| "Garland's Baptism By Fire" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 21.18 | → |
| Production number: 21018 First aired (US): 2 April 2020 First aired (UK): 21 April 2020 First aired (CAN): 2 April 2020 First aired (AUS): 26 November 2020 | ||
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| Written By Cheryl L. Davis & Micharne Cloughley Directed By Norberto Barba | ||
Summary[]
Garland must put his friendship aside when a pastor at his church is arrested.
Plot[]
Benson attends a dinner party at Chief Garland's house. She meets Edgar Goodwin who takes a liking to her.
Meanwhile, Carisi brings Rollins down to meet with Sherry Blake, a church accountant accused of embezzlement who wants to trade information about a serial sexual predator. Meeting with Blake and her lawyer, Blake reveals an official at her church sleeps with the underage girls and pays them off with church funds. Blake and her lawyer want assurances that the NYPD does its job, revealing the official is a close friend of their boss.
At the Garland house, Garland has his friend Delman Chase say grace as he answers the door. At the door it is Carisi and Rollins who bring the case to his attention. Benson comes up, as Rollins informs them that the informant wants to ensure that Garland lets the case proceed. Garland confirms he will and ask who the perpetrator is. Benson and Garland are alarmed to hear its Delman Chase, who is in the other room. Garland reveals Chase was the minister at his wedding.
The next day, SVU proceed to investigate the church funds and seeing the girls are all being paid, meaning that was hush money. They also learn that Chase runs a charter school for the girls, which may be a hunting ground. Soon Chief Garland comes in to speak with Benson about the case and says he'll recuse himself, due to his friendship with Chase. However, Benson tells him that because he knows Chase then he can most likely help. Garland then says Chase's wife was worried about the embezzlement and they can use that.
Carisi and Benson go to see Laura Chase, who finds an oddity in the checks that were given out with one girl getting a high amount.
The detectives visit the girls who received the check payments. One of the girls tell Fin and Kat of how Chase tried something with her, but she shut him down. They soon visit Renee Taylor, who had the largest amount of money, but she denies anything happened and says Chase helped her ailing mother out. Rollins and Kat realize that something is definitely up, and someone has to tell Garland.
Meeting with his friend at the park over a game of chess, Garland and Chase discuss the investigation. Chase tells Garland that there are too many people out there telling false stories because they don't want to see a black man rise above the ranks or help out the community. Chase claims that the detectives are concocting so many stories that he's worried that people will start to believe them. He wants Garland to promise to tell him about all the stories that people are telling the detectives so he can get ahead of them or there might be a disastrous result. Garland assures him that everything will proceed. Chase resigns from the game and states that he knows that Garland will "protect his king," hinting at the fact that he thinks Garland will help him out. They share a hug, and the Reverend takes his leave. While he is walking off, Benson appears and speaks with Garland. She inquiries on what feeling he got off from the Reverend, as he sadly states Chase protested too much and he sadly believes something is up.
Carisi meets with Chase and Goodwin, informing them of the court proceedings. Chase bemoans the news and blames Renee for seducing him and is confident that he will not get a guilty verdict. However, this changes when Carisi brings up Michelle and Breyona's testimony. Chase believes it to be an extortion attempt, as Goodwin tells him not to say more. Carisi then tells Chase that his own wife turned on him after realizing his guilt.
Fin tells Benson that Goodwin is here to see her, and Benson tells Fin to let him in. Fin announces that he will be listening outside, and Goodwin remarks that her Sergeant is protective of her, to which Benson confirms it. Goodwin informs Benson that Chase took a plea and was arrested on statutory rape and embezzlement charges, with Goodwin arranging for someone else to represent him. Goodwin apologizes to Benson for his attitude, saying that he had no idea what Chase was really like and that he had been fooled by him. Benson informed him that perps like Chase are adept at hiding their nature. Goodwin and Benson part, with both wishing they met under better circumstances.
At Rikers, Garland visits Chase him in prison and they discuss the events. Chase says Garland is his only visitor besides his new lawyer while his wife has cut ties with him, something Garland is not surprised on and becomes dismayed to see Chase acting psychotic, claiming the Lord was testing him, wanting him to minister and reform the imprisoned criminals. Garland then calls Chase out on his unrepentant nature and says forgiveness from those he wronged is at a long stretch. After his rant, Chase tells him not to visit again and starts to walk away. However, Garland stops him mid-way to announce he will pray for him. Once Chase leaves to serve his sentence, Garland cries at what has occurred.
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.
- Jamie Gray Hyder as Officer Katriona Tamin
Recurring cast[]
- Demore Barnes as Deputy Chief Christian Garland
- Sonia Manzano as Judge Gloria Pepitone
- Trian Long-Smith as Lamai Garland
- Uschi Umscheid as Abby Garland
Guest cast[]
- Roger Cross as Reverend Delman Chase
- Aunjanue Ellis as Laura Chase
- Rick Fox as Defense Attorney Edgar Goodwin
- Bailey Bass as Breyona Taylor
- Nicole Pringle as Sade Ferguson
- Jadé Davis as Destiny Hall
- Laila Drew as Renée Lee
- Rebecca Thoman as Sherry Blake
- Jamal Thomas as Counselor Morgan Carter
- Joell Weil as Michelle
References[]
Quotes[]
quotes
Background Information and Notes[]
- Fraudulently obtaining $250,000 constitutes Grand Larceny in the second degree, a class C felony which carries a minimum sentence of 3.5 years in prison.
Episode Scene Cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Harlem Heights Baptist Church |
Harlem Heights Baptist Church |
City Hall Park |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Residence of |
Harlem Heights Baptist Church |
532 Stolp Avenue |
Grand Jury Room |
| Previous episode: "Dance, Lies and Video Tape" |
"Garland's Baptism By Fire" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 21 |
Next episode: "Solving For The Unknowns" |