Winter Finale!

The #42 Minutes

Katy the social media star goes on a date with Andy the fighter and the date ends up with Katy raped and stumbling down a Tribeca street. At the hospital she refuses a rape kit and recants. Suspect Andy himself invites SVU over to his gym, argues the sex was consensual, and shows the detectives evidence of a (paltry considering he's worth millions) extortion attempt. The vic wasn't very vic-ey and the perp wasn't very perp-y (except for the tough-guy MMA fighter persona and, oh, that striated, chewed up and put-back-together ear).

Nobody knows what in the hell is going on, at once Andy and Katy both look guilty and innocent, until all signs point to a double catfish and Mays--something, West Virginia. Carisi and Rollins almost kiss, Rollins sleeps with a random bartender (surprise), Carisi broods, MMA Andy has a heart, and Hillbilly Heather is going to prison for a long time.

Oh, and also, Noah takes a lot of apples to school and he's now missing for the holidays.

Ramblings

Ramblings are a lot better when I have something to bitch and moan about and I do (Sheila) but the actual episode was intense, highly entertaining, and perfectly layered with personal and legal drama. Every character involved in the trial, in one way or another, earned my sympathy. All three of them had fairly harmless initial intents perverted by something beyond their control. Even Heather. I mean, damn, the pressure of being the sole caregiver of a seriously ailing mother? And then, to add insult to serious injury she lives in bumble fuck West Virginia and her wildest dream is doing the Laverne and Shirley thing in New York?

Loved how the characters were written so the audience jumped to assumptions fueled by stereotypes only to have those assumptions challenged and proven wrong

Do we think the writers are familiar with fans? I'd make some crack about the Blue whatever it was shampoo obsession among Katy's followers, but I diiiid kinda whip out the credit card as soon as Mariska tweeted "Terax" and made sure to add express shipping.

I SO hate it when I'm sorta hungover after a night of drinking and almost sleeping with a friend/colleague and considerately buy breakfast and coffee only to witness the one-night-stand leave her hotel room.

Rollins knows THE Monster's stats a little too well which I would disregard except I can't help but wonder if she's gambling again and was I the only one who thought the pain-in-the-ass remark at Carisi as she basically told him to grow the fuck up hinted at a previous sexual rendezvous between the two of them? But then again, if that were the case, why wouldn't they have hooked up in WV? Or maybe they did it once in a moment of weakness and promised to not go there again? But damn writers and actors you're scrambling my brain because "Rafa" and Sonny sure looked happy to see one another. And to circle back for a second, I coulda done without Rollins recalling banging RJ's brains out behind the bar in Loganville and also what's wrong with her mom? Cirrhosis?

Rafa. Ugh.

I love episodes like this. The snark, the banter, the heartache...and the suspense...just really well done.

BUT...

Nobody told me we were playing the Olivia Benson WTF Face Drinking game. Next time, I guess. Except I try to dry out in January. Well, not on Wednesdays I guess.

While we're on the subject of OMB WTF faces, she regarded members of her squad with incredulity multiple times, and it emphasized her isolation...they may have her back but she's not really one of the group anymore. Which is fine. But I don't want her to be alone I want her to be with Tucker because I guaran-fucking-tee you Tucker's retired ass would be tailing Grandma Sheila on her outings with Noah. Lol. Can't you just see him? All cranky and pissed off and disagreeing with OMB's decision but respecting it and...okay I'll stop writing Fan Fiction.

Why didn't Noah SCREAM?

Oh, and for someone who needed translation services (good one, OMB), Carisi sure did have a good eye for where Heather's room was located. 

Quotable:

"We're both new at this." Oh stop it, Olivia. Sheila fucked up. No, she didn't fuck up. That was not an accident. She did it on purpose, selfishly and maliciously, and IDK if she orchestrated the kidnapping or not, but this woman is POISONOUS. While we're on the subject, could the two of them be any more awkward around each other? No joke, I cringe every time they're in a scene together. EVERY TIME.

"Sorry no deal or sorry I hurt you and you'll take the deal?" LOLOLOLOL Andy's doing the right thing (love) but Barba's all like yeah yeah yeah, enough talking let's hammer this out so we can move on.

Noah "ended up in the right ZIP code with the right people." Well, that's all there is to it, right? Except...I gather Sheila's idea of "right people" is her family and I'm 70% leaning toward she orchestrated this whole thing, 20% on the side of it's revenge for something OMB did, and 10% it's Cassidy.

"Nope, not yet, but I still got 10,000 pictures to go through." Oh, shutup Carisi.

"...or he could just move to Hollywood."
"Don't people know porn's free these days..."
Oh, Fin.
And the way OMB looked at him. Surely the actors had to film that scene a few times.

"I'm so glad." Bahahahahaha
I really hope OMB hasn't been spending evenings drinking tea with Sheila when she could be spending them cuddled up with Tucker.

Wardrobe

It's TRENCH COAT SEASON!

Oh, and after Noah is recovered, take that fur-lined hooded coat into evidence and leave it there. Those are gross and the fur gets all matted and encrusted with preschooler crumbs and bits of eraser and glue...it's just disgusting. Thanks.

Tucker Files

This was sunken ship torture in the most serious degree. And I thought "Eddie" and smelling the flowers in the morning were bad.

"Who is the hand?"

OMB struggling to find someone who "has her back" and she can TRUST? (Hint: that person is not B.C. He essentially turned her in to child services FFS. Also, he's a jackass.)

"Looks like there may be a heart somewhere under all those muscles." REMEMBER HOW YOU FOUND A HEART UNDER THAT ornery, rigid, hard-nosed exterior of a certain former IAB investigator? Yeah, me too. Why don't ya give him a call?

Is It Next Wednesday Yet?

Can. Sheila. Just. Go. Away.?

Or die? Sure, Olivia will have to talk to him about death and why Mommy shot Granny and maybe he'll have nightmares but I can handle that. Pleeeeeeeeease can we make a New Year's Resolution that someone else's kid or family can be in peril? It would've made WAY more sense for Jesse to be taken by the people who own Rollins' gambling debt. Isn't it about time for them to get out of prison? Or bring Declan back and out of UC ops and someone takes his kid as payback?

Or, or, or, or....

Happy Holidays, ya'll.

I hope Santa brings each and every one of you a big, red Range Rover.

Or its equivalent.