| "Abomination" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 5.08 | → |
| Production number: E4410 First aired: 11 November 2003 | ||
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| Written By Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas Directed By Alex Zakrzewski | ||
Plot
When a young homosexual male who was a poster-boy for a sexual re-education group is found brutally murdered, the SVU squad suspect an outspoken minster who was responsible for sending hundreds of hate mail and death threats to the victim. The case takes another twist when they focus their attention on a professor who believes that homosexuality is wrong and then it is discovered that his son, who is also gay (but deep in the closet) turns out to be a suspect in the murder. The son, Ian, is revealed to be the partner of the murdered man and that his father did it. He'd hidden his orientation from his father, but he'd had a girlfriend in high school who was aware of his secret and her mother had told his father. Ian is horrifed and wishes he was dead as his father is arrested. At the end of the episode, Novak apologizes for forcing him to accept his homosexuality and reveal it, but Ian isn't sorry and is relieved the secret was out.
Cast
Main cast
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Diane Neal as A.D.A. Casey Novak
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast
- Caren Browning as CSU Captain Judith Siper
- Daniel Sunjata as CSU Technician Burt Trevor
- David Lipman as Judge Arthur Cohen
- Peter McRobbie as Judge Walter Bradley
- Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch
- Michael Boatman as Dave Seaver
Guest cast
- George Segal as Dr. Roger Tate
- Jonathan Tucker as Ian Tate
- James Otis as Reverend Mitchell Shaw
- Tim Bohn as Dr. Phil Sona
- Don Stephenson as Derek Singer
- Daphne Zuniga as Emma Dishell
- Andrea Cirie as Kelly Singer
- Alison Fraser as Dr. Elizabeth Cahill
- James T. Williams II as Officer Marvin Bryson
- Kathleen Lancaster as Sandy Klein
- Alice Schaerer as Laura Klein
- Jeffrey Ware as Dr. Waldman
- Craig Zucchero as Tony
- Stephanie Mnookin as Crossing Guard
- Elizabeth Flax as ER Nurse
- Jeff Benson as Protestor with Camera
- Ingrid Johnson as Gay Protester / Day Player
- James Abrams as First Grader
References
Leviticus 18:22
Quotes
- John Munch [about Ian Tate]: No wonder he tried to hide it. "You're not gay, son, you're just crazy."
- John Munch: If an overbearing mother and a distant father cause homosexuality, how come I'm not gay?
- Fin Tutuola: Maybe you're in denial.
- John Munch: That'd explain a lot.
- Elliot Stabler: I want to go back in there and strangle the son of a bitch.
- John Munch: I love the guy, I want to invite him to the Christmas party.
- Don Cragen: What did missing persons say?
- John Munch: Nobody's missed him yet.
- Dr. Roger Tate: (as he's being arrested) This is...
- Elliot Stabler: What? Sick? Unnatural? So is murder.
- Don Cragen: What did you get from the people at Reed's funeral?
- Fin Tutuola: Not much. After the fight broke out, a bunch of people left before we got their names.
- John Munch: Yeah, but we got their pictures. (holding a camera)
- Don Cragen: Where the hell is that from?
- John Munch: One of Reverend Shaw's church members; he must have left it behind.
- Casey Novak: I didn't hear that.
- Officer Marvin Bryson: Must have shown him a real good time before she did the deed.
- Elliot Stabler: Marvin, right now's a real good opportunity to learn. An erection is often a side effect of asphyxiation.
- Officer Marvin Bryson: (chuckling) Oh yeah? 'Cause I was gonna say the guy was scared stiff.
- Elliot Stabler: I don't know, maybe some people choose to be gay and others choose to be straight.
- Olivia Benson: Oh, so you chose to be heterosexual?
- Elliot Stabler: Me? Noooo.
Background information and notes
- The episode title is drawn from Leviticus 18:22 ("Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination.")
| Previous episode: "Choice" |
"Abomination" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 5 |
Next episode: "Control" |