| "Unstable" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 11.01 | → |
| Production number: First aired (US): 23 September 2009 First aired (UK): 16 October 2009 First aired (CAN): 25 September 2009 First aired (AUS): 11 February 2010 | ||
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| Written By Judith McCreary Directed By Arthur W. Forney | ||
Plot[]
A victim who bonds with the officer who rescues her forces Benson and Stabler to work with the volatile officer to close the case. Unfortunately, the case becomes more complicated, and extends the unhappy team, when the Executive ADA brings evidence that their case may have been committed by a serial rapist and Elliot may have put an innocent man in prison for ten years.
Summary[]
Episode summary
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch (credit only)
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Christine Lahti as E.A.D.A. Sonya Paxton
- Chike Johnson as Victor Tate
- J. Paul Nicholas as Defense Attorney Linden Delroy
Guest cast[]
- Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as Mark Foster
- Jennifer Ferrin as Rena West
- Geneva Carr as Katie Harris
- Cherise Boothe as Beverly Neal
- Helmar Augustus Cooper as Malcolm Foster
- Wentworth Miller as Officer Nate Kendall
- Glenn Turner as Willie Boots
- Melle Powers as Layla Foster
- Patrick Ryan Sullivan as Tom Conlon
- Kristopher Kling as Spencer Conlon
- MuMu as Angelina Lupino
- Angel David as Sergeant Juan Carlos
- Timothy Booth as Shane Harris
- Suzan Perry as Madeleine Stewart
- Robert Berlin as Man
- Shavi Blake as CSU Tech
- Donesha Hopkins as Six-Year-Old Girl
- Rich Campbell as Bus Depot Traveler (uncredited)
- Dawn Ressy as Crime Scene Onlooker (uncredited)
References[]
Quotes[]
- Nate Kendall: I don't like victims. They cling.
- Benson: Not after you bag the trash that assaulted 'em.
[When the suspect flees, Nate Kendall hits him with his car]
- Stabler: What the hell was that? You trying to kill him?
- Nate Kendall: I hate to run.
- Benson: [to Mark Foster]: You got a short fuse.
- Mark Foster: (scoffs) My fuse is plenty long. You should see it.
- Benson: What for? You couldn't keep your wife happy with it.
- Paxton: The suspect asked for his lawyer and you kept questioning him for 93 seconds. That's a violation of his right to counsel.
- Benson: We'll leave you to your client, counselor.
- Paxton: No, no, no, no. I may be wearing couture, but I don't represent scumbags.
- Stabler: So who exactly do you represent?
- Paxton: The people. Sonya Paxton, your new ADA. How's it going?
- Benson: Where's Alex Cabot?
- Paxton: Training in Albany. When she's finished, she'll take my spot in appeals.
- Stabler: Appeals? Well, no disrespect, but we do things a little differently down here in New York City.
- Paxton: Oh, really? I was trying homicides when you were fresh out of the academy, walking a beat and trying not to piss yourself.
- Stabler: (about the suspect) What we're saying is he's no first-timer. He's got his rape routine down pat.
- Paxton: Wait, wait. I thought there were no open rape cases matching this M.O.
- Stabler: There aren't, maybe the victims didn't report it. My gut is telling me that he's done it before.
- Paxton: (under her breath) Or maybe it's your acid reflux.
Background information and notes[]
- This is the first season since season 1 where the opening credits do not feature an ADA serving as a series regular.
- This episode marked the new day and time which was forced on the program by The Jay Leno Show taking up all the weekday 10:00 pm timeslots. The Wednesday, 9:00 pm slot would be the first time original broadcasts had aired pre-safe harbor (10:00 pm E/P, 9:00 pm Central) since the first nine episodes of season one aired in the original Monday, 9:00 pm slot.
- Crew Transitions: Story editor Mick Betancourt becomes a full-fledged member of the writing team and a co-producer, Daniel Truly moves from supervising producer to co-executive producer, and Michael Ciliento moves from script coordinator to part of the writing team as an associate producer.
- Goof: When Spencer shows the picture of Benson from April 12, 2007 outside a convenience store on security cam, it can be made clear that is not a picture of Benson from the year 2007 as Benson had a different hairstyle in April 2007 as well as her facial features looking different in 2007.
Episode scene cards[]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
120 East 115th Street |
Domingo Deli & Grocery |
London Meats |
Residence of |
| 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|
|
Residence of |
772 Washington Street |
Residence of |
| Previous episode: "Zebras" |
"Unstable" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 11 |
Next episode: "Sugar" |