| "Depravity Standard" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 17.09 | → |
| Production number: 17009 First aired (US): 18 November 2015 First aired (UK): 13 December 2015 First aired (CAN): 18 November 2015 First aired (AUS): 7 April 2016 | ||
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| Written By Ed Zuckerman Directed By Martha Mitchell | ||
Summary[]
Lt. Benson seeks justice in the trial of child abductor Lewis Hodda, but when a plea deal is rejected, Barba must rely on decades-old evidence to make his case and faces off against former SVU colleague Dr. Huang.
Plot[]
After Lewis Hodda rejects a plea bargain in his murder trial for the death of 7-year-old Hector Rodriguez, he accuses Benson of coercing his confession. Even though Barba wants to go to trial with the kidnapping of Wyatt Morris (back in 2012), Wyatt's parents refuse to make their son testify.
To the shock of SVU, Hodda's defense lawyer brings in Dr. George Huang to testify for the defense. The case gets complicated when Stephen Lomatin (who helped the SVU detectives find Hector's body back in 2012) interferes with the investigation.
When Hodda is asked if he murdered Hector, he doesn't answer. In the end, the jury is deadlocked and the judge ends up declaring a mistrial. Then, Wyatt's parents decide to step up and testify against Hodda.
Meanwhile, Rollins is taken to the hospital where she goes into labor and towards the end of the episode, her condition takes a turn for the worst when she begins bleeding and the baby's heart rate goes down.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Peter Scanavino as Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
Recurring Cast[]
- Tom Sizemore as Lewis Hodda
- Joe Grifasi as Judge Hashi Horowitz
- Liza Colón-Zayas as Delores Rodriguez
- Alex Karpovsky as Officer Stephen Lomatin
- Mili Avital as Laurie Colfax
- Steve Rosen as Defense Attorney Michael Guthrie
- Betsy Aidem as Dr. Sloane
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Jenna Wolfe as Herself
- Allyson Morgan as Nurse Shelby Roberts
Guest Cast[]
- Kathryn Meisle as Sharon Daley
- Robin Weigert as Defense Attorney Lisa Hassler
- Stephen Reich as Thomas Johnson
- Natalie Carter as Juror #5
References[]
Quotes[]
- Barba: Lewis Hodda may walk if Hassler can make it look like your emotions are getting in the way of your police work which is what they're doing right now.
- [about Lewis Hodda]
- Benson: He confessed because he did it!
- Dr. Huang: I'm sorry, but I don't know that. And neither do you.
- Mrs. Rodriguez: I waited a long time. I had hope. Then they dug up that basement. Detective Benson showed me that picture. Hector's backpack.
- Rollins: I'm tired and I hurt like hell and it's too late for an epidural.
Background information and Notes[]
- This episode continues the plot from the season 14 episode "Manhattan Vigil".
- This marks the final appearances of Lewis Hodda and George Huang.
- This is the first appearance of Hashi Horowitz as a judge. He was previously a defense attorney who faced off with the Special Victims Unit in several episodes.
- Horowitz is the second defense attorney to become a judge, following Barry Moredock. Horowitz and Mordock appeared together in the season 7 episode "Raw" defending white supremacists.
- Kelli Giddish shot the hospital scenes four days before actually giving birth in real life.
- Even though this episode ends on a cliffhanger and the audience is given no clear explanation as to what is happening to Amanda during her sudden distress in labor, a deleted scene reveals that the cause was a placental abruption.
- A person convicted of one count of criminally negligent homicide cannot be given a sentence of eight years, as a class E felony the maximum sentence a person can receive is four years in prison.
- Carisi mentions that seeing Rollins give birth was when he knew she was "the one" in the season 23 episode "A Final Call at Forlini's Bar".
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
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Day 2 |
Day 5 |
Day 6 |
| Previous episode: "Melancholy Pursuit" |
"Depravity Standard" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17 |
Next episode: "Catfishing Teacher" |