| "Maternal Instincts" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 17.06 | → |
| Production number: 17006 First aired (US): 21 October 2015 First aired (UK): 22 November 2015 First aired (CAN): 21 October 2015 First aired (AUS): 17 March 2016 | ||
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| Teleplay By Warren Leight & Julie Martin Story By Robert Brooks Cohen Directed By Michael Pressman | ||
Rollins' family is entangled in a rape case.
Summary[]
Rollins's mother Beth throws her a baby shower while the SVU reports to a four-star hotel where a famous violinist was raped by her colleague, Anton Krasnikov. With no memory of the crime, Anton claims a hired escort drugged and robbed him, and evidence leads to the shocking return of Rollins's fugitive sister Kim. Meanwhile, Sgt. Mike Dodds arrives for his first day at SVU.
Plot[]
The same night Rollins's mother throws her a baby shower, a violin concert is going on. Afterwards we see the flutist, Anton, at the bar with an escort, who turns out to be Rollins's runaway sister Kim. Kim and Anton head up to his hotel room, and we see that Anton is passed out in the bed, and Kim is robbing him. The next day one of the violinists, Alisandre, that works with Anton accuses him of barging into her room, completely naked, and raping her. When the detectives go to question Anton he explains that he called to report his missing $50,000 flute was stolen. He goes with them to the station where they question him further and inform him of the rape accusation, but he has no memory of it. When Rollins gets the footage from a pawn shop where his flute was sold, she sees Kim, and realizes that her mother also knows that Kim is in town. She hides the footage from everyone except Tutuola, and says she'll bring Kim in herself.
After having her mother set up a meeting with Kim, she meets her at a cafe. As Rollins and Kim argue, their mother walks over, and the conversation quickly derails. At the same time Kim's pimp is caught by the detectives and is forced to call Kim, who he knows as Savannah, in for a job so they can catch her. Rollins threatens to arrest Kim, but Kim easily escapes and walks away, saying that she won't be caught, just like last time. Benson, still unaware of Kim's involvement, decides to pursue charges against Anton and forget about the escort. Tutuola accidentally raises Benson's suspicions however, and so Rollins has to come clean about Kim's involvement. Kim is still missing, but facial recognition software reveals that Kim is the person who stole Anton's flute. Benson questions Rollins's mother, who reveals that Kim isn't answering her calls. While being questioned, Kim calls back and we find out that Kim is at Rollins's apartment. Kim is caught and arrested, and says that when her pimp came after her looking for his money, she defended herself. Tutuola and Dodds go upstairs, where they find the pimp bleeding on the floor from a stab wound in his genitals.
Back at the station, Kim is put into holding, and interrogated. Kim explains how her pimp came banging on the apartment door, and when she was able to distract him she stabbed the pimp and ran. Kim claims the flute was a gift from Anton, but admits that Anton was drunk and had ingested some pills. The trials for Anton and Kim begins, both pleading not guilty. Rollins's mother is angry with her, and blames her for Kim's arrest. She decides to abandon Rollins but says she'll be back for Kim's trial. Rollins almost passes out in the courthouse and has to be taken to the hospital. All the stress has made her blood pressure spike, and Tutuola takes her home.
Benson explains to Dodds how that she didn't know about Kim's involvement, and he informs her that family is complicated and what happens at SVU stays at SVU. Rollins visits Kim in jail, where Kim tells her that she and Lorenzo have told everything to the DA, including how Rollins failed to inform anyone of Kim's involvement, her gambling addiction, her rape on the job, and their murky past relationship. Kim tries to keep her from testifying, claiming they can work out a plea deal. Apparently Lorenzo and Kim are in a relationship and he says he'll wait for her, and Kim quotes her mother, saying everything always works out in the end.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Peter Scanavino as Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba (credit only)
Recurring Cast[]
- Lindsay Pulsipher as Kim Rollins
- Andy Karl as Sergeant Mike Dodds
- Jason Cerbone as Defense Attorney Lorenzo Desappio
- Tabitha Holbert as A.D.A. Rose Callier
- Peter Gallagher as Deputy Chief William Dodds
- Mary Hodges as Judge Anita Wright
- Tony Campisi as Defense Attorney Steve Roth
- Kate Elizabeth Young as Melora
- Bradley Dubow as Noah Porter-Benson
Guest Cast[]
- Virginia Madsen as Beth Anne Rollins
- Zach McGowan as Anton Krasnikov
- Wass Stevens as Slice
- Elizabeth A. Davis as Alessandra Bay
References[]
Quotes[]
- Tutuola: [to Amanda after it's discovered Amanda's sister, Kim stole a famous musician's instrument] If you try to help her now, she's gonna take you down for good and you got to tell Liv.
- Rollins: I can't. Especially not with mini-Dodds hovering around. He'd go straight to his daddy or IAB.
- Benson: [to Mike Dodds] General rule, I appreciate being kept in the loop.
- Kim Rollins: I'm outta here.
- Amanda Rollins: No, you're not going anywhere.
- Kim Rollins: I am too. I've always been faster than you. Now you're carrying all that extra weight.
- Amanda: Stop right there.
- Kim Rollins: Or what? You gonna shoot me here in cold blood?
- Amanda: You know what, they're gonna find you.
- Kim Rollins: Like last time? I'm pretty good at disappearing. Tell Mama I said good-bye.
- Tutuola: The DNA reports just came in. Anton raped Alessandra, so he's done and we're done.
- Benson: Okay, it's Dodds' first week. I can't shut down every idea that he has.
- Tutuola: I'll do it.
- Benson: Fin, I asked you to take the sergeant's exam. You told me you that you wanted no part it, okay, so here's where we are.
- Benson: [to Rollins] You recognized your sister in the surveillance video from the pawn shop and you decided to keep it to yourself.
- Rollins: Because I thought the best thing would be to set up a meeting so that I could walk her in without a struggle.
- Tutuola: But she never showed, right?
- Rollins: No, yeah, Fin, she did. It's okay. She did show up, but she just wouldn't listen to me.
- Benson: So you just let her go?
- Rollins: Well, I couldn't run after her and it's not like I'm gonna pull a gun in the park and shoot my sister while my mom's on her way back from getting mimosas.
- Benson: [to Rollins] And where is your sister now?
- Rollins: She said she was going to disappear.
- Tutuola: Good luck. Little Dodds is like a dog with a bone over this.
- Rollins: [to Olivia] Can you call that guy off? 'Cause the last thing I need is him ratting me out to Dodds Senior.
- Rollins: My sister. The gift that keeps on giving.
- Rollins: [to Kim] Shut up. You're gonna shut up and you're gonna listen for the first time in your life. You are in serious trouble.
- Kim Rollins: Like Mama says: "Everything works out in the end."
Background information and notes[]
- William Dodds mentioned that his son, Mike Dodds, would be Benson's second-in-command after her promotion in "Institutional Fail". He joins the squad in this episode.
- Benson once again mentions she wanted Fin to take the Sergeant's exam, but he declined. (SVU: "Parents' Nightmare")
- Benson reminds Rollins of the first case she worked as part of SVU involving Roberto Distasio. (SVU: "Scorched Earth")
- The plot is partially inspired by the real life story of German violinist Stefan Arzberger of the Leipzig String Quartet, who was accused of having gone berserk naked at a New York hotel and having sexually assaulted a woman. Arzberger was charged in 2015, the story made worldwide headlines.
- Goof: Olivia orders Amanda to stay away from her sister's investigation and tells Fin to take Amanda and her mother home. In the next scene, Amanda is watching her sister's interview.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Park Milano Hotel |
Arraignment Court |
Riker's Island |
| Previous episode: "Community Policing" |
"Maternal Instincts" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17 |
Next episode: "Patrimonial Burden" |