S20.E18: Blackout

[dttruman]

Episode description from Googling "SVU Blackout"

When defense attorney Nikki Staines is raped after a police charity event, Benson reluctantly looks to her own for a suspect.

This info is from "All Things Law and Order, Blackout"

When Defense Attorney Nikki Staines (guest star Callie Thorne) is raped after a police charity event, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) reluctantly looks to her own for a suspect. Also starring Ice T, Kelli Giddish and Peter Scanavino. Also guest starring Peter Gallagher (Deputy Chief Dodds), Titus Welliver (Rob Miller), Ian Blackman (Judge Leonard) and Jerry Clicquot (J.J. Austen).

How can Benson "reluctantly" look to her own for a suspect? She had no problem accusing and arresting Stone for rape, considering both were very incoherent at the time.

[Xeliou66]

Chief Dodds is back!! I’m excited for that, I wonder if the memo thing with Fin will come up? 

It will be interesting to see how Benson handles this case, she is usually very quick to arrest a suspect on flimsy evidence, it will be interesting to see how she handles cops being suspects. 

[dttruman]

15 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

Chief Dodds is back!! I’m excited for that, I wonder if the memo thing with Fin will come up? 

It will be interesting to see how Benson handles this case, she is usually very quick to arrest a suspect on flimsy evidence, it will be interesting to see how she handles cops being suspects. 

I hope they don't make Dodd a throwaway character.

I wonder if Nikki Staines' rape had anything to do with one her previous appearances on SVU? "Imposter", "Dare", and "Revenge" seem like pretty good bets. The others were farther back and I think the writers probably want to keep it to something recent.

Then there is the old reliable, the "Silent Blue Wall".

Edited March 19, 2019 by dttruman

[MrsRafaelBarba]

So Bosch is the alleged rapist? 

[dttruman]

It looks like we have a new element thrown into the mix, a $50 million law suit. I wonder how much this will have to do with the case?

[SuzieQ]

31 minutes ago, MrsRafaelBarba said:

So Bosch is the alleged rapist? 

That's what i'm thinking!  I love him!

[MrsRafaelBarba]

3 minutes ago, SuzieQ said:

That's what i'm thinking!  I love him!

I hope not.

My sister think it could be Dodds Sr.

That would be major character assassination.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Welp!

Miller is a douchebag.

Where is Stone? 

[dttruman]

The first 25 minutes has nothing that is too outrageous and is following a good investigation story line.

21 minutes ago, MrsRafaelBarba said:

That would be major character assassination. 

So true!

Edited March 22, 2019 by dttruman

[MrsRafaelBarba]

The veil dropped on Miller in record time.

Could he still be a red herring?

[dttruman]

1 minute ago, MrsRafaelBarba said:

The veil dropped on Miller in record time.

Could he still be a red herring?

I wonder if he will have something on Dodds?

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Okay, he raped her.

Oh no, Benson had wine.

Edited March 22, 2019 by MrsRafaelBarba

[dttruman]

The way this is going, I think it should be a two to three part episode.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Miller has a long ass reach.

[dttruman]

3 minutes ago, MrsRafaelBarba said:

Okay, he raped her.

Oh no, Benson had wine.

Why doesn't she arrest him, she had no problem arresting Stone, as we all remember.

[SuzieQ]

I enjoyed this episode more than most, but this should have been a two parter.  Wrapping all that up in the last 10 minutes was kind of sloppy.  This should have been flushed out better.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Figured it would  all hit Nikki at the end.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

2 minutes ago, SuzieQ said:

I enjoyed this episode more than most, but this should have been a two parter.  Wrapping all that up in the last 10 minutes was kind of sloppy.  This should have been flushed out better.

I was about to toss a shoe at my tv.

[dttruman]

That "memo" finally popped up concerning Fin and Dodds. I thought it would be more significant.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, MrsRafaelBarba said:

So Bosch is the alleged rapist? 

Heh, I figured it was him as soon as I saw him sporting a Weinsteinian neck beard. 

This may have been the best SVU episode ever. (IMO)

Even Rollins' hair looked good.

All it needed was a little more Finn.

[LizDC]

35 minutes ago, dttruman said:

That "memo" finally popped up concerning Fin and Dodds. I thought it would be more significant.

That memo had been mentioned before? Do we know what’s in it?

[Fellaway]

Yeah, I don't get why there was significance placed on this memo back in the day.  I gather Dodds wrote it back when the kidnapped Noah thing was going on, and Olivia actively participated in the investigation, against his direct orders.  So Dodds, her boss, wrote up a memo questioning her actions and maybe talking about replacing her and...  He's her boss.  Why shouldn't he write such a memo?  How is this blackmail material, either on Fin's or Miller's parts? I'm just...  Huh?  There must be more to it, because, if that's all they could come up with to explain it, that's some weak sauce, right there.

That said, I was very glad to see Dodds again - More, please, Show. - and even more glad he wasn't trashed in the process.  And I thought Callie Thorne did a great job with what they gave her.  Otherwise, I dunno, I thought this was a tired ep and kind of weird, maybe disjointed.  I mean, seriously, they couldn't make even a token attempt at making the audience consider someone - anyone - else was the guilty accused but Bosch?  And that whole business with pulling the traffic stop on Benson?  What was the point of that?  I know their intent, but it... just didn't work.

I agree with the comments upthread that this might've worked better as a two-parter, a la Manhattan Transfer/Unholiest Alliance, only dealing with corruption in the police department and the courts.  As it is, it came across kind of lazy to me.  It's getting to the end of the season and maybe the writers are losing steam; if so, hire better, more energetic writers!  I dunno, I'm getting tired, too, and disheartened.  The Carisi in this episode was not my Carisi.  The Carisi I know would never shrug off a woman's rape because she's suing the police department.  I'd say I'm disappointed that we are getting to the end of the season and not a Carisi episode in sight, but maybe that's a good thing with this crew writing.

[Xeliou66]

That episode was interesting, it was a mixed bag IMO. 

It was obvious from the start that Miller was the rapist, so there was no suspense there, it was just a matter of catching him. That being said I liked the episode, although I missed Stone and thought there should’ve been more of Fin/Carisi. Too much Rollins again. 

It was awesome to see Dodds again, he adds an interesting element to the show and I really like him, he can question Benson and overrule her but he isn’t an asshole the way they make everyone else who questions Benson out to be and he can be supportive as well, he’s a multidimensional, compelling character and I want more of him. The memo was much ado about nothing, and I’m glad it was nothing major, I would’ve been royally pissed if Dodds was vilified, I really like him and want more of him, he always adds a spark to the show.

That being said, I don’t see how the memo could’ve been damning against Dodds in the slightest: Benson disobeyed his direct order and ran a rogue investigation, and he had every right to question her leadership ability and think about removing her from command. So that didn’t make sense, but I’m very happy that the memo was nothing because Dodds is awesome and I would hate to see him vilified. 

I didn’t like how Carisi seemed reluctant to investigate because Staines was suing the department, that was OOC for Carisi and just done to make Rollins look good IMO, I really didn’t like that. I did like the scene of Carisi talking to the professor though.

Not nearly enough Fin!! 

I really could’ve done without the final scene between Benson and Staines, I would’ve preferred more of a wrap up to the case as well as having that judge get his comeuppance. 

This was a mixed bag: an obvious villain, no Stone, not enough Fin and Carisi was thrown under the bus in order to make Benson and Rollins look good, but on the other hand it was awesome having Dodds back on and I did find the story compelling in spite of its predictability. 

[preeya]

As soon as I saw Harry Bosch, I knew he'd be the perp.

Wasn't it disgusting, how condescendingly St. Olivia talked to Staines just before she broke down. 

I never did like Dodds; I still don't.

Where was Stone and why wasn't he part of this fiasco?

Edited March 22, 2019 by preeya

[tennisgurl]

Oh, you mean the obviously sketchy well known character actor is the bad guy? I for one am SHOOK!

I mean, it could have been Dodds, as the show has really been on a "bring back minor and supporting characters as bad guy" kick lately, but there is no way it isnt the sleazy sleazo. 

[dttruman]

5 hours ago, Fellaway said:

 The Carisi I know would never shrug off a woman's rape because she's suing the police department.  I'd say I'm disappointed that we are getting to the end of the season and not a Carisi episode in sight, but maybe that's a good thing with this crew writing.

That has been a noticeable problem with the writing, they have Carisi run really "hot" or really "cold".

[dttruman]

5 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

This was a mixed bag: an obvious villain, no Stone, not enough Fin and Carisi was thrown under the bus in order to make Benson and Rollins look good,

5 hours ago, preeya said:

Where was Stone and why wasn't he part of this fiasco?

Considering who was raped, the surrounding suspects, possible police involvement and definitely legal professionals, you'd think this is something Stone would definitely be involved with.

[EtheltoTillie]

That was Titus Welliver?  I missed it in the credits and did not realize or recognize him with that beard. And Mr. K and I are Bosch superfans both the show and the audio books  read by Titus Welliver (we listen in the car). My husband does not watch SVU so I’m going to show him a shot of TW and see if he recognizes him. 

[dttruman]

8 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

That being said, I don’t see how the memo could’ve been damning against Dodds in the slightest: Benson disobeyed his direct order and ran a rogue investigation, and he had every right to question her leadership ability and think about removing her from command. So that didn’t make sense, but I’m very happy that the memo was nothing because Dodds is awesome and I would hate to see him vilified. 

I am still a little iffy on this "memo" stuff. Is it a memo sent down from above suggesting to Dodd that Benson needs to be fired for a lot of her out of control actions, that have resulted in much wasted court time and many wasted man hours? Or was it a memo he came up with himself, saying that (for example), that all heads of departments are to stick with strict police standards and no outrageous actions will be tolerated?

Edited March 22, 2019 by dttruman

[shapeshifter]

7 minutes ago, GussieK said:

That was Titus Welliver?  I missed it in the credits and did not realize or recognize him with that beard. And Mr. K and I are Bosch superfans both the show and the audio books  read by Titus Welliver (we listen in the car). My husband does not watch SVU so I’m going to show him a shot of TW and see if he recognizes him. 

Heh, now I wonder how many other things you super Bosch fans have in common with my oldest daughter.
OTOH, I kept saying to myself, "The Man in Black did it" (a Lost reference).

I wish the last scene with Callie Thorne's character had been with Rollins instead of Benson just because of the disparity of the sizes of their respective bone structures. Or maybe it was just the directing and camera angle choice. They could have had Callie closer to the camera so it didn't look like a parent with a small child. Or was that what they were going for? To infantilize the rape and blackmail victim who is also a parent??

[preeya]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I wish the last scene with Callie Thorne's character had been with Rollins instead of Benson just because of the disparity of the sizes of their respective bone structures. Or maybe it was just the directing and camera angle choice. They could have had Callie closer to the camera so it didn't look like a parent with a small child. Or was that what they were going for? To infantilize the rape and blackmail victim who is also a parent??

Yes.  I took her "motherly" talk as condescending, of which St. Olivia is very adept.

[wknt3]

The Good:
They actually managed to pull off a plot about corruption and the powerful without going completely off the rails! It's a St. Benson's Day miracle.
Fin. It goes without saying, but we should still say it anyways so they don't cut his time any more than they already have. His scene with Benson at the end was really nice.
The guest cast was really good as always, although I pretty much expected that from the beginning since it was an "old pros and returning champions" week.
I'm not sure if it was intended or not, but I loved the lines about if Benson was a Lt. or a detective.

The Bad:
As pretty much everyone has already mentioned the setup was pretty good, but the ending was extremely rushed. They could have brought in Stone and the legal side, maybe given us another suspect (not that anyone who's watched more than two procedurals didn't know who the perp was as soon as they saw the credits) and given us a proper wrapup. Failing that I would have preferred that they cut the whole Benson blesses the victim and dispenses forgiveness scene at the end and devoted that time to the other plot threads.
Carisi in the squad room. Really OOC for him to be pulling the blue wall crap. It especially felt off because Rollins was Benson Jr. "believe victims always and don't ask questions even if it's our job" this week. It kind of felt like we were slipping back into the bad habits of "women good and understanding, men evil and disbelieving" and even though they didn't really go there they really need to avoid even hinting there if they are going to do this type of plot at all.
Chekhov's Memo was a dud.

Overall this was better than expected given episode description and avoided all the obvious pitfalls, but still was a bit lackluster. I guess I should be happy that the show has improved to the point where competence is no longer enough of a surprise to make me happy, but as it stands my reaction as a viewer is 'OK I guess." Hopefully they get back on track next episode.

[iwasish]

I haven’t watched recent episodes in a long time. But what the hell happened to Mariska’s face? Bad plastic surgery? Illness? Even her voice is weird. 

[dttruman]

4 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

They actually managed to pull off a plot about corruption and the powerful without going completely off the rails! It's a St. Benson's Day miracle.

5 minutes ago, wknt3 said:

I would have preferred that they cut the whole Benson blesses the victim and dispenses forgiveness scene at the end and devoted that time to the other plot threads.

They have to keep that in there, it is Benson's signature move, like all the other episodes she does it in. So I guess we just have to "liv" with it.  Sorry about the pun

[tennisgurl]

Lately, its like they just randomly decide who will be the asshole this week to get shot down so the not asshole can lecture them (and the audience) on why their assholes. I mean, just a few weeks ago Carisi was hysterical about believing victims of abuse, while Rollins was victim blaming about how all domestic abuse victims have it coming, and this week, its Rollins being all "believe the victims!" and Carisi is the one saying they should just forget about a victim because she is on the "other side" or whatever. It gives me whiplash!

[Fellaway]

12 hours ago, Xeliou66 said:

It was awesome to see Dodds again, he adds an interesting element to the show and I really like him, he can question Benson and overrule her but he isn’t an asshole the way they make everyone else who questions Benson out to be and he can be supportive as well, he’s a multidimensional, compelling character and I want more of him. The memo was much ado about nothing, and I’m glad it was nothing major, I would’ve been royally pissed if Dodds was vilified, I really like him and want more of him, he always adds a spark to the show.

Cosigned.  Dodds is a multi-dimensional and compelling character, and Benson needs someone to rein her in, increasingly.  This show has always, always treated Benson like she is more special than anyone else, but, prior to Season 18, there were many things - Cragen, an ensemble cast, her partners, Abraham, CompStat, Tucker, IAB - to rein her in, to balance her, to make her sainthood more palatable, less in your face, that made her more multi-dimensional and compelling.  Since Season 18, it's all Benson's way or the highway.  She's always right, she's always the hero, it's all about her, and there are no stakes and no flavor for the character anymore.  Benson has become boring.

6 hours ago, dttruman said:

I am still a little iffy on this "memo" stuff. Is it a memo sent down from above suggesting to Dodd that Benson needs to be fired for a lot of her out of control actions, that have resulted in much wasted court time and many wasted man hours? Or was it a memo he came up with himself, saying that (for example), that all heads of departments are to stick with strict police standards and no outrageous actions will be tolerated?

I don't know, but, either way, I can't fathom why anyone would consider the memo blackmail material.  Bosses discuss their employees' performances on the job all the time.  It's kinda what they're meant to do, Show.

4 hours ago, preeya said:

Yes.  I took her "motherly" talk as condescending, of which St. Olivia is very adept.

Well, you know, as a survivor of sexual assault herself and with 20 years in at SVU, St. Olivia is the all-seeing, all-knowing font of wisdom all must bow down to in their quest for recovery.  She has the answer.  Too bad it's a one size fits all answer.

4 hours ago, wknt3 said:

Carisi in the squad room. Really OOC for him to be pulling the blue wall crap. It especially felt off because Rollins was Benson Jr. "believe victims always and don't ask questions even if it's our job" this week. It kind of felt like we were slipping back into the bad habits of "women good and understanding, men evil and disbelieving" and even though they didn't really go there they really need to avoid even hinting there if they are going to do this type of plot at all.

I know Carisi is their stand-in these days when they need a plot point, but the more I think about what they did to him in this ep, the more it makes my blood boil.  Carisi is not that man.  Carisi, the devout Catholic who holds his religion as dear to him as anything else in his life yet still went after the Church with everything he had and without reservation in Manhattan Transfer/Unholiest Alliance, is not going to do any less when it's the NYPD on the line instead.  Aside from that, he is a devout Catholic, one who walks the walk, and is just plain a compassionate man.  He would not shrug off anyone's rape, Show.  I hate you for putting that out there.  And it tells me all I need to know about the inferiority of the current writing on this show.

It did feel off with Rollins, too, as she's the Doubting Thomas on the squad.  I'm really starting to hate how it's always Benson/Rollins and Fin/Carisi this season.  I know part of that was due to the constraints of KG's pregnancy, but, come on.  Anyone tuning in now, for the first time, could easily come away thinking Rollins is Benson's best friend as well as her second in command on the squad, while Fin and Carisi are their inferior flunkies.  They're not even allowed to be "lovely."  Start mixing it up, Show!  And study up on who your characters are.

Edited March 22, 2019 by Fellaway

[Xeliou66]

31 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Lately, its like they just randomly decide who will be the asshole this week to get shot down so the not asshole can lecture them (and the audience) on why their assholes. I mean, just a few weeks ago Carisi was hysterical about believing victims of abuse, while Rollins was victim blaming about how all domestic abuse victims have it coming, and this week, its Rollins being all "believe the victims!" and Carisi is the one saying they should just forget about a victim because she is on the "other side" or whatever. It gives me whiplash!

Agreed with this. Rollins’ character has always been all over the map, but in this episode they trashed Carisi just to make Rollins look good. For most of the past 2-3 seasons it’s been Benson and Rollins as the super detectives while Fin and Carisi are shoved into the background, it’s done just to push the female empowerment agenda and it gets very tiresome.

[vast wasteland]

I was actually rather enjoying this plot line until:

Liv put on her vintage nursing outfit to go out with Rob Miller.

The "look at me, I'm acting" whispering started when she was at the bar with Rob Miller.

"I'm sorry that can't be true, I have my son in the car."  In what convoluted universe does this mean she is a good driver?  Doesn't that mean that at other times, sonless, she HAS driven poorly?

Ah, and we experience the opposite end of the very short spectrum of Marisa's acting ability when she raises her voice (with emphasis) when speaking with her boss.

Whispering resumes at the confrontation with the bad guy upon his arrest.

Wolf analog.

"And nobody helps the wolf when he's bleeding."  Really?  Could there be poorer, more quasi philosophical, melodramatic writing?  And of course, recognizing her moment and utilizing one of the two skills in her arsenal, Liv whispers the words.  To say nothing of the fact that in all other bad guy plots the kingpin maintains all his power even behind bars.  Hello El Chapo.

Interaction with Nickie in the closing scene?  I know you will find this hard to believe, but Liv demonstrates her incredible empathy and the huge arsenal of her acting skills, by....wait for it....Whispering!

[wknt3]

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Lately, its like they just randomly decide who will be the asshole this week to get shot down so the not asshole can lecture them (and the audience) on why their assholes. I mean, just a few weeks ago Carisi was hysterical about believing victims of abuse, while Rollins was victim blaming about how all domestic abuse victims have it coming, and this week, its Rollins being all "believe the victims!" and Carisi is the one saying they should just forget about a victim because she is on the "other side" or whatever. It gives me whiplash!

I can live with Rollins being portrayed inconsistently. Given all the issues they've had with the writing for her over the years it's arguably the most in character thing they can do. There's always something they can point to if they need her to take a position just so there can be conflict. But I hate it when they do it with Carisi. It would have made far more sense for Rollins to be the one not liking investigating cops and had Carisi take the other side, with Fin taking the position that it's just another case and they should simply do their jobs (but make sure to dot their I's and cross their T's because you never know when a lawyer is going to try to pull something. It also would have been more interesting to watch her come around and empathize in the end. Or maybe even have the whole squad be professional from the jump with the conflict coming from outside?

[dttruman]

On 3/22/2019 at 3:44 PM, vast wasteland said:

"I'm sorry that can't be true, I have my son in the car."  In what convoluted universe does this mean she is a good driver?  Doesn't that mean that at other times, sonless, she HAS driven poorly?

That made no sense to me also. Was that some sort of testimonial or disclaimer for Benson, considering she has been "flying off the handle" most of this season? Is she admitting that she'll go off unhinged every now and then, but she won't when it involves the safety of her child? Or was it an indirect PSA to the audience that you should never drive out of control with your children in the car?

Edited March 25, 2019 by dttruman

[JTM]

I can't even with Benson's outrage at being stopped and questioned and asked to step out of the car when she indicated she was carrying a weapon.

"But but but my son was in the car, and he was hysterical."

Cry me a river, toots. Pulled over for a dubious reason and then hassled into a reaction that 'warrants' ratcheting things up? Welcome to the world for a whole lot of people. Regularly. And they don't just get to call their chief.

[shapeshifter]

34 minutes ago, JTM said:

I can't even with Benson's outrage at being stopped and questioned and asked to step out of the car when she indicated she was carrying a weapon.

"But but but my son was in the car, and he was hysterical."

Cry me a river, toots. Pulled over for a dubious reason and then hassled into a reaction that 'warrants' ratcheting things up? Welcome to the world for a whole lot of people. Regularly. And they don't just get to call their chief.

Very much a missed opportunity to make Benson likeable—they could've had her pause for a moment and acknowledge that she was experiencing what so many live in fear of happening every day.

[dttruman]

13 hours ago, JTM said:

I can't even with Benson's outrage at being stopped and questioned and asked to step out of the car when she indicated she was carrying a weapon.

"But but but my son was in the car, and he was hysterical." 

Cry me a river, toots. Pulled over for a dubious reason and then hassled into a reaction that 'warrants' ratcheting things up? Welcome to the world for a whole lot of people. Regularly. And they don't just get to call their chief.

12 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Very much a missed opportunity to make Benson likeable—they could've had her pause for a moment and acknowledge that she was experiencing what so many live in fear of happening every day.

I thought this scene was so terribly conceived and they did it at the expense of all law enforcement, when it comes to pulling over a driver. They used the scenario, where the driver assumes they did nothing wrong and they become argumentative, which may escalate to some physical altercations, even though the officers are just doing their job. More often than not, the officer is usually right.

Since we all know Benson did nothing wrong and this was going to be a setup, that Miller ordered him to harass Benson, they should have had the state trooper been more devious and obvious. When the officer tells her why he pulled her over and Benson says it can't be true because she has her kid in the car with her. That made no sense at all.

Edited March 25, 2019 by dttruman

[SarahPrtr]

On 3/22/2019 at 4:03 PM, Xeliou66 said:

I didn’t like how Carisi seemed reluctant to investigate because Staines was suing the department, that was OOC for Carisi and just done to make Rollins look good IMO, I really didn’t like that. I did like the scene of Carisi talking to the professor though.

Yep, and someone who is familiar with Carisi enough to call him Sonny! 

[dttruman]

2 hours ago, SarahPrtr said:

On 3/22/2019 at 1:03 AM, Xeliou66 said:

I didn’t like how Carisi seemed reluctant to investigate because Staines was suing the department, that was OOC for Carisi and just done to make Rollins look good IMO, I really didn’t like that. I did like the scene of Carisi talking to the professor though.

Yep, and someone who is familiar with Carisi enough to call him Sonny! 

Does anyone else think they have been trying too hard to create a lot of tension between the detectives when it comes to investigating cases the last couple of months? It seems one detective has a direct opposite point of view of another's view on the case at hand. It's like watching Fox News' Hannity report on an update of the Mueller investigation, then turn the channel to MSNBC's Maddow show and she reports the direct opposite. (I won't go any further with this example).

The term "OOC" has been used a lot lately and rightfully so.

[RedheadZombie]

The rapist was the Man in Black?

[shapeshifter]

4 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

The rapist was the Man in Black?

Yep. 

[atlantaloves]

God, I am so over this show.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 3/26/2019 at 12:29 AM, RedheadZombie said:

The rapist was the Man in Black?

To me he will always be Adams from Deadwood. Fuckin' Adams. Speaking of which I am curious when they shot this episode since Titus Welliver said he was too busy shooting Bosch to make time for the Deadwood movie.