SVU: Robin Williams manipulates, impersonates, litigates, kidnaps, tortures, and blows a recording studio up all to make a point
Benson and Stabler look for a man who impersonated a cop on the phone and tricked a man into strip searching his employee. The trail leads to Merritt Rook (Robin Williams, in an Emmy-nominated performance), who squares off in court against Novak and wins an acquittal. Rook becomes a folk hero, saying we’ve all become sheep to authority. He organizes a flash mob in Grand Central Station where he kidnaps Olivia. Elliot tracks Rook to a recording studio where he’s holding his partner. Stabler hears Benson’s shrieks of pain from electric shocks, but they’re only sound effects. As the detectives arrest him, this supervillain has one more trick up his sleeve: he activates an explosive that blows up the studio and gets away. Benson and Stabler chase him to the banks of the East River, but Rook vanishes, never to be seen again.We’re talking about SVU’s 200th episode: season nine, episode 17, “Authority.” Our guest from our February 27, 2019 show is Michelle Rubenstein from the "It Takes Three podcast" network. This episode was inspired by a 2004 phone scam at a Kentucky McDonald’s.
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46:39
SVU: Who's preying on the girls in that reality TV family?
When the Bakers, a chastity-espousing reality TV family, come to New York to celebrate Lane's purity ceremony, they discover the 13-year-old is pregnant. After interrogating a cameraman, Fin and Carisi learn that accusations of inappropriate touching by the oldest son, Graham, were buried by the Bakers' powerful supporters. Before Benson and Dodds can question him, the family pastor says the boy has been sent to a camp in Ecuador. After binge-watching their show, Rollins suspects Graham fathered a child with a different sister. But the DNA points in a different direction. The pastor himself has been preying on the daughters and blaming the son.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 17 episode 7* "Patrimonial Burden." Our returning guest is Melody Carlisle from the "Heaving Bosoms" podcast.This episode is inspired by the scandal around reality TV stars, the Duggar family.*Note: Because of a two-part season opener, some streaming services list this as episode 6.
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46:26
L&O: Briscoe is accused of being dirty
As Detectives Briscoe and Curtis work a drug sting, Lt. John Flynn shoots the dealer. Lenny backs up his old friend's story that Ruben Morales went for his gun, but Rey is suspicious about Flynn's connection to the dealer. They learn Morales was going to testify against a kingpin who had Flynn on his payroll. Prosecutors Jack McCoy and Jamie Ross want to charge Flynn with murder, but the dirty cop gets a deal in exchange for testifying before a police corruption commission. In front of the cameras, he accuses Briscoe of stealing drugs from the evidence locker. Lenny struggles to defend himself because the incident happened during his drinking days. The married woman he had an affair with comes forward to provide him with an alibi, but is humiliated by the commissioners. While wearing a wire, Briscoe gets Flynn to confirm his innocence. His perjury nullifies his deal, and before Lenny can take him in, Flynn shoots himself.We're talking about Law & Order season 7 episode 5 "Corruption." Our special guest is author and NPR reporter Sonari Glinton.This episode takes cues from the real life police scandal around drugs stolen from the famous "French Connection" operation.
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49:34
L&O: Briscoe solves 3 murders, 1 kidnapping, and delivers a baby in one day
A jogger who died of a heart attack leads police to the unrelated murder of a woman who's been using the Social Security number of Marcella Celaya, who was killed ten years ago. Detectives Briscoe and Green learn that Rafael Berseño, the victim's husband, used to have the last name Celaya also. Before they question him further, they spot a jealous wife running over her husband with her car again and again. Then, Green discovers a note on a bathroom mirror from a pregnant woman saying she's been kidnapped. Meanwhile, they hear Rafael's brother Reynaldo just got out of prison for killing his wife Marcella, though her body was never found.Reynaldo tells McCoy and Southerlyn he already served his sentence for killing Marcella, even though she wasn't dead, and they can't convict him twice for killing the same person. Still on the job, Briscoe and Green learn Rafael and Marcella set up Reynaldo so they could be together. When he got out of prison, he forced his brother to kill his (their) wife. Briscoe gets a lead on the kidnapping. The mom-to-be was abducted by an infertile woman. They rescue her just as she goes into labor, forcing Lennie to deliver the baby himself. Before they can finally punch out for the night, Dr. Rogers calls to say that jogger didn't have a heart attack...he'd been poisoned!We're talking about one crazy day for the detectives in Law & Order season 13 episode 23* "Couples." Our guest is Sarah Carradine from the Crime Seen podcast.Among the many inspirations for this story include the case of Clara and David Lynn Harris.*Note: Hulu incorrectly lists this as episode 24.
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49:01
SVU: David Harbour plays with dolls and kidnaps Gloria Reuben's kid
After the body of a mummified child is discovered, Benson and Stabler run out of leads. At a vigil for "Cherish Doe," Fin meets Violet (Gloria Reuben). She's fresh from rehab and fears the unidentified girl is her missing daughter, Nina. The detectives learn the victim is a different girl, but both children were taken from their homes by a man posing as a social services worker. The trail leads to a handyman with an obsession for expensive dolls (David Harbour). In order to get him to say where the missing Nina is, Violet must convince him she's not a bad mother.We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 4 episode 7 Dolls. Our returning guest is Lani Diane Rich.Some plot points share similarities with the 1991 investigation into an unidentified child known only as “Baby Hope.”
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Sobre ...These Are Their Stories: The Law & Order Podcast
Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie invite special guests to talk about ripped-from-the-headlines episodes of Law & Order, SVU, and Criminal Intent. It's the f'ing OG of police procedurals!
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