Our Words Will Not Be Heard

"Our Words Will Not Be Heard"
←	SVU, Episode 22.11	→
Production number: 22011 First aired (US): 15 April 2021 First aired (UK): 13 August 2021 First aired (CAN): 14 April 2021 First aired (AUS): 6 May 2021
	th of 502 produced in SVU
←	th of 502 released in SVU	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Written By Melody Cooper Directed By Batán Silva

Summary

The Special Victims Unit aids an activist in locating her missing sister. Meanwhile, Benson and Garland work together to try and bring change to the NYPD, and Kat catches a break.

Plot

Benson arrives at the lawyer's office, where she finds Jayvon Brown awaiting his lawyer. He explains how the lawyer stepped out, as Benson offers to wait outside but he invited her in. Jayvon stated he heard of her circumstances and congratulates her on being exonerated from investigation. Benson soon describes the actions of Jayvon's lawyers and how it might affect his settlement size but he is not worried about money. They soon discuss the methods of the NYPD and how investigations need to be done about the bias methods. Jayvon is skeptical of Benson really thinking this would do good but finds himself intrigued by her desired approaches after she states a department wide legal decree is needed. Jayvon's lawyer walks in, noting on how they probably shouldn't be around the other but Jayvon tells her that he and Benson were fine.

The detectives find Rick's brother-in-law who has survived the shooting and is clinging to life, with Benson calling for paramedics. They interrogate Steve on where Rick went with Sara but he claims to not know. Realizing he's lying, Benson presses for answers and threatens to let him bleed out. However, Steve calls her bluff because a cop couldn't let him die. To prove she's serious, Benson tells the paramedics not to come and asks again. Seeing she's serious, Steve looks at Garland who wants answers too.

Soon Steve speaks and the squad arrive at a door, where they discover Rick is broadcasting his actions to his racist colleagues before he shows the detectives on the video, saying the cops are present. Benson and Fin spot the camera on the wall, as Rick tells his audience they are witnesses to this moment and not to let them take their country. Rick then tells the detectives to stay back and announces that he will release Sara, as he frees Sara from her binds and allows her to leave.

Bursting into the room, the detectives recover Sara before they surround Rick who surrenders to the cops. After Rick states they're on camera, Fin promptly ends his broadcast by destroying the camera.

Afterwards, Rick is taken out the building and Sara nearly attacks him for his actions on her but is stopped by Kat. Garland inquires on what Rick had to say about his act with Fin stating the man only asked that he be incarcerated at a prison of his like minded colleagues. However, they refuse to allow Rick to have this luxury.

Cast

Main cast

• Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
• Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins (credit only)
• Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin Tutuola
• Peter Scanavino as A.D.A. Dominick Carisi, Jr.
• Jamie Gray Hyder as Detective Katriona Tamin
• Demore Barnes as Deputy Chief Christian Garland

Recurring cast

• Jennifer Esposito as Sergeant Phoebe Baker
• Blake Anthony Morris as Jayvon Brown
• Aime Donna Kelly as IAB Captain Renee Curry
• Paul Bomba as Officer Bobby Nardone

Guest cast

• Suzette Gunn as Nicole Harper
• Jessy Yates as Alicia Ford
• Victoria Janicki as Sara Harper
• Kennedy Caughell as Molly Anderson
• Hunter Emery as Gary Packer
• Jonathan Holtzman as Rick Anderson
• Max Chlumecky as Steve Lang
• Kyra Tantao as Nina Rodriguez
• Presley Forbes as Forrest Anderson
• Nancy Giles as Herself
• Cameron Folmar as Man #1
• Angelica Santiago as Paralegal
• Kat Gonzalez as EMT #1
• Denise Scilabra as Uni #2

References

• Crew 23/2
• Ayanna Bell
• Bill de Blasio
• Florida
• George Floyd
• Isaiah Holmes
• New Jersey
• Elliot Stabler
• TARU
• Ed Tucker
• Nathan Bedford Forrest

Quotes

quotes

Background Information and Notes

• Alicia Ford sings "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson outside the restaurant in the open.
• Tamin is promoted to Detective.
• Fin mentions that the last time he talked to Stabler, he told him Benson had been involved with someone (implying Ed Tucker). This conversation happened in his return episode "Return Of The Prodigal Son".
• The lawsuit against Benson is resolved.
• Rollins does not appear in this episode, most likely due to her father Jim having a stroke in the previous episode.
  • A deleted scene from the episode shows Carisi on the phone with Amanda and babysitting Jesse Rollins while she is away caring for Jim.
• The person Carisi has been dating and called in the previous episode is shown on screen as Nicole Harper.
• The names shown on the scene card of the law office representing Jayvon Brown likely refer to three prominent African American defense attorneys in the Law & Order franchise: Paul Robinette, Bayard Ellis, and Martha Marron.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3
Apartment Of Sara Harper 120 Harman Street Bushwick, Brooklyn Monday, March 22	Construction Site 10th Avenue & 27th Street Chelsea Monday, March 22 7:21:03 PM	Law Office Of Robinette, Ellis And Marron 156 Amity Street Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Monday, March 22

Footnotes

Previous episode: "Welcome to the Pedo Motel"

"Our Words Will Not Be Heard" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 22

Next episode: "In The Year We All Fell Down"