In the newest episode of NBC's Law & Order: SVU, a military colleague of Detective Amaro's wife reports his fourteen year old daughter missing. The detectives quickly find the girl working as a prostitute under a possessive pimp. They then set up a sting operation to entrap Johns on rape charges with a minor, and arrest aging former pro quarterback, Jake Stanton. Detective Benson and ADA Cabot seek to make an example out of the football legend, but the case is thrown into chaos with the return of cunning defense attorney Bayard Ellis, who questions Stanton's mental capacity after years of injuries on the field.
This episode harkened back to many things that this show has done well throughout its years on TV. The hour was able to encapsulate an intertwining case that never felt rushed or boring. Many will probably liken this episode to "True Believers" - the best episode so far from this season - for two reasons; 1. The inclusion of Andre Braugher as defense attorney Bayard Ellis and 2. The emotional depth and performance felt consistently throughout the hour. It also brought Detective Benson back to form as an officer who sees the grey areas in all of the cases.
While previous episodes focused on the main detectives as each case emotional touches them, the majority of this one was shown with emphasis on the accused, Jake Stanton, as he spiraled out of control. In the beginning, we saw the morally good as the police and DA's office wanted to use Vicky's situation as a way to trap and prosecute Johns as well as send a message to the rest of the city. But as always the show drew into the morally ambiguous areas as each character was unsure with how to handle their current situation.
I love how in this episode the writers proved that they're not writing Bayard Ellis as a sort of one-note and -dimensional character. In his first appearance, he was confident in the accusations he made as he challenged the system. This case actually took him aback and tested his strengths and pursuits as a lawyer. He was puzzled and didn't know how to handle a character like Jake Stanton in a way that would give him his best defense. He didn't choose this case, Olivia gave it to him but despite accusations of going for the big public cases he kept her secret. The dynamic between Bayard and Olivia is of mutual respect. They both recognize that the other is great at what they do but they have to act in what is in the best interest of their clients. Olivia saw that Jake's issues were real and made sure that he wouldn't be found accountable for his actions.
Jake Stanton was a phenomenal tragic character. The seeds of his illness and demise were planted early on and as they grew things kept getting out of control until he put an end to them. His wife had to say that he gets worse as the day progresses in order for Ellis' bombardment of questions to have a bigger emotional impact. It was also wonderful how his story paralleled other characters and the issues they have or will face this season. Jake's marital revelation upon the conclusion of the trial coincided with Det. Amaro being unsure of his wife's faithfulness. His increasing confusion showcased the uncertainty of his future as well as those of the detectives as they go forward. It was a great stylistic approach to follow Jake for the majority of the episode. His scenes with Ellis and his wife were detrimental to the overall effect of the episode and some writers probably wouldn't have gone there since there were no "series regulars" in the scenes.
As a final remark, there is a deleted scene posted on nbc.com (click here to see it) that would have been at the very end of the episode. I personally think that this should have been included in the final cut. The scene shows Olivia as her contemplative self as well as Bayard's human self questioning whether or not he did the best thing. It also perfectly played with the idea that Jake did have the dementia and yet he remembered and was smart enough to shoot himself in the chest so his brain could be used for research.
In the end, this was a wonderful and intriguing episode of television. Yes, the long openings are starting to get a little irksome but this show continues to impress with its talented cast and its ability to create compelling characters that are wonderfully brought to life by perfectly cast actors.
This episode harkened back to many things that this show has done well throughout its years on TV. The hour was able to encapsulate an intertwining case that never felt rushed or boring. Many will probably liken this episode to "True Believers" - the best episode so far from this season - for two reasons; 1. The inclusion of Andre Braugher as defense attorney Bayard Ellis and 2. The emotional depth and performance felt consistently throughout the hour. It also brought Detective Benson back to form as an officer who sees the grey areas in all of the cases.While previous episodes focused on the main detectives as each case emotional touches them, the majority of this one was shown with emphasis on the accused, Jake Stanton, as he spiraled out of control. In the beginning, we saw the morally good as the police and DA's office wanted to use Vicky's situation as a way to trap and prosecute Johns as well as send a message to the rest of the city. But as always the show drew into the morally ambiguous areas as each character was unsure with how to handle their current situation.
I love how in this episode the writers proved that they're not writing Bayard Ellis as a sort of one-note and -dimensional character. In his first appearance, he was confident in the accusations he made as he challenged the system. This case actually took him aback and tested his strengths and pursuits as a lawyer. He was puzzled and didn't know how to handle a character like Jake Stanton in a way that would give him his best defense. He didn't choose this case, Olivia gave it to him but despite accusations of going for the big public cases he kept her secret. The dynamic between Bayard and Olivia is of mutual respect. They both recognize that the other is great at what they do but they have to act in what is in the best interest of their clients. Olivia saw that Jake's issues were real and made sure that he wouldn't be found accountable for his actions.
Jake Stanton was a phenomenal tragic character. The seeds of his illness and demise were planted early on and as they grew things kept getting out of control until he put an end to them. His wife had to say that he gets worse as the day progresses in order for Ellis' bombardment of questions to have a bigger emotional impact. It was also wonderful how his story paralleled other characters and the issues they have or will face this season. Jake's marital revelation upon the conclusion of the trial coincided with Det. Amaro being unsure of his wife's faithfulness. His increasing confusion showcased the uncertainty of his future as well as those of the detectives as they go forward. It was a great stylistic approach to follow Jake for the majority of the episode. His scenes with Ellis and his wife were detrimental to the overall effect of the episode and some writers probably wouldn't have gone there since there were no "series regulars" in the scenes.
As a final remark, there is a deleted scene posted on nbc.com (click here to see it) that would have been at the very end of the episode. I personally think that this should have been included in the final cut. The scene shows Olivia as her contemplative self as well as Bayard's human self questioning whether or not he did the best thing. It also perfectly played with the idea that Jake did have the dementia and yet he remembered and was smart enough to shoot himself in the chest so his brain could be used for research.
In the end, this was a wonderful and intriguing episode of television. Yes, the long openings are starting to get a little irksome but this show continues to impress with its talented cast and its ability to create compelling characters that are wonderfully brought to life by perfectly cast actors.
