| "Learning Curve" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 13.21 | → |
| Production number: 13019 First aired (US): 9 May 2012 First aired (UK): 29 July 2012 First aired (CAN): 9 May 2012 First aired (AUS): 28 June 2012 | ||
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| Teleplay By Robin Veith Story By Warren Leight & Julie Martin Directed By Jonathan Herron | ||
A string of hate crimes strikes close to home for Detective Tutuola, and the SVU Squad suspects a cover up when a private school teacher is similarly attacked.
Summary[]
As Detective Tutuola's son, Ken Randall, prepares to tell his father that he is getting married, his fiancé is brutally assaulted by a street gang. The fiancé proves to be the latest in a string of recent hate crimes against gay men, and before the SVU squad can arrest a suspect, a school teacher, is similarly brutalized even though he does not fit the pattern. As the detectives search for a connection, they learn that he was dismissed from an elite private school for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. In trying to make their case, they quickly realize both that the facts fail to add up and that another teacher may hold the clues to what had really happened.
Plot[]
In Alejandro's room, Fin visits the unconscious Alejandro and tells about the status of his attackers, stating they're never getting out for hate crimes. He then tells him to rest while welcoming Alejandro to the family though he sadly lamented they could've met under better circumstances.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen (credit only)
Recurring cast[]
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- Ernest Waddell as Ken Randall
- Migs Govea as Alejandro Pavel
- Olivia Ford as Marisol Pavel
- Jacqueline Hendy as Defense Attorney Sofia Crane
Guest cast[]
- Tony Hale as Rick Simms
- Betty Gilpin as Natalie Relais
- Dylan Minnette as Luca Gabardelli
- Justin Gregory Lopez as Cesar
- Lenny Venito as Ray Gabardelli
- Jane Adams as Joanne Parsons
- Martha Stewart as Eleanor Hastings
- Paula Jon DeRose as Cherry Gabardelli
- Abby Royle as Carole Simms
- Warren Kelly as George Overby
- Eddie Bernard as Ricardo
References[]
- BX9
- Montreal, Canada
- Los Angeles, California
- New Jersey
- Washington DC
- Barry Flaco (victim)
- Millicent Fawcett
- Virginia Woolf
Quotes[]
- Munch: [while at dinner with Fin's son, Ken] Branzino, dourade and tilapia. Are those fish or is that a law firm?
- Benson: Fin, the captain called from his conference. He doesn't want you anywhere near this.
- Tutuola: He's in DC. How's he gonna know?
- Munch: You can't. You're personally involved.
- Tutuola: Damn right. That's my son.
- Benson: Exactly. So go be with him.
- Benson: [about Rick Simms] Give the pedophile a severance, send him on his way and the school's record remains spotless.
- Amaro: But Liv, the story Luca told us is different from the one he told the teachers and they don't even agree on who touched what when.
- Benson: We both know that something happened to Luca.
- Amaro: Maybe, but before they prosecute Simms, we need to be absolutely sure what.
- Benson: [to Amaro about him interrogating Luca] You went at him pretty hard.
- Amaro: Yeah, you went pretty easy. You do know he's lying?
- Benson: I do. I'm just not sure why.
- Tutuola: My son's had it so rough, I mean, being black, being gay...
- Rollins: You ever have a problem with Ken being gay?
- Tutuola: Nah.
- Rollins: Never?
- Tutuola: Okay, I had to address it. But you know what keeps me up at night? Come on, you know the stuff we see on the job. I've always been worried about something like this happening to Ken.
- Benson: [while reading a text message] Oh, my God. Joanne just tried to kill herself.
- Cabot: What?
- Benson: Two hours ago, she filled her pockets with stones and walked into Prospect Park Lake.
- Munch: Who is she, Virginia Woolf?
- Benson: She's lying. Every time her lips move.
- Cabot: Now it's Joanne's word against Luca's and Natalie's, and Joanne looks the least stable of the three of them.
- Amaro: Luca, she did this to you. She toyed with you. You're just a kid. You got the rest of your life in front of you. You understand me? I know you didn't mean to do this, all right? There's a lot of really really angry guys outside a nd they don't care if you walk out of here or if they carry you out. You understand? I care.
- Tutuola: [while visiting Ken's fiance, Alejandro in the hospital] Thought I'd let you know the guys you IDed, we got 'em. They're going down for federal hate crimes, and they're never getting out. Since you're gonna be my son-in-law, I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet before this.
Background information and notes[]
- Fin references when he discovered Ken was gay, which occurred in "Strain".
- Ken is engaged to Alejandro Pavel.
- Cragen is said to be away at a conference, hence why he does not appear in this episode.
- This is the last appearance of ADA Alexandra Cabot until the season nineteen episode "Sunk Cost Fallacy".
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Mercy Hospital |
Home of |
Office of |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Gabardelli Produce |
Office of |
Brooklyn General Hospital |
| Previous episode: "Father Dearest" |
"Learning Curve" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 13 |
Next episode: "Strange Beauty" |