Pandora

"Pandora"
←	SVU, Episode 4.15	→
Production number: E3120 First aired: 7 February 2003
	th of 502 produced in SVU
←	th of 502 released in SVU	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Written By Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas Directed By Alex Zakrzewski

A body found in a car opens up an investigation into a worldwide child pornography ring, which takes Stabler halfway around the world.

Plot

The brutal rape and subsequent death of a female motorist turns out to be an informant for the FBI acting as a cyber vigilante for catching on-line pedophiles to capture the predators. Stabler, along with the homicide detective who found the victim's husband murdered, follow the trail of evidence for the latest victim she had been tracking, leading them to the US Attorney's Office and a trip to Prague for Stabler to assist the Czech authorities when they find the girl who was tricked into going there.

Summary

Episode summary

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 (credit only)
• Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola (credit only)
• B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
• Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen

Recurring cast

• Joel de la Fuente as TARU Technician Ruben Morales
• Pam Grier as Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia Williams

Guest cast

• William McNamara as Detective Sam Bishop
• Lothaire Bluteau as Erich Tassig
• Stephen Gevedon as Nicholas Taylor
• Zena Grey as Samantha Gilligan
• Ellen Lancaster as Mrs. Van Wagner
• David Deblinger as Ron Crowley
• Alexis Dziena as Mia Van Wagner
• Ben Bode as Mike Pearson
• Dagmara Dominczyk as Kate Logan
• Chris Mendoza as Dave
• Jeremy Webb as Technician Ted Grable
• P.J. Morrison as Uniform #1
• Chris Breslin as U.S. Customs Investigator
• Sarah Elliott as Kristen
• Gina Rose as Amy Taylor
• Rob Grader as Attorney Gerald Lockhart
• Tyler Alexander as Paramedic
• Jeff Blumenkrantz as Mike Schwartz
• Cherelle Cargill as Store Clerk
• Leonid Citer as Vendor
• Fulani Hart as Uniform #2
• William H. Burns as Uniform #3
• Michael Hajek as Czech Officer #2
• Frank Ciornei as Czech Officer #1
• Diane Bradley as Woman
• Bryan Michael McGuire as Man
• Steven Engle as Czech Officer #3 (uncredited)

References

Prague; Czech Republic; Europol (Interpol)

Quotes

Bishop: [sits at Benson's desk and sees a photograph of her] Is this your partner?

[Stabler, on the phone, nods]

Bishop: Does she date?

Stabler: A lot of guys. [resumes his phone call]

Kate Logan: Eric Tassig isn't the only man profiting off the sale of children.

Stabler: You don't do anything about it, huh?

Kate Logan: Europol has no authority over the Czech citizens. As far as the Czech police, they have no incentive to stop it. There's too much money to be made handing out parking tickets to the German tourists. Look, this is the world that we live in, Detective Stabler. I should think in your line of work, you'd understand that.

Stabler: In my line of work, we wouldn't just sit back and take it.

Kate Logan: That's very noble, but as long as the demand for child exploitation exists, there's little we can do.

Stabler: So what the hell are you doing here?

Kate Logan: It's my job. What are you doing here?

Woman: We don't know what people put on their website.

Stabler: What are you telling me, lady? That you don't know what the website child.rape's all about? Shut up.

Background information and notes

• This episode is unique in Law & Order in that a green screen was used to insert a European city background behind Christopher Meloni, during the scene where Stabler first arrives in Prague. The vast majority of Law & Order is shot without the use of such an effect.
• This is only the second episode of any Law & Order that dealt with matters outside the country. The first was in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Manhunt," where Munch, Fin and Alex went to Canada.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3
New York Public Library 482 Columbus Avenue Tuesday, January 28	Technical Assistance Response Unit Lab Tuesday, January 28	Office of Claudia Williams Assistant U.S. Attorney Tuesday, January 28

4	5	6
Parkside Grill Restaurant Flushing, Queens Wednesday, January 29	U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District One St. Andrew's Plaza Wednesday, January 29	Copy Pro Print Shop 74 West 37th Street Wednesday, January 29

7	8	9	10
United States Embassy Prague, Czech Republic Friday, January 31	Teplice, Czech Republic Friday, January 31	United States Embassy Prague, Czech Republic Friday, January 31	Federal Pornography Task Force Command Center Saturday, February 1

Previous episode: "Mercy"

"Pandora" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 4

Next episode: "Tortured"