Noteworthy Discoveries:
Mathew St. Patrick is most recognizable from his multi-year run on
Six Feet Under
(HBO, 2001−2005). Stabler identifies with the perpetrator’s upwardly-mobile notions, and reveals that when he was the young man’s age he got into a scuffle while working in his uncle’s bar. He was arrested, but his father the cop made the charge disappear. It would have been possible for Stabler to both go to night school and work at a bar, apparently.
Episode 157: Venom
Original air date: March 28, 2006
Teleplay by Judith McCreary, directed by Peter Leto
Additional Cast:
Lisagay Hamilton (Teresa Randall), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges (Darius Parker), Stephanie Berry (Kathleen Summers), Darnell Williams (Steven Stansfield), Tiffany Thompson (Angela Bowden), Ernest Waddell (Ken Randall), Joe Grifasi (“Heshy” Horowitz)
Reviewing the Case:
Tutuola’s son Ken reports a crime he overheard in a bar—and is an initial suspect, until he points to his “cousin” Darius. Until now, Tutuola never realized that this grown man is the long-rejected son of his ex-wife Teresa, Ken’s mother. Darius seems willing to confess to his role in the old crime, but he quickly turns jailhouse lawyer and almost wriggles away—leaving Tutuola with this parting message: Take this case to court, and I’ll expose all of your ugly family secrets.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Rapper/actor Ludacris is equally sympathetic and frightening; he almost has more charisma than Ice-T. Tutuola’s ex-wife, known as “Tessie,” gave birth to Darius at sixteen and never told Fin. She let her mother raise the boy because he reminded her too much of his father (who wasn’t Fin).
Relevant Testimony:
“Ludacris is one of my spawn!”—Ice-T
Episode 158: Fault
Original air date: April 4, 2006
Teleplay by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, directed by Paul McCrane
Additional Cast:
Lou Diamond Phillips (Victor Paul Gitano), Rebecca Wisocky (Dr. Paula Greenfield), Steven Hinkle (Ryan Clifford), Tristen Douglass (Rebecca Clifford), Matt Landers (Glen Porter), Craig McEldowney (Calvin Porter), David Colburn (Eddie Loomis)
Reviewing the Case:
The show breaks further from tradition, digging perhaps more deeply into the personal realm with an affecting episode that evolves almost entirely on the run. A violent pedophile is quickly determined to be the killer of three family members—and the kidnapper of the two youngest. Pursuit leads to Benson being injured and Stabler questioning their long-term partnership. But when the perp takes Stabler hostage, leaving Benson concerned about shooting him while trying to get to their killer, the two detectives have to reassess their long connection.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
After the case is resolved, Stabler tells Benson that in two life-and-death situations they “chose each other over the job,” and that can’t happen, so Benson asks Cragen for a new partner. Director Paul McCrane will be familiar to longtime
ER
fans as the testy but doomed Dr. Romano, while guest star Lou Diamond Phillips has a long history in feature films, including 1987’s
La Bamba
and 1988’s
Young Guns
. During this episode, Hargitay is seven months pregnant—but still had to do stunts. Crew members set up padding on the floor where she can fall so her belly would be protected, but then she has to leap to her feet while brandishing a gun and talking. It’s far from easy.
Relevant Testimony:
“Everybody’s crying; they had to cry between takes because it was so hilarious. (Executive producer) Ted (Kotcheff) was like, ‘Well, darling, we’ll take care of you (while you’re pregnant)’ and of course I had to do all these scenes running full speed through Port Authority, running with my belly at full speed! It’s amazing (my son August) came out all right, but he was fine.”—Mariska Hargitay
Episode 159: Fat
Original air date: May 2, 2006
Teleplay by Patrick Harbinson, directed by Juan J. Campanella
Additional Cast:
Anthony Anderson (Det. Lucius Blaine), Natalie Cole (Attorney Waldron), Ted Sod (Hamzid Latif), Shahidah McIntosh (Mia Bixton), Wallace J. Little (Kenny Bixton), J. Paul Nicholas (Attorney Linden Delroy), Billy Wheelan (Tommy Strahan), Peter McRobbie (Judge Walter Bradley), David Bishins (Rufus Brownell), Tricia Mara (Jessica DeLay), David Thornton (Lionel Granger), Paul Calderon (Eric Molina), Omar Benson Miller (Rudi Bixton)
Reviewing the Case:
With Benson reassigned to “computer crimes,” Cragen punishes Stabler by pairing him up with a detective even more of a blowhard than he is: Det. Lucius Blaine, of the Queens SVU. Though they don’t get along, the duo investigates the rape and assault of a high school girl by two overweight siblings. This proves to be a revenge attack in defense of their similarly overweight brother Rudi. Police finally sort out all of the beatings and come up with a suspect—but then Rudi takes the law into his own substantial hands.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Benson and Stabler have been partners for seven years, which means the show runs in real time. In 2008, Anderson was hired by
Law & Order
to portray Det. Kevin Bernard.
Relevant Testimony:
“What convinced me (to get Anthony) on (the Mother Ship) was actually the
SVU
episode. There was a scene where (Stabler) had been making Anthony’s character totally nuts during the whole episode. And he was over by the coffee stand and (Stabler) came up to bug him about something else and (Anthony’s character) turned on him and went, ‘What!’ It was such a pure human moment and a non-acting moment that it was just one of those wonderful things that convinced you that this guy can really act in a way that you can’t teach. He’s a guy you want on your show.”—
SVU
creator Dick Wolf (as told to Troy Rogers on
thedeadbolt. com
)
Episode 160: Web
Original air date: May 9, 2006
Teleplay by Paul Grellong, directed by Peter Leto
Additional Cast:
Kate Mulgrew (Donna), Jack Vignone (Jake Winnock), Drew Battles (Ralph Zessner), Peter Hermann (Trevor Langan), Dana Eskelson (Ms. Winnock), Marla Sucharetza (Hensal’s Sister), Tim Hopper (Gregory Hensal), Connor Paolo (Teddy Winnock), Charley Scalies (Bert Ferrara), Christen Simon (Elaine Norman), Maximillian Sherer (Colin), Pasha Pellosie (Gordy Richards), Gregg Edelman (Dr. Lucas)
Reviewing the Case:
A boy abused by his father has grown into a damaged teen who now sells himself through his own online business to subscribing pedophiles—and sometimes incorporates his younger brother in the porn videos he makes. But when police close in, one of those “customers” decides to protect his interests by kidnapping the elder boy, which leads to a network of Web-connected predators that can only be unraveled by the department’s newest computer crimes expert: Benson.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Recurring character Ruben Morales has a nephew who was lured by a pedophile on the Web. At the episode’s end, Benson returns to her desk. Canny viewers will know that Hargitay was very close to giving birth at this stage, which explains the unusually high and tight camera shots.
Episode 161: Influence
Original air date: May 16, 2006
Teleplay by Ian Biederman, directed by Norberto Barba
Additional Cast:
Brittany Snow (Jamie Hoskins), Peter Riegert (Chauncey Zeirko), Stella Maeve (Leslie Sweeney), Zachary Booth (Trevor Olsen), Ron Scott (Malcolm Shaw), Chris Lindsay-Abaire (Barbara Collins), Norman Reedus (Derek Lord), Teddy Cañez (Mr. Ramirez), John Sutherland (Danny Morrison), Brandon Gill (Cameron Shaw), Tom O’Rourke (Judge Mark Seligman), Jeff McCarthy (Mr. Hoskins), Marsha Dietlein Bennett (Mrs. Hoskins)
Reviewing the Case:
Bipolar teen Jamie goes off her meds after hearing her rock idol Derek Lord preach that they’re “poison.” Subsequently, she’s deflowered in the school bathroom and mows down pedestrians with her parents’ car, killing one. Novak’s sympathies fade after the death and Jamie is charged with vehicular man-slaughter, while all along Derek champions the girl’s right to refuse medication.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Brittany Snow got her start as a child in soaps (
The Guiding Light
), but quickly became an American sweetheart as the lead adolescent on
American Dreams
.
SEASON EIGHT
September 2006−May 2007
Regular Cast:
Christopher Meloni (Det. Elliot Stabler), Mariska Hargitay (Det. Olivia Benson), Richard Belzer (Det. John Munch), Ice-T (Det. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola), Dann Florek (Capt. Donald Cragen), Stephanie March (ADA Alexandra Cabot), Tamara Tunie (M.E. Melinda Warner), and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang)
Recurring Cast:
Connie Nielsen (Det. Dani Beck), Adam Beach (Det. Chester Lake), Judith Light (SVU Bureau Chief Elizabeth Donnelly), Isabel Gillies (Kathy Stabler), Jeffrey Scaperrotta (Dickie Stabler), Patricia Cook (Elizabeth Stabler), Erin Broderick (Maureen Stabler), Allison Siko (Kathleen Stabler), Daniel Sunjata (CSU Tech Burt Trevor), Lou Carbonneau (CSU Tech), Welly Yang (CSU Tech Georgie), Jordan Gelber (CSU Tech Layton), Sheila Tousey (Judge Danielle Larson), Harvey Atkin (Judge Alan Ridenour), Tom O’Rourke (Judge Mark Seligman), Joanna Merlin (Judge Lena Petrovsky), Philip Bosco (Judge Joseph P. Terhune), Joel de la Fuente (TARU Tech Ruben Morales), Caren Browning (CSU Capt. Judith Siper), Peter Hermann (Trevor Langan), Ned Eisenberg (Roger Kressler), Mike Doyle (Forensics Tech Ryan O’Halloran)
SEASON EIGHT OVERVIEW:
Oy, vey. Characters on the show probably ought to be taking anti-anxiety meds by now. When Benson goes undercover in Oregon (while Mariska Hargitay is pregnant and then on maternity leave), Dani Beck steps in as Stabler’s SVU partner and—maybe—as his lover. In a moment of revelation, Benson’s own subconscious carnal desire for him becomes evident. The Stabler marriage has gone from bad to worse, but eventually settles back on perhaps. Tutuola is plagued by questions about his history in Narcotics and Cragen is constantly threatening his employees for various transgressions. Viewers meet Munch’s uncle, Benson’s half-brother, and Detective Chester Lake—who is introduced briefly before later joining the series as a regular. Now there will be nine actors assembled around a squad room desk at the beginning of each episode.
Ratings Recap for Season:
7.2 rating / 12 share / 10,621,000 viewers
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS
Episode 162: Informed
Original Air Date: September 19, 2006
Teleplay by Dawn DeNoon, directed by Peter Leto
Additional Cast:
Marcia Gay Harden (Star Morrison/Dana Lewis), Kristen Bush (Haley Kerns), Alan C. Campbell (Mitchell Hissam), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Justin), Joanna P. Adler (Persephone James), John O’Creagh (Sheriff Bailey), Lisa Strum (Tonya Majeski), Jefferson Breland (Adam Porter), Christopher Sapienza (Roy Delphy), David Dollase (Agent Lockwood), Gerrianne Raphael (Mrs. Weiman)
Reviewing the Case:
A rape investigation quickly leads to an eco-terrorism conspiracy in a story arc that will disrupt the SVU squad for some time to come. A young woman, bleeding and her head crudely shaved after a sexual assault, refuses to cooperate with police. She’s involved with an underground environmental organization, which brings the FBI’s Star Morrison back on the scene and propels Benson out of it on a secret assignment.
Noteworthy Discoveries:
Warner to Benson: “Did I ever tell you about the year I spent in Paris?” A plot device allows Benson to disappear for several episodes, giving Hargitay real-life maternity leave.
Relevant Testimony:
“What a pleasure it was working with Marcia Gay! She’s so talented and never even needed to rehearse. Each take had a little something extra.”—Peter Leto
Episode 163: Clock
Original Air Date: September 26, 2006
Teleplay by Allison Intrieri, directed by Jim Hayman
Additional Cast:
Gregory Harrison (Nathan Speer), Betsy Hogg (Jamey Speer), Deborah Raffin (Maia Graves), Betty Buckley (Attorney Walsh), Robert Vaughn (Tate Speer), Jason Butler Harner (Greg Hartley), Larry Pine (Attorney Van Allen), Stephen Gregory (Dr. Kyle Beresford), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Judge Bernard)
Reviewing the Case:
With Benson mysteriously gone, the detectives search for a missing seventeen-year-old who looks much younger. Jamey Speer suffers from Turner syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that inhibits normal development yet can result in early aging. Consequently, she is ridiculed at school, tormented by her parents’ nasty custody battle, and anxious to speed up her love life with a guy in his thirties. This is a situation that the detectives don’t quite know how to tackle.