| "Legacy" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 2.04 | → |
| Production number: E1401 First aired: 10 November 2000 | ||
 | ||
| Written By Jeff Eckerle Directed By Jud Taylor | ||
The case of an abused seven-year-old girl hits close to home for Detective John Munch.
Summary[]
While an abused seven-year-old girl lays in a coma, the detectives investigate members of her dysfunctional family to determine the source of the abuse, in a case that hits close to home for Munch.
Plot[]
Seven-year-old Emily McKenna is brought into the emergency room by her mother, Jamie Huntington-McKenna, after Jamie discovered her unconscious in her bed. The doctor tells Benson and Stabler that Emily has suffered a serious head injury and is in a coma. He also suspects that Emily was molested.
When the detectives talk to Jamie, she accuses Emily's father, Denny Corea, of abusing Emily. In turn, Denny claims that Emily's stepfather, Randall McKenna, is abusing her. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives discover some shocking facts about Jamie's life and how Randall offered Denny a deal to give up custody of Emily to avoid being arrested.
Denny is cleared as a suspect and when the detectives question Randall, he denies abusing Emily. He is court-ordered for a DNA sample, but it is later discovered that Randall ended up in the hospital after suffering a serious head injury. It is later revealed that Denny assaulted him.
The detectives discover the hairbrush that was used to molest Emily was owned by her stepbrother, Justin. Justin denies hurting Emily, but he's thrown in jail. When his alibi clears, the only suspect left is Jamie. Fin and Munch discovers that Jamie has been abusing Emily for attention. When Munch talks to Jamie and offers her sympathy, Jamie admits that she was molested as a child by her father, Avery Huntington, and has always felt empty inside as a result, an emptiness she tries to fill by constantly seeking attention. She then confesses to hurting Emily.
Near the end of the episode, Munch tells Benson that when he was a teenager, he knew a little girl who lived across the street from him who was abused and eventually murdered by her mother. He confesses that he felt guilty for not being able to help her. At the end of the episode, Munch sits by Emily's side in the hospital and reads the book Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss to her.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Joanna Merlin as Judge Lena Petrovsky
- J.K. Simmons as Dr. Emil Skoda
- Brian Keane as Dr. Peters
- Craig Wroe as Attorney James Woodrow
Guest cast[]
- Jennifer Dundas as Jamie Huntington-McKenna
- Yancey Arias as Denny Corea
- Paul Michael Valley as Randall McKenna
- Jean De Baer as Lois Huntington
- Skye McCole Bartusiak as Jennifer
- Kevin Gray as Henry Abidin
- Adam Zolotin as Justin McKenna
- Michelle Hurst as ACS Social Worker
- Don Sparks as Doorman
- Divina Cook as Mrs. Fergus
- Nicole Lewis as Admitting Nurse
- Ann McDonough as Mrs. Dunlap
References[]
- Avery Huntington
- Emily McKenna (victim)
- Michael McKenna
- The Lion King
- Barbie
- Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Quotes[]
- Stabler: It's your basic "he said, she said" with a twist. Mother blames the father. Father blames the stepfather.
- Cragen: That Huntington money buys a lot of friends, so let's get this moving before those friends put my number on their speed dialers.
- Munch: Hi, Jennifer, I'm Detective Munch.
- Jennifer: That's a funny name, Munch.
- Munch: You think that's funny? I guess if I ever have kids I'll have to call them 'munchkins'.
- [Munch is stuck in a child sized chair]
- Tutuola: Can you move?
- Munch: If you get me a forklift
- Denny Corea: [referring to Emily] I just wanted to get her away from him. Children's Services wouldn't believe me. I didn't know what else to do.
- Stabler: Well, smacking Randall around didn't exactly bolster your case.
[as Denny Corea explains why he robbed a convenience store a few years ago]
- Denny Corea: I was hungry. I just defected. The government says, "Welcome to America, goodbye and good luck."
- Stabler: Denny, that is a very sad story, but if you're such a victim, why is it that everyone else winds up getting hurt?
- Henry Abidin: [to Fin and Munch about Emily] Gentlemen, I know it's your job to be suspicious, but that little girl won my heart with her joyful spirit and I'll do whatever I can to see to it the person responsible for dimming that spirit goes to jail for a very long time.
- Stabler: Family's like a jigsaw puzzle. Nobody gives you the whole picture.
- Cragen: Well, let's look at the pieces we've got. One suspect eliminated, one cooperating and one hiding behind his lawyer.
- Tutuola: Picture's getting clearer.
- [about Emily]
- Stabler: Sad as it sounds, she's probably safer in that hospital bed than she's ever been in her own.
- Judge Lena Petrovsky: Can your client account for his whereabouts during this window of opportunity?
- James Woodrow: He was at home, with his family.
- Cabot: Not to be redundant, but that's precisely our point.
- Mrs. Fergus: I haven't seen Denny since yesterday. He's usually working or looking after that sweet little girl of his.
- Munch: Did he seem upset or agitated when you saw him?
- Mrs. Fergus: Huh?
- Munch: [speaks louder] Did he seem upset?
- Mrs. Fergus: You don't have to shout.
- Munch: [about Jamie] She seems almost disappointed.
- Benson: Her husband may never walk, her daughter's in a coma, her stepson is going to jail and her ex-boyfriend's facing deportation. She's not disappointed, Munch. She's numb.
- Munch: We've been assuming the attacker is male because of the sexual abuse, but suppose it was Jamie all along. It's possible these injuries aren't even sexual.
- Cragen: It's an interesting tactic: Abuse the kid, pin it on the ex, Dad goes to jail, Mom wins custody by default.
- Benson: And if her daughter dies in the process?
- Jamie: This is my file. I thought it was sealed.
- Munch: I have a friend in Children's Services. She remembered you.
- Jamie: How?
- Munch: She remembered how nervous her superiors were about investigating an ambassador for sexually abusing his 11-year-old daughter. It must have been a very painful time for you.
- Jamie: Yes, it was.
- Munch: How did your mother take it?
- Jamie: She was jealous because Daddy couldn't stand to touch her, so she sent me away to boarding school. I begged her not to, but what Mother wants, Mother gets.
- Munch: She abandoned you, Jamie.
- Jamie: I survived.
Background information and notes[]
- This is Joanna Merlin's first appearance as Judge Lena Petrovsky. Petrovsky will remain a recurring character throughout most of the series appearing in seasons 2 through 12. Merlin previously appeared in episodes from Law & Order as Carla Bowman and Deirdre Powell.
- This is also actor Craig Wroe's first credited appearance as Defense Attorney James Woodrow. Wroe previously appeared as an unnamed Attorney in the first season episode "Slaves". He probably played the same character in that episode.
- This episode reveals that Detective John Munch lived on the Lower East Side in Manhattan as a teenager. This is one of the few episodes in which we get a closer look at Munch's personal life.
- When Henry Abidin stated what Fin's last name meant, Fin replied "You know Yoruban." When technically, to refer to the language it's Yoruba.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Administration for |
The Greenbriar School |
Office of Randall McKenna |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Mission of Brunei Darussalam |
Chambers of |
Apartment of Denny Corea |
| 7 | 8 |
|---|---|
|
McKenna Residence |
Hudson Free Clinic |
| Previous episode: "Closure (Part II)" |
"Legacy" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 2 |
Next episode: "Baby Killer" |