Gone Sheila Gone (Finally)

The #42 Minutes

All hands (except Dodds') are on deck for the multi-state Noah-hunt! The detectives' frenzied search begins at the six-floor (but OMB doesn't care if its sixty) Mall of Manhattan and culminates in a rural New Hampshire cabin where sociopath Sheila finally loses it but OMB is there to hug her before leading her out in handcuffs.

In between, Dodds orders Benson to stand down (hahaha) and she and Sheila hang at Sheila's apartment then at the precinct until Carisi visits Awesome Baby and has to inform his Lieutenant that Grandma Sheila was behind this all along. Benson whips around to see Sheila missing from the interrogation room where she was supposed to be looking at sex offender photos. Fin and Liv hurry to Sheila's apartment but find nothing except for Ellie's missing portrait. Carisi and Rollins track the kidnapper's car to a bus station and everything seems really fucked until OMB thinks to involve Sheila's family court lawyer who gives up the name of a PI who leads them to Juan Ortoli, who, like everyone else, was conned by Sheila. Noah saves the day by waking up and running to Mommy only to be shoved safely outside while Benson beats the crap out of Sheila. Oh wait, that's what I wanted to happen. Benson did not beat the crap out of Sheila nor did she snap her neck or perform a police-sanctioned take-down maneuver.

I pity the next perp. Both the empathy and restraint tanks have gotta be about empty.

Assessment

Some (more in the past year than ever before) SVU episodes have such hackneyed, predictable writing that the only saving grace is the acting. The SVU cast has the ability to redeem an entire script due to their sheer talent. Gone Baby Gone doesn't fall into this category, but it came close. (Also...surely someone mentioned the title was not exactly original?)

The people raving about the episode are actually raving about Mariska Hargitay's performance and deservedly so. She was brilliant. It's still early, but if she doesn't get an Emmy nod this summer, something is seriously out of whack in the ATAS. She nailed this episode as both terrified parent and savvy cop. Everyone else was absolutely on point--Barba as devoted yet brutally honest friend, Carisi and Rollins relentlessly pursuing leads, and Fin letting Dodds think he's a loyal soldier.

But THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE! (Not only had many of us been predicting this outcome since Grandma's arrival, but the opening montage also pretty much let the cat the rest of the way out of the bag) Perhaps  Nooch and Company cared less about keeping her involvement under wraps and wanted the audience to feel Benson's inner turmoil as she realizes and comes to terms with her near-devastating decision to trust Sheila. If that's the case, mission accomplished. I'm still reeling from "I can't breathe" and the Barba hug and gawwwwd I'm giving myself another stress headache. But still...the actual script was disappointingly linear and devoid of genuine suspense (we all knew Noah would be fine and there was nothing more to Sheila's involvement other than...she did it, oh, and maybe that she seduced the lawn guy). 

They could've traded some Sheila-Benson time for more of Dodds running interference or running the investigation and Benson resisting and disagreeing and going rogue.

Or Cassidy could've been involved. 

I hate that asshole.

Re-watch Drinking Game

Drink when Sheila says "I" because remember, this is all about her!

Spoiler: she says "I" 13 times.

Quotable:

"You're not a cop in New Hampshire, just do it." You don't have to ask Rollins twice, Lieu. I loved that scene in the Ortoli house. Well done, detectives.

"You think you've seen emotional, wait 'til I tell her this." Poor Fin. 

#Squad

"You prevent the next mess."

"Maybe you wanted this to work out too much."

I always love Barba, especially when his legal expertise is showcased along with his insight and his genuine (platonic) affection for Benson. He is absolutely right, and, looking back, one has to wonder how this person could not only appear out of nowhere but be subject to so little scrutiny on the part of the Lieutenant who has a wealth of resources at her disposal and could have been alerted to Sheila's nefarious transactions (turning off utilities; draining bank accounts, etc.) earlier. 

I hate to think about Benson's reaction when and if Barba leaves.

My heart...

Wardrobe:

I am chagrined to say I wasn't paying one bit of attention except for Noah complaining once again that something was too big. And was that Ellie's childhood bed he slept in?

Tucker Files

I would take all this family crap a little more seriously if Benson hadn't let Tucker leave or if the breakup was due to an actual reason other than Noah climbing on the counter. Let's face it. At the end of the day the #SVU "family" is but an ephemeral placeholder for the real thing. ALL of those people will eventually leave; they have their own families (even though Fin's seem to have fallen by the wayside). Cute gathering at the end, but that's an every-once-in-a-while occurrence. The Bensons are currently a party of two.

And I will never forgive whoever decided the elephant's name was Eddie.

Unless Tucker returns and "the three of us" live happily ever after. 

Then we're all good. No harm; no foul.

Head Scratchers

1. How did driver's license or passport facial recognition not get a hit on Juan earlier? They had a clear picture of his face.
2. Paid cash for the car but Sheila used a credit card for the car seat? And she also left Noah alone while she bought burgers? And Noah didn't question the black phone screen?
3. Being "in from New Jersey" somehow precludes one from knowing where they were 30 minutes ago?
4. The PI didn't alert anyone when Sheila requested fake passports?
5. OMB went to the cabin alone? I get not wanting to spook Sheila (after all, she had to be getting irritated he wouldn't shut up about Mommy), but, come on. She could've asked for backup on standby without going full on SWAT. That was dumb (and bolstered Dodds' worries she wasn't thinking rationally and I hate when he's right). Carisi and Rollins didn't alert anyone about Juan's cabin BEFORE they went there? OMB didn't clear the perimeter before entering the cabin? Noah didn't wake up at Grandma Sheila's shriek? 
6. And finally...Juan thought he was going to RUN AWAY? LOLOLOLOLOL

Is it Next Wednesday Yet?

Hopefully the Sheila saga is over and we don't have to see her trial or her plea deal or Noah visiting her in prison. 

I don't think the final exchange between "Dick" Dodds and Fin was insignificant. Apparently, the Dodds-Benson Eidteen détente was either short-lived or forgotten (fine with me, I mean, Season 18 doesn't even exist on Hulu so, if it's not there, did it really happen)? I have a hard time believing Dodds wasn't following the squad's movements and had no clue about Benson's whereabouts. And why, when Fin told him she had been at home waiting by the phone...why did Dodds ask if she was alone? I was SO begging and pleading for Fin's response to be "I'm sure Tucker was with her." Yes, I know, I need to let it go.

Anyway...in addition to Benson losing all trust for everyone on Earth when it comes to her son, this Dodds thing could come back to burn Fin and OMB down the line. If, of course, we're doing that whole continuity thing.

For future reference, the only person allowed to call Noah "sweet boy" is his Mommy.