| "Reasonable Doubt" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 15.22 | → |
| Production number: 15022 First aired (US): 7 May 2014 First aired (UK): 25 May 2014 First aired (CAN): 7 May 2014 First aired (AUS): 19 June 2014 | ||
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| Written By Kevin Fox & Robert Brooks Cohen Directed By Alex Chapple | ||
A child is caught in the middle of a famous couple's nasty divorce.
Plot[]
Benson and Murphy question renowned television producer Frank Maddox when he's accused of molesting his 8-year-old daughter Chelsea. Maddox's estranged wife, actress Catherine Summers, wants justice for her daughter but refuses to cooperate, leading the cops to suspect the accusation was a ploy to win the public's favor. With Catherine's young sister Rose engaged to Maddox, and accusations flying back and forth in the media, Benson strives to help a child by discovering the truth.
Summary[]
Episode summary
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Sergeant Olivia Benson
- Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
Recurring Cast[]
- Aida Turturro as Judge Felicia Catano
- Jeffrey Tambor as Attorney Lester Cohen
- Donal Logue as Lieutenant Declan Murphy
Guest Cast[]
- Bradley Whitford as Frank Maddox
- Samantha Mathis as Catherine Summers
- Celia Keenan-Bolger as Mavis Summers
- Emma Bell as Rose Summers
- Godfrey as Adam Church
- Clare Foley as Chelsea Maddox
- Julyana Soelistyo as Dohna
- Keidrich Sellati as Daniel Maddox
- Ann Curry as Herself
- Geraldo Rivera as Himself
- Gonzalo Vargas as Fontana
- Nicole Sudhaus as Brie
- Jacob Wallach as P.A.
- Elizabeth Ward Land as Juliet
- Danielle Guldin as Female Detective
- Francis Dumaurier as Translator
- Pablo Gonzalez as Pimp
- Hettie Barnhill as Jury Foreperson
- Scott Eliasoph as Courtroom Gallery (uncredited)
References[]
Quotes[]
- [about Frank Maddox]
- Lester Cohen: We are here as a courtesy, alright? He is late for a story meeting.
- Declan Murphy: Oh, absolutely, we understand the importance of the world of fictional characters.
- Rollins: By the way: Frank is afraid of spiders.
- Murphy: Someone afraid of needles, if they are a heroin addict, they'll find a vein.
- Tutuola: What's that you're drinking? Mint?
- Dohna: Mint and parsley. Very healthy.
- Tutuola: My mother used to chew mint and parsley when she didn't wanted our pastor to know she'd been smoking.
- Mavis Summers: That's Frank's M.O. He always gets what he wants because everything is for sale.
- Benson: Always? What do you mean, "always"?
- Mavis Summers: It doesn't matter. He's got talent, connections, success. People bend the rules when it comes to Frank. They always have. [to Catherine] You never should have put Chelsea through this.
- Catherine Summers: So this is my fault? What about what I've been through?
- Mavis Summers: You married him. He made you a star. You actually believe that people -can think that you didn't know what kind of man he is?
- Declan Murphy: [to Rollins] Detective, can I have a word with you? [They walk into his office] Is there something going on I should know about?
- Rollins: What do you mean?
- Declan Murphy: Any chance you're protecting Frank?
- Rollins: I just don't like seeing innocent men getting railroaded. There was this... this music teacher last fall... What're you... what are you asking?
- Declan Murphy: You had complicated relationships with older male mentors: your captain down in Atlanta, Cragen...
- Rollins: What was complicated with Cragen?
- Declan Murphy: They found a dead hooker in his bed. You tell me.
- Rollins: He was set up.
- Declan Murphy: Probably. About your dad, he was a gambler. Ever get in trouble?
- Rollins: Yeah, mostly with my mom. She rode his ass, nagging him until he had to leave.
- Declan Murphy: Ever think she had a reason? Is it possible you have a blind spot when it comes to men in power?
- Benson: How old were you when he and Catherine got married?
- Mavis Summers: Twelve.
- Benson: Twelve. A lot of girls that age dream of becoming actresses. Your sister was becoming a star.
- Mavis Summers: I never liked attention.
- Benson: Like the attention he gave Rose or Chelsea? Mavis, did Frank notice you when you were that age?
- Mavis Summers: It wouldn't matter if he did. He's Frank Maddox. He gets away with everything.
- Benson: And he doesn't have to. I know that you love Chelsea and I know that you want to protect her, and you can In court on the stand.
- Mavis Summers: So he and his lawyers can call me crazy? Ridicule me? No. It's Frank Maddox's world. I learned that a long time ago. We all just live in it.
- Benson: It doesn't have to be that way for Chelsea.
- [about Frank Maddox]
- Benson: If he is a pedophile, at least he's out of their lives.
- Amaro: And if he's telling the truth, Chelsea gets to grow up with a full-blown narcissist who convinced her to lie.
- Benson: Either way God help that child.
Background information and notes[]
- This episode and the next, "Thought Criminal", both feature alums of The West Wing with Bradley Whitford guest starring in this episode and Joshua Malina in the next.
- The song at the beginning of the episode is "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions.
- Amanda Rollins and Declan Murphy have a discussion about her relationship with older male mentors and her possibly having a blind spot to men in power:
- Rollins mentions a music teacher they investigated last fall who was innocent, referring to Jackie Walker from the episode "Dissonant Voices".
- Murphy mentions Rollins' old captain in Atlanta, Sam Reynolds, though we learn later she has an even more complicated relationship next season with another Atlanta PD official, Charles Patton.
- Murphy mentions how Donald Cragen had a dead hooker in his bed and Rollins mentions it was a set up. This was covered in the episodes "Rhodium Nights, "Lost Reputation", and "Above Suspicion".
- She mentions her father, Jim Rollins, had a gambling problem and she mentions her mother, Beth Anne Rollins, kicking him out of the house.
- The story is a hybrid of assault cases of Roman Polanski and Woody Allen. Polanski was convicted with sexual assault of a 13-year old girl and subsequently fled to France, being a French citizen. Allen is married to Soon-Yi Previn, his former step-daughter who he raised as a child.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Summers-Maddox Farmhouse |
Apartment Of |
Set Of |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Supreme Court |
Apartment Of |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Post-Mortem Blues" |
"Reasonable Doubt" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 15 |
Next episode: "Thought Criminal" |