Eidteen 15: COVER YOUR CAMS!

Recap:

The Pattern 23 rapist (AKA the Second Avenue Strangler, oh those newsmen are so clever, good thing these crimes initiated on Second Ave. 'cause the other Aves would've been tough for alliteration, oh, well, we have Sixth and Seventh, too, damn, never mind) has been targeting drunk women walking alone at night, raping and murdering them, binding their wrists, and dumping them at construction sites right after taking chunks of hair as trophies. Meanwhile, at Attention, Inc, Jennifer Knowles and her boss/boyfriend David Willard make plans to meet later that night after Jennifer meets with her sister. Cut to--Jennifer's lifeless body left in a manner which, initially, looks consistent with that of the SAS. but it doesn't take long for Benson and Company to determine they're not dealing with the same guy. When they collar a perp and he admits to all four crimes but doesn't react to Jennifer's picture the same way he reacted to the other women's, Benson's all "uh-uh, something's not right here" and essentially tells Detective Perry to get the hell on with his stats because as far as she's concerned the case is not closed.

Based on sister Laura's information, the squad hones in on David's company, Attention, Inc. Weird things start happening. Whoever killed Jennifer had access to private info. The reliable rope guy walks back his original analysis and almost commits suicide. Barba recuses himself and telephones Benson to give her the news right as they are about to seize Attention, Inc.'s computers and, without a warrant, SVU is forced to leave.

Just when it looks like all is lost, Benson and Rollins find recovering alcoholic sister Laura in a bar and she reveals a cryptic detail about Jen "having it covered" because Jen knew how dangerous her boyfriend/boss was and in a move that would've made Sonia Paxton proud she used her Smart TV to record her murder. There is no verdict, but the episode was more about highlighting the ugly possibilities nefarious uses of technology pose for the justice system. Also, if aired in an order that made any sense, it could have stoked some fate-of-Barba speculation but....see below.

Ramblings:

Last week Zoe was on the stand on Tuesday, April 4 and this ep's scene cards were all dated early February so any continuity or multi-ep threads my boy KGF weaved in would have had to be cut. Barba's secret--that he gave money to a heroin addict and continues to support her daughter--would have been more alarming if his return was up in the air, but he prosecuted Tate Donovan last week in late March/early April and he's credited in The Newsroom, so he's not going anywhere (unlike Tucker) at least not in the immediate future/past. That final OMB hand-on-heart scene would've been a lot more powerful if we really did believe that friendship and working relationship was in jeopardy.

In an earlier scene when Barba is all tight-lipped about his recusal, OMB gives him one of her best-ever WTF faces. I love it when they argue and also when the argument makes sense (unlike last week's office exchange).

The burner cell found outside of Willard's apartment seemed a little too convenient especially since Benson herself admits Willard is good at cleaning up messes, but that was probably Eid having his hands in the writing (he probably thought the ep was running to closely to the #42minutes even thought it clocked in at just over 41).

Unless Barba's a #34B I think we can maybe dock the #Barisi ship, but the ribbing from Rollins and Fin was gold as was everyone having brightly colored post-its covering webcams...but seriously...

And speaking of Fin, he's never addressed using his title even though he passed the Sergeant's exam last week but that was in March and this was in February so that explains the deleted scene on the courthouse steps but not why this ep and last week's ep couldn't have been flip-flopped. Whatever. Why am I still asking questions? It's Eid's Earth man, we're just living in it.

But, gawwwwd, hopefully not for much longer.

Ain't No Party Like An #SVU Party:

It's early! Iced coffee in a pint glass. That's how I roll.

Fashion:

Benson's blazer collection has been refreshed and I approve of them all--the powder blue, the gray, the camel, and Detective Perry with his sleek scarves and snazzy shirts and ties could potentially rival Raffie, but I don't think he's sticking around much longer, but that's fine because even with the little redeeming joke at the end, Perry pissed me off.

Quotable:

"What are we looking for? A talking toaster?"
"TARU's got a thousand mega terabytes they gotta go through."
Fin, I'm with ya bud. This uber-high-tech-shit makes me long for the days of the beeper. Wait, no it doesn't, I love my phone and Twitter too much even though I have about 90% of users muted not that they care.

"You're a professional Googler?"

"Under her sink...is that some kind of sexual metaphor?" David, you're the villain but that shit was funny. Even so...Badass Benson putting the heat on ya in the interrogation room was fun to watch, you asshole.

"So the flaky sister's the most reliable witness in this entire case?" You know all about this, right, Rollins? BTW--your paranoid comment is unforgivable, but you do have a rep for spewing inane sarcasm without thinking, dontcha?

"So I should trust you but you don't trust me?" The anguish and incredulity in Benson's voice...how does Mariska Hargitay not have a closet full of Emmys?

"Not everything done in the dark is shameful." Benson and Barba exchanges were perfect throughout the entire episode. It was almost like whoever writing it was familiar with the characters.

Is it Next Wednesday, Yet?

I started this heading back when I was excited about the show (and also when #Tuckson was still a thing). Hopefully this upcoming hiatus is filled with a renewal for Season 19 and also for a continuation of the following pattern:

Fingers Crossed! History matters, y'all!