Law & Order: Special Victims Unit/Season 18

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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.

Terrorized [18.01]

Barba: The rape claim has nothing to with the terrorism charges. It could make her more sympathetic in the eyes of the jury. Raise the question of whether she was really a willing participant in the crime.

Chief Dodds: Put the brakes on the rape investigation for now, 'til the trial is over. Let the defense claim rape all they want.

Benson: I understand that there is something bigger at play here, I really do. I get it. But I'm not sure that should matter.

Chief Dodds: Are you serious?

Benson: With all due respect, Chief, I can't not do this. I'm just trying to do my job.

Chief Dodds: With all due respect, you doing your job cost my son his life!

[Dodds pauses for a minute, stunned by what he has just said. He leaves the room, overwhelmed]

Barba: He didn't mean it.

Benson: Sure he did. He's not wrong, either.

Rollins: Where were you two mornings ago?

Sidran: I was home in bed 'till 8:30, and then I went to work.

Rollins: So you weren't at Luka's apartment?

Sidran: No.

Benson: So you didn't have sex with her that morning?

Sidran: Of course not.

Benson: So those scars and those bruises on her stomach and on her legs and on her back.

Rollins: Is that the belt you used on her?

[Sidran remains silent]

Benson: Hey, she asked you a question.

Sidran: I want a lawyer.

Benson: Okay. But you're going down with or without a lawyer.

Sidran: Ana is a terrorist, and a tramp. Do you really think anyone cares about her?

Benson: I do. [nods to Rollins] And so does she. And trust me, that's enough.

Chief Dodds: Are you a cop or a defense lawyer?

Benson: I did what I thought was right.

Chief Dodds: You are aware that our goal is to win this case?

Benson: I am. What did you want me to do? Perjure myself?

Chief Dodds: I just got done talking to the chief, the D.A., and the mayor. They're livid. Already looking for a head to serve up on a shiny, silver platter. They stuck their necks out with the feds just to get this case. Losing is not an option. So please, pretend you're on our side, not theirs.

Making a Rapist [18.02]

Vice President Joe Biden: My dad used to have an expression. He said "The greatest sin any person can commit is the abuse of power." And the greatest abuse of power is rape. It takes a woman a long time to heal. And when the victim isn't believed, when she goes through the invasive process of having a rape kit put together, and then it's stuck on a shelf somewhere, and then the rape kit is never, ever tested, we fail. We fail her. We fail so many women. I'm proud to say today we did not fail. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of law enforcement, the whole legal system, the victim's advocacy groups, and particularly my friend here, Lieutenant Olivia Benson of SVU. Congratulations, Lieutenant.

Benson: Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Vice President, we are so honored to stand here today with you to announce that in beginning to clear the national rape kit backlog, we have taken rapists off the streets. We have prevented future crimes. We have given victims closure. And we have also righted a terrible wrong. Sixteen years ago, Sean Roberts was convicted of a rape here in New York City that he did not commit. By processing an untested rape kit in Detroit, we were able to identify the real rapist and set Sean free.

Benson: How are you?

Fin: I'm good. Bad guy went down, that's all that matters.

Benson: Well, if you ever feel like talking...

Fin: Talking's overrated.

Barba: Justice sure isn't pretty some days.

Benson: Damn ugly this time.

Imposter [18.03]

Carisi: [hits the malfunctioning printer in frustration] Come on!

Fin: You got to hit that thing harder, man.

Carisi: You know what's overrated? Wireless....and putting lemon in water. I don't get that. [reads printed document] So Justin says that his mother was spending time with some guy who works in the Office of Admissions of Hudson University. I got 27 males in that department, 19 women.

Fin: Takes all those people to look at applications and say "yes" or "no"?

Fin: Just being real, lying to have sex is just part of the game. I mean, back in the day, I pretended to be Melle Mel's cousin one night. You trying to tell me that was rape?

Benson: Things have changed, Fin.

Fin: Not that much.

Benson: I'm doing the right thing.

Barba: I know. That's what worries me.

Staines: My client isn't perfect. Truth is, he isn't even decent.

Heightened Emotions [18.04]

Prostitute: [about Wheeler] He thought if he was paying, he could do whatever he wanted.

Sonny: So he did things you didn't want?

Prostitute: Something like that.

Sonny: Was he rough?

Prostitute: Real rough. I mean, that was part of his thing. Hitting, slapping. The more you said no, the more he liked it.

Fin: Did you call the police?

Prostitute: Cops? Why?

Fin: Because he raped you!

Prostitute: No such thing in this line of work.

Sonny: That was rough, a husband finding out his wife's a prostitute.

Benson: Every relationship has secrets, Carisi.

Sonny: That's why I'm happy I'm single.

Kim: [about her bipolar disorder] It makes sense: all the highs and the lows, and... I've been on meds for a year. Sure, there's downfalls. Sometimes I miss the manic energy. But for the first time in my life I feel really good about myself.

Rollins: You didn't tell me.

Kim: You didn't ask, Amanda.

Rape Interrupted [18.05]

Barba: He lied to save your ass. In my world, that gets you disbarred.

Benson: Yeah, in my world, it gets you a promotion.

Patrick: He is my son. He is 22 years old. He graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth, he has a six figure job and you want to destroy his life because he had sex with some drunk girl?

Benson: I'm sorry, Patrick. If there was something I could have done...

Patrick: There was. You chose not to do it. I went to bat for you!

Benson: And the truth is, I wish you hadn't. I wish you had just told the truth.

Broken Rhymes [18.06]

Hype: Nice suit, homey. What is that? Zegna? Armani?

Carisi: Caprizio. Lives two blocks from where I grew up on Staten Island.

Fin: Hype's an up-and-coming rapper, hardcore at that.

Rollins: So he's lying to protect his image.

Fin: Or his career. This style of rap, it's all about reputation, it's all about street cred. For him to tell his fans he's in love with a transgender woman... they'd laugh at him. His whole brand would go up in smoke.

Benson: It's 2016, for God's sake.

Fin: Not for people selling gangsta rap.

Carisi: Or for some of my relatives.

Rollins: Or mine, too.

Benson: Look, I understand that this is hard, but your daughter needs to start telling the truth.

Liza: She's not going to testify. I'm not going to risk her safety over some...

Benson: Some what? Some freak?

Liza: She's just a kid. It's not her fault some man in a dress got attacked.

Benson: Her name is Eva. She's an art student who lives with her family, with her parents, Nina and Mark. The mother is a fifth grade teacher, and the father is an electrician. And if you continue to interfere with our investigation or encourage your daughter to lie, I will arrest you. Am I making myself clear?

Benson: Three lives destroyed, and all because some woman named Eva was born a boy.

Next Chapter [18.07]

Sonny: [about Wilson] Maybe he really did find God in the can and worked all that dark, ugly stuff out of his system.

Benson: It's possible, but prison usually changes you for the worse, not the better, unfortunately.

Sonny: Like bein' a cop.

Benson: Who are you, and what have you done with Carisi? You really feel that way?

Sonny: Talk to me in 20 years.

Benson: I will, and you'll realize that the job doesn't change you. It makes you more of who you are.

Engel: I wasn't stalking her, for God's sake, not in a creepy way.

Rollins: There's no other way to stalk someone.

Rollins: So the stalker was being stalked. Is that ironic, or just weird?

Benson: Both.

Chasing Theo [18.08]

Rollins: Why'd you run?

[Sonny pulls a gun out of Norton's pants]

Sonny: Maybe because of this?

Fin: Is that registered?

Norton: I think I should call my lawyer.

Rollins: I'll take that as a "no".

Sonny: I know what you're thinking, Amanda, and you're wrong. You're a great mother.

Rollins: I'm not so sure.

Sonny: Well, I am.

Rollins: I... it just gets lonely sometimes.

Sonny: Jesse still up?

Rollins: Yep. Uh, sitter said she was.

Sonny: All right, well, let's go get some groceries. I wanna make spaghetti for all three of us and then we're gonna watch some terrible reality TV. I mean, it is gonna be so bad.

Rollins: You got nothing better to do?

Sonny: No, I do not.

Tucker: When, uh... when I was at IAB, I learned to listen. To know when people are telling me who they are, what they're really thinking. A few months ago, you said you were happy, but you were crying. You were afraid it wasn't gonna last.

Benson: I remember.

Tucker: You were telling me the truth. That we weren't gonna last.

Benson: I tried, Ed and I know you tried too, but if we've both been trying this hard... I have this little boy who who needs me, who needs his mother, and I have to give him all the attention and all the time and and all the love that I have.

Tucker: He has to be your priority right now. I get that. I do.

Benson: I'm sorry.

Tucker: Me too. Take care of yourself, Olivia Benson.

Decline and Fall [18.09]

Rollins: We're looking for a young guy, it's not Lawrence Hendricks. He's 75 years old.

Sonny: Yeah, but don't you get to subtract ten years for every billion dollars you have?

Rollins: You know, Wall Street says that Hendricks has been staying on way past his prime.

Benson: But he still has the energy for "bunga bunga" parties with Italian models.

Eric: Well, I guess my grandfather's right. You actually do need a signed contract to kiss a girl.

Motherly Love [18.10]

Benson: Do you always sleep naked?

Nicole: Sometimes. Sometimes I sleep in a nightgown. Sometimes I sleep in a Rolling Stones t-shirt. Are you suggesting I had sex with that boy?

Benson: Oh, I'm not suggesting anything. I'm simply asking why you and Trey were in bed together naked.

Nicole: I'm sorry, lieutenant. I... I think it's best if you and your colleague here leave. I'm sensing some underlying hostility and it's making me very uncomfortable.

Benson: Yeah? And the naked selfies of you and Trey are making me very uncomfortable.

Nicole: Congratulations, Lieutenant. You've convinced my son I'm the devil.

Benson: No, Nicole. You did that all by yourself.

Barba: [about Luke] Poor kid doesn't know whether to hate her or love her.

Benson: It's hard to give up on your mother, no matter how sick she may be.

Great Expectations [18.11]

Benson: Hey, where are we with these Bang Brothers?

Fin: The Bash Brothers. Like McGwire and Canseco.

Sonny No, like Reed and Portman.

[Fin and Benson stare at him blankly]

Sonny: "Mighty Ducks 2"? Never mind.

Sonny: You know something, Kyle? When I first saw Jack laid up in that hospital, I was pretty upset. I was angry at who did it. Because right away, Jack reminded me of... of me. You see, I was the scrawny kid way back when. Guys in the neighborhood, they used to pick on me every day. The worst was this... this kid, Bobby Bianchi. One day when we were at school, he grabbed me by the hair and he... he shoved my face through a plate glass window.

Kyle: Must have hurt.

Sonny: I was bleeding, I was all cut up. The principal asked what happened. Now, I could have put an end to it. Right there. All I had do was say Bobby's name. But I didn't. Because I didn't want Bobby to get into trouble.

Kyle: He got away with it?

Sonny: That's right. Nobody ever knew what happened. You know where Bobby is now? He's in Sing Sing for stabbing some poor sap to death during a bar fight. And I always think, "What if I would have said something? What if I just would have said something? Maybe... that guy would still be alive." I missed my shot, Kyle. Not a day goes by that I don't regret it. But this is your shot. Right now.

Benson: And if not for you, Kyle, do it for your little brother. Because what happens when he gets older and you're not around to look after him? Hmm? You ever think about that? Look, if you're willing to talk to the judge, we can get this case sent back to family court, and you will get a reduced charge. Which means do less time.

Kyle: Okay. I'll do it.

Rollins: A few years in juvie is a lot better than ten in state prison.

Benson: Small victories, I guess.

Rollins: And Liv... we got that father out of the house.

Benson: Thirteen years too late.

No Surrender [18.12]

Benson: You know, I know that this is difficult, Captain, and i just wanted to assure you that I will do everything in my power to find the person who's responsible for this.

Capt. Williams: And what do I do, Lieutenant? What's my mission?

Benson: To heal.

Capt. Williams: Soldiers don't need closure. They need a mission.

Capt. Williams: Good afternoon. As you know, Michael Reid was just indicted for rape. I instructed the court to not refer to the victim as Jane Doe. I feel it is my duty to step forward, to tell the world the truth. My name is Captain Beth Williams. On January 8th, I was raped. This does not lessen my ability or worth as a soldier. It will not define me. It will not break me. I'm not ashamed of what happened. I stand here with one mission only: to encourage other survivors of sexual assault to do the same. There is only honor in being a survivor.

Genes [18.13]

Benson: I'll call Barba and see what kind of deal he's willing to make.

Carisi: Make sure you tell him this guy claims he was born with the "rape gene". The excuses these guys come up with never ceases to amaze me.

[Rollins and Carisi covertly listen to a sex offender praying "the Lord's Prayer" at a group meeting.]

Rollins: Really? Sexual predators praying about not trespassing against others?

Carisi: It's like a Saturday Night Live skit, but it's real.

Rollins: There's a lot of that going around these days.

Benson: Well, sometimes I worry that...

Dr. Lindstrom: That Noah may turn into his father?

Benson: Yes.

Dr. Lindstrom: Did you turn into your father?

Benson: Well, I didn't turn into a rapist, if that's what you mean. But I think about him all the time, and I think about what he did and the choices that he made. I think about it a lot. And I've been dealing with this for quite a long time, even before I met you. And no matter... what I do, I still worry that...

Dr. Lindstrom: About what, Olivia?

Benson: That somehow his... darkness will overpower my life and my choices, because... I've been there before. I've been angry. I've been... violent.

Dr. Lindstrom: I know. And I know how much that frightened you, but I don't believe that's who you really are. My opinion? Your strength, your moral compass, your belief systems... more powerful than your father's DNA.

Net Worth [18.14]

Benson: We're on your side.

Zoe: Thank you. Either everybody at work has no idea what's going on or they're not acknowledging it, but it's making me feel real alone.

Benson: You're not. I promise.

[a rape victim has recanted her accusation]

Barba: I know that this is hard to accept, but it is her life. Her decision.

Benson: She's not making a decision. The girl is being extorted!

Barba: Does she feel that way? Maybe this job, this money, will help her heal. Will give her closure.

Benson: I don't believe that for a second. And neither do you.

Barba: Of course not. So let's go find another way to bury this prick.

Barba: Okay, so Eli's self-interested coke dealer witnessed the rape.

Benson: Okay, so he's not a perfect witness.

Barba: Even if he's telling the truth, he's practically useless.

Benson: So... let's use him outside the courtroom to gather more evidence.

Barba: You think he's willing to wear a wire?

Benson: I think he's willing to wear a clown suit.

Know It All [18.15]

Perry: This is our guy, and he's early.

Sonny: Yeah, by over a week.

Benson: He's accelerating, which means it's only gonna get worse from here.

Rollins: Ooh, pop up ad. Were you searching for brassieres, Carisi?

Sonny: [defensively] No. A friend of mine was using my computer.

Fin: Your friend's a 34B?

Fin: So she thinks Willard is watching her?

Sonny: Willard did say she was paranoid.

Rollins: Women should be paranoid. It's a survival skill.

Benson: Did you look under Jennifer's kitchen sink that night?

Willard: I'm sorry, under her sink? Is that some kind of a sexual metaphor?

Benson: No. We found your fingerprints on the handle of the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink.

Willard: I... I have no idea what you're talking about.

Benson: I'm sorry. I'm obviously not speaking clearly enough, so my bad. I'm talking about you killing Jennifer. I'm talking about you hacking into the NYPD so you could impersonate the Pattern 23 Rapist. I'm talking about you finding rope underneath the cabinet, tying her hands, and then dumping her body at some construction site. Is that better? Is that more clear?

Willard: Wow. You have a vivid imagination. It's impressive, no? But the truth is I'm far too smart to do something that stupid.

Benson: Or far too stupid to do something that smart.

The Newsroom [18.16]

Gates: I turned on the TV, saw Margery Evans spouting that inane defense of Harold. I couldn't stay silent any longer.

Sonny: Thanks for coming in.

Gates: I should've known it wasn't just me.

Rollins: Tell us what happened with Coyle.

Gates: You're gonna need more paper.

Chief Dodds: We don't give up this fight. You stop fighting, the bullies win.

Barba: Not the ruling I was hoping for.

Benson: So where does that leave us?

Barba: Two witnesses. Heidi Sorensen and George Thanos.

Benson: Is that enough to go to trial?

Barba: If I'm willing to go out on a very high, very shaky limb.

Benson: I assume that's a yes?

Barba: Damn right it is.

Real Fake News [18.17]

Sonny: "The Endless Truth" is still pushing that garbage. Now some of its readers are making threats against you and Rollins.

Rollins: What about Jessie and Noah?

Sonny: Self-investigators like that guy Malcolm, they're interested in them.

Rollins: [reading] "Someone should take those kids from their so-called mothers and test their DNA. Crack the sex ring. Let the truth ring out."

Benson: Arrest the son of a bitch who runs that thing.

Fin: For what?

Benson: Breathing.

Fin: [about Duca] You think she's gonna rip his head off?

Rollins: If she doesn't, I will.

Sonny: Where does he take the girls when they get there?

Fin: He's got a couch and a room in the back. I mean, this guy is first class, all the way.

Sonny: Filthy couch in the back room with the pots and pans. Prison's gonna be a step up for this guy.

Rollins: Not sure he's gonna see it that way.

Spellbound [18.18]

Rollins: [about Declan's guru program] There's a sucker born every minute.

Fin: Yeah, but everybody needs something. My ex made me go on a Reiki retreat to clear my energy.

Benson: And how'd that work out for you?

Fin: It made me realize it was time for us to break up.

Fin: NYPD.

Declan: What's going on?

Rollins: Look deep into my eyes. You're under arrest.

Abby: I haven't heard from Steven in three days. He won't return my calls.

Benson: Well, you know... well, maybe he just needs a little time, you know.

Abby: I was looking so hard for this amazing life.

Benson: Look, Abby, you did nothing wrong. You were honest about everything; about your life, about your relationship, about Steven. If you want him back, fight for him. But if he doesn't get it... it's not worth the fight.

Conversion [18.19]

Fin: Reverend, huh? What'd he have to say?

Benson: That they're not in Kansas anymore.

Benson: These people really think that nothing criminal happened.

Barba: Never underestimate the power of faith. Regardless of where it's placed.

Barba: Let's go over Ann's testimony one more time. Make sure she's consistent.

Benson: Okay.

Barba: You know, he said/she said/God said, you don't want God to get the last word. [checking his phone] Spoke too soon. Defense filed a motion to dismiss based on First Amendment protections.

Benson: So they're saying that rape is okay if it's done for religious reasons.

Barba: Huh. I don't remember reading that in the Bible.

Barba: Man plans, God laughs.

Benson: No, there's nothing funny about Reverend Gary. Or rape in the name of religion.

American Dream [18.20]

Yusef: [walking past a group of protesters] Everyone is so angry.

Sonny: I get it.

Yusef: No, you don't. People think we are terrorists. Like we are all the same.

Sonny: Most of us know better.

Yusef: I don't think so, but this protesting, what do people think will happen? Things will change? No. The world doesn't change. People don't change.

Sonny: Yeah, see, I don't believe that. People uniting, making their voices heard, refusing to be oppressed. That's what this country's all about. I mean, that's why you came here, right?

Yusef: I came here because I like being alive.

Benson: Go get your boss. Now. Look, I realize you're young and you're trying to do your job, but I'm warning you. I've been doing my job a long time, and I got a lot of friends.

ICE Agent: Are you threatening me?

Benson: Yep.

Benson: Listen, two people were killed and you're deporting the one person that can ID the men that did this?

New Jersey Officer: I don't wanna get into politics, so I think it's time for y'all to leave before things get unpleasant.

Benson: No, no, they already are unpleasant.

New Jersey Officer: I agree. Now get the hell outta here.

Barba: Or what? You're gonna deport me to Cuba? [gestures to Carisi] You gonna take him to Italy?

Sanctuary [18.21]

Rollins: You know Mitch is dangerous. I'm giving you a chance to save yourself, Carleen, and more importantly, your son.

Carleen: You don't give a damn about my son because he's not an immigrant or a queer or a trans whatever the hell they're called. He's just a regular, old white kid, which, for some reason, is now a curse. Nobody cares about him or me. It's like we just don't matter anymore. Ask me, that's why we're in this mess in the first place.

Chief Dodds: What's happening to this country? It's like all of a sudden, people feel free to say all the horrible things they're thinking out loud. No common decency. No filter.

Barba: People have always felt this way. Now they just feel empowered. They have permission.

Barba: Our legal system is the best that there is, but it's not perfect or pure. It never was.

Carleen: [about Lela and Maya] They're angry at you?

Benson: Yes.

Carleen: Because you didn't back up her story about seeing my husband's face?

Benson: It doesn't matter what I did or didn't say. Your husband is guilty.

Carleen: I know what they did.

Benson: Well, then do something about it. I know that you called the police four times in the last two years. I know that you know what kind of man he is. What kind of violence he's capable of.

Carleen: He's my husband.

Benson: He's a rapist and a murderer. And the next dead woman on the floor, that might be you. So don't tell the truth for Maya or for Lela. Tell the truth for yourself and for your son. Take that first step.

Carleen: Towards what?

Benson: Freedom. Safety.

Fin: A hell of a case.

Benson: Hell of a year.

Fin: We got the conviction. That's all that matters.

Benson: Wish it was that simple.