"Trials" | ||
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← | SVU, Episode 10.01 | → |
Production number: 10002 First aired (US): 23 September 2008 First aired (AUS): 5 February 2009 | ||
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Written By Dawn DeNoon Directed By David Platt |
Plot[]
Olivia discovers that a case involving a temperamental foster child is tied to a cold rape case from her past, and it could be the missing link that could help catch a serial rapist. At the same time, she is haunted by her sexual assault in prison. Meanwhile, Elliot and Fin are temporarily (and none-too-happily) partnered after Fin's request for a transfer is denied. To make matters more irritating, Elliot finds out that his credit card information has been stolen, and tries to track down the thief. And on top of all that, the SVU meets its new ADA liaison, who is determined to keep them on a tight leash. Ultimately, Elliot learns Kathleen borrowed his credit card without telling him when her boyfriend is arrested using it and she confronts him about it. Stabler and Benson realize the rape was part of a serial rape case, but was never connected as they were unaware the son saw the whole thing.
The two eventually realize that the foster father is the actual rapist and finally catch him when, after he kisses the kid Christopher, they test his DNA and learn that he raped his wife, a rape victim who was the only one he left evidence at. His attempts to get his wife to cover for him, only to get him kneed in the crotch after she learned he was her rapist the whole time. Noah then accepts a plea deal where he serves the maximum for each rape as Kim Greylek threatens to try it also as a hate crime, which she does not do so the victims can finally get some peace. The young boy's mother decides to move on with her life and work on getting her son back which his social worker promises will happen when it is proven she can provide him a safe environment which she plans on doing. At the end of the episode, Benson realizes she needs help dealing with her near-rape and visits a psychiatrist.
Summary[]
Episode summary
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Michaela McManus as A.D.A. Kim Greylek
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
- Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner (credit only)
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Lisa Strum as Tonya Majeski
- Allison Siko as Kathleen Stabler
- Edelen McWilliams as CSU Tech Martin
Guest cast[]
- Julie Bowen as Gwen Sibert
- Jae Head as Christopher Ryan
- Mary Beth Evans as Dr. Eikenberry
- Sara Gilbert as Caitlyn Ryan
- Luke Perry as Noah Sibert
- Julia Knight as Emily Johannsen
- Carolyn Morrison as Natalie Clay
- Walter Masterson as Jayden Bierce
- Frank Liotti as Henry
- Angela Logan as Dr. Fulton
- Tony Okungbowa as Dr. Bakari
- Peter Dylan Richards as Attorney Dietrich Strauss
- Christy McIntosh as Amy
- Danny Downey as Jason
- Miche Braden as Receptionist
- Kristen Parker as Clerk
- David Shumbris as Officer Evans
References[]
- Alcoholics Anonymous
- Rape trauma syndrome
- ACS
- Annabelle Ashton
- Dave Jones
- Danny Jones
- Greg Burkle
- Lowell Harris
- Chester Lake
- Alexandra Cabot
- Casey Novak
- Iowa
- Mercy General Hospital
- Gwen Munch
- Monique Jeffries
- Brian Cassidy
- Serena Benson
- Kathy Stabler
- New Jersey
- Baltimore, Maryland
Quotes[]
- Christopher Ryan: [after wrecking half a dozen cars] What's your problem?
- Tutuola: Foster parents are on their way up. Gwen and Noah Sibert.
- Cragen: Well, you know the drill. Split them up. See if one will roll on the other. Either one have a record?
- Munch: Just one. "Public Vagary."
- Tutuola: I think Mumbles here means "vagrancy."
- Munch: No, but thanks for playing. "Public Vagary" was a neo-punk song Noah recorded about 10 years ago.
- Tutuola: Never heard it.
- Munch: No one did, but after his one no-hit wonder, he joined a commune upstate.
- Cragen: Neo-punk to neo-hippie. What is he now?
- Tutuola: Capitalist.
- Munch: Why would Christopher say that you abused him?
- Noah Sibert: He's a very unhappy kid. Never knew his father. His mother has real mental problems. She gave him up when he was 5. He's got serious abandonment issues.
- Munch: You got to get him some help.
- Noah Sibert: You mean dope him up on psychotropic drugs like two-thirds of the kids in foster care?
- Munch: Try therapy. I started in utero.
- Gwen Sibert: [about Christopher] We have to give him back. I can't take it anymore.
- Tutuola: Gwen, motherhood's not for everybody. There ought to be a test.
- Christopher Ryan: You promised me you wouldn't make me go with them!
- Benson: No, we didn't.
- Stabler: All parents make their kids eat their vegetables. It's not abuse.
- Tutuola: That's the problem with the boy who cried wolf: no one pays attention when the real one shows up.
- Cragen: Liv, you stay with the kid. Fin, grab Elliot and go check out the Lydia. [Fin doesn't move] There a problem?
- Tutuola: You know my beef with Stabler. He's a total head case. I'd rather have any other partner.
- Cragen: It's not ladies' choice today, Detective. Suck it up. Do your job.
- Tutuola: You got my request for transfer three months ago. Any idea what's holding that up?
- Cragen: No.
- Tutuola: You signed off on the 57?
- Cragen: And gave you a glowing recommendation. If you like, I'll call the Chief of D's office, see where it's at.
- Tutuola: That's great. Thanks.
- Cragen: No problem. In the meantime, you've got an assignment.
- Tutuola: [to Stabler] You consider African art wacky?
- Stabler: It's wacky when I'm the one paying for it.
- Benson: I would have called first, but your number was disconnected. I had a really tough time finding you. When you move, we need to update your file.
- Caitlyn Ryan: Why? So you can call and remind me you're never going to find my rapist?
- Benson: Caitlyn, your case is cold, but it is not closed.
- Caitlyn Ryan: I'm not going to wake up and suddenly know what my rapist looked like behind his mask.
- Benson: Christopher wasn't at a sleepover the night that Caitlyn Ryan was raped. He was in the bedroom right next to hers.
- Munch: Victims always hold something back. I hate that.
- Munch: You know, if one more person dumps me, I'm going to start taking it personally. Aside from my wives, there was Jeffries, Cassidy, Meldrick, Stan "The Big Man" Bolander. Stan "The Man" was my mentor in Baltimore just like I am yours.
- Noah Sibert: First, you accuse me of child abuse, now rape. Where does this end?
- Benson: With justice for Natalie, Emily, Annabelle and Caitlyn.
- Benson: [to Noah] Oh, we know how you like to fix things. The planet, damaged women, neglected little boys...
- Cragen: [to Fin] I'm afraid I've got some bad news.
- Tutuola: What now?
- Cragen: I heard back from the Chief of D's office. You know a Greg Burkle?
- Tutuola: Oh, no.
- Munch: Who's that?
- Tutuola: Guy I used to work with back in Narcotics. After his wife divorced him, she started calling me.
- Munch: Damn.
- Munch: Captain, Fin and I are thinkin' of going in on a bar. You wanna buy in?
- Cragen: Well gee, John, I don't know. Let me run it by the guys at my next AA meeting.
Background information and notes[]
- This is the first appearance of Michaela McManus as Assistant District Attorney Kim Greylek. In the episode, ADA Greylek has to take on a Defense Attorney named Dietrich Strauss. Actress Michaela McManus played the recurring character Lindsay Strauss in One Tree Hill.
- Detective Olivia Benson is experiencing post-traumatic stress syndrome after her almost rape by Captain Lowell Harris in the season nine episode "Undercover". She is barely sleeping at night, and is seeing a shrink for her problems. She is also having flashbacks, which are shown in clips from "Undercover".
- Detective Odafin Tutuola mentions to Captain Donald Cragen that he filed a request for transference three months ago, because of the resentment toward his colleague Elliot Stabler. The two Detectives had several heated arguments in the previous episode, "Cold", about Chester Lake.
- The episode title refers to the medical trials that take place at the Lydia Hotel, as well as the themes of rape recovery and responsibility of parenting.
- In the episode, ACS caseworker Tonya Majeski seems surprised that Detective Benson doesn't recognize her anymore. She informs Benson that they've worked together on previous cases. The cases she refers to are played out in the season eight episodes "Informed" and "Pretend".
- Munch mentions the bar he owned back in Baltimore (though he doesn't name it, it was called the Waterfront Bar) along with two of his partners in the Baltimore PD, Meldrick Lewis and Stan "The Man" Bolander, which were all part of his life as a character in Homicide: Life on the Street.
- Meldrick Lewis would later appear at Munch's SVU retirement party in the episode "Wonderland Story".
- He eventually would reclaim the bar following his retirement from law enforcement as revealed in the Season 24 episode "Dutch Tears".
- Greylek mentions she wanted to be the first ADA to charge rape as a hate crime. She never gets the chance, but two other ADAs try to attach hate crimes charges to rape charges:
- Rafael Barba charges Jeremy Jones with hating homosexual men despite being one in the season 14 episode "Criminal Hatred". Judge Delilah Hawkins, however, tells him to drop that charge after a successful challenge by Jones' attorney, Minonna Efron.
- Dominick Carisi, Jr. attaches a hate crimes charge to the suspects in the season 23 episode "Promising Young Gentlemen". The suspects though end up taking pleas without being charged with the hate crime like in this episode.
- Tamara Tunie and B.D. Wong do not appear in this episode.
- Christopher was taken to the Lydia Hotel which the detectives call Skank Central. In "Impulsive", the SVU located Shane Mills there.
- Goof: Fin leaves the keys in the car after driving Elliott and himself to the Lydia Hotel
Episode scene cards[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Mercy General Hospital |
Lydia Hotel |
Morningstar Park |
Alony's Pub |
Previous episode: "Cold" |
"Trials" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 10 |
Next episode: "Confession" |