| "Lead" | ||
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| ← | SVU, Episode 10.15 | → |
| Production number: 100 First aired (US): 10 March 2009 First aired (AUS): 13 May 2009 | ||
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| Written By Jonathan Greene Directed By David Platt | ||
Summary[]
Episode summary
Plot[]
After being convicted of four counts of sexual abuse, Dr. Gilbert Keppler sues the Special Victims Unit, claiming they should have stopped him after the first incident was reported. Ed Tucker of IAB puts the unit through intense scrutiny, but clears them after they revealed that the first victim had previously cried wolf and accused an innocent man of molestation just the year before, ruining his life, while the third and fourth victims didn't even know anything was wrong. Taking more time allowed them to both catch Keppler in the act and find DNA evidence linking him to the victims, assuring a conviction. However, Keppler turns up dead not long after while the detectives are investigating a hospital that may have covered up his crimes. Meanwhile, former ADA Alexandra Cabot resurfaces. The killer turns out to be an intellectually disabled young man named Jeff Lynwood who was molested by the doctor, lost his temper, and killed him when the doctor lied to him.
Even though Huang isn't sure he's fit to stand trial, Cabot puts him on the stand, although he clearly isn't fit to be there. Alex realizes she did the wrong thing and talks to Huang, who has figured out what caused Jeff's disabilities: he has a nervous habit of chewing on things. As a child, he once chewed on an entire box of toys which gave him lead poisoning, leading to serious brain damage and then a seizure. The brain damage was responsible for his temper, and thus his killing of the doctor - meaning it was not Jeff's fault.
The pediatrician also completely ignored possible lead poisoning which, if treated when it happened when he was five would very likely not have led to the same extent of brain damage that it did. This meant that the doctor victimized Jeffery twice over. This revelation gets his father to finally accept his son as he is, rather than the one he wants. Cabot, as part of a plan, takes them back to trial and calls to the stand the owner of the company who made Jeff's toys. She reveals evidence that he has illegally put lead-based paint into his toys and has Benson and Stabler arrest him for reckless endangerment.
With that done, Cabot gives Jeffery a plea bargain where he's found not guilty by reason of mental defect and sentenced to a mental health facility where he can finally get the help he needs. She reveals to Jeffery's parents that his case will be reviewed in a month and he could get out then depending on his progress and she has made a deal with the toy company owner where he will pay for Jeff's every need for the rest of his life so he wouldn't go to prison, giving Jeff the chance to live on his own and have his own life. Cabot's actions cause Benson to comment that she really is back.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Michaela McManus as A.D.A. Kim Greylek
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- David Thornton as Defense Attorney Lionel Granger
- Robert John Burke as I.A.B. Lieutenant Ed Tucker
- Mike Doyle as CSU Detective Ryan O'Halloran
- Joanna Merlin as Judge Lena Petrovsky
- John Cullum as Judge Barry Moredock
- Mariette Hartley as Defense Attorney Lorna Scarry
- Nathanael Albright as Paramedic Jones
Guest cast[]
- John Gallagher, Jr. as Jeff Lynwood
- Fredric Lehne as Clive Lynwood
- Laura Leigh Hughes as Virginia Lynwood
- Ann Dowd as Lillian Siefeld
- Ross Bickell as Michael Rowan
- Tim Ransom as Logan Coldwell
- Lawrence Arancio as Dr. Gilbert Keppler
- Mary Bacon as Mary McTeague
- Max Schneider as Justin McTeague
- Grant Norman as Kevin Sammers
- Ron Brice as Ben Hicks
- Ralph Peavy III as Bradley Hicks
- Adam Haar as Chuck Paisley
- Bill Kocis as Reporter #1
- Teresa Woods as Reporter #2
- April Armstrong as Reporter #3
- Mike Rutkoski as Jury Foreman
- George Aloi as Reporter (uncredited)
- Amy Simmons as Photographer (uncredited)
References[]
- Pica
- Liam Connors
- Jack McCoy
- Dale Overton
- Chad Smith
- Cesar Velez
- Ireland
- Rowan Toys
Quotes[]
- Cragen: Civil suits aren't IAB's jurisdiction, Tucker.
- Tucker: Unless you people screwed up.
- Benson: We nailed Keppler and got a conviction.
- Tucker: Then why did the Commissioner send me to clean up the steaming pile of crap you left on his doorstep?
- Stabler: I guess you're his go-to guy. Did he give you a baggie or do you like the stench on your hands?
- Tucker: That kid Chuck thought what Keppler did to him was legit?
- Stabler: So did the fourth victim Dale Overton. And he only came forward when he saw Keppler in cuffs on TV. Turns out he treated Dale the same day. We found his DNA on Keppler's glove in the same bag of garbage. Made his conviction a lock.
- Tucker: Which never would've happened if you'd gone forward on Justin's word.
- Stabler: Oh, thank God, you finally get it.
- Cragen: Tucker actually apologized, but he wants us to keep IAB in the loop.
- Tutuola: That's the problem with rodents: just when you think you got rid of them, they come back.
- Stabler: How do you know when a lawyer's lying?
- Benson: Uh, his lips are moving?
- Stabler: Keppler's going to tell us to piss off.
- Benson: Well, he's got a couple of million reasons not to.
- Stabler: So now we're going to make this perv even richer?
- Munch: I hear Dr. Keppler came down with a case of justice prevails.
- Tutuola: More like someone saved the state a couple million bucks and a prison cell.
- Stabler: Your telling me our perp's prints are burnt into that shell casing because he eats too much salt?
- Cragen: [about Jeff Lynwood] Are you at all concerned that he's slow?
- Cabot: That's the defense's problem.
- [about Jeffrey Lynwood]
- Dr. Huang: I think there's something really wrong with him.
- Cabot: Something like what?
- Dr. Huang: A developmental disability. He acts like a child. He can't process a simple sentence.
- Cabot: He has a job. He can read. He takes care of himself.
- Dr. Huang: A lot of people like Jeff are high-functioning.
- Cabot: Most of them don't commit murder. He almost killed you.
- Dr. Huang: Because he can't control his temper or his emotions.
- Cabot: He's still mentally competent. He made a plan: he got Daddy's gun, he loaded it and he shoved it in Keppler's face.
- Dr. Huang: To make Keppler tell him the truth.
- Cabot: He shot him and he bashed his brains in.
- Dr. Huang: Because Keppler was calling him names. He's an 8-year old in a man's body. His IQ is probably right on the borderline.
- Cabot: Can you definitively say that I cannot try him because he's retarded?
- Lionel Granger: I want her brought before the disciplinary committee for badgering Jeffrey. My clients are furious.
- Cabot: Clients? Jeffrey Lynwood is your client. Not his parents. I'm moving to disqualify Mr. Granger as counsel.
- Lionel Granger: She's posturing.
- Cabot: You're a sleazebag. You're letting Jeffrey's father call the shots because he can pay you and Jeffrey can't.
- Granger: I'm acting in my client's best interests.
- Judge Barry Moredock: Your client has as much business on a witness stand as I do riding in a rodeo. Only a horse's ass would ignore his diminished mental capacity.
- Granger: You're out of line, Your Honor.
- Judge Moredock: And you are a disgrace to the defense bar, Mr. Granger. And if you don't get your act in line, I'll grant her motion and report you to the disciplinary committee. Now get out!
- Michael Rowan: I'll have your ass for this.
- Cabot: I already have yours, and it's on the record.
Background information and notes[]
- This marks the first time Cabot came back to SVU since Season 6's "Ghost".
- This episode marks the last appearance of Kim Greylek. However, Michaela McManus remains in the opening credits for the duration of Season 10.
- The episode is dedicated to Dennis Radesky, a crew member for the show.
- This is the last episode in which the word "retarded" is used to describe a character with a cognitive disability. Future episodes use the term mental disability, mentally disabled or intellectual disability, most likely due to the word "retarded" becoming more politically incorrect and offensive to people with intellectual as well as physical disabilities as time went on.
- While discussing the intelligence of Jeffrey with Huang, Alex Cabot's neck turns beet red and rash with no explanation. Something was obviously affecting Stephanie March, and it was not cleaned up in editing.
- When asking Clive Lynwood about his felony record, Stabler states that Lynwood blew a "2.2" into the breathalyzer. Given that a lethal BAC is typically around 0.45, Stabler most likely meant Lynwood's breathalyzer result was 0.22.
- Actors Lawrence Arancio and Ann Dowd are married in real life.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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|
Denslow Medical Center |
Residence of |
McTeague Residence |
Lynwood Residence |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
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|
Arraignment Court |
Supreme Court |
Office of |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Transitions" |
"Lead" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 10 |
Next episode: "Ballerina" |