only if Liv dresses up as Officer Pain for the encounter :D

 

In all seriousness, Liv/Barba would feel a wee bit soap-operaish to me (in the manner of "let's throw together these two, we haven't tried that pairing yet" storytelling).  That's not to say I wouldn't watch the heck out of Sassy Relationship Drama if that's the direction that the writers take next season, because I unabashedly love me some SnazzTacular Barba and his Suspenders of Power*.  Also, it's not exactly the greatest time to start a new romantic relationship when you're suddenly learning how to deal with baby-related antics.  But, if the writers can handle the balance without sending Liv into a raging power-bitch slash weepy overwhelmed high-profile female boss death spiral, I'm totally on board the Tugboat of Barson Love (but, knowing the writers, I won't hold my breath).

 

Barson?  Benba?  Ew, not Benba, that sounds like a tropical disease.  Heh, Rolivia!

 

I disagree.If they were just "friends" then why did they move in together, share a bed,etc? Sorry but your explanation does not hold water. I saw love there. And what is wrong with to people who love each other being friends? Maybe married couples call their spouse their best friend!  Just because YOU never saw them going the distance does not mean they would not have.

 

For my part, my wee discussion of "friends who have sex with each other and that's it" wasn't specifically in regards to Bensidy, just a general observation of life.  And I fervently hope that those who are in long-term relationships consider their partners their friends!  The alternative is depressing!  Similarly, most humans have many people in their lives whom they love without being in love with them.  Every good childhood/school friend, the coworker that you always giggle with, your totally crazy extended family, even the cherished family pet - these are all individuals that, to some degree, you love (you must love them all a little, to keep on putting up with their inevitable annoying quirks for so long!).  And in the best-case breakup scenario, this can happen too - people still love and value their former partners, but no longer want to share every aspect of their life with them. 

 

Back to specifics, I don't think the most recent iteration of Bensidy was ever meant to be "friends with benefits" in the traditional sense.  However, I did not appreciate any evidence of great love or romance developing in the relationship.  Looking back to Season 1, both were basically new kids on the block (as was the show!), but Liv was the more "hardened" of the two, shutting down the idea of the relationship before it really got off the ground.  Cassidy, meanwhile, was written as the more innocent, sensitive, and naive of the two, and this sensitivity prompted him to leave the unit because of the stress of the caseload.

 

Fast forward to Season Whatever-teen** when he returns.  Suddenly, Cassidy has been transformed from the sweet, sort of bumbling guy into a street-wise tough guy, seemingly sporting emotional callouses from all his time doing undercover/narcotics work.  Liv's characterization varies depending on the phase of the moon and whether she's supposed to like the victim that week, so it's a little hard to pin down.  Interestingly (to me), Liv is still the instigator here; while in the S1 scenario she shut down the idea of the relationship, in SXtina she was the one to make the first move towards re-booting Bensidy.  Personality-wise, the fit is still a little wonky, but we don't see enough of their non-work time for me to make any sort of accurate assessments of their home life.  Both have pursued career advancement (Liv working towards Sergeant, Cassidy taking undercover assignments), but their personal goals are strikingly different (Liv wanting family, Cassidy wanting to be unshackled from familial responsibilities). 

 

That's not to say that the Bensidy relationship was in any way invalid; as many have articulated, it appears that the principal driving force in rekindling the relationship was support through trauma.  However, that can be a shaky foundation as the scars from the traumas heal, if there is no further basis for the relationship.  To me, it was never really portrayed that a great love was brewing.  They looked to each other for comfort when they were at their lowest points, but as time moved on, it seemed as though they got less invested in the relationship. 

 

We spent a minimum amount of time with Cassidy, so I don't have a great handle on his perspective, but from what we saw from Liv's side (the phone arguments, the total lack of compromise on weekend activities that will inevitably be cancelled due to finding a dead body, the lack of trust when Cassidy was undercover dealing with prostitutes and the reciprocal lack of understanding why Liv just MIGHT have a little problem with listening to her SO receiving oral sex from a third party) all culminated in a foundering relationship.  Furthermore, I didn't see any spark of a more sedate love (hard to portray on TV, perhaps?) characterized by devotion, loyalty, intimate knowledge*** of all the details - great and small - of each other's life stories, unfailing steadiness as the touchstone in each other's lives when the rest of the world is chaotic, and unquestioned security.  There may be no great passion in that sort of love, but it is a form that can bind more irrevocably than a standard fairy-tale epic romance.  From what I saw, the relationship had run its course; their goals were too different in life to warrant further pursuit.  And, in some ways, that's a measure of love as well - if demanding a fundamental change of one's character/beliefs/goals is the only way to ensure that a relationship may survive, it is a far more emphatic declaration of, if not love, at least sincere respect, to mutually end the relationship so as to not force one or both people to make sacrifices that may cost them their happiness.

 

Dang, I got wordy again.

 

And what if his new show crashes? Then what?

Well, he IS Mayhem, after all. Crashing is sort of his forte.

 

Actually he is not still Mayhem. I have not seen a mayhem Allstate commercial on in years.

 

Like all things, Mayhem lives on in the vast Internet wasteland: http://www.allstate.com/mayhem-is-everywhere.aspx

 

EVERYWHERE...

 

* I have this Rare Disease that makes me Capitalize Words Inappropriately.  There is currently no Cure for this disease; however, with Proper Treatment, I may avoid progression into Full-Blown CAPSLOCK RAAAAAAAAAAAGE.

** I am too lazy to actually look up the season, and yet wrote this footnote. 

*** I swear that I don't mean to innuendo-ize these things, but sometimes my brain has a mind of its own!

[Desperately Random]

Actually he is not still Mayhem. I have not seen a mayhem Allstate commercial on in years.

 

My POINt again is that yes the commercials are on youtube. But they are NOT new ones. He is not making any money off of them and if you think he is then you are crazy.The PROBLEM is that nobody can see him as anything BUT "Mayhem" so matter what he does from now on, he will be seen as nothing more then that. An that won't help his career any.

 

As Myrtle was nice enough to provide a a link, you can see that Dean Winters is still featured on Allstate's website as their spokesman. So he is still getting paid since Allstate cannot use his likeness with compensation. Also, Mayhem has been very popular for Allstate. I'm sure they'll be making more commercials soon. They only make so many per year. And it hasn't been years since they showed them on TV. I know i saw them a few months back.

As for it not helping his career, isn't he the lead in the new CBS show Battlecreek? Getting the lead role on a network show hardly says your career is in trouble.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Desperately Random

[FormerMod-a1]

Just a reminder - we encourage civil debate and discussion here. Watch the attitude, please. And you only need to make your point a couple of times and then move on.

[Desperately Random]

I didn't mind this episode tbh. It wasn't the worst one from this season. Not anywhere near where the show used to be, but as long as it doesn't go totally off a cliff, I'm ok.

 

 

I feel the same way. They could have done so much better but this wasn't the worst.There have been a few episodes this season, that after I watched, I deleted it because I had no interest in ever seeing it again. I didn't mind Olivia getting the baby but with a few tweaks they could have made that a lot more believable. Why not have the judge ask Olivia back to her chambers and then discuss if she even wanted the baby and what she needed to do if she did. Still a little unorthodox but not as eye rolling as how they actually wrote that scene.

I still have hope that next season could be a good one. A few thing I would like to see:

 

1. Limit on the celeb cases. No more than one or two for the season.

2. Get Rene Balcer to write some episodes or at least for some story ideas. Warren Leight needs help with this desperately.

3. No more of the detectives lives being in danger or being arrested. Leave that to the victims and perps.

4. Do not bring Brian back. It was nice seeing him again but his story arc with Olivia is done. Bringing him back again would be cheesy and boring.

5. More Barba!

6. More Fin!

7. Last and most important. No more persona drama! No baby angst for Olivia. Let's get back to solving sex crimes and catching rapists and pedophiles.

[MyrtleGroggins]

I feel the same way. They could have done so much better but this wasn't the worst. There have been a few episodes this season, that after I watched, I deleted it because I had no interest in ever seeing it again.

I agree, the episode was...fine. Not spectacular, by any means, but happily, not a total trainwreck. And I'd much rather have a solidly OK episode to close out the season than yet another dreadful "dramatic" cliffhanger in a desperate attempt to keep viewers interested over the summer!

 

I didn't mind Olivia getting the baby but with a few tweaks they could have made that a lot more believable. Why not have the judge ask Olivia back to her chambers and then discuss if she even wanted the baby and what she needed to do if she did. Still a little unorthodox but not as eye rolling as how they actually wrote that scene.

You know, until you mentioned this, it didn't strike me, but it was a totally cruddy thing to do to Liv to basically press-gang her into being a foster mom by asking her in the courtroom if she was willing to do so - how would it look if she just said "no, thanks"?  The judge didn't know for sure what Liv's plans were, and it would have been much more sensitive to bring up the subject in chambers.  It all worked out fine because Liv was actually interested in fostering the kiddo, but yikes!

And I am 100% in agreement with your list of requests for next season, Desperately Random!  Particularly as regards Barba and Fin, and I'd add in a few guest appearances from Munch, and maybe a quick visit from Cragen! (:

 

One thing that I worry about is whether TPTB might get it in their heads to bring back Stabler (and I do hesitate to reopen THAT can-o'-worms-y topic) in a guest spot as a way to boost ratings next season.  Though that would absolve them of having to put yet another detective in peril for a ratings spike.  A return of Stabler could be really interesting, but might be written very very poorly.  Also, I have no idea if Meloni has any ongoing projects right now that would compete.

[Tiny Totty]

Hello Everyone,

 

I love the discussion so far. and if I may add my two cents. I think this episode was just sloppy Warren really dropped the ball on writing it to me it seemed like he had no focus. and in the end he threw the baby to Olivia because he knew that would mask everyone from seeing he had no plot.

 

MyrtleGroggins  not to further or even start a fight about Stabler. but I feel they may do just that the show is failing next reason may be about how far can we go for ratings, and we all know if CM is willing to come back for a brief few episodes the rates will sore through the roof. bring back stabler or don't bring him back. all I ask is if you do then bring him back for the right reasons. I mean look how they did munch in the finale that wasn't munch.

 

I am not against Olivia having the baby. but like Desperately Random had said they should have made it more realistic. I find it really hard to believe with the foster waiting lists being as long as they are for babies that no family had wanted him. although I do not live in America I assume it can not be any different then it is in my country, I have read stories of people willing to move to other states or going through the adoption system of other countries for a baby. so it begs the question. What is wrong with this baby?

 

I am worried about baby Noah his future does not see all to bright to me.

[Desperately Random]

Hello Everyone,

 

I love the discussion so far. and if I may add my two cents. I think this episode was just sloppy Warren really dropped the ball on writing it to me it seemed like he had no focus. and in the end he threw the baby to Olivia because he knew that would mask everyone from seeing he had no plot.

 

MyrtleGroggins  not to further or even start a fight about Stabler. but I feel they may do just that the show is failing next reason may be about how far can we go for ratings, and we all know if CM is willing to come back for a brief few episodes the rates will sore through the roof. bring back stabler or don't bring him back. all I ask is if you do then bring him back for the right reasons. I mean look how they did munch in the finale that wasn't munch.

 

Welcome Tiny Totty!

I agree that getting CM back for an episode would be a huge boost for ratings and if they are going to try for a 17th season, then I can see them doing it if CM is willing. At this point, I don't care either way if we ever see Elliot again. I liked his character for the first 6 or 7 years and then he became angrier and was filled with this rage that got worse every season. By the time CM decided to leave, I was glad to see Elliot go. At the same time I felt the audience was short changed in not hearing what happened to Stabler after he left. He was a big part of the show for twelve years and I understand CM's decision not to come back but the writers could have done a better job of dealing with Elliot's absence. Why not get one of the actors that played his wife or one of his kids and have one them turn up at the station? (Plenty of reasons to explain that.) Then have them  see or run into Olivia and sit down with her. Explain to Olivia (and the audience) what has been going on with Elliot since the shooting. That would have been enough for me. Now, it's three years later  and although I don't really care anymore, I know a lot of fans do so I hope the writers come up with something to close the Stabler chapter. With or without CM.

[Tiny Totty]

Thankyou for responding to me desperately random, I agree with everything you said. I think the writers think so also that is why they made Amaro so much like Stabler. Someone was talking about Bensidy and Cassidys exit from the show. I always thought Bensidy was a none point. I like the idea of giving Olivia someone I just feel the whole Olivia and Brian relationship was badly done. that's why when it ended no one cared.

 

I mean give her someone yes, but think it out. I think they just wanted her to have someone familiar so they went with Cassidy. Dean winters is a good actor but it just felt like they didn't give him a character to play. He was so hard during his scenes like he was made of cardboard. I wish him well on his new show. and I look forward to watching it

[Desperately Random]

1, The show has not AIRED yet. So to proclaim it a success is a bit premature isn't it? Just beause he got the part does not mean the show will be hit.The show has been sitting on someone's shelf for the last decade, and one of the producers is going on trial for sexual harassment. That does not exactly instill confidence there now does it?

 

Christopher Meloni said he felt the character got closure. Therefore NO need to keep bringing him up. What reason would his wife or kids have to "Bump" into Olivia? The audience knows he quit because of the shooting. That is all I need to know. Maybe the actors who played his wife and kids have moved on and no longer care? It's been 3 years already.

 

I don't know what you're talking about with Battle Creek being a success or not. I said that since Dean Winters was cast in a CBS series that his career hasn't been harmed by doing the Mayhem commercials. Whether or not Battle Creek is successful or not has nothing to do with that. Dean Winters still getting acting jobs was the point of my comment.

 

Also, I was not talking about Christopher Meloni getting closure so I don't know why you are bringing that up. I was talking about the fans needing closure with the character of Elliot Stabler. Not CM. And you may not want to see Elliot again (and I don't care myself) but there are plenty of fans that do want to him back on the show. Everyone has their own preferences about which characters they want in Season 16. I, for one, don't want Cassidy back but I understand if some do.

Thankyou for responding to me desperately random, I agree with everything you said. I think the writers think so also that is why they made Amaro so much like Stabler. Someone was talking about Bensidy and Cassidys exit from the show. I always thought Bensidy was a none point. I like the idea of giving Olivia someone I just feel the whole Olivia and Brian relationship was badly done. that's why when it ended no one cared.

 

I mean give her someone yes, but think it out. I think they just wanted her to have someone familiar so they went with Cassidy. Dean winters is a good actor but it just felt like they didn't give him a character to play. He was so hard during his scenes like he was made of cardboard. I wish him well on his new show. and I look forward to watching it

It was one of those convenient relationships that are fine for a time and then fizzle out. 

I'm interested in seeing his new show too. Loved him on Oz and I hope his character on his new show is as intriguing as Ryan O'Reilly was.

Edited June 4, 2014 by Desperately Random

[Tiny Totty]

 

It was one of those convenient relationships that are fine for a time and then fizzle out. 

I'm interested in seeing his new show too. Loved him on Oz and I hope his character on his new show is as intriguing as Ryan O'Reilly was.

   

 

I think it was a practice run to see how the fans would handle onscreen relationships. because it seemed like Warren put some work into Bensidy but not as much as he should have. It was very flat and without passion. they didn't feel like a relationship but a furthered friendship.

[Tiny Totty]

NOBODY cared? And you have proof of this? How exactly? I liked them together. I blame the writers for screwing it up. After all, the actors can only do what they are told to do.

ONE acting job beyond Mayhem.Well 2 if you count SVU. not exactly stellar. I have seen actors get more jobs then this. My point is that SVU keeps jerking the guy around. Either use him or dont'. They brought him back to the show and then barely used him. Why? 

 

Yes I feel no one cared, It is my opinion and the fact of it is this. where are all the fans asking for the return of bensidy? Its been three years since CM left and there are still people asking for his return. Dean is leaving and it seems to be happy trails hope you are happy.

 

 

one acting job beyond mayhem? who ever gave you that info. Dean winters became mayhem in 2010 since becoming mayhem he has been in

 

34 episode's of rescue me

1 episode of up all night

15 episodes of 30 rock

the TV movie westside

2 episodes of Brooklyn nine-nine

L&O SVU 27 episodes

the movie Don peyote

1 episode of American dad

he currently has the movie staring Keanu reeves named john wick that he is in.

 

so two acting jobs?

 

Of all those things I just named SVU is lesser of all of them he is none for greater things and has done greater things. I did not include battle creek because it is not out yet but I am sure it will do great. Playing Brian Cassidy was a nowhere job for him. I as a fan of Mr Winters and happy that he moved on from that role.

[DangerousMinds]

Maybe we should start a new thread for the Dean Winters topic because it's really not relevant to this episode thread.

[David T. Cole]

Yep, @DangerousMinds has the right idea. If you want to take this extended Dean Winters thing to a new topic go ahead and create that and have at it (in a nice way). Otherwise let's get back on track with the episode at hand.

[millennium]

...and your totally stylin' Selling-The-Lonely-Irishman-Look Undercover PowerSweater.

 

 

 

A much belated LOL @ this!   

 

I don't have any money, darlin', but canna pay you in Irish Spring?

[webruce]

Was nice seeing Special Investigator Sargent John Munch come and help out Amaro! Hey posted Amaro's bail, nice. Surprised Rollins could black mail Mrs Wilkes and that Simon Wilkes was dumb enough to purchase child porn with all this going on and so close to his trial?? Not the brightest bulb. IAB Sargent Cole Draper surely didn't believe SVU didn't know about Simon telling he took the first poke. I was surprised Munch told Amaro to forget Marie, and that he still pinned for her. It does seem that he and roomate Rollins have something going on.

Was surprised that Lt. Declan Murphy was sent on an undercover assignment with so little notice. Yes I know the actor is in the new "Gotham" and I wish him well. Is he going to be Chief O'Hara?? But you would think he would have known that when he signed on to do this? His attitude was a change from Cragan. He was a little more critical of stuff. Especially his new team.

The COTW with Ellie Porter hooking on Craigslist to take advantage of men from out of town was kinda strange after you findout that it seems only Hans Erhart was raped. We never foundout why he was singled out did we? I thought maybe he had exagerated or he wanted it and changed mind or he fought back and Little Tino(Augustino Aguilar).gave it to him?? Not sure but as we see later Tino is not in charge. Maybe as stated it is his mom Alminia? Or what about his father???? But she is a biatch...... Han not picking Tino out of the line up worried me. Just the look on Tino's face should have told you. And his lawyer Orton Freeman was to happy. maybe he has info. on the boss??

Kinda nice to see Lawyer Trevor Langen, (like his character on Blue Bloods too). It kinda fell together that Baby Doe/Noah was Ellies son. Was a surprise, even though it was obvious that the Judge would pick Olivia as Noah's foster Mom. I thought Chantal was bad at first but she was not.

But yes I was so surprised that Ellie was left at the Nun home. I figured she would be taken or go to meet Tino. But the gang rape and burn her was a bit to much. We can tell he isn't the master mind. Amaro needs to kick his butt, lol Olivia I knew would feel bad. Why was there no squad car watching atleast Ellie???

[webruce]

I'm confused with most of the Quotes used here. Are they from another Forum or Topic? I don't see a lot of them above the posting that they are Quoted to??

I liked Olivia with Brian. I thought it could work. But I liked her better with Lawyer David Hayden. I know he was caught up in the bad lawyer thing, but he just disapeared. I didn't really get why they broke up?

Also for no reason, where did Michael "Mike" Cutter go? He was the Bureau Chief ADA??

[ladle]

This is going to seem like a weird question, but is Mariska related to that baby in real life?  It seemed really comfortable with her, and I thought there was a resemblance.