| "Genes" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 18.13 | → |
| Production number: 18015 First aired (US): 22 March 2017 First aired (UK): 2 April 2017 First aired (CAN): 22 March 2017 First aired (AUS): 22 April 2017 | ||
 | ||
| Written By Rick Eid & Céline C. Robinson Directed By Michael Pressman | ||
Summary[]
A suspect's claim that his genetics prompt him to commit rape sparks an outrage amongst the Special Victims Unit.
Plot[]
plot
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola (credit only)
- Peter Scanavino as Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
Recurring cast[]
- Greg Germann as Defense Attorney Derek Strauss
- Steve Rosen as Public Defender Michael Guthrie
- Bill Irwin as Dr. Peter Lindstrom
- Jack Nawada-Braunwart as Noah Porter-Benson
- Joel Brady as Officer Jimmy Nolan
- Lauren Noble as Carmen
Guest cast[]
- Dalton Harrod as Will Stein
- Emily Shaffer as Jessica Walcott
- Michael Torpey as Nick Brown
- Sean Patrick Reilly as Richard Witt
- Jared Zirilli as Rodney Marsh
- Alex Hurt as Sam Dalton
- Catherine Wolf as Judge
- Eli Bridges as Chris Perry
- Christopher Halladay as Mark Brown
- Sara Visser as Sarah Perez
- Tanairi Vazquez as Kim Espinoza
- Mary Elizabeth Kelly as Robin Landry
- Rosalind Lilly as Allison Buckley
- Gianluis Rosado as Astonished Accountant
References[]
- Quickride
- TheChurchOfOurHolySavior.com
- Third Avenue Baptist Church
- Saturday Night Live
- Fruit of the poisonous tree
- Joseph Hollister
- Serena Benson
- Johnny Drake
- Behavioral genetics
- Genetics of aggression ("Rape gene")
- Paul Cox - Barba mentions the Cox case, where a man who confessed to murder at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.[1]
- Eagle Scout
Quotes[]
- Carisi: I ran the perp's story by the lead detective on the River Rapist case.
- Benson: And?
- Rollins: It checks out. The socks, the cheap cigars. It looks like he's telling the truth.
- Benson: Great. I'll call Barb and see what kind of deal he's willing to make.
- Carisi: Make sure you tell him this guy claims he was born with the rape gene. The excuses these guys come up with never ceases to amaze me.
- Rollins: You obviously didn't tell Carisi about your father.
- Benson: Neither did you.
- Rollins: It's not my place. But are you... are you okay with all this talk about genetics?
- Benson: Yeah. Yeah, thanks.
- Dr. Peter Lindstrom: So Noah and a little girl had a... a disagreement. She had the toy he wanted or the cupcake.
- Benson: Yes, and I say what if it's something else? What if it's something more?
- Dr. Lindstrom: What do you mean?
- Benson: Well, sometimes I worry that...
- Dr. Lindstrom: That Noah may turn into his father?
- Benson: Yes.
- Dr. Lindstrom: Did you turn into your father?
- Benson: Well, I didn't turn into a rapist, if that's what you mean. But I think about him all the time, and I think about what he did and the choices that he made. I think about it a lot. And I've been dealing with this for quite a long time, even before I met you. And no matter... what I do, I still worry that...
- Dr. Lindstrom: About what, Olivia?
- Benson: That somehow his... darkness will overpower my life and my choices, because... I've been there before. I've been angry. I've been... violent.
- Dr. Lindstrom: I know. And I know how much that frightened you, but I don't believe that's who you really are. My opinion? Your strength, your moral compass, your belief systems... more powerful than your father's DNA.
- Barba: I talked to Lieutenant Benson. It sounds like you can help us out. So I'm wiling to offer you a deal. Rape two, assuming your information is credible.
- Michael Guthrie: I was thinking...
- Barba: Rape two is as good as it's going to get, so say yes. Or we're walking.
- Rollins: Really? Sexual predators praying about not trespassing against others?
- Carisi: It's like a "Saturday Night Live" skit, but it's real.
- Rollins: There's a lot of that going around these days.
- Barba: So Nick was telling the truth. He really was part of a rape therapy group. Too bad we didn't get a full confession.
- Benson: Oh, we tried like hell. But they pushed Sam Dalton too far, things went sideways, and we had to break it up.
- Barba: [as Sam is led past] You have something to hold him on?
- Benson: No.
- Barba: Invent something.
- Benson: All three victims IDed Dalton. They remembered his face, his voice, and the stench of cheap cigars.
- Barba: And they're all willing to testify?
- Benson: Oh, more like excited. They can't wait to put this guy away. [her phone chimes] More good news. The crime lab just confirmed that Dalton's DNA is a match to all three vics.
- Barba: You're too kind.
Background Information and Notes[]
- A deleted scene has Benson welcoming back Barba from a suspension with candy and giving him details on Nick Brown and his claims of knowing the The River Rapist.[2]
- Barba was suspended in the episode "Know It All" which aired after this one which may have been why this scene was deleted.
- At the crime scene, a patrol cop tells Rollins and Carisi that the rape occurred in the front seat of the victim's car. But at the hospital, Jessica tells Benson that it occurred in the back seat.
- The bar in the opening is The Horeshoe Bar on Avenue B and 7th St. This bar was used in many movies including The Godfather and Crocodile Dundee.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Manhatten Motorcars |
Sing Sing Correctional Facility |
RCFY Accounting Services |
Office of |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rikers Island |
2336 12th Avenue |
Grand Media Consulting |
Supreme Court |
Footnotes[]
| Previous episode: "No Surrender" |
"Genes" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 18 |
Next episode: "Net Worth" |