| "Did You Believe in Miracles?" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 23.20 | → |
| Production number: 23020 First aired (US): 5 May 2022 First aired (UK): 3 October 2022 First aired (CAN): 5 May 2022 First aired (AUS): 11 August 2022 | ||
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| Teleplay By Micharne Cloughley & Victoria Pollack Story By Micharne Cloughley & Candice Sanchez McFarlane Directed By Pratibha Parmar | ||
Summary[]
When a student's school reports a girl missing, the squad must track down a trusted friend for answers. Benson gets a Mother's Day surprise.
Plot[]
Carisi is called in for a meeting between Pearce and his lawyer Richard Pace who wants the charges dropped because it looks like the Lee couple were sexually experimenting with Pearce and are too ashamed of their encounters, so they're trying to frame him. Carisi refuses because of the evidence against Pearce on kidnapping but Pace states that could be debunked. Pearce says that that he has a solution that could solve the issue, as Pace tries to silence him, but Carisi says he has to hear this and Pearce's obvious lust to the teen and desire to marry her only serve to fuel a disgusted Carisi's desire to ensure he is punished.
Much later, Elizabeth goes missing and the detectives realize she might be seeing Pearce. They quickly discover her location at a bridge and find her attempting to marry Pearce. They stop this act, while noting that Pearce violated the restraining order, so they arrest him. Elizabeth protests this and reveals she might be pregnant with Pearce's child, as the detectives are stunned to hear this.
Soon the Lee parents are shown Beth's outburst from the bodycam by Carisi and Benson while devastated to hear SVU can't find a way to prove this and arrest Nick, since Beth won't go to the hospital. Claire laments it is because they welcomed Pearce into their lives that his hold on Elizabeth is strong. Benson soon notes they might have a strategy to incriminate Pearce by having Claire misleading her daughter into thinking they would allow her to marry Pearce on her 15th birthday but only if she confirmed her pregnancy.
After the DNA to the fetus was a match to Pearce, Carisi and Benson revealed Pearce was charged with statutory rape and kidnapping, with his lawyer taking a plea to avoid trial. The Lee parents are pleased and voice how they plan to reconcile, before Claire revealed that Elizabeth will keep the baby, but she and her husband will raise it as their own.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin Tutuola
- Peter Scanavino as A.D.A. Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco (credit only)
Recurring cast[]
- Ari'el Stachel as Sergeant Hasim Khaldun
- J.C. MacKenzie as Attorney Richard Pace
- Marc Webster as Judge Charles Pervus
- Betsy Aidem as Dr. Sloane
- Ryan Buggle as Noah Porter-Benson
- Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler (initial broadcast only)
Guest cast[]
- Reggie Lee as Paul Lee
- Virginia Kull as Claire Lee
- Alexander Koch as Nick Pearce
- Isabella Russo as Elizabeth Lee
- Mary Neely as Molly Adams
- Paris Remillard as Daniel Adams
- Marissa Ramos as Ms. Stevenson
- Peyton Crim as Jacob Dugan
- Jenyvette Vega as Nadine Ramos
- Emma Hart as Hallie
- Isaac Keneke as Elijah Lee
References[]
- Serafina Carisi
- Declan Murphy
- Beth Anne Rollins
- Billie Rollins
- Jesse Rollins
- Jessie Santos (initial broadcast only)
Quotes[]
quotes
Background Information and Notes[]
- This episode has numerous similarities to the real life story of Jan Broberg. She was abducted twice by a family friend who had sexual relationships with both parents after integrating himself in their church. He convinced Broberg that they were chosen to procreate by aliens, while trying to convince her parents to allow them to marry.
- The initial broadcast version of this episode ended with a scene in which Elliot Stabler runs into Olivia and Noah and is formally introduced to Noah for the first time, as well as Olivia getting contacted about a problem involving Jessie Santos which leads into the Law & Order: Organized Crime crossover episode "Lost One".[1] The streaming version and subsequent broadcast reruns instead ends with Olivia and Noah sharing a hug after he gives her a Mother's Day gift.[2]
- Elliot had seen Noah before in the Law & Order: Organized Crime episode "What Happens in Puglia", but they were never formally introduced until now.
- This is the first episode of SVU to have two different endings and the second in the Law & Order franchise, with the first being the Law & Order: Criminal Intent fourth season episode "Great Barrier".
- Two deleted scenes from this episode were posted on the SVU Writers Room Twitter account:
- Carisi and Rollins discuss the logistics of Mother's Day, with him telling her that Jesse and Billie Rollins are planning something for the morning and which of their mothers they will see first.[3]
- Fin is on the phone with Phoebe Baker discussing visiting her mother for Mother's Day.[4]
Footnotes[]
- ↑ Elliot Stabler unexpectedly met Olivia Benson's son on Law & Order: SVU - Today Show
- ↑ SVU/Organized Crime Crossover's Missing Scene: Why Streaming Viewers Can't See Benson/Stabler Meet-Up - TVLine
- ↑ Breakfast, the girls, and Serafina. The perfect #Rollisi Mother's Day #SVU23 - SVU Writers Room on Twitter
- ↑ Fin knows crime doesn't stop just because it's Mother's Day. #SVU is always on duty - SVU Writers Room on Twitter
| Previous episode: "Tangled Strands of Justice" |
"Did You Believe in Miracles?" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 23 |
Next episode: "Confess Your Sins to Be Free" |