| "Sheltered Outcasts" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 17.19 | → |
| Production number: 17019 First aired (US): 30 March 2016 First aired (UK): 1 May 2016 First aired (CAN): 30 March 2016 First aired (AUS): 7 July 2016 | ||
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| Written By Ed Zuckerman Directed By Mariska Hargitay | ||
Summary[]
Detective Carisi goes undercover at a homeless shelter to determine if one of its sex offender residents is the suspect in a string of neighborhood rapes.
Plot[]
Sofie Nomaks arrives home later in the night and suddenly when she was opening her house door a hooded man came from behind and raped her. SVU arrives to the scene and Sofie's neighbors, Hannah and Robert Levy, tell Olivia Benson that it is the third case of sexual attack in the Inwood neighborhood since a sex offender shelter opened nearby. Benson, Fin, and Rollins go to the Spuyten Duyvil Shelter and round up suspects from the offender shelter, including Gregory Searle, who the detectives are surprised to see got released, and Carisi, who has been living there undercover.
Carisi continues living in that shelter undercover and becomes friends with Richie Caskey, a sex offender at the shelter who appears to be turning his life around. Carisi gets jumped outside the shelter by the victim's father, Tom Nomaks, and a group of his relatives, who recognized him as an offender but Caskey comes outside and saves Carisi. The Nomaks family run off but swear to be back. A friendship forms between Carisi and Caskey.
Carisi reports his attack to Benson but does not want to blow his cover, as this will help get a read on Caskey.
In a regular group therapy at the shelter, Caskey shows up later than usual rushing and carrying good news; he got hired at a radio station. In that frame of time, Robin Daughtry, the shelter's therapist gets raped and murdered by a hooded man who was identified by her because she could take his mask off and saw her attacker's face, leaving him no other option than kill her. Because of Caskey's lateness at his last meeting, fingers are pointing at him as the responsible of Robin's rape and death, Carisi was shocked because he saw on Caskey a good man and a successful case of recovery.
After that, all the facts against Caskey are presented, and Benson orders his arrest and Carisi goes to do it himself. When confronted, Caskey couldn't believe that his friend "Smithie" was really an undercover cop. He is taken to the SVU headquarters for interrogation. Benson and Mary Colten, a previous victim, walkout the office with the latter apologizing for not being of proper help, as Benson consoles her on trying. Thomas Zimmerman arrives as Carisi is dealing with Caskey. Zimmerman reprimands Carisi for his actions, as Mary starts to react at hearing them talk. Benson has Carisi take Caskey and Zimmerman away for questioning, while a shaken Mary identifies one of the voices as her rapist and tells Benson that it is not Caskey but the other one.
After several hours, Carisi and Benson enter the interrogation room, where Zimmerman protests the long wait. The detectives tell Caskey and Zimmerman that cameras caught sight of Robin Daughtry's attacker, with some of her valuables taken. They offer Caskey a chance to save them the trouble and confess. as Zimmerman tells him he should consider but Caskey refuses and asserts his innocence, though Benson tells them they are already getting a warrant to search Caskey's house, with Zimmerman telling Caskey that he will be there for his wife.
Benson has officers raid Caskey's house, despite Zimmerman's protests. The Detectives soon locate and bring the evidence to the precinct, as they speak to Caskey and Zimmerman. Caskey asserts his innocence, as Zimmerman tells him that he will defend him. Carisi and Benson tell the perpetrator to get up and he is under arrest. Caskey starts to stand but Benson makes it clear that they're talking to Zimmerman. The protesting Zimmerman is arrested, while Caskey is confused about the events.
Soon Caskey is updated on the situation and is surprised to learn his own lawyer committed the crimes, while knowing sex offenders will be blamed for it. Carisi tells him how that there was no camera but a ploy to trick Zimmerman to plant evidence and reveals Caskey's wife helped catch him in the act and says that he wishes he didn't doubt him. Caskey forgives it and says with his background it shouldn't be a surprise. With his name cleared, Caskey goes home to his wife.
In court, Zimmerman is convicted of one count of murder in the first degree and three counts of rape in the first degree. This is watched by Sofie and her father as well as Mary. Judge Kearns remarks on his new circumstances, while denying his bail and remands Zimmerman to Rikers, where she notes that he is certainly to be welcomed by his former clients. After Zimmerman is taken away, Loomis is arrested for raping women near the shelter. Fin and Carisi note they got two for one and how he's not stuttering as he pleads not guilty.
After the arraignment, Carisi fumes to Rollins about those like Richie who are not trusted by anyone anymore even if they sincerely reformed. To help him distract himself, she offers him dinner at her house to which he accepts. Once they leave, Benson speaks with the Nomaks family who thank her for catching the culprit. Tom apologizes to her for going after Carisi, not knowing that he was actually a cop. Benson tells Tom that he shouldn't be going after anyone but lets him off the hook because at least his heart was in the right place and wish them luck. The Nomaks thanks Benson for this and proceed to go home.
Fin tells Benson that his son and son-in-law have set him up for a date at their place.
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[]
- Donna Mitchell as Judge E. Kearns
- Kevin Tighe as Gregory Searle
Guest Cast[]
- Michael Rapaport as Richie Caskey
- Scott Grimes as Attorney Thomas Zimmerman
- Leo Fitzpatrick as Gerald Loomis
- Lisa Arrindell Anderson as Robin Daughtry
- Saul Stein as Tom Nomaks
- Molly Camp as Mary Colten
- Laura Piccoli as Sofie Nomaks
- Natalie Roy as Hannah Levy
- Joyce Lynn O'Connor as Sharon Caskey
- Myrna Cabello as Parole Officer Felicidad Flores
- Shauna Miles as Glenda
- Robert McKay as Andy Becker
- Brian Patrick Murphy as Jerry Nomaks
- Chazz Menendez as Anthony Nomaks
- Mike DiSalvo as Robert Levy
- Reggie Green as Jackson
- Cezar Williams as Court Clerk
- Zeek Epps as Deshawn
References[]
- Mike Dodds
- Alejandro Pavel
- Ken Randall
- Rachel McGarrett
- Lauren Molby
- Fishkill, New York
- Hempstead, New York
Quotes[]
- Sofie Nomaks: He grabbed me and threw me up against the wall, and then pulled off my gold chain. And then he said "Do what I say and you won't get hurt". And I didn't fight him because I was too afraid of the knife.
- Benson: Sofie, you did exactly what you needed to do. You survived.
- Tutuola: You want me to smack Carisi around a little bit, make his cover look good?
- Benson: Fin, we had two rapes in Inwood this month. That's why Carisi volunteered to live in that shelter undercover. Would you like to take his place?
- Tutuola: No. Copy.
[Fin leaves] - Rollins: Carisi does look like hell.
- Benson: Well, I think he's just trying to fit in.
- Benson: This is Mr. Zimmerman. He represents one of our visitors.
- Thomas Zimmerman: Actually, two of them. Yeah, Greg Searle is mine as well. And if you think he's your rape suspect, you're wrong. It's not his profile. He's an ephebophile. Means he goes for younger girls.
- Rollins: [sarcastically] That's a wonderful argument.
- Rollins: Sofie didn't recognize the voice?
- Benson: No.
- Tutuola: Doesn't rule 'em out.
- Benson: No, it doesn't rule them out, doesn't rule them in.
- Rollins: And how long is Carisi gonna be up there? He talks a good game, but people get killed in those places.
- Benson: Let's just give it another day or two, see if anything pops.
- Tutuola: He just has to keep his eyes open and act weird. How hard is that for Carisi?
- [after Carisi is physically assaulted while undercover]
- Benson: Carisi, you're holding your back. Are you sure that you don't need to go to the E.R.?
- Carisi: No, I'm fine, all right? It's just a bruise. It's not broken. I think they were just trying to scare me.
- Rollins: No kidding. Three on one.
- Carisi: Yeah, till Caskey showed up, evened the odds.
- Benson: Okay, so you making friends in there?
- Carisi: No, not exactly. Just before that, Caskey was busting my chops in group therapy. I had to tell everybody what a thrill I get looking at child porn. Made me sick to my stomach.
- Rollins: I don't mean to keep saying it, but he is a target inside the shelter, now outside the shelter.
- Carisi: I'm fine, all right and I think I'm getting somewhere, all right? Somebody up there is committing rapes and the odds are pretty good it's one of my housemates.
- Rollins: Well, are we at least gonna bring in Nomaks and his bat boys?
- Carisi: No. No, that compromises my cover.
- Benson: Okay, I will have the precinct call the Nomaks, tell them that they were spotted to warn them off.
- Richie Caskey: Hey, sorry I'm late. Job interview.
- Gregory Searle: Where are they hiring sex offenders? I'll run right down.
- Tutuola: It's looking pretty empty out there. Is 1PP sending us reinforcements?
- Benson: They sent us Dodds. You didn't seem too thrilled with that.
- Tutuola: Yeah, but then they took him back. I mean, where is he, at some antiterrorist course at Quantico?
- Benson: Yes, for a week. Are you mad that he came, or are you mad that he left?
- Tutuola: Both. I mean... I mean, a lot of things are changing around here. I mean, Rollins got a baby, you got a baby.
- Benson: You want a baby? [pauses] You want a life?
- Tutuola: This is my life.
[Fin gives her a stern look] - Benson: You want a life.
- Tutuola: This is my life.
- Benson: Yeah, it was my life, too, Fin. My whole life. You know, for what it's worth, having a little balance is not so bad.
- [about the rapist]
- Carisi: So what, every third rape he loosens up? He feels like making conversation?
- Carisi: Hey, Rollins, hold up. You know, I thought I had a gut for these things.
- Rollins: You know what, rapists and killers, they don't carry signs around. That's why they pay us the big bucks.
- Carisi: [scoffs] I went into that place, I hated those guys. I couldn't even stand to be around them, but after a few days, they just turned into people. Different kinds, like, Searle is malignant, Loomis is damaged, but Caskey, he's all fresh start.
- Rollins: Yeah, but every one of those kinds raped women and children and left them traumatized or dead.
- Carisi: I know, Rollins, all right, and if they get 20 years in prison, I think they're getting off easy, but when you meet them after 20 years, you sit down, you play dominos with them, you just wonder, are they the same people they were when they first got put away?
- Rollins: Carisi, is this you going soft?
- Carisi: No, I just I thought if any of those guys had a chance at rehab, it was gonna be Caskey. I mean, he was all about accountability. He missed his wife. He was looking for a job, why? Why would he blow all of that?
- Rollins: There usually isn't a why. You know that.
- Rollins: You don't seem surprised that he might have done something.
- Felicidad Flores: 20 years, 400 cons, if one of them turn into a mermaid, that might surprise me.
- Carisi: Get up, you're under arrest. Get up.
[Caskey gets up] - Benson: [to Caskey] Not you. [to Zimmermann] You.
- Tom Zimmerman: What?!
- Carisi: You heard her. Get up.
- Richie Caskey: My lawyer raped near shelters because he knew sex offenders would get the blame?!
- Carisi: Yeah.
- Richie Caskey: That's insane.
- Carisi: Yup, its pure sociopath.
- Caskey: And he stabbed Robin? You saw that on that security camera?
- Carisi: Yeah, well, thing is, there was no camera. That was a lie to scare him into planting evidence in your apartment. That we did get on video. Now, your wife, she helped us play him. She's a good woman.
- Caskey: Yeah, she is. She's the best and I ruined her life. We can't travel. You know, we can't move. We decided not to have kids because how can you tell a child that their friends could never come over?
- Carisi: Hey, Richie, I wish I could say I never doubted you.
- Richie Caskey: Yeah, well, I'm a convicted rapist. My whole life, people are gonna doubt me.
- Carisi: Zimmerman. They should throw away the key. I mean, the guy, he rapes, he murders and then he tries to piggyback it onto his clients.
- Rollins: Unless you're a rich rapist, nobody's gonna want to defend you. You're gonna get a bottom feeder.
- Carisi: Still, Caskey didn't deserve that.
- Rollins: Caskey is on the registry. It makes him an easy guy to frame.
- Carisi: You know, Rollins, a guy commits a murder, right? He does his time and then he's out and about, but a rapist, no. Nobody wants to live next to him. No matter what he does, he is never gonna be trusted again. He's in purgatory.
- Rollins: Hey. You know, why don't you come over for dinner and hang out with Jesse?
- Carisi: Yeah?
- Rollins: I promise you the minute she starts wailing, it will clear your head of everything else.
- Carisi: Dinner, huh?
- Rollins: Yeah. Come on.
- Carisi: Did you learn to cook?
- Rollins: No, I didn't learn to cook. You're gonna cook. We're gonna shop on the way.
- Tutuola: Two bad guys go down. That's a good day.
- Benson: You're wearing a tie in court. Very impressive.
- Tutuola: I'm going to visit my son. He and his husband invited me over to their place.
- Benson: And you need a tie for that?
- Tutuola: Yeah, they got somebody coming over there they want me to meet.
- Benson: Way to get out there, Fin. Good for you.
- Tutuola: If you say so.
Background information and notes[]
- Kevin Tighe reprises the role of Gregory Searle from the Season 9 episode "Avatar".
- The episode "Intersecting Lives" reveals that the date Ken and Alejandro set up Fin with did not go well.
- When asked what his favorite undercover role was, actor Peter Scanavino said it was "homeless man in a homeless shelter" in this episode.[1]
- In a scene in Benson's office, Fin makes a comment about things changing and the fact that Rollins and Benson now have kids. Benson replies "You want a baby?" Fin scowls. Ice-T had a baby a few months earlier with his wife, Coco Austin.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Spuyten Duyvil Shelter |
Spuyten Duyvil Shelter |
Apartment of |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
307 Dyckman Street |
New York State |
Arraignment Court |
Footnotes[]
| Previous episode: "Unholiest Alliance" |
"Sheltered Outcasts" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17 |
Next episode: "Fashionable Crimes" |