| "The Good Girl" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 20.20 | → |
| Production number: 20020 First aired: 11 April 2019 | ||
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| Written By Lawrence Kaplow & Brianna Yellen Directed By Jean de Segonzac | ||
Summary[]
Benson works to uncover a pregnant teenager's secret when she refuses to name the baby's father.
Plot[]
plot
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin Tutuola (credit only)
- Peter Scanavino as Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr.
- Philip Winchester as A.D.A. Peter Stone
Recurring cast[]
- Joe Grifasi as Judge Hashi Horowitz
- Jolly Abraham as Dr. Patel
- Lauren Noble as Carmen
- Tom Coiner as Officer Chuck Inslow
Guest cast[]
- Derek Cecil as Garrett Howard
- Eowyn Young as Mackenzie Tolliver
- J.D. Taylor as Quentin Dreyfus
- Richard Prioleau as John Woodward
- Pamela Mitchell as Penelope Archer
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Mr. Kayman
- Christopher Piccione as Marcus Tolliver
- Jonathon Fielding as Father Edwin Mayberry
- Naveen Paddock as Logan Larson
- Jeremy Lanuti as Chase Madera
- Raissa Katona Bennett as Judge Joan Calahan
- Alison Maybaum as Lola
- Jenne Anne Hichberg as Cassie
- Juan Carlos Diaz as Ari
References[]
references
Quotes[]
- [when Mackenzie is being questioned about the father of her baby]
- Mackenzie Tolliver: Why do you even care? I'm old enough to make my own decisions.
- Rollins: No one is saying you're not. We're concerned though and your stepfather's concerned.
- Benson: Listen, we just want what's best for you.
- Father Edwin Mayberry: This is middle school. Our biggest problems are cyberbullying and texting, not teen pregnancy.
- Rollins: Well, unfortunately, that's where we are.
- Garrett Howard: I loved Mack's mom, I love Mack. I'm in this for the long haul and the last thing we need is some stranger butting in and demanding rights that he doesn't deserve. Look, this is what Mackenzie wants!
- Rollins: Mackenzie's a child. She doesn't know what she wants.
- Peter: [to Olivia]: So the way this usually works is, first there's a crime, and then we go to court and we nail the person that did it.
- Rollins: I mean, did you?
- Benson: Did I what?
- Rollins: Yeah, when you were pregnant, did you let the father know before you...
- Benson: Before I what?
- Rollins: You're making me say it? We were standing right here and you told me that you had an abortion.
- Benson: I... I never said that.
- Rollins: So I dream it?
- Benson: No, Amanda, what I said was is that regret can be an awful thing to live with and so you assumed...
- Rollins: Yeah, and you let me.
- Benson: I did, and I'm sorry, Amanda. It's just... it's a very complicated story and I didn't want to get into it.
- Benson: Mackenzie, I need to talk to you about something.
- Mackenzie: No, I can't. Not right now.
- Benson: Sweetie, it's important. I'm not sure that you're telling me the truth about Mr. Dreyfus.
- Mackenzie: I am.
- Benson: Okay. Well, then, would you mind telling me exactly how it happened. All right? You said that you didn't know his name and you said that you met in Whole Foods.
- Mackenzie: Well, I didn't want to get him in trouble.
- Benson: Well, that's understandable, but I think maybe there's somebody else that you don't want to get in trouble.
- Mackenzie: You're clueless.
- Benson: Well, then clue me in.
- [about Mackenzie]
- Garrett Howard: How could you not fall in love with someone so beautiful and so sweet? An angel sent from heaven to bless my life, to bless me, and look at us now. Your stupid laws have ruined us. My whole life I've searched for real love, and I found it. What was I supposed to do?
- Benson: Waiting 'til she was 18 would've been a good start.
- [about Garrett]
- Mackenzie: I took good care of him.
- Benson: Honey, I know.
- Mackenzie: When he looked at me, it made me feel...
- Benson: Wanted? Needed? Loved?
- Mackenzie: Like I was a real woman.
- Benson: Oh, sweetheart, but, sweetheart, you're not yet. The truth of the matter is you should've been out riding bikes with your friends, gossiping with your friends, and Garrett took something from you that is that is irreplaceable.
- Mackenzie: My childhood?
- Benson: Mackenzie, but what I can promise you is the way your baby is gonna look at you. It's going to make you feel more loved, more needed than you can ever imagine, but it's an awesome responsibility.
- Mackenzie: I bet you're a good mom.
- Benson: I don't know. It's just trial and error.
Background Information and Notes[]
- Rollins mentions how Benson hinted that she had an abortion, which happened in the episode "Man Down".
- Goof: According to the episode, Mackenzie was legally allowed to marry Garrett with her biological father's consent under Missouri law as a minor no older than thirteen. However, Missouri's 2018 marriage law says a minor must be at least sixteen years of age in order to marry with parental consent, which would make the marriage between Mackenzie and Garrett illegal.
- Carisi pronounces the name of the town in Missouri as "Ca-ruth-es-ville" instead of "Ca-ruthers-ville".
- Carisi tells Olivia the marriage license was recorded on August 27, 2018, but the copy given to the ADA twice states the wedding happened on September 12 of that year. A marriage can't be 'recorded' until after it has happened.
- Even after knowing Garrett went to Dreyfus' house knowing Quentin was not the father of McKenzie's baby, and with the intent to kill him, ADA Stone fails to amend the charges against Garrett. Since Garrett had the mens rea to commit murder, continuing to charge him with manslaughter in the second degree is inappropriate. Man-2 is only charged when someone with the mens rea of committing assault accidentally causes a person's death. Garrett went to Dreyfus' home with the premeditated intent to kill him, therefore he should have been charged with murder in the second degree.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Saint Matthews Middle School |
Apartment of |
Foragers Market |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Supreme Court |
Household of Penelope Archer |
Family Court |
| Previous episode: "Dearly Beloved" |
"The Good Girl" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 20 |
Next episode: "Exchange" |