| "Tragedy" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 5.01 | → |
| Production number: E4403 First aired: 23 September 2003 | ||
 | ||
| Written By Amanda Green Directed By David Platt | ||
Detectives Benson and Stabler try to find a kidnapped woman with a high-risk pregnancy.
Summary[]
When a woman with a high-risk pregnancy is kidnapped as she approaches her delivery date, Benson and Stabler are faced with more than one suspect willing to take the fall for the crime.
Plot[]
The SVU squad investigate the case of a pregnant woman, Annika Bergeron, who was carjacked and abducted. Her pregnancy is high-risk and they race to find her before she delivers her baby. The case takes a turn when her ex-boyfriend and father of her child, Daniel Lester, is considered a suspect in Annika's abduction.
Stabler and Fin find Annika and help deliver her baby girl, which she names Celia. Stabler asks why she was abducted and is told that a woman paid a man to do it. Before Annika can say who it was, she dies of blood loss.
Officers bring Daniel to the hospital, where he meets with Benson, and she informs him of Annika's death. She states she knows he didn't do it and begs him to tell her who did. Daniel is reluctant, so Benson uses her bargaining chip by having the doctors bring in his newborn daughter Celia. Benson guilts him into either giving up the real culprit or go to jail, leaving his daughter all alone. Sharing an emotional moment with his daughter, Daniel decides to tell all he knows.
The scene shifts to the precinct, showing Melinda waiting in a room for news about Daniel. Stabler questions Melinda on her involvement in the kidnapping but she claims total innocence. Daniel enters and accuses Melinda of the kidnapping. She again denies this and claims it was her mother, Rose, that had Annika kidnapped to prevent Daniel from marrying Melinda and taking her money. Daniel asks Melinda why she didn't stop this. She reveals she did find out about the plot, but assumed it was too late to save Annika.
Daniel is overwhelmed and walks out, where he finds Rose who tries to play ignorant. However, Melinda tells her mother that the cops know and reveals she never wanted Annika or the baby to die. Unconvinced, Rose says her motive was Melinda's happiness without Daniel's burden, earning disgust from Daniel. The detectives proceed to arrest Rose for her crimes of kidnapping and murder.
Melinda runs after Daniel and begs to talk with him, but Daniel only silently looks at her before leaving her in the hallway of the 16th Precinct.
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
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Daniel Sunjata as C.S.U. Technician Burt Trevor
- Joel de la Fuente as T.A.R.U. Technician Ruben Morales
- Caren Browning as C.S.U. Technician Judith Siper
- Dennis Pressey as K-9 Officer Dumont
Guest cast[]
- Kellie Martin as Melinda Granville
- Gabriel Olds as Daniel Lester
- Marisa Ryan as Laura Bergeron
- Clarke Thorell as Sam Marlett
- Lynn Cohen as Studio Arts League Teacher
- Karen Goberman as Annika Bergeron
- Shirley Knight as Rose Granville
- Tonye Patano as Sally
- Adrianne Frost as Marva Taylor
- Lou Martini, Jr. as Moe
- David Conley as Captain Mike O'Brien
- John Di Benedetto as Tony
- Tony Freeman as Dr. Crespo
- John Knox as Warden Fergus
- Sharron Bower as Reporter #1
- Danny Downey as Greg Jezic (uncredited)
References[]
- Belle Harbor Hospital
- The Carjack Rapist
- One Police Plaza
- Sing Sing
- Studio Arts League
- Granville Developers
- Passaic
- Kathy Stabler
- Maureen Stabler
- Kathleen Stabler
- Dickie Stabler
- Elizabeth Stabler
- Tammy Wynette
- Arthur Branch
Quotes[]
- Benson: Look, pregnant women are fighters. If Annika resisted she could be lying somewhere injured or unconscious.
- Benson: This place is secluded enough for a rape.
- Benson: Your sister and the baby are gonna die if we can't find her.
- Rose Granville: Granville Developers is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Annika's safe return home.
- Benson: That's very generous of you, considering that Annika's baby is the child of your future son-in-law.
- Rose Granville: My daughter loves him. That matters far more to me than one indiscretion.
- Benson: I've got a psychic who claims she can channel Annika for the right price.
- Munch: Let me guess. She's in a cold, dark place near a body of water.
- Benson: There's gotta be dozens of pictures here. The bastards been stalking her for awhile.
- Benson: You're right. Friends should stick together. You and Daniel can share a cell on death row.
- Olivia Benson: [to Melinda Granville] "Stand By Your Man" sounds much better when Tammy Wynette sings it.
- Stabler: Don't lie to me. I'm about thirty seconds away from putting your face through that wall.
- Stabler: [to Daniel] If she dies because you're holding out on us, I'll personally stick that needle in your arm myself, you little prick.
- Judith Spier: [about the bloody and unreadable receipt] That's why God invented lasers.
Background information and notes[]
- Stephanie March (ADA Alexandra Cabot) and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang) do not appear in this episode.
- Part of this episode was filmed on Beach 129th Street in Belle Harbor, New York.
- Beginning with this episode, the series now aired Tuesdays nights at 10:00 pm (9:00 pm Central).
- Two guest cast members on this episode were born on October 16th, those being Kellie Martin and Adrianne Frost.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
Apartment of |
Home of Laura Bergeron |
Apartment of Greg Jezic |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Warden's Office |
Crime Lab |
Belle Harbor Hospital |
| Previous episode: "Soulless" |
"Tragedy" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 5 |
Next episode: "Manic" |