Video Killed The Radio Star

"Video Killed The Radio Star"
←	SVU, Episode 23.14	→
Production number: 23014 First aired (US): 3 March 2022 First aired (UK): 15 August 2022 First aired (CAN): 3 March 2022 First aired (AUS): 26 May 2022
	th of 502 produced in SVU
←	th of 502 released in SVU	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Teleplay By Denis Hamill & Monet Hurst-Mendoza Story By Warren Leight & Julie Martin Directed By Alex Zakrzewski

Summary

Benson investigates allegations against a popular radio personality. Rollins goes undercover when a shocking confession leads to another crime.

Plot

Benson accompanies Trevor Langan to a fundraiser gala for the New York Adoption League. While there, she meets the host of gala, radio personality Robert Flynn. As Flynn works away around the gala, he runs into Mitch and Ellen Kaplan. Ellen is then groped by Flynn at a photo op, then isolated by Flynn while she was helping with supplies. She vehemently tried to make Flynn keep a distance even by simple "no"s, but Flynn said "nobody says no to" him and raped Ellen. She was so shaken she could barely hold her purse, but she lied that she was fine just to get home.

She told Mitch about being groped when they got back, and because he knew Flynn harassed his business partners' wives, Mitch was both riddled with guilt and furiously hoping to report Flynn. Going straight to Special Victims, Mitch insisted he wanted Flynn arrested, but Ellen privately disclosed the rape to Benson and warned Mitch was overprotective to the point he could get violent with people who threatened his loved ones. She wanted no scenes from an investigation, especially not from Flynn slandering her on live radio.

A sting revealed Flynn also killed his business partner, Kenneth Cross, threatening and presumably sexually abusing Ken's widow Lola Simenon because Flynn had his sights on her while Ken and Lola were running their own couple's scam on him. When Lola was convinced to fake a hit taken out on her, this was enough for Flynn's arrest. Ellen personally told Mitch about the rape before Flynn went to arraignment and then posted bail.

Flynn goes on a disparaging rant against Rollins while Benson wants to change the station but Rollins has them stay to hear Flynn. As he voices how NYPD has a vendetta against him, he notices a visitor. It is Mitch Kaplan who has heard of Flynn raping his wife and has come with a gun to confront him. Flynn is unfazed, while announcing to his viewers that Kaplan has come and is armed. SVU realizes that he wants revenge and Fin tries to have police go to the station to stop Kaplan.

Flynn continues to believe Kaplan does not have the guts to shoot him, as Kaplan voices that he is wrong and warns him not to move but Flynn gets up to call his bluff only to be proven wrong when Kaplan shoots him in the chest. SVU are horrified to witness Kaplan telling the bleeding Flynn that was for him and the next is for his wife, before he shoots him again. Kaplan proceeds to place the gun down and leave the scene while SVU witness Flynn succumbing to his bullet wounds.

Cast

Main cast

• Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
• Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
• Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin Tutuola
• Peter Scanavino as A.D.A. Dominick Carisi, Jr.
• Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco

Recurring cast

• Peter Hermann as Attorney Trevor Langan
• Mark D. Friedman as Attorney Roger Parnes
• Sue Kim as Detective Emily Ling

Guest cast

• Jake Weber as Robert Flynn
• Laura Kai Chen as Ellen Kaplan
• Diane Farr as Lola Simenon
• Jim True-Frost as Mitch Kaplan
• Steve Schronko as Mr. Weinstock
• Lexy Griffin-Bellamy as Volunteer

References

• Kenneth Cross
• Tommy McGrath
• COVID-19 pandemic

Quotes

quotes

Background Information and Notes

• The title of this episode is a reference to the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.
• Benson accompanies Trevor Langan to a fundraiser for New York Adoption League, a charity that helps adoptive parents. Langan was the lawyer who represented Noah Porter-Benson's interests while she was trying to adopt him, beginning in the episode "Spring Awakening".
  • Rollins asks if Benson had a good time at the gala, and she replies that she did. Rollins had suggested the two could date in the episode "Spring Awakening" as well. At that point, Benson had a more antagonistic relationship with Langan and was more dismissive of the idea.
  • In real life, the two actors playing them, Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, are married and have two adopted children of their own.
• The episode was dedicated to actor Ned Eisenberg who had died on February 27, 2022, a few days before the episode aired in the U.S. He had a recurring role on SVU as Attorney Roger Kressler, though he also played various other characters throughout the Law & Order franchise.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3	4	5
Crosby Books 99 Crosby Street Monday, January 31	NYPD Cold Case Squad Brooklyn, New York Tuesday, February 1	Home Recording Studio of Bob Flynn 29 Gansevoort Street Tuesday, February 1	Apartment of Lola Simenon 146 East 82nd Street Wednesday, February 2	Mercer Street Soho Thursday, February 3

Previous episode: "If I Knew Then What I Know Now"

"Video Killed The Radio Star" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 23

Next episode: "Promising Young Gentlemen"