When the SVU investigates a case involving two students in a special needs school, Rollins discovers that one child's medical issues stem from a surprising source.When the SVU investigates a case involving two students in a special needs school, Rollins discovers that one child's medical issues stem from a surprising source.When the SVU investigates a case involving two students in a special needs school, Rollins discovers that one child's medical issues stem from a surprising source.
- Detective Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola
- (as Ice T)
- Lou McLaughlin
- (as George Sheffey)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode was loosely based off the case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
- GoofsBarba risks his job and his license to practice law by intentionally causing a mistrial and then asking the judge to move the case to family court, thereby allowing Mariel to be sentenced as a minor because he felt that she didn't deserve the prospect of spending the next 25 years in prison for being convicted as an adult for second degree murder. However he didn't need to take this tremendous risk, as an ADA he had the authority to offer Mariel a plea bargain considering the extenuating circumstances of the case. Mariel was obviously under extreme emotional distress after the years of abuse she suffered at her mothers hands, so it would of been perfectly reasonable for Barba to plead her down to manslaughter in the first degree and recommend she be sentenced as a minor, meaning she would only have to spend three years in a juvenile facility.
- Quotes
Olivia Benson: There you are.
Rafael Barba: What are you doing here?
Olivia Benson: I was in the building, checking in with Dodds. You know I got to come back to work eventually. You okay? I heard Judge Barth read you the riot act.
Rafael Barba: I deserved it.
Olivia Benson: Well, whether you deserved it or not, I have absolute faith in your humanity.
- ConnectionsReferences Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)
"Pathological" is an example of the "ripped from the headlines" kinds of cases from the latter seasons, and it is better than a lot of them. It didn't blow me away as an episode and the show did do this type of story better with even more tact in the earlier seasons, but it is certainly a lot less preachy, less sensationalist, less one sided and more uncompromising than most of those that were also from the latter seasons. Was not a big fan of Season 19, but it did have some good episodes and "Pathological" was one of them.
Good things are many. The production values as ever have slickness and grit, with an intimacy without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when it's used but does so without being intrusive, some of it is quite haunting too. The direction is also understated but the tension never slips, the second half being full of it. The script is taut and smart with very little sign of rambling or long winded-ness. Doesn't take itself too seriously while treating a difficult subject with respect.
Really liked the story on the whole, if more so the first than the second. Which was harrowing, moving and went at an energised clip. The ripped from the headlines aspect of the case is not heavy handed or exploited. The acting is very good to great from leads and supporting players.
By all means, "Pathological" isn't perfect with it being a case of the first half being better than the second. The truth about Mariel and the hold she was under with the medication and what she was being told was obvious and more should have been made of it.
It is not as good when the case, at an implausibly fast rate, goes to trial. The trial portion is flimsy in evidence and it is a case that could easily have been abandoned right away, if you take into account Mariel's state of mind. Absolutely love Barba but he uncharacteristically comes over as idiotic and stubborn here, especially the elevator scene and his ludicrous response to being asked too late by Olivia to drop the charges.
Overall, good episode if not amazing. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Dec 24, 2022
Details
- Runtime43 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD