I've seen this episode at least five times before, but while watching it this time (nothing else on, trust me), I was reminded of what the point of this episode was. And how little anyone seems to get it.
Which is frustrating, because how much better can you do than Stephen Rea? Or Christopher Meloni, a criminally underappreciated actor? The show concerns a horrible accusation that is later revealed as a hoax, but in the process, Stabler (Meloni) takes the usual police approach of going for the obvious target when a woman disappears, a man Stabler sent away years ago (who turns out to be innocent of that crime). But that's not the point.
I worked in the criminal justice system for over 30 years. Anyone who works in it will tell you that they have fretted over just why we punish criminal behavior the way we do. That's not to say retribution isn't a legitimate purpose for lengthy incarceration. It's to say that we have constructed an arbitrary legal code (why should everyone who commits armed robbery in some states face mandatory penitentiary time, no matter the facts or factors that led to the crime?) that is revealing itself to be more of a burden on people and society than not. And when we do incarcerate, does that mean we can torture, too?
I once sat across the table from two 14-year-olds who had raped a woman and tossed her out of a fifth floor window. Of course, she died. There is certainly a major fear of such people. They represent an outrageous threat to the public welfare and safety. But there is no attempt in many such cases to understand such behavior and learn how to better prevent it.
But what is worse is that this show portrayed just how unjust the system is to its own victims. Stabler, a character who has previously demonstrated a desire to understand, and a capacity for empathy, gets it in this show. At the close we can see that Stabler not only isn't seeking retribution. He's not even sure the Rea character deserves what hews getting.
I've skimmed the facts here, but for a reason. Watch this episode, even if you watch no other. The episode leaves no easy outs for its characters and, like all good drama, shoves its question right in our face. TV at its near-best.
Which is frustrating, because how much better can you do than Stephen Rea? Or Christopher Meloni, a criminally underappreciated actor? The show concerns a horrible accusation that is later revealed as a hoax, but in the process, Stabler (Meloni) takes the usual police approach of going for the obvious target when a woman disappears, a man Stabler sent away years ago (who turns out to be innocent of that crime). But that's not the point.
I worked in the criminal justice system for over 30 years. Anyone who works in it will tell you that they have fretted over just why we punish criminal behavior the way we do. That's not to say retribution isn't a legitimate purpose for lengthy incarceration. It's to say that we have constructed an arbitrary legal code (why should everyone who commits armed robbery in some states face mandatory penitentiary time, no matter the facts or factors that led to the crime?) that is revealing itself to be more of a burden on people and society than not. And when we do incarcerate, does that mean we can torture, too?
I once sat across the table from two 14-year-olds who had raped a woman and tossed her out of a fifth floor window. Of course, she died. There is certainly a major fear of such people. They represent an outrageous threat to the public welfare and safety. But there is no attempt in many such cases to understand such behavior and learn how to better prevent it.
But what is worse is that this show portrayed just how unjust the system is to its own victims. Stabler, a character who has previously demonstrated a desire to understand, and a capacity for empathy, gets it in this show. At the close we can see that Stabler not only isn't seeking retribution. He's not even sure the Rea character deserves what hews getting.
I've skimmed the facts here, but for a reason. Watch this episode, even if you watch no other. The episode leaves no easy outs for its characters and, like all good drama, shoves its question right in our face. TV at its near-best.