Another episode where the ending breaks your heart but this time, it's not the victim who's bringing you to tears, it's one of the series regulars ...
6 Reviews
Another painful ending ...
AngelCullen14 November 2020
My Review On This Eo
hvdod19 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
My review is more towards the small storyline with Calvin and Olivia. In my thoughts, I believe that Calvin helped Benson in a way, as did Benson with Calvin. When Calvin have Benson that painting of her, you see then and there she had love for him, and actually wanted him. When it came down to the end of the episode, where the dad decided to remove Livs parental rights over Calvin, and put in the care of his parents, who'd assume he has never met, as he hardly even knew his dad. I don't think that was the best idea. I mean you saw the connection Calvin and Liv shared. It practically broke when he was taken from her arms, he was literally yelling her. I think for the best interest of Calvin, was for him to stay with Liv. Liv cared for him, as he cared for her. Even him adding her last to his. Calvin was a blessing in some ways for Liv.
Dependent
yazguloner8 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It's a story that I feel sorry for Olivia.
Calvin is Olivia's first serious experience as a mother. She had a strong bond with him. That's why the pain was intense.
Fortunately, there are rules and laws. Thanks to those laws, Olivia was freed from her temporary guardianship. Calvin won't be able to take Calvin until his mother rehabilitates.
There may be defects and deficits in this democracy and justice system. But they will be solved with the struggle of good and ethical people.
Calvin is Olivia's first serious experience as a mother. She had a strong bond with him. That's why the pain was intense.
Fortunately, there are rules and laws. Thanks to those laws, Olivia was freed from her temporary guardianship. Calvin won't be able to take Calvin until his mother rehabilitates.
There may be defects and deficits in this democracy and justice system. But they will be solved with the struggle of good and ethical people.
Episode of two halves
TheLittleSongbird31 May 2022
'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' varied throughout its run in its portrayal of the main characters' personal life stories. The earlier seasons generally handled them very, very well, but too many of them started to get soapier and over-emphasised over the cases around Season 8 or so. Olivia is a great character, or at least she was in the early seasons (she's varied post-Stabler), but her personal life subplot is a continuation of the one seen in "Trophy", which didn't grab me so was nervous.
"Rescue" is not one of the best or worst episodes of Season 12. It is also not in either category when talking about 'Special Victims Unit' as a show. As far as Season 12 goes, it's around low middle. Not a terrible episode and watchable with some strong good things, but somewhat bland and disjointed and the balance didn't seem right. There were a small handful of episodes that feel like too much of two halves and "Rescue" is one of those.
There are good things here. The production values are typically slick with the right amount of grit, nothing is too fancy or too gimmicky. Nor is anything too static, drab or garish. The music is not too constant or emotionally manipulative, meanig not over-emphasising the emotion to make one think that's how we should be feeling. The direction has moments where it has enough alertness and breathing space.
Mariska Hargitay and Maria Bello both give great affecting performances, Hargitay in particular makes one feel sorry for Olivia expertly. Especially at the end. The case does start off very well and in an unsettling way.
However, the episode could have been a lot better, especially considering that there are many brilliant Olivia-centric episodes (i.e. "911"). It does feel like two episodes in one, or more like two stories in one, one marginally better than the two while not living to full potential. The case starts off creepy but there is not much memorable about it and the more it progressed the sillier and duller it got due to too little tension and because the teams professionalism goes out the window.
Furthermore, the ending for the case came over as ridiculous and contrived. Olivia's subplot fares worse, there is far too much of it and much of it is melodramatic soap opera that doesn't go very far a lot of the time, making it feel dragged out and lacking in variety. It was not interesting enough in "Trophy", though it is less shoe-horned in here, and to me it really did feel like one episode too far. The writing is bland and awkward.
In conclusion, watchable but didn't care for it all that much. 5/10.
"Rescue" is not one of the best or worst episodes of Season 12. It is also not in either category when talking about 'Special Victims Unit' as a show. As far as Season 12 goes, it's around low middle. Not a terrible episode and watchable with some strong good things, but somewhat bland and disjointed and the balance didn't seem right. There were a small handful of episodes that feel like too much of two halves and "Rescue" is one of those.
There are good things here. The production values are typically slick with the right amount of grit, nothing is too fancy or too gimmicky. Nor is anything too static, drab or garish. The music is not too constant or emotionally manipulative, meanig not over-emphasising the emotion to make one think that's how we should be feeling. The direction has moments where it has enough alertness and breathing space.
Mariska Hargitay and Maria Bello both give great affecting performances, Hargitay in particular makes one feel sorry for Olivia expertly. Especially at the end. The case does start off very well and in an unsettling way.
However, the episode could have been a lot better, especially considering that there are many brilliant Olivia-centric episodes (i.e. "911"). It does feel like two episodes in one, or more like two stories in one, one marginally better than the two while not living to full potential. The case starts off creepy but there is not much memorable about it and the more it progressed the sillier and duller it got due to too little tension and because the teams professionalism goes out the window.
Furthermore, the ending for the case came over as ridiculous and contrived. Olivia's subplot fares worse, there is far too much of it and much of it is melodramatic soap opera that doesn't go very far a lot of the time, making it feel dragged out and lacking in variety. It was not interesting enough in "Trophy", though it is less shoe-horned in here, and to me it really did feel like one episode too far. The writing is bland and awkward.
In conclusion, watchable but didn't care for it all that much. 5/10.
Her first stab at foster parenting
bkoganbing27 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Olivia Benson's first stab at foster parenting came to an end after two episodes. She's got young Charlie Tahan in her custody, signed over to her by Maria Bello after she went on the run for a murder she committed. The murder of her biological father because she was the child of a rapist just as Mariska Hargitay is.
Now however Bello's name comes up in an investigation of a woman who was assaulted and later died at a party. She was also raped post mortem, but by a different individual.
Both crimes get solved and yet there's another murder that of Kat Foster who is Bello's girlfriend and junkie buddy.
In the end Tahan is no longer Olivia's. I feel bad for this kid. If genes are any indication he hasn't a prayer of leading a normal life.
Now however Bello's name comes up in an investigation of a woman who was assaulted and later died at a party. She was also raped post mortem, but by a different individual.
Both crimes get solved and yet there's another murder that of Kat Foster who is Bello's girlfriend and junkie buddy.
In the end Tahan is no longer Olivia's. I feel bad for this kid. If genes are any indication he hasn't a prayer of leading a normal life.
Can they not just settle on a single plot at a time?
gring026 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
No wonder my wife watches these episodes twice without remembering the first time; all these plot convolutions and deus ex machinas popping up would confuse anyone. Let's see: A woman is killed by another woman at a party. The deceased (or soon to be) is raped by a member of the ambulance crew. Who then kills himself by smashing a window in a café, running from police with guns drawn into his ambulance, locks the door, and has the police watch helplessly as he jabs his neck with the kind of fast-acting poison one expects to find in ambulances. Sod that, because it just so happens that they stumbled upon him and his partner by determining that they were involved in theft at an open house. But instead the theft just so happened was caused by the mother of the child Olivia is looking after. How many live in New York City currently? I thought things were getting better there... Anyway, this woman is now living in sin with another woman who, out of their minds on drugs, manage to nevertheless completely manipulate the judicial system. Until the other woman is killed by the biological father of the boy Olivia is looking after. But not before another guest appearance occurs involving the earlier suspect in the killing of the boy's mother's rapist. But he just happened to be there. No connection to the murder at all. Then this woman, who is allowed to walk around the streets of NYC at will, connives to have her son taken from a respected pillar of the community to live with the parents of the man who killed her "soul mate." Wait a minute- wasn't there a woman's murder at the very beginning that was supposed to be dealt with? I shudder to think what Law and Order UK must be like.... www.tracesofevil.blogspot.com
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