Law & Order: Special Victims Unit/Season 17

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–present) is a long-running crime drama, part of the popular Law & Order franchise created by Dick Wolf. The show focuses on the Special Victims Unit, a special squad dealing with sex crimes and crimes against children.

Devil's Dissections [17.01]

Barba: Rollins, all due respect...

Rollins: Don't start a sentence that way.

Barba: Yates wants to touch his fiancee Susie Frain? Hasn't he "touched" enough women already?

Benson: Look, they've been together 20 years. He's never hurt Susie.

Barba: And she's okay with conjugal visits?

Benson: She called about it twice.

Rollins: Every pot has a lid.

Benson: Lovely.

Criminal Pathology [17.02]

Hencamp: So, you got a cross-dressing rapist murderer in your M.E.'s office. You guys down in New York City sure are progressive.

Dr. Rudnick: A young man like yourself, working at SVU... it has to be depressing.

Sonny: You work in a morgue.

Dr. Rudnick: I find peace in that. I bring closure to people.

Sonny: Yeah, when you're not killing them.

Dr. Rudnick: Well, death, in its way, is the ultimate closure.

Rollins: Is that a confession?

Transgender Bridge [17.03]

Sonny: Is she conscious?

Officer: In and out. And she's not a she.

Rollins: Transgender?

Officer: Boy dressed as a girl? That makes him... her a special victim, right?

Sonny: Yeah. Good call.

Avery: I was taking pictures on the bridge, when they surrounded me.

Sonny: Avery, can you describe them?

Avery: Black. My age. They were giving me the look.

Sonny: What look is that?

Avery': The "freak needs to learn a lesson" look. I tried to go, but they started saying stuff.

Benson: What were they saying?

Avery: Tranny. He-she, my personal fave. I told them to leave me alone. One grabbed my skirt, another my camera. I was pushed, and I tripped on my heels.

Benson: Avery, can you remember anything else about the boys? Anything they said or they did?

Avery: It was all a blur of shoving. People laughing, taking video.

Parker: This isn't the first time. And the local precinct never follows up.

Benson: We will. We take this very seriously. I give you my word, Mr. Parker.

Institutional Fail [17.04]

[Fin finds Manuela strung out and begging on a street corner]

Fin: Manuela Azuna?

Manuela: What you got?

Fin: We got your kids. Get up!

Manuela: What do you mean? They're my kids! I'm their mother!

Fin: That's what you tell yourself?

Barba: Are you the most incompetent manager in the world who can't tell the difference between a false report and a legitimate one? Or did you instruct case workers to falsify reports to meet productivity goals?

D'Angelo: Objection! Badgering!

Judge Defecco: I'll allow. The witness will answer.

Barba: So which is it, Miss Grayson?

Janette: I didn't want any of this to happen.

Barba: You didn't want to advance your career by ignoring innocent children's pain and death, or you didn't wanna get caught?

D'Angelo: Objection!

Janette: I'm asked to do what the courts can't do. What the cops can't do.

Barba: You are asked to do your job!

Janette: Oh! GOD himself could not do this job!

D'Angelo: We need a recess, your honor.

Janette: You wanna judge me? You wouldn't last an hour in my world. And if I go, who's gonna be on the front lines? [points at Barba] You?! [points at the judge] You?!

D'Angelo: Your honor!

Janette: I mean, you dump the most hapless cases in the world on us every day! More and more! We get the dregs of humanity, children raised by WOLVES! And you see them come in this court in and out, week in and week out. They come to you as criminals. Do ya ever stop to think: "Gee, what happened before that?"?

Judge Defecco: Miss Grayson, do you need a break?

Janette: Oh! Now you wanna gimme a break? After 25 years of "Make your quota, Janette!" "Push that paper!" "Hit those numbers!" Right, Matt? Right? It's impossible! And everybody knows it. You all know it. But you wanna scapegoat me. You wanna make me feel bad. You wanna take me down so you can feel better about yourselves. See? 'Cause you pretended like you don't know that there are poor people out there in the city. Broken people. You don't turn away from the homeless guy on the subway? 'Course you do. Everybody does, 'cause it's too much. You wanna put me in jail for this? Look in the mirror, my friend. Look in the damn mirror.

Community Policing [17.05]

Barba: I have to convene a grand jury. The DA says it's my last chance to work my way back into the good graces of City Hall.

Benson: So they're hanging you out to dry.

Barba: Politicians want an indictment, DA wants an indictment. If I fail to get it, it's on me.

Benson: So you'll push for one, even though those officers were just doing their jobs?

Barba: Their jobs? They fired at an unarmed college student 35 times.

Benson: We were in hot pursuit of a dangerous rapist. Terrence matched the BOLO down to his jersey, he ran...

Barba: A black man in a basketball jersey runs when he gets stopped by the police? You're right, he deserves the death penalty.

Benson: That's not what I'm saying.

Barba: It's not?

Barba: The grand jury starts tomorrow. My advice: Make sure your guys, and your guys especially, tell the truth in their own words. If they sound coached or too legalistic...

Captain Reece: They'll do fine. It's a tragedy...

Benson: ... but it was a good shoot.

Barba: Tom Wolfe was right - sooner or later, all cops become Irish.

Maternal Instincts [17.06]

Rollins: My sister. The gift that keeps on giving.

Rollins: Mom, you gotta talk to Kim. She is making a mistake.

Beth Anne: She is? You're the one who had her arrested. You used me to set up my own daughter! If you hadn't, she'd be safe and sound and outta town.

Rollins: If we hadn't found Kim, her pimp could have killed her.

Beth Anne: What are you talking about? She handled that man just fine.

Rollins: But...

Beth Anne: Kim can take care of herself. This was about you.

Rollins: What are you talking about?

Beth Anne: You chose your work over your family, just like you always have!

Rollins: Can we not do this now?

Beth Anne: No, let's not do this at all.

Rollins: What do you mean?

Beth Anne: I'm sorry, darlin'. I came up here to help you, but it's quite clear you know what you're doing. I'd just be in the way.

Rollins: Okay, so what, you're gonna leave?

Beth Anne: I'll be back for your sister's trial, and maybe by then, you will have finally learned the value of family.

Patrimonial Burden [17.07]

Eldon: On the advice of counsel, the Bakers won't be speaking to you anymore. They've gone back upstate.

Fin: That's OK, Pastor - we want you.

Eldon: Oh?

Dodds: In July, when Lane was on her mission trip, you were with her?

Eldon: I was.

Fin: You spend time alone?

Eldon: So that's where you're going with this.

Fin: Any reason why we shouldn't?

Eldon: Respect. Basic human decency. That's not to say I don't understand where you're coming from. People like the Bakers and me, we scare you. The values that we espouse, our faith. You live in Gomorrah. When men of God come and preach love for the Scripture, it threatens you people to the core.

Dodds: You think this is religious persecution?

Eldon: Well, you said, it, not me. But I have seen it before. Every time I leave New York, I think, "Just keep going. Don't look back." But there is too much work to be done, too many souls to minister to.

Fin: Like you ministered to Lane?

Eldon: OK, I've had enough of this.

Dodds: Not quite. We're gonna need a DNA sample.

Fin: Since you didn't do the deed, you shouldn't have any problem giving us one.

Eldon: Well, I believe you need a warrant for that.

Fin: [pulls out a warrant] Ask, and ye shall receive.

Fin: Well, Dodds, do you still think this was a waste of time?

Dodds: No, I get it, it's just that I thought SVU would be taking rapists off the street, not out of churches.

Benson: For what it's worth, Dodds, most rapists don't hunt on the street. They hunt where they're trusted.

Melancholy Pursuit [17.08]

Benson: [about Gary] He lawyer up yet?

Fin: Not yet, but we don't need his statement.

Sonny: We know it's him. We got the DNA, Lily's blood, fibers from the moving blankets, ratchet straps in the van...

Dodds: Yeah, but we don't know why.

Fin: There's never a good answer to that question.

Benson: Paperwork can wait.

Dodds: Yeah. Lily's parents... they're never gonna get over this, are they?

Benson: Losing a child? No.

Dodds: You have a kid. That's gotta make this job harder.

Benson: Yeah, it does. You know, Dodds, I'm gonna tell you something that I wish somebody had told me after my first tough case. Go home, talk to somebody you love, and don't make this job your whole life.

Depravity Standard [17.09]

Sonny: Lisa Hassler. Wow. Her old man is a legend.

Barba: Yeah. She's still trying to impress him. He's been dead for 11 years.

Barba: [to Benson] Lewis Hodda may walk if Hassler can make it look like your emotions are getting in the way of your police work, which is what they're doing right now. I need you to sit your ass down and work with me.

Benson: Fine. Start working.

Catfishing Teacher [17.10]

Rollins: Look, thank you so much for meeting me for lunch. I have been going stir crazy on maternity leave.

Sonny: How's being a mom?

Rollins: You were right. It's... it's the greatest thing ever.

O'Dwyer: Do you usually encourage your suspects to get a lawyer?

Dodds: This is on us. We pushed this kid to testify.

O'Dwyer: That's not what he did.

Benson: He was trying to get a confession. He was molested by the man that he killed.

O'Dwyer: He planned this. He tortured that man, he left him to die, and was glad to hear that he bled out in pain. It was premeditated.

Dodds: You're gonna charge him with 1st degree murder? That's 25 years!

O'Dwyer: His lawyer can plead for leniency at sentencing.

Benson: His life will be over!

O'Dwyer: Lieutenant, his life was over at 15.

Townhouse Incident [17.11]

Dodds: Anybody use a heavy bag in the weight room? I brought my gloves.

Fin: You box?

Dodds: Yeah. The Golden Gloves, some Pro Am. You?

Fin: [grins] I don't wanna hurt you.

Tucker: How about, as an act of good faith, you release the kids?

Joe: How about I don't shoot them right this second, huh? There's your good faith!

A Misunderstanding [17.12]

Dodds: They made Chris look like Harry Potter.

Benson: We've seen this before. The nerd defense.

Ellen: [to Abby] Do you understand that you're ruining my son's life?

Benson: Hey, you need to stop talking.

Ellen: A woman cop like you, you always take the girl's side, don't you?

Benson: That's not what's happening here.

Ellen: Yeah, well, I've seen it. The sweet little girl becomes the victim and then the boy is made out to be a brute. And do you why that is? Because teenage girls are better liars!

Benson: The world is changing. We need new rules.

Forty-One Witnesses [17.13]

Henderson: You need my client's testimony. According to the Daily News, no one in the victim's apartment saw anything.

Barba: Okay, so which is it: He was there but didn't participate, or he wasn't there? What about his friends? Won't they have sob stories too?

Henderson: I gave you an opportunity to wrap this up, but if the guilty need to walk for my client to walk, so be it.

Barba: [about Doug] I'm not even sure that putting this guy on the stand is a great idea.

Sonny: What, you got a better one?

Barba: He's worse than all the others, and that's no easy task.

Benson: Barba...

Benson: At least they admitted that they were there.

Sonny: Okay, look, we're here now. He was there that night. He's the only person close enough to see their faces, to see what they did to her.

Barba: And the jury believes him because...?

Sonny: Because I went over his story, backwards and forwards, alright? He never varied. He had a spot-on description of each suspect. Now, maybe he's a coward, yeah. But he's credible.

Barba: So, good memory, no morality. Fantastic.

Nationwide Manhunt [17.14]

Dr. Rudnick: People say life is short, but in fact, life is, mostly of course, very long. You want to stay in your best shape.

Rollins: I hate being coddled. I mean what, I have a baby and all of a sudden I can't talk to serial killers anymore.

Patrolman: [about Rudnick and Yates] How bad are these guys?

Barba: Think Robert Durst and Ted Bundy on the run together.

Collateral Damages [17.15]

Rollins: Stay in this job long enough, all your heroes die.

Benson: An attaboy from Hank Abraham?

Barba: Cue the apocalypse.

[Abraham has been arrested for possessing child pornography]

Pippa: I married him. I slept with him for 12 years. I didn't know he was sick. No radar went off. How blind am I? How stupid?

Pippa: Does this ever stop getting worse?

Benson: No. Not until your husband accepts where he is.

Star-Struck Victims [17.16]

D'Amico: All I know is that when I was there, it was totally consensual.

Dodds: The video shows Noel stayed a few minutes after you left.

D'Amico: I'm sure that whatever he did, she wanted him to do.

Benson: Okay, so, how can you be sure? What did she say, exactly, when Noel walked in?

D'Amico: Her exact words?

Benson: Yes.

D'Amico: I don't know. Her head was in my lap.

Sonny: Hey, counselor, you got a second?

Barba: Not really. I've got 15 minutes before I have to face a firing squad.

Manhattan Transfer [17.17]

Barba: Monsignor Mulregan's visit was not a social call. He has made some very serious allegations.

Benson: Yeah. Against Father Eugene.

Barba: No. Against Tucker.

Benson: Allegations against Tucker? What did the monsignor say, exactly?

Barba: He said that he and Father Eugene went to Tucker a year ago. That they had information that Vice was running some of their students. Father Eugene even violated the seal of the confessional to provide evidence.

Benson: He claims that?

Barba: They also named Russo and Jefferson. And Tucker buried it.

Benson: And he's telling you this now? This is about protecting Father Eugene. I was there, at that church, when Tucker confronted him. I thought he was gonna rip his head off.

Barba: I don't know. I don't know. I mean, maybe... maybe... maybe that's what he wanted you to think.

Benson: No, Ed is not capable of that.

Barba: Since when? I thought SVU hated this guy. He's gone after each and every one of you.

Benson: That's his job. He has to be relentless. You're wrong about him. Trust me.

Barba: Wait... are you involved with him?

Benson: Don't ask me that.

Barba: When were you gonna tell me? I am informing you that a captain at IAB may be involved in a sex trafficking ring, and you don't mention that the two of you are sleeping together?

Benson: You're wrong about him. Bring him in here, ask him yourself.

Barba: You and I are done talking.

Dodds: Is everything all right?

Benson: Oh, I'm fine.

Dodds: Lieutenant, what's going on?

Benson: You'd know better than me.

Dodds: Did something happen?

Benson: You're telling me that you didn't know?

Dodds: Know what?

Benson: That I'm out. Effective immediately. Uh, Carisi, Rollins, as of now, Sergeant Dodds is acting commander of SVU, so... congratulations. [pause] That's it. You're dismissed.

Unholiest Alliance [17.18]

Father Eugene: You can't imagine... [choking up] You can't imagine how many times I have knelt, and prayed to be relieved of this weakness!

Sonny: Yes, I can, and I'm sure you prayed more when the Monsignor used that weakness to blackmail you.

Father Eugene: I knew what they were doing to those girls. I should have protected them, and now it's too late.

Sonny: No it's not. You're standing right here in front of Him.

Father Eugene: Am I? I can't see... I'm so blind to Him. I've been blind to Him since before you were even born.

Sonny: Well, He's here now, Father, and He sees you. So you look up, and you tell Him how truly sorry you are. You ask for His forgiveness, and He will look into your heart, and He will forgive you.

[The detectives pore over 20 years' worth of evidence of the Monsignor's sex trafficking ring]

Fin: Why keep all this?

Sonny: Because they're Catholics. They don't get rid of anything, they just bury it.

Sheltered Outcasts [17.19]

Benson: This is Mr. Zimmerman. He represents one of our visitors.

Zimmerman: Two of them, actually. Greg Searle is one of mine. And if you think he's your rape suspect, you're wrong. It's not his profile. He's an ephebophile. Means he goes for younger girls.

Rollins: [rolls her eyes] That's a wonderful argument.

Flores: Richie Caskey. One of our success stories. Cover boy for parolee magazine. [Sonny and Rollins look at her skeptically] Or maybe not. What did he do?

Rollins: You don't seem surprised that he might have done something.

Flores: 20 years, 4000 cons... if one of them turned into a mermaid, I might be surprised.

Fashionable Crimes [17.20]

Fin: [about Alvin's work] Is this art or porn?

Dodds: Depends on how much you pay for it.

Barba: He was shot once in the chest, once in the groin?

Benson: Well, the M.E. thought that the shot in the groin was first.

Barba: Of course it was. Somebody wanted Alvin to have a couple seconds to think about who shot him and what his life would be like without his pecker. [Benson looks confused] Vonnegut? [Benson shrugs] Slaughterhouse-Five.

Assaulting Reality [17.21]

Barba: This girl didn't realize she was raped until she saw it on live TV?

Benson: I know, I know.

Barba: I get the "she said". What's the "he said"?

Melanie: I don't know what I'm gonna do when I get home. I feel lost.

Benson: That's normal. It takes time, Melanie. But you will get through this, I promise.

Intersecting Lives [17.22]

Charisse: Until today, Gary just... would make me go down on him, but I said I didn't want to do that anymore; I was back with my boyfriend. He got mad. He hit me. And then he raped me.

Benson: How many times did this happen?

Charisse: I don't keep count. At least once a week since I got out. I'm on his route. I thought it was bad enough when I was inside.

Fin: Did he assault you in Rikers?

Charisse: He never hurt me, but when he'd take me back from a visit, he'd make a stop in the chapel.

Fin: There are no cameras there.

Charisse: He knows what he's doing. He'd say "You do me a favor, I do you one."

Benson: Meaning?

Charisse: Meaning I get to see my kids. Don't get stripped searched, thrown into solitary. Don't get my teeth knocked in.

Benson: Did you report this?

Charisse: In Rikers? The COs and the gangs run that place. Every female inmate there knows that. Every time he'd do me, he'd say "Cry all you want, but you're just a broke, black crack whore. Who's gonna believe you?".

Benson: I do, Charisse.

Charisse: I'm not testifying against Munson.

Rollins: You just told me he raped you.

Charisse: Cost of doing business in Rikers.

Rollins: It doesn't have to include rape.

Charisse: Really, Elsa? When's the last time your white ass got locked up?

Man: Barba, you don't know me or who I am, but we know a lot about you. Things people would want to know.

Barba: Is that a threat?

Man: A threat? No. A threat would be, right here, right how, I push you down these steps, get your skull cracked open, bleeding to death.

Barba: Really? In front of all these people? Maybe they wouldn't be able to save me, but they'd sure as hell catch you. Alright, amigito, tell you what - you wanna murder a DA right here, surrounded by all these cops and cameras? Spend the rest of your life in prison? Here. Here's my home address. You come by anytime you want.

[the man leaves]

Benson: Hey. Everything all right?

Barba: Not really. Someone just threatened to kill me.

Benson: What?

Dodds: Who was it?

Barba: Just a face in the crowd. Tell the squad to watch their backs. This is just the beginning.

Heartfelt Passages [17.23]

Dodds: Lisa Munson. Is she all right?

Deputy Chief Dodds: She is, thanks to you.

Dodds: [grunts in pain] Ow. I blew it, dad.

Deputy Chief Dodds: No, no, no, you didn't.

Dodds: I didn't search the guy. I should have known better.

Deputy Chief Dodds: You saved a woman and her two children. You know, after this, you can put the hero thing aside for a while.

Dodds: Whatever you say, pop-pop. I bet you're pretty pissed off at me right now.

Deputy Chief Dodds: 'Cause you got yourself shot?

Dodds: No, 'cause you had to call mom.

[Mike has died during surgery]

Deputy Chief Dodds: His last day at SVU, he does this. He knew better. He's known since he was six, since I was a beat cop. DV is the most dangerous situation in the world. What the hell was he thinking?

Benson: That he wanted to be like his father. A hero.

Benson: If I could do it again, I... I wouldn't have left him in that house. I have more experience. Maybe I could've talked to him...

Dr. Lindstrom: Talked Munson out of it? Or overpowered a 6'8" man with a gun and nothing to live for? You said there were two children there. You got them out. They have their mother.

Benson: And Chief Dodds doesn't have his son. Why does he deserve that?

Dr. Lindstrom: Or do you mean why do you deserve to live when Dodds is dead? You've got to mourn this loss, but you cannot judge yourself for feeling relieved that you survived.

Benson: I can't?

Dr. Lindstrom: You are lucky to be alive, and Noah is lucky that you are. But that is not why you left that house. I know you think you know everything, but no one could have predicted what was going to happen there. It was Dodds' time. It wasn't yours.

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit