Line #12 Recap/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnitS7E12Infected


1	Written By Creator/MicheleFazekas and Creator/TaraButters
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3	Directed by Creator/MichelleMacLaren
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5	Monica Phelps is found dead in her apartment with her son, Nathan (Creator/MalcolmDavidKelley) hiding in the closet behind her body. The case leads the detectives to philanthropist Ted Carthage (Creator/GordonClapp), who runs a organization to help troubled women get off the streets in exchange for sexual favors.
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7	Olivia is convinced that Carthage is responsible for Monica's death, but Nathan's shaky identification puts him back on the street. Nathan later takes action into his own hands when he shoots Carthage to death & is charged with murder. The case later turns into a legal battle over gun control when a firearms lobby files a civil suit.
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10	!!Tropes:
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12	* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[DirtyOldMan Ted Carthage]] is supposedly a philanthropist he helps out drug addicts, prostitutes, etc. He actually funnels money from his organization to [[SexualExtortion extort sexual favors from the women he "helps"]]...even those that are not yet [[JailbaitTaboo at the age of consent]].
13	* BrokenBird: Poor little Nathan is reduced to this after his mother's murder, wallowing in melancholy throughout the episode. He seems to take every heartbreaking news with a sense of defeat that is hard to watch. This then contrasts when he later hits his [[BerserkButton breaking point]].
14	* ClosetSublet: Nathan recounts how whenever his mom has [[TheOldestProfession "company" over]], she asks him to sleep in the closet. This becomes a minor & horrifying plotpoint when he becomes a [[RearWindowWitness witness to his own mother's murder]] and gets stuck behind the closet because her corpse is keeping it shut.
15	* CoverInnocentEyesAndEars: When Elliot helps Nathan out of the closet, he uses his jacket to block the boy from seeing his mother's corpse.
16	* FictionalCounterpart: A rather blatant one. When the [[GunNut National Rifle....errr....GUN Association]] got wind of Nathan's lawyer's defense, they got afraid that his defense may be used to introduce stricter gun legislation and supposedly curtail their constitutional rights to bear arms.
17	* TheLethalConnotationOfGunsAndOthers: The episode starts off with finding the rapist and murderer of Nathan's mom [[spoiler: and later on her aunt Gina]]. Then [[HalfwayPlotSwitch the plot switches]] to the discussion of this trope when [[spoiler: Nathan kills his mother's killer]] and his lawyer tries to defend him by [[NeverMyFault indicating that him witnessing gun violence also made him violent]].
18	* LoopholeAbuse: When Geddes tries to call Nathan to the stand during the gun study hearing, his attorney Sophie Devere objects, since Nathan's testimony could violate his right against self-incrimination. Judge Donnelly immediately realizes that this is actually what they ''want'' to do: Nathan being compelled to incriminate himself is grounds for a mistrial in his criminal case, and because a jury has been sworn in and a witness has testified, double jeopardy attaches, preventing Nathan from being retried for the same crime and rendering the entire hearing moot.
19	* OffOnATechnicality: Invoked by Casey Novak and Elizabeth Donnelly; they play along with Geddes calling Nathan to the stand, and then use what Nathan says to get the criminal case against him dismissed.
20	* RearWindowWitness: Nathan, hiding in the closet, witnesses his mother's murder and is subsequently stuck in the closet all night because her corpse falls against the door.
21	* ShutUpHannibal: Geddes tries to sling guilt on Casey Novak for getting Nathan's criminal charges dismissed; Casey immediately responds that Nathan would have gone to jail under a plea deal had Geddes not gotten involved in the first place.
22	* SmugSnake: NGA lawyer Mike Geddes. And it was somewhat satisfying when he was outwitted by Sophie Devere, Elizabeth Donnelly and Casey Novak using [[HoistByHisOwnPetard his own tactics]]. Even the Judge presiding over his civil case seemed to enjoy his comeuppance.

Context Recap / LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnitS7E12Infected