The Case in 184 Words:
Jenna Miller is drunk and clubbing and picking up johns but then she’s on a rooftop ledge in her torn dress. Instead of taking the fatal fall, she coaches herself to leap between two buildings. Later that morning, she’s found by two officers who take her to the hospital. Eventually she discloses that she’d been raped. Jenna’s evasive, so Benson and Rollins dig more deeply and it comes out that Jenna and Chad, her husband, are protecting her brand because she’s a potential 2020 Olympic pole vaulter and if her dalliances come out she’s ruined. As the investigation continues, the detectives find out Michael Wheeler has a pattern of raping hookers. After a controlled meet, Wheeler goes on trial, but…Jenna sort of strips in the courtroom. Rollins goes kind-of rogue once again but Carisi’s with her so no harm no foul and there’s a come to Jesus moment on the track. However, the damage has been done as far as the trial was concerned, Wheeler takes a plea, Jenna goes on meds, and Kim Rollins ends up not fucking up Rollins’ life after all.
My Thoughts In Unlimited Words
After three episodes of what I consider Mr. New Showrunner conducting an "I wonder if they'll like this type of SVU" experiment, thank you Julie and Celine for reintroducing me and a few other people to the show!
Let's start with the serious; then, we'll get a bit more snarky and whimsical, kay?
I rewatched with the intention of getting all snarky about the detectives because they should've noticed the mental illness sooner, riiiiight? Jules and Ce-Ce (my nicknames) did a fabulous job making everyone else look suspicious throughout almost the entire ep. I went from thinking hubs Chad was too overbearing and the Manhattan nights were simply all about Jenna needing to get away from him. Then I thought he was tacitly endorsing the prostitution because pursuing Olympic goals had drained their finances. The agent looked suspicious for a hot second and, call me Ed Tucker, but I thought hmmmm, what if the agent found out what she was doing way earlier than this ep and suggested he would keep quiet if she gave him a cut but then again he's a high-profile agent and wouldn't be all about that chump change but maybe he would be all about the POWER he wielded over her...but that wasn't the reality either.
Jenna being less-than-forthcoming at first and then reluctant to testify did not surprise me one bit. OMB and Rollins were absolutely right to attempt to protect her and also get justice, albeit not the justice a truly non-judgemental less-misogynistic society really should support and encourage. The fact that a victim must risk so much (more) personal loss in order to put a rapist behind bars sickens me, but this is NOT THE SHOW'S FAULT nor is it its creation. It's a challenge for us to get better. When Jenna said "I can't risk the publicity" I STG a dagger lodged in my heart.
Finally, did anyone else catch Chad on the track telling Jenna he'd been protecting her for years? The real problem here was the stigma of mental illness, particularly in professional sports. Chad knew something was going on...he had known for a long fucking time...but her career would have been over sooner if she went public with her bipolar disorder which would have been inevitable because I'm pretty sure the meds would've shown up in mandatory drug tests...right? So, again, if we're looking for someone to blame...the real culprit is societal norms...everything else is tangential. The verdict, while disappointing on multiple levels, was the best Barba could do (considering the jury is made up of people from SOCIETY who may or may not harbor strong feelings one way or another about mental illness and also I don't think Raffie would get to voir dire them again and ask about it).
Okie dokie, let's pivot to some light-heartedness, run on sentences, incorrect grammar, and other usage errors (sorry, former English teachers). Also, I've already been guilty of all of the above in the first part of the post. IDK why I pay for Grammarly...
KIM! Kimmy Kim Kim. Kelli Giddish makes me crack the fuck up when she forces that little sarcastic smile like she did at the parole hearing and at home when sister Kim was spouting off the "fortune cookie philosophy." If I would've rolled my eyes any more vigorously they would've dislodged from the cornea or retina or whatever nerve thing that makes them stay in there. I was SURE the final scene would be Miss Manipulative being led out of Amanda's apartment in handcuffs as a result of a parole violation and Rollins turning her in because Mama Bear was TAKING THAT FUCKING SHIELD (and, was it just me, or did OMB look kinda pained when she delivered that warning? Simon flashbacks, anyone?). Like, I would've bet MONEY on reoffending Kim (and not, like, $2 MegaMillions Ticket money, either).
I do have mixed feelings about the (too) neat ending and I would not be opposed to the writers not always making the characters' personal stories sync so neatly with the cases. It's starting to feel a little too predictable and contrived, yes I know the whole show is contrived in some ways but stillllllll.....
Barba covering Jenna with his coat and getting some boob action made me LOL at the gym while I was running on the treadmill which made other people give me strange looks but I'm used to it by now.
Style Guide
I appreciated the squad's BLACKOUT that was hot and also Fin and Liv had on sort-of matching leather-accented blazers which was also hot and also no surprise that I'm fangirling over it because my affinity for leather-accented blazers is not exactly a state secret.
Jenna wins the gold for the red leather jacket; Santa please bring me one but you're gonna have to go up about ten sizes please and thank you.
Fic Writers Could Fill in the Blanks With
#EveryRelationshipHasItsSecrets
#Tuckson
The conversation OMB had when she went home to Tucker after telling Rollins she would take her shield and also wherever OMB was when they set the trap for Wheeler.
Ain't No Party Like An SVU Watch Party
When I'm the boss or at least in charge of scheduling meetings I will only make people come in at 7:30 on Thursdays on hiatus weeks. Had to take it easy...
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| Just one...I swear (to prove it, my Tweets were way more coherent). |
Quotable:
"For now we work around her not with her."
"We all have a lot of pressure." (spoken by Rollins and followed by Kim Interruptus and we were all like, oh, man, not this again)
"Everything alright with you and Tucker?"
Yeah, ummmmm, what's the answer to that? And, having Carisi ask that question is adorbs, btw.
"It's his dream as much as mine."
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Is It Next Wednesday Yet?
After Rollins was sort-of praised or at least not admonished by her boss, she returns home to a reality check because she assumes the worst but actually Kim's been suffering for a long time and she "never asked" because as I think she realizes there at the end, she's always seen her sister as an obstacle and a pain in the fucking ass...anything but a human being. Rollins can be an unforgiving hard-ass and motherhood has intensified that characteristic, but I'm wondering if we'll see a different side of Amanda moving forward, especially if Kim hangs around which is cool with me because I just cannot believe the sisters will skip off happily into the sunset.
Dear Julie and Celine, you are KILLING ME with the most recent #Tuckson reference. COME ON, ladies, that was NOT FAIR and, again, there's not RJB in sight so how long am I gonna have to wait for this resolution? What are these secrets? What's WRONG? OH, wait, I know...it's just that OMB is so busy and so is Tucker, but OMB wants to be a good mother and a good future wife and a good Lieu and she's feeling like someone will get shortchanged and Tucker doesn't deserve that because he's such a good man. OMB! Listen to ME! Tucker said it will last! He said ALWAYS! He said he's not goin' anywhere! LET YOURSELF BE LOVED, SISTER!
BTW, I'm ok with things being complicated off-screen as long as when Tucker is ON SCREEN it's all unicorns and rainbows and thigh-grabbing. Oh, who am I kidding? Consistently complicated #Tuckson could force me to up therapy sessions to twice a month. Once for real life and once for the fake lives of fake people on a TV SHOW. Surely people seek help for more outlandish reasons????
Please please please can we have the Dodds-OMB convo soon so Liv can get on the path to forgiving herself? Ultimately, I think forgiveness will be the running thread throughout this season...at least in the characters' personal lives.
But, you know what? OMB looks too damn gooooooood to be dealing with any serious relationship troubles. But still, that little scene was Kevin G. Fox evil.
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| This was OMB in Barba's office in Manhattan Transfer. Similar to the look she gave Carisi. Conclusions? |
Is this next ep the purple dress ep? If so, Tucker isn't there and that saddens me because I read this fic about Tucker loving OMB in that purple dress and I was hoping it would become canon.
Was I dreaming about the Barba threats?
Will Noah get into the fancy school?
Will OMB and Rollins become besties? Also, I looooooooooove the way the squad is interacting with one another. Hearts hearts hearts and I'm SURE we'll get the Christmas Party. I will forgive the #Tuckson tease and also the first three episodes if we get the Christmas Party (incl. Tucker), or Christmas morning with the Tuckers, or (and I cannot take credit for this) but some TucksoNookie, or something more serious which I'm not even gonna type for fear that typing it will ensure it will not come true.
Where's the LOGUE??????????????????????
I'm leading the Rollins-for-Sarge campaign. Hit me up on Twitter if you want a yard sign.
See ya for live tweeting on 10/26; unless, of course, the dueling fandom factions break Twitter.
Peace, ya'll.
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