Nooch.5: A (not-so) Complicated Road to Nothing

The #42 Minutes:

Nice juxtaposition of KillerBrother and the Family Photo

The episode begins with the Family Court hearing where Judge Linden covers her bases and Langan plus a hand-wringing Benson are all "come on" and the whole hearing ends up being pointless because bulldog I-wanna-vacate-the-adoption Sheila backs down and claims, claims, she simply wants a relationship with her grandson. Later on, Benson decides to let her meet Noah; thus taking control of the situation rather than be burdened with court-ordered visitation.

In between, Not-Emma-Lawrence (who reminded me a hell of a lot of Ellie Porter with better teeth) shows up after sixteen years missing and is reunited with her family which gives Carisi a temporary sense of I-done-good but he gets all detectivey and runs the girl's photo through facial recognition and, oopsie! she's not who she says she is. But the Dad and Glen already knew that because they have a deep...deep...deeply (actually it wasn't so deep) buried secret which somehow a young boy managed to keep and not give away during the intense initial investigation.

SVU arrests Not-Emma and she comes clean about her past--abusive home, saw the Lawrences on television, and figured they needed a replacement daughter which was great because she needed somewhere to go. At 21 Not-Emma was relegated to dangerous adult shelters which sounded a lot like Pretend when the girl faked being a high school student because she aged out of foster care and didn't know what to do.

But that wasn't the only blast from the past...

Complicated/Merchandise

Ramblings:

I hate seeing an anguished OMB. I really do. It makes me want to jump through the screen and hug her and send Thinking of You greeting cards and puppy photos and hang-in-there memes to Olivia.Benson@nypd.org. There are a zillion actors out there but none are as good as Mariska in this role and I blame her 100% for my inability to draw the line between reality and fiction.

The court scene at the beginning gutted me and everyone else except maybe Rick and Dick and Trump but I had to laugh when Benson and Langan both stood up to remind the judge that the child abuse case had been dismissed and I kept flashing back to Benson saying "I'm the one who asks the questions" because she was about to say "fuck this," push Langan aside, and go all Barba in that drab courtroom.

Rewinding a bit, gawwwwd I love how Peter looks at his wife; even though they're playing a role his eyes betray his adoration for her and I am so here for it.

So Sheila, perhaps on the advice of her silent lawyer, realized the law wasn't on her side and went for the less severe visitation request but things with her past and Ellie's past still aren't adding up. I mean, her PI must've really sucked. She could have asked Ariel's mom who probably would've only asked to be reimbursed for travel. And Ellie apparently lied about all that foster care business...or maybe we're not supposed to remember?

Swinging over to the case...maybe it was Glen's overall demeanor but I knew he did it, whatever it was, very early in the show. The acting was good but the case? Cll me high-maintenance, but the twists were more like foreseeable gentle curves I thought maybe the whole Florida thing was, perhaps Emma's forced second identity and there actually was a Steve and, being in Florida, maybe Cassidy had something to do with it when he tried to retire there (haha) but in the end Not Emma was just another Not Heather Hallender.

But seriously--what if Cassidy did go to the dark side and use the knowledge gained undercover to start an "escort service" in the Sunshine State and OMG that service is connected to a guy who owns a swanky, oceanside resort and everyone thought he was a douche and happy to hang out on the golf course and do reality shows but ends up running for President?

Sorry--that thought got away from me...

Even though I am vehemently opposed to prolonged OMB torture I am simultaneously elated and befuddled that the whole Will She Keep Noah question abruptly went away.

In the Wouldn't It Be Nice If Tucker Were There Department...Ed coulda been feeding sick Noah applesauce and saying okay no more cartoons but really allowing him to watch all the freaking TV he wants and Ed coulda been on Face Time and WHO WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE ALOOF TUCKER SCOWLING AT GRANDMA FROM THE CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM?

Quotable:

The precious Barba-Benson convo...

"How do you feel about that?"
"...I'm just doubting myself at every turn."
"...You can trust your instincts."

*Clunk.

Have I mentioned I have an extreme dislike for seeing OMB upset?

Ugh.That angle.

Graciously, Benson (I'm assuming) invites Sheila for coffee and, yep, the articles were right, they both have valid points. OMB also had to recognize a parallel. She and Sheila are close in age and Benson is only a Noah away from being completely alone like Grandma and...like Mrs. Lawrence. Benson's gigantic heart has been an obstacle in the past and it certainly looms large now. I'm interested to see when and how the two of them warm up to one another especially with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up and also Noah's birthday but perhaps his approximate DOB is a little detail I was also supposed to forget.

What we didn't see was the two of them arranging the visit and agreeing on the time and Benson remarking a bit caustically, "you know the address."

"Do you want to see my room?" NO! NO THIS STRANGER IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE BE---oh well, okay. Obviously Mommy spent some quality prep time with sweet Noah but I was fucking annoyed at "This is Sheila" and then Sheila saying "I'm your Grandmother" and if OMB was okay with that why didn't she say it first?

Check w/ someone RE: PA oranges

"I just wanted a family." OMB gets it, Britt.

"Was this your first day of school?" Leading much, Carisi?

Wardrobe:

Striped Benson! Glasses and striped Benson! Powder blue blouse Benson! AND SHE HAD THE NECKLACE ON AT THE END! THE ONE FROM THIGH GRAB! AGAIN! (Yes, I know it means that's what @SVUStyle gave her to wear but I'm going down swinging, y'all).

Mommy and Me framed artwork!

Is It Next Wednesday Yet?

Actually, I could use a break.

I don't see this approach sustained over two more seasons. Aside from Noahgate, these are standalone episodes which, other than the first two, lack the fiery, edge-of-your-seat, pins-and-needles, SVUness I used to love so much.

And what a disappointment to see Stranger almost exactly replicated.

Unless there's more to it and Sheila turns out to be a conniving, ill-intentioned sociopath who OMB has to arrest for stalking, I'm no longer interested enough in her role to want to see much more of the character (although Brooke Shields is awesome). Or, in a really rosy Tucksony twist, if OMB comes to realize it's okay to let people in (to her life, that is, her building is open-access) and that brings the Captain back, Sheila can be my Grandma, too.

As the show closed, Benson's expression revealed her inner torment. There she was, all alone, obviously second-guessing her decision as Noah all-too-happily led Grams to his room for story time. Hmmm. Come to think of it...I've seen that look before...

Go 'head, Liv. Call him.

Lastly...

Complicated? 

Really, Céline?

Nooch.4: A Good Final Few Minutes

The #42 Minutes

OMG this Blog...EXTRA!

For the first time in #SVU History (I think, forgive me, I'm not @notjustvawnly) Olivia Benson takes the stage to address bullying, violence, and sexual assault and harassment with group of high school kids. In one of the most brilliantly written, poignant, timely, play-over-and-over-again-and-also-steal-the-lines-for-real-life scenes, our beloved Lieutenant expertly cajoles a group of teenagers into casting aside their inherent teenagerness. By the time the camera faded out, I almost forgot there was someone named Sheila Porter because there were tears running down my face and my heart was all clenchy in a good way because it IS possible for kids to be steered down a road of empathy and recognize the value in their collective humanity.

Bravo to the writers for going for empowerment rather than victim blaming, but I shouldn't have to "Bravo" for that. Not in 2017. And not in 2007. Or 1007.

But anyway.

Oh, before that there were 37 minutes and 10 seconds of show and also some commercials.

Random Ramble:

JULIE!!! LOOK WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH ALMOST SIX MINUTES!

SVU has done bullying before and they've done passed-out rape before, but this time they zeroed in on the right age. Since I commandeered the bottom floor of my townhouse and turned it into my office (hey, my husband has 2.5 offices in our home, I deserve ONE right?), I have had a magazine article entitled The Science of Mob Aggression taped to my wall.

Teenagers are a mob. They are a partially-developed-brain-prone-to-impulses-and-following-the-crowd mob and the ability to hide behind a digital wall only exacerbates an already innate characteristic. Teenagers will not change.

Not sure where OMB ends and MH begins.

BUT! BUT! BUT! They CAN be redirected! They can be guided by caring adults to channel that natural tendency toward vicious groupthink into a "mob" favoring compassion over cruelty. But this would take a sustained, concerted, unyielding effort on the part of adults everywhere. I'm not terribly optimistic, but it can be done. I have no doubt that final scene could be recreated in real life. It NEEDS to be created in real life. Too many young lives have been ruined, cut short, or irrevocably derailed for us to ignore the devastating effects of bullying, harassment, violence, and sexual assault. Think of how many lives could be CHANGED if we all made an effort today to help at least ONE young child develop a sense of empathy.

The writers were sitting on a gold mine of a gripping, compelling episode and, sadly, the first 37:10 felt like they didn't quite know how to get to that end scene. Almost like they'd written it first and needed to fill in blanks. I was so bored for the first 37:10 I was TEXTING in addition to writing notes and occasionally Tweeting, but I was even bored with Twitter.

For the record, I never text during #SVU.

Never.

Not even during Eidteen.

But let's not dredge up the past.

I work with teenagers. The bullying, the constant, escalating cyberbullying these young people are capable of spewing was watered down and almost not even articulated because we had to interview Max and Andrew and arrest them in class and Max had to be beaten up and...

Poor baby--searching for a safe identity.

Let's consider the following alternatives:

Option A: The actual rape is solved immediately. Barba this, Barba that, court, whatever, but the focus of the ep is actually on how quickly the cyberbullying fervor can catch on in schools, even among the meek and the seemingly marginal/indifferent populations and then have the trial center on whether or not this type of peer pressure qualifies as grounds for a type of temporary mental illness and acquittal.

Option B: Barba touched on an emerging debate: how responsible are schools for what their students text/disseminate online even outside of school hours? This would've been an interesting blurred line to navigate and could also have included new single mom BFFs Benson and Rollins in a more natural BFF scenario than what was written but more about that later.

Option C: As Rollins takes the lead, she flashes back to her teenagehood (who would play the teenage Rollins?), eventually culminating in the tattoo reveal in Mandy's new, scrubbed bedroom. She mentioned a "stupid thing." Why not connect the dots in her own traumatic past back to her formative years in Loganville?

Option D: Set Andrew's allocution earlier. Do people really think 15 year-olds would automatically hear "Everyone should know you were telling the truth" and then be like "Oh, okay, sorry Mandy."  Doesn't happen that way. In real life there would be a cadre of nasty hater brats claiming his words were only to get out of more jail time. C'mon. SVU consults with doctors and lawyers and cops and shrinks. Ya'll can't get a teacher on your part-time payroll?

TIME FOR A TWITTER POLL!

Quotable:

"It's gonna be something we never saw coming." A little mom-banter results in OMB full disclosure about Sheila and thank gawwwwd PorterMama got a door shut in her face but can we get to the history already? Cuz I'm beyond annoyed. And also--so OBVIOUSLY Benson never saw Sheila coming because as Rollins so conveniently reminds us, Ellie said her parents were dead (but maybe her mom was just gone and the mom she knew was really a stepmom? Like maybe Sheila was in the Peace Corps combating HIV/AIDS in Africa for the past twenty years?). Dear Writers, remember we're smart! Please STOP REPEATING LINES WORD FOR WORD. Thank you. :-)

I'm sick of it too, Rollins.

"Magical Thinking on my part...If I don't do anything about it, it will just go away."
Ummmmmm, this is very un-OMB-like. Also, Judge Linden's on your side, sister. And also...

"Trevor?" Has she called him Trevor before? And while we're at it--Andrew DRAKE? There are like a bazillion surnames from which to choose. IDK why I'm getting all hung up with names. Unless it's Ed.

ED!!!!!!

Oh fine.

When Rollins asked if everything was okay at home why couldn't Benson's line have been:

"Yes. Noah's there with Ed. They'll finish dinner without me." Sigh. Brushes hair to the side. "Yet again."

Rollins gives her a little knowing smirk like okayy, Tucker's back. And they go to work.

IT'S NOT THAT HARD, PEOPLE!

Wardrobe:

Love OMB in stripes and I also thought it was cute that she was coming from home and they were making her look like she'd dressed in a hurry but I'm pretty sure OMB dressed in a hurry is equivalent to me prepping for hours and also paying the makeup girl at Belk to do my face.

Damn they cute.

I HEART OMB in a police jacket. Especially when hustling out of the SUV. But I wonder...does the hair go up before they leave the precinct? At a light? Oh, wait, cops don't stop at lights. Especially not on their way to a nasty apartment in Newark. I really should occupy my mind with more productive thoughts.

What's that new ring on not-Benson's-ring-finger?

At the end she was wearing the necklace she was wearing at the end of Unholiest Alliance when Tucker grabbed her thigh just sayin.

Is It Next Wednesday, Yet?

Let's not ever do this again. Kay?

On a lighter note, they're turning Rollins into a tryhard. What's with the sudden switch? She and Benson have too much in their past to just all of a sudden transition to this. Usually I'm cool with off-screen implications, but not in this case.

For the love of God can we get Judge Linden to deny all of Sheila's motions and tell her to go the fuck back to the Granite State? Does anyone really think she can afford to pay a reputable shrink to contest what Lindstrom says? And also...LINDEN GAVE NOAH TO HER! But Lindstrom if you go all ethical and professional I will fucking kill you (is he even casted? Is Linden in the next ep? I need her to rule in OMB's favor and then Shelia will plead with her to at least let her see him and OMB has a big heart and we know where that goes.)

But don't let that kid outta your sight, Benson. FYI--he's the older, taller, moppier-haired version.

Sorry, this whole thing is:

A) aggravating
B) nonsensical
C) taking energy and creativity away from developing a more intriguing SVU-related story
D) NOT MAKING TUCKER COME BACK

Yes I'm into multiple choice lately and yes if Tucker comes back I'll just...well...I'm tired of making these speculative promises.

But I can't help it.

Captain Tucker is such a BabeSoda

Nooch.3: Suffering Enough?

The #42 Minutes:

Fin and Carisi arrive at the Skyline Hotel answering a call and quickly pivot from childhood candy memories to their best WTF faces because that's not ice in that ice bucket.

At the hospital the purported victim, Jason Karr, only claims to remember having drinks and going to his hotel room with a woman named Angela. The squad agrees there must be more to the story after all it's not everyday someone turns up castrated in a hotel stairwell (but it has happened fairly regularly on SVU).

Onward.

Who would say no to this face?

A 911 call, a Visa transaction, and a charmed steakhouse hostess later, they have three suspects who are actually victims, but Karr can't or won't identify his attackers. Carisi shows off his vocabulary to Barba's veiled delight (Yummy!) and suggests they arrest the three women for obstruction, Olivia agrees because given the nature of the injury there's a sexual motivation (duh), Rollins is annoyed, and the women, particularly the aptly-named Evelyn Bundy confess to the setup and the crime. Evelyn accepts a four-year sentence for assault, but Benson lets slip Karr won't have to pay for his crimes due to the statute of limitations on statutory rape BUT HOLD ON! Evelyn subsequently recounts an instance of forcible rape which is incredibly convenient since the clock doesn't run out on that charge. It's a head-scratcher for Rollins, though, because Evelyn's a little tardy with the accusation, and Rollins doesn't say it but she's thinking her boss fucked up a little bit but just like last time she questioned OMB's judgement (last week), everything turned out just fine at least as far as the case is concerned. (Insert weekly Rollins-for-Sarge plug here).

He did it.

A forcible rape conviction seems doubtful until Karr's wife shows up in the squad room with an old student literary journal which sort of corroborated Evelyn's account and also another conch shell which she pointedly produced from her bag and placed on the desk. Cue the eye roll counter (I was at nine).

Since the wife's testimony would be damning and the poem (cork)screwed any chance of fact-based acquittal, Karr's lawyer uses her closing argument to try and convince the jury that justice had already been overserved and it was therefore fair to give Karr a pass, a suggestion which infuriates Barba. He scribbles furiously only to crumple the paper in favor of an ad-libbed verbal counter-punch for the eventual KO.

Karr is found guilty in a case that in real life probably never would have gone to trial. All is right with the world. Especially since Benson can go home and read to Noah without that nagging DA's investigation hanging over her head, but complacency is short-lived. Put the gloves, on, OMB, time for Round Two (btw if the plan is to go a full twelve, I'm out).

Random Ramble:

The case wasn't very interesting. SVU has done years-later revenge before, predatory teachers are definitely not new, and the whole thing too closely mirrored Control (SVU5.09). The suspense of the last two episodes never showed up in this one, even when Langan showed up but maybe I'm already desensitized to everyone on the planet torturing OMB. Additionally, the fairly seamless back-and-forth between #Benoah and cop business disappeared. The flow was off and Director Mister Jean de Segonzac employed some weird angles and jerky cuts which didn't help and as I've mentioned before I've never set foot in a film school and I'm not even confident I'm using the correct terminology, so this could be solely my problem.

Since Fin's spent most of the past couple of years whining about how annoying Carisi is, I found it odd they were all buddy-buddy as the show opened but maybe they're both lonely since #34B hasn't been heard from and neither has Fin's grandson. Even more off-base and flirting with OOC was that Fin knows A Streetcar Named Desire well enough to use "Stanley Kowalski" in a snarky remark, and Carisi isn't familiar with Contrapasso.

Fin, did you just say "sketch?"

You know what? In Gone Fishin' I almost got teary-eyed when Liv connected with the rapist's wife over their children. Like, FINALLY, she can do that. She's a mother. So not only did she "get it" before, now she has the "mom cred" to sincerely and completely empathize on this level. But just like her asking Noah if he invited someone over was cute the first time and hackneyed the second, the scene with young Mrs. Karr crying about not having a family and then Benson (who by this point knows Karr's a monster) tacitly suggesting the Karrs could one day adopt made ZERO sense and was a trite reminder that OMB is once again distracted by the #Benoah-in-peril thread Nooch insists on weaving through this season.

The year is 4015 and OMB is still fighting to keep her son.

Did Langan and Liv ever agree to disagree on who's at fault in what will go down as the least twisty of the latest #SVU twists? If it matters? Trevor said there is no legal basis for the motion, so maybe Grandma will settle for petitioning for visitation?

No, OMB does not need a man but COME ON PEOPLE who doesn't want to see grumbly, pissed off Tucker be her rock through this?

How many of ya'll Googled "New York Adoption Law" last night? I did.

More on this later.

Benson reassuring the women at the beginning of Barba's closing was kinda hilarious.

I hate to nitpick but why were all three of the women at their 20th reunion when one was a year older?

Quotable:

"Rafael. Rafael. Rafael."  Maybe I just prefer hearing Mariska Hargitay pronounce Barba, but for old time's sake let's go back to using the surname. Say what you want about evolving relationship, but hasn't their friendship evolved about as much as it's going to? Maybe he finally came out to Liv? But still....he's BARBA! And shut up, Barson shippers who are about to fire back at me with "But she called Tucker Ed in Collateral Damages, rememberrrr?"

"Rabbits don't eat sushi!" Does that mean you do, Noah? If so, I'm going to need a #Benoah sushi date scene ASAP.

"Let's get her some medical attention, please." Uh, ya think, Judge? Evelyn's hand is kinda bleeding all over the fucking place. IDK about ya'll but this was a little too close to the Jenna Miller "loving her body" on-the-stand meltdown in Heightened Emotions (same judge, too). 

Wish I woulda known sooner that castrated was the night's drinking game word. C'mon, writers, I need to be aware of these things ahead of time. It affects my drink selections.

This quote from Julie-42Minutes-Martin was truncated. The entire version was "Whatever the case, she might have to move in with Tucker." Nice attempt to try and joke your way out of a fuck up.

Wardrobe:

My love for Benson Blazers is not exactly a state secret, but the Best Blazer Award for October 11 goes to Amanda Rollins for the cutout-sleeve black number she wore at the beginning of the episode I have already been tracking one down for myself I'm sure you all care.

I really hate that the first trench coat to appear appeared on the body of Brooke Fucking Sheila Porter.

My co-workers and I look just like this.

Is It Next Wednesday Yet?

What's with this every-crime-has-three-victims/OMB-is-distracted-and-Rollins-notices-and-questions-her pattern we have developing? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Targeting Noah is the easy way out. It's way more difficult to create a season (or more) long recurring story line similar to Yates/Rudnick or the Johnny D sex trafficking ring or even that escort-service-war stupid ass Cassidy was involved in.

Instead the writers are now making up shit to fill in the blanks so it seems plausible that Sheila Porter would have a shot at taking Noah. Ok, so, Ellie lied about her parents and her mom was in New Hampshire anyway; was Langan supposed to vet every Porter in the United States? And another SO WHAT to Judge Linden fast-tracking the adoption. She's the fucking judge. And Noah was, as far as everyone knew, an orphan.

Why are you at my fucking door?

Ellie's story was that she was in and out of foster care and, as a teenager, sold to Little Tino. Was she lying about foster care? Did she instead voluntarily run away? I sure as fuck hope so because if Brooke Shields was such a shitty parent that her daughter was taken from her for SEVERAL YEARS then a) hiring a PI to find said daughter seems a little off and b) why would any judge even consider granting her request?

I do not see Olivia Margaret Mommy Bear Benson willing to open her life and Noah's life to this stranger even for the sake of "family." Please writers do not have her go through some sappy bout of soul-searching and agonizing about how she never had extended family and wants to take a chance and give that to her son in the form of visitations with this woman.

Or, hell, let's do it! And invite Simon along for the ride, too!

Lastly, let's get real, people. I (and everyone else with a brain) already questioned this at length on Twitter but how in the hell does Grandma know where Olivia resides and why does Benson's building have apparently the only open-access policy in Manhattan? You need a code to use the restroom at Starbucks, but the person trying to make Noah Porter Benson Noah Porter again can waltz right up the elevator and knock on the door?

Nooch.2: Mood Killers: Inhalers and Cassidy

The #42Minutes:

As soon as Savannah Ross shows up at SVU to report a rape, we know who did it. HELLO? Detectives? It was the guy with the black gloves! The opera-loving, punctilious, time-conscious RAPIST who left Mrs. Burns counting to sixty as he retraced his steps and fled her apartment with a diamond tennis bracelet but without her inhaler which turns out to be the incriminating piece of evidence. GET HIM!

But poor Mrs. Burns spends the two days curled up in bed and during those two days the detectives uncover evidence which works more to discredit Savannah's account than it helps nail the perp. Savannah spent her childhood shuffled in and out of foster homes and has a history of reporting rapes when facing adverse circumstances.

Benson, under pressure and distracted, sides with Savannah until Rollins tells her politely to wake the fuck up but Benson's instincts are proved correct when Mrs. Burns misses and appointment and finally comes forward. The squad figures out, with the help of inhaler DNA, the victims have all signed petitions for various causes. THE LINK! THE LINK! Remember the speed dating ep? Same concept. Earlier in the squad room, Benson pointed out that people with traumatic pasts sometimes invent fairy tales to survive, but as it turns out, Prince Charming-mask-wearing rapist Tommy Williams coped with mommy issues by stalking and raping women with whom he experienced a connection during street canvasses. Fin and Carisi get an address, Fin pulls the whole "may I use your restroom" trick, Carisi gets reprimanded for getting crumbs everywhere but the job gets done because Mommy Williams is wearing the tennis bracelet and Fin returns with a clipboard full of names with three names starred. They hightail it to the home of the third victim and stop the assault in progress. A rainy day chase ensues, Rollins tries to go Holden March on him but Tommy slips away...literally...it must really suck to go through all that trouble to be neat and clean and orderly only to go splat in an alley.

Rollins, to be nice and also maybe feeling guilty for doubting her (but of course Benson actually did all the face-to-face dirty work), treats Savannah to a buddy-buddy lunch and Benoah ignore interruptions in favor of watching cartoons and we fade to black as pleasant, S17 Finale-esque music plays, but Nooch and Company do not think for one second you have us lulled into thinking all is well on the Benson homefront.

Rambling Reactions:

Mary Poppins. Okay, that was funny. But the rest of the Michelle interview? WYD, ALISON? Not only is OMB pissed that the State has the nerve to accuse and investigate HER of all people but she has to verbalize and relive Lewis again this time with someone she doesn't trust at fucking all and fuck, he's still haunting her. As much as that scene made my throat dry and my entire body tremble, I...wanna watch it over and over? What the hell is wrong with me?

THE AGONY!

A clip from that scene will be played on Emmy Night. Mark my words.

The obviously distracted Lieutenant telling the squad to go find the mask seller. Everyone knew there would be a bazillion of them out there and foster care, foster system, wishing for new light bulbs, OMB patiently and professionally listening to Savannah's story which could have been Noah's story and...worst case scenario COULD BE AGAIN. (Sorry, that hurt.)

Jameson's, wherefore art thou?

Speaking of...Rollins, I have to hand it to you, sister. That took some courage to saunter into the office and tell OMB she was possibly thinking like a victim. And then later relaying the deets on Cassidy's treachery...brave but also a welcome sign of their burgeoning friendship and...we're getting father and farther away from "I don't trust you."




Benson tells Savannah she has to leave Sacred Haven and the whole time probably thinking this is wrong, this is wrong, but at the same time realizing her personal life really could be clouding her judgment because on the surface it appeared Rollins was right. At that point, the deck was stacked against Savannah.

I totally thought Tommy would be going for a Mommy defense because...creeeeeperMOM....reminded me a little of Scavenger, but #42Minutes constraints kick in, and...Barba who?

Kidding, kidding.

Raise your hand if you thought OMB was going to punch Cassidy in the face after she marched up to him outside of his building. I'm reading between the lines a bit here but bear with me. Cassidy returned to New York perhaps planning to resume his friendship and maybe more with Benson and was disappointed to learn she'd moved on. So in his effort to find a new niche, he gets all buddy buddy with people in his office, like Michelle, and gets carried away one night after a few too many after-work drinks. When the show cut to commercial I pictured a more malicious scenario, but as it turns out Cassidy is just an inconsiderate idiot, no surprise. He truly did seem remorseful and wishing he could take back what he'd done...just like he probably wishes he would've agreed to try the new bistro.

For the record, AGAIN, I have always hated that guy which is why I could not bring myself to jump on board the I'm-cool-with-Bensidy-as-long-as-OMB-is-happy train. He's not good enough for her! He never was! And he doesn't even have sense enough to keep his fucking mouth shut about the most traumatic thing she's ever had to endure.

Knock his lights out, Liv.

Quotable:

"Maybe that's why you're supposed to call us."
I love how the skeptic Rollins kinda gets the detective's point and OMB just keeps repeating essentially this same suggestion.

"Maybe your eyes aren't as clear as they usually are...maybe you're seeing yourself as a little bit of a victim right now."
I still can't believe Rollins said this!

"Next time, Brian, don't help me."
It'll be interesting to see if this is the last of Cassidy or if he's going to play an active role and maybe ignore her and try to help her out. Either way, I wouldn't bet on OMB making good on that coffee. Also, off-camera in real fake life she actually said "fuck you."

"I just feel so alone."
"You'll never understand how I felt."
"You were traumatized through no fault of your own."
Gawwwwwd the irony is KILLING ME. It's almost like OMB is talking to herself in  these scenes. The empathy is palpable, but it's MORE than empathy, and I'm envisioning her rushing to the car or the stairwell or an abandoned interview room and sobbing hysterically for a few minutes before putting on her Lieutenant's face again and braving the world.

"Because they stop seeing themselves as victims, so they stop being victims." At first I blinked. Wasn't sure how to take this quote. But what OMB said next added context. Yes, Savannah, your life is far from over.

Carisi, I don't see the Brad Pitt resemblance, either.

Wardrobe:

Is it too late in the year for me to copy the white blazer gray shirt? I already have the green blouse and an assortment of dark blazers and pants.

Fin cracks me up in his jacket and dress shirt...reluctantly fitting in with everyone else.

IDK about y'all but I'm ready for trench coat season.

Is It Next Wednesday Yet?

Why mention the dog walker rather than Jesse's nanny?

Will Carisi struggle with memories of Tommy falling to his death?

When will Lucy get her turn in the interview room? If the investigation is going to heat up to the point of "crazy lady" wouldn't they want to talk to the nanny?

And to Tucker? 😊

Didn't think I was going to let a post go by without mentioning him, didja? But seriously, when's OMB gonna recall the whole "I trust you" thing and give the Captain a call? Or the other way around? Please tell me I wasn't the only one who thought maybe that was him on the phone?

I still steadfastly stand by my original statement. A season-long custody battle and fight (again) for Noah is anathema to me and I'm baffled how that would play out since, other than the bruise, there really isn't anything there. Yeah, yeah, all the Lewis horror is in the file, but there is no link between what happened to OMB then and her parenting now. And considering Institutional Fail, surely there are kids in way more dire situations than Noah Porter Benson who, by the way, better be careful. No knocking into ANYTHING Noah...just stay on the couch with your blanket, kay? Wouldn't it be perfect if he was injured (not seriously) while under Smiley's watch? Now THAT is a parent-teacher conference I want to attend!

So next week Brooke Shields and Langan come to further fuck up Benson's life.

Or maybe they've fooled us all and the two of them have nothing to do with the C___ A____ investigation.

Whatever it is, they'll face a Benson who is on the offensive, and you know what else? I don't have to work next Thursday.

Party at my place!