| "Manhattan Transfer" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 17.17 | → |
| Production number: 17017 First aired (US): 2 March 2016 First aired (UK): 3 April 2016 First aired (CAN): 2 March 2016 First aired (AUS): 16 June 2016 | ||
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| Teleplay By Kevin Fox & Brendan Feeney Story By Julie Martin & Warren Leight Directed By Alex Chapple | ||
Summary[]
An investigation into the sexual exploitation of underage Catholic schoolgirls leads to shocking charges against judges, legislators, DAs, and even members of the NYPD.
Plot[]
After being tipped off about a sex party with underage girls, the SVU has a surveillance operation set up at the location, with Carisi as their inside man. When things take a turn and someone at the party pulls a gun on Carisi, the rest of the squad storms in with their weapons drawn. As they sort things out back at the station, Benson, with Barba in tow, points out that they've discovered several high-ranking officials in their sweep of the guests at the party, including assemblymen, councilmen, an ADA, and a judge.
Also attending the shindig were Tom Russo and Anton Jefferson, two vice cops who claim to have been undercover for the past two years in an attempt to bring down the ring, and they say that the parties are hosted by members of a Dominican gang called BX9. The SVU questions Russo and Jefferson about their target, but Captain Igor Gerbic from the vice squad is tight-lipped.
Among the subjects that SVU questions, a woman perceived as the madam of the young teens claims to be a nun, Sister Nina Kelly, working undercover to free the teens -- a story backed up by another nun, Sister Ida, at a halfway house. Ida also connects the SVU with Cara Gutierrez, a teenager that Nina saved. Cara tells them that Russo and Jefferson repeatedly raped her at sex parties like the one that the SVU raided.
Internal Affairs Captain Ed Tucker, with whom Benson is romantically involved, tells Benson that he's received complaints about Russo and Jefferson before, but they've never had enough evidence to make any of the accusations against Russo and Jefferson stick. Sgt. Dodds thinks that Captain Gerbic is in on it too. Upon being questioned, Russo and Jefferson claim that Cara is lying. In an attempt to figure out how the girls got caught up in the ring, Tucker talks to his cousin Eugene O'Hanigan, a priest and psychologist at the girls' school, St. Fabiola's Academy, which is in the Bronx. After their discussion, Cara is found dead, overdosed on a bad hit of heroin.
Convinced that the ring has friends in the Catholic church, and is run by members of the vice squad, Benson shelters Nina in her home. Nina says that she thinks Eugene is part of the ring. Barba receives a visit from Monsignor Patrick Mulregan, an official at St. Fabiola's Academy, who claims that Tucker received information about people from the vice squad pimping some of the teens from the school, and did nothing about it.
When Benson defends Tucker, Barba asks if Tucker and Benson are romantically involved, which she can't deny. Shortly after, Benson is taken off of the case, and Tucker finds that he's the new target of the Internal Affairs investigation of the prostitution ring. It ends with Benson announcing that she's been transferred to Community Affairs, and that Sgt. Dodds is now acting commander of the SVU. To be continued.
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[]
- Andy Karl as Sergeant Mike Dodds
- Abigail Savage as Sister Nina Kelly
- Jonathan Cake as Monsignor Patrick Mulregan
- Robert John Burke as I.A.B. Captain Ed Tucker
- Michael Potts as I.A.B. Sergeant Cole Draper
- John Ales as Detective Tom Russo
- J.D. Williams as Detective Anton Jefferson
- Mary B. McCann as Delegate Didi Denzler
- Sahr Ngaujah as Father Victor Akintola
- Karen Tsen Lee as M.E. Susan Chung
- Jeb Brown as Captain Igor Gerbic
- David Cale as Judge George Wheeler
- Michael O'Keefe as Father Eugene O'Hanigan
- Karen Christie-Ward as Sister Ida
- Yainis Ynoa as Natalia Diaz
- Maggie Borlando as Margaret Kenswick
- Rebecca Gruss as Danielle Backerly
- Jack Nawada-Braunwart as Noah Porter-Benson
Guest Cast[]
- Richard Topol as Bronx A.D.A. Joel Wynne
- Camila Perez as Cara Gutierrez
- Larry Bull as John Townshend
- Joniece Abbott-Pratt as Marisa (uncredited)
- Scott Eliasoph as Medical Examiner (uncredited)
References[]
Quotes[]
- Barba: Monsignor Mulregan's visit was not a social call. He has made some very serious allegations.
- Benson: Yeah. Against Father Eugene.
- Barba: No. Against Tucker.
- Benson: Allegations against Tucker? What did the monsignor say, exactly?
- Barba: He said that he and Father Eugene went to Tucker a year ago. That they had information that Vice was running some of their students. Father Eugene even violated the seal of the confessional to provide evidence.
- Benson: He claims that?
- Barba: They also named Russo and Jefferson. And Tucker buried it.
- Benson: And he's telling you this now? This is about protecting Father Eugene. I was there, at that church, when Tucker confronted him. I thought he was gonna rip his head off.
- Barba: I don't know. I don't know. I mean, maybe... maybe... maybe that's what he wanted you to think.
- Benson: No, Ed is not capable of that.
- Barba: Since when? I thought SVU hated this guy. He's gone after each and every one of you.
- Benson: That's his job. He has to be relentless. You're wrong about him. Trust me.
- Barba: Wait. Are you involved with him?
- Benson: Don't ask me that.
- Barba: When were you gonna tell me? I am informing you that a captain at IAB may be involved in a sex trafficking ring, and you don't mention that the two of you are sleeping together?
- Benson: You're wrong about him. Bring him in here, ask him yourself.
- Barba: You and I are done talking.
- Tucker: So what have you heard?
- Benson: That Group One is investigating you for sex trafficking, corruption, murder?
- Tucker: Yeah. I've been invited to come in early tomorrow morning.
- Benson: Oh, my god.
- Tucker: Cousin Eugene really set me up good. You get those warrants yet?
- Benson: No, they're stalled. I don't know if it was before or after Barba found out that I was... biased towards you.
- Tucker: Oh. Okay. You know how this goes. Don't stick your neck out. It'll look like you're covering for me. [sees that Olivia is worried and he takes her hand] Hey. They can't prove anything because I haven't done anything. All right? I'm gonna be fine.
- Benson: And we just let these guys skate?
- Tucker: You wanna go after the Church, City Hall, and Albany for an IAB investigator who's loathed by half of NYPD? Stay out of it.
[Benson's phone chirps] - Benson: Well, it just might be too late. 1PP wants to see me. Immediately.
- Dodds: Is everything all right?
- Benson: Oh, I'm fine.
- Dodds: Lieutenant, what's going on?
- Benson: You'd know better than me.
- Dodds: Did something happen?
- Benson: You're telling me that you didn't know?
- Dodds: Know what?
[Carisi enters Olivia's office with evidence boxes with Rollins right behind him] - Benson: That I'm out. Effective immediately. Uh, Carisi, Rollins, as of now, Sergeant Dodds is acting commander of SVU, so... congratulations. [Carisi, Rollins & Dobbs are speechless] That's it. You're dismissed.
Background information and notes[]
- The shelter Ellie Porter was taken to, St. Bernadine's Halfway House for Woman, in "Spring Awakening" is shown again as the nuns mention how they say the rosary for her and ask about how Noah Porter-Benson is doing.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
St. Bernadine's |
St. Fabiola's Academy |
Saint Horatio's |
| Previous episode: "Star-Struck Victims" |
"Manhattan Transfer" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17 |
Next episode: "Unholiest Alliance" |