Nooch.6: When Not Everyone Is Sorry For Your Loss...

The #42 Minutes:

Natalie Curtis is discovered raped and dead from an overdose in the East Village and the investigation leads SVU from an overly tatted and grilled heroin dealer to a high-end rehab center to a shady sober house, and back again to the rehab center and its seemingly principled yet corrupt director, Dr. Barkley who ends up getting a taste, err, of his own medicine.

I'll never understand the allure of the grill.

In a pleasant departure from the previous five episodes, the case was less a "whodunit" and more of an indictment against the array of nefarious people who prey on addicts and their families.

Sheila continues to linger...but hopefully we're headed for denouement as far as she's concerned. The whole thing has run its course; however, Sheila and the Curtises and Rosemary illuminate and reinforce for Benson the reality that parents can do almost everything right and still be powerless when things go totally wrong.

Ramblings:

Gotta admit, I thought Rosemary (Annie Corley did an a had something to do with whatever Lux was hiding and I also thought Rollins' undercover assignment was going to involve her being a patient rather than an aide on a trial run. Given the way the episode opened, I was sure Amanda was going to be Kristy's strung-out roommate and something a la Sealview would ensue, but...wrong-O! Nice job keeping us guessing Elizabeth Rinehart.

Rosemary did offer up the aide opportunity a little too quickly but I guess people aren't flooding her with resumes for a job like that.

Lucy, I recommend you start looking for other gigs because Grandma Sheila went from awkward tea and convo and no-you're-not-staying-with-Noah to one of Manhattan's preferred babysitters, so Luc, you need to get on the #ByeFelicia train but maybe you're done nannying anyway. While I no longer think Sheila's planning to do anything wicked like kidnap Noah, I am annoyed that suddenly she gets an all-access pass to Benson. Maybe poor Tucker's coffee invite in Chasing Theo was ill-timed and it wasn't Noah-related but stillllll...Sheila calls and Benson drops everything to meet her at, um...the same fucking place as "we've got a good thing going here the three of us"...like, come on set people, you couldn't pick literally ANY OTHER SITE IN MANHATTAN?

I consider all of this felony Tuckson taunting.
Oh, and also, I'm not so sure I woulda sipped that cappuccino. 

And, just so we're clear, three of us is with Tucker, not her.

But, okay, okay, I get it...the story of Natalie sort of paralleled Ellie's in a way and one minute everything's fine and she was playing soccer and Ellie was buying prom dresses and the next minute they're gone...OMB realizes she has compassion for everyone but Sheila and the hand grab was sweet and at least she's at peace with her presence in Noah's life so now can she just be relegated to a few mentions here and there?

Quotable

"I gotta get over it, right?" You recall Ellie left the safe house only to end up found incinerated on the side of a road. And maybe OMB harbors some guilt that someone's worst nightmare ended up bringing her such happiness, but yes, OMB, you gotta get over it.

"Figure out another way in." Ahhh, some Barba-Rollins collusion just like the good old Yates at Green Haven days.

And ya know, sometimes Rollins doesn't have to speak:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

"Illegal search...illegal search...illegal search..." Okayyyyy, Lieutenant we get it; however I do appreciate you letting her off the hook because after all you forgave Fin for his little extralegal jaunt to Cuba but maybe OMB would like to consider a gentle Come-to-Jesus with those two.

"What are you? A bat?"
"What?"
Poor Carisi.....

"I'm the bitch that's gonna..." Twitter loved this line but I guess I'm in the minority in thinking it was slightly OOC but I know we're all craving badass Benson and that was pretty fucking badass especially since I'm gonna have nightmares about that guy for the rest of the week. Scarrrrrryyyyy.

But then "Find Mr. Stache..."

LOL

Wardrobe

Just when I thought I could love no trench more than her black one...

"You will get nowhere in this field without the requisite drab, heavy sweater."

I don't blame ya, Rosemary, I loved that one, too. 

Is it Next Wednesday Yet?

Well, I'll be looking to see if Noah's room has been rearranged once again because wasn't the door in the wrong place in this episode? And his bed is now against the wall? And he's an infielder who likes the Yankees because, of course, "Eddie's" taken him to a game or two...riiiiight? Because Tucker is totally a Yankees fan.

Before the premiere I sat back on the sofa with a satisfied smile and thought oh good, I won't be brooding over this fucking show for three weeks only to watch the promo for "Something Happened" and how in the hell am I supposed to work and prepare Thanksgiving dinner for twelve people when I'm going to be predicting and unpredicting and repredicting OMB's secret until next, next, next Wednesday?