21.9 Rollins, It's Your Turn

The #42Minutes

Vincent Kartheiser guest stars as Steve Getz, an Epstein carbon copy, who has amassed a fortune mostly from his chain of Gimme That Body gyms. Getz's procurer, Granya, ensnares Ivy Bucci with the help of a cute lap dog and promises of a modeling career at GTB, and, in an astounding opening series, we see Ivy groomed, raped, pimped out, and forced to bring her twelve-year-old sister, Millie, to Getz's townhouse. Millie, however, freaks out, tells their father (Detective Bucci from Part 33), and Bucci ends up in Benson's office, pleading for help. As it becomes clear the wall of power and wealth surrounding Getz is impenetrable, Bucci becomes more and more frustrated with the investigation and with the detectives' efforts. After Kat gives herself an impromptu undercover assignment posing as Bucci's sister, Getz's goons go after Bucci. He lands in the hospital with minor injuries, but flies into a rage which ends up convincing Ivy to testify. On the legal side, Hadid arranges for a plea deal, unbeknownst to Carisi, and "Let 'em Go Joe" sentences Getz to time served. Instead of simply shooting Getz outside of the courthouse, Bucci follows Rollins to her therapist's office, bursts in, and takes them both hostage.

I'm here for the acrimony between Kat and Rollins, but, Amanda, cut her some slack. I remember you screwing up, like, majorly, a few times in your career. And you weren't exactly a rookie. 

Oh, and Noah gets Chinese for dinner after apparently eating a lot of pizza lately. Seems like Benson's off the salad kick? Tucker's probably not a fan of salad, either.

The Verdict

A

The episode was well paced and compelling. Ripped from the headlines eps are not always my thing (and this was ripped right down to the initials GM), but this one told a poignant story and advanced the season's money-and-power theme while also laying bare the toll taken on victims and their families.

A week ago, Hadid seemed like she was not so bad after all, but what the fuck? She agrees to an outrageous plea deal then lashes out at Carisi for being green? Did she get paid off by Getz? Did Let 'Em Go Joe? Because how in the hell can he ignore a law? So what if he thought the sex was consensual? Ivy, at fifteen, couldn't consent. Will his decision be overturned in the second part because for all the clout judges have, this one was an egregious, unlawful abuse of power.

The fourth sentence I wrote down in last night's notes was Gun in glove compartment? First of all, why? Seems irresponsible at best. Or does the therapist ban them from sessions? Wouldn't she make an exception for a cop?

Bucci's anger is understandably misplaced, and in addition to an explosive temper, I think he, as a former fellow officer, also felt as if the squad owed him swift, decisive justice and he quickly lost patience when he felt they were bungling the investigation. Bucci and Rollins had a chummy moment in Part 33 and I think Bucci felt extra kinship with Rollins.

So he follows her and takes her hostage.

I'm not sure what to think about this. Rollins is struggling, secretly seeing a therapist, still fending off Mr. Rollins-related demons, feeling abandoned and alone, and now she's battling for her life...for what? Where is Bucci taking her and what exactly does kidnapping Rollins achieve? Will it squeeze out some Rollisi feels? Force Benson to confront vivid Lewis memories that will inevitably bubble back to the surface? Make Kat feel bad for fucking up? Make Fin feel bad for letting Kat fuck up?

I'll get back to you in January. Right now, I'm scratching my head and thinking, "again?"

Wardrobe

Not the flashiest day in the closet, but Benson sported a cute polka-dotty blouse and Rollins' puffy sleeve shirt was one not many people can pull off.

Quotable

"We have to hit him from every angle." I cannot get enough of in-charge Captain Benson. And, how refreshing to go back to an erudite ADA! #BoydCycle

"Figure it out." Yaaaaas, Carisi. Barba would be so proud of you.

"Nobody listens to me in this family!" I felt genuine compassion for Bucci in this moment. He's not perfect, but he hit the end of his rope. Nick Turturro was great, but there were a few times in the ep when he struggled to convey the extreme anger the writers intended.

Lucky Fin. He took absolutely no heat for Kat's blunder.

"...green ADA like you." FUCK YOU, Hadid! Are you fucking kidding me? She's the one who agreed to the deal, FFS. Is she dirty?

"You have no idea what utter terror is." You're about to find out, Amanda. Don't recall this quote from last night's show? It's from Part 33.

Is it January Yet? 

Ugggghhhh. I'm not sorry to say I'm more concerned about the context of Tucker returning than anything. I feel my fragile heart will never recover if he comes back with a terminal illness or immediate death or anything other than a sweet, loving #Tuckson reunion. And Lindstrom is also in an ep in which Tucker appears? Great. But Liv has to process Simon's death and also the probable near-death of Amanda and all of the repair work that will have to be done after she's rescued.

And does Getz actually commit suicide or were the guards on duty in this version?

Hot. (Her, not him)