"Patrimonial Burden" | ||
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← | SVU, Episode 17.07 | → |
Production number: 17007 First aired (US): 4 November 2015 First aired (UK): 29 November 2015 First aired (CAN): 4 November 2015 First aired (AUS): 24 March 2016 | ||
Teleplay By Jill Abbinanti & Céline C. Robinson Story By Warren Leight & Julie Martin Directed By Martha Mitchell |
Summary[]
The SVU investigates an unraveling web of secrets when the virtuous 13-year-old daughter of a famous reality TV family discovers she's pregnant.
Plot[]
After popular reality television family, the Bakers, learn their 13-year-old daughter Lane is pregnant, the SVU squad is notified, but Lane's parents, Pam and Frank, are reluctant to cooperate with the investigation and want to protect their family of ten from the scandal.
At first, Lane tells Olivia that she was raped by the reality show's cameraman, Pete Matthews, who has incriminating footage of the Baker girls. However, he is cleared as the perpetrator after he reveals that he had a vasectomy ten years ago and it is confirmed by doctors. The next suspect is Lane's older brother Graham, who has a past history of sexual assault.
While on desk duty due to pregnancy complications, Rollins binge watches the Bakers' reality show and discovered that the family's toddler son Tate is not Pam's biological son, but the son of the family's fifteen-year-old daughter Summer. The detectives soon learn the Bakers sent Graham to Ecuador to avoid arrest. The detectives think that Graham impregnated his sister, but after Tate's DNA is tested along with Frank's, it is revealed that Graham is not Tate's biological father.
After learning that the family's pastor, Pastor Gregory Eldon, chaperoned Lane on a mission to New York around the time she got pregnant, they realize he might be the culprit. Fin also gets proof of Eldon being with Summer three years ago, as Benson realizes that he gets them away from home. Getting a warrant, his DNA is tested and it is revealed that he is the father of Summer's child Tate and most likely Lane's child. The Detectives move to arrest Eldon but he is nowhere to be found.
In Allanville, Eldon is attempting to marry Lane in order to avoid being charged with statutory rape, the SVU detectives stop the wedding and revealed the truth in front of the Bakers, Judge Barnes, and Officer Tramwell. It is also revealed that Eldon put the blame on Graham because he knew that the Baker parents would do anything if it meant to protect their boy from danger. Lane also comes clean to her parents that Eldon was the real perpetrator. In the end, Pam says that the family will testify against Eldon, despite the potential future of their reality show. With that, SVU and officer Tramwell arrest Eldon who is confident that it will not hold In court. When Eldon makes a remark to Lane, Carisi grabs him and calls him scum for his actions.
The squad watch the Baker's broadcast and Benson reveals that Eldon pleaded guilty of multiple statutory rape charges. He'll stay in jail for a long time. Fin asks Dodds if he still thinks that the case was a waste of time. Dodds states that he gets it, he simply thought that they would be taking rapists off the streets, not churches. Benson tells him those types of criminals lurk everywhere as long as there are people who trust them.
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[]
- Andy Karl as Sergeant Mike Dodds
- Karen Tsen Lee as M.E. Susan Chung
- Betsy Aidem as Dr. Sloane
Guest Cast[]
- Geneva Carr as Pam Baker
- Ryan Devlin as Pastor Gregory Eldon
- Richard Poe as Judge Elias J. Barnes
- Kieran Mulcare as Rick Evans
- Victoria Leigh as Lane Baker
- Chris Elliott as Pete Matthews
- Christopher Sieber as Frank Baker
- Gordon Tashjian as Officer Doug Tramwell
- Katie Claire McGrath as Sophie
- Ron Dizon as Nurse
- Rachel Annette Helson as Tymber Baker
- Angus O'Brien as Graham Baker
- Bridget McGarry as Summer Baker
- Luke Trevisan as Parky Baker
- Bella DiDomenico as Purity Ball Girl
- Scott Eliasoph as Golfer (uncredited)
References[]
- Bella Carisi
- Tommy Sullivan
- The Duggars, the family featured in the reality show 19 Kids and Counting
- Serafina Carisi
- Catskill Mountains
Quotes[]
- Carisi: Hey, Lieutenant, how was your weekend?
- Benson: Well, it was good till now. The press find out yet?
- Tutuola: No, but America's favorite family. It's just a matter of time.
- Benson: Okay, which daughter is it?
- Carisi: Lane Baker. Number four of ten. She passed out at her virtue ball.
- Benson: Her virtue ball?
- Carisi: Yeah, it's a dance where daughters promise their fathers they'll stay virgins till they get married.
- Tutuola: And so much for that promise. Doc says Lane is three months pregnant.
- Benson: [to Pen and Frank Baker] With all due respect, this wasn't an immaculate conception.
- Rollins: Look at what happened with the Duggars. Word gets out that one of those virgin Baker daughters is knocked up, there goes the TV show, the book deal, the multimillion dollar chastity empire.
- Carisi: Rollins, these people, they take their faith very seriously, and they're entitled to their beliefs.
- Mike Dodds: All right, not to interrupt a theological debate, but given the fact that there's no evidence of an assault, no complaint from the girl or her parents, I mean, why are we pursuing?
- Benson: She's 13, Dodds. It's statutory rape.
- Dodds: Yeah, I know that, but I've been here before. The hasidim in Crown Heights, these religious communities, they close ranks.
- Benson: Which is exactly why we don't let it go. Lane lives in an insular environment. Whoever got her pregnant is a predator with access.
- Rollins: I may have found something. Their entire life is an open blog. You guys said that the doctors think that Lane is 10 to 12 weeks pregnant, right? Which means it happened probably...
- Carisi: September or August.
- Rollins: In July, right? When they were here, in Harlem, doing some mission work.
- Dodds: Is the Lieutenant always this proactive?
- Tutuola: There a problem?
- Dodds: It's just when this happened with the hasidim in Brooklyn, the D.A. called us off. It's like my father says: "Pick your battles".
- Tutuola: Liv's been doing this a while. If she thinks something's wrong, it is.
- Pam Baker: Your husband doesn't mind you working with all these men?
- Rollins: It's not an issue.
- Lane Baker: I know my being pregnant is God's will. I just didn't think God would let it happen until I was married.
- Benson: But you do know how you got pregnant, right, Lane?
- Lane Baker: I had sexual activity.
- Benson: When you were on your mission here in New York? It's okay, Lane. Whatever happened It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong.
- Lane Baker: That's what he told me, that I was still a good person.
- Benson: You are. There's no doubt about it.
- Tutuola: I don't like golf, I don't like small towns and I definitely don't like the Catskills.
- Pastor Gregory Eldon: As the family's attorney, I'm gonna ask you to leave our church.
- Benson: Well, that's your right, but I need you to know, Mrs. Baker, that these issues don't just go away. Your daughter needs help.
- Benson: Hey, a word of advice?
- Dodds: Please.
- Benson: You're off to a good start. You don't have to knock it out of the park in your first few weeks, you know?
- Rollins: What am I doing? What was I thinking, having a baby on my own?
- Carisi: Listen to me. I've been working with you over a year now and there's nothing you can't handle.
- Pastor Eldon: If you did obtain Tate's DNA, it was without consent or a warrant. It's inadmissible.
- Carisi: Hey, you know what's a bad sign? You making a legal argument right now.
- Pam Baker: Lane, sweetheart, tell me the truth. Whatever it is, it's okay.
- Lane Baker: He loves me. It's God's plan for us.
- Pam Baker: [to Pastor Eldon] What did you do to my daughter?
- Gregory Eldon: I'm marrying her, Pam. I'm... I'm marrying... we're gonna be husband and wife. A Godly marriage. The baby will be born in wedlock...
- Pam Baker: She is just a child!
- Pam Baker: [to Pastor Eldon] You lied to us. You made us think it was our son. Why?
- Benson: Because he knew that you would do anything to protect Graham.
- Pam Baker: I'll testify. About Tate. About everything.
- Judge Elias Barnes: [to Pastor Eldon] Gregory...
- Gregory Eldon: No, no, no. Look, look. They have no case. They told the whole world that Tate was their baby. They don't want their fans to find out that they lied. And Lane, well, Lane, you...
- Benson: You need to stop talking to her.
- Pam Baker: Honey, sweetheart, Lane, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I should have protected you.
- Lane Baker: I'm sorry, Mama. He told me that's what people in love do.
- Pam Baker: She'll tell the the truth so will Summer and so will I. And I don't care about the damn show! Neither does Frank, we want him put away!
- Officer Doug Tramwell: Pastor Eldon, you are under arrest for the statutory rape of Summer Baker.
- Benson: And for the statutory rape of Lane Baker.
- Carisi: You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say...
- Pastor Eldon: I know my rights, none of this will ever hold in court. I love you Lane.
[Officer Tramwell starts to take Eldon away, but Carisi stops them] - Carisi: You really are a piece of crap.
- Carisi: You know, the priest at my church, growing up, he saved my life. He saved my life, but you only ever hear about the bad ones.
Background information and notes[]
- The events of this episode were inspired by the scandal resulting from the uncovering of evidence that Josh Duggar, of the TLC reality show 19 Kids & Counting, abused several family members.
- Carisi states he has a new niece, meaning Bella gave birth.
- The song that plays during the virtue ball in the opening is "Somewhere Out There" from the film An American Tail.
Episode scene cards[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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Grace Saviour Church Hostel |
Algernon Rentals |
Allanville Golf Course |
Office of |
Grace Saviour Church Hostel |
Previous episode: "Maternal Instincts" |
"Patrimonial Burden" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17 |
Next episode: "Melancholy Pursuit" |