Written By Samantha Corbin Miller
Directed By Alex Chapple
Fifteen year-old Madison Baker sneaks out of her uncle's home to meet celebrity crush Scott Russo, only to be found later that night in an alley, sexually assaulted and barely alive. SVU initially suspects Russo and his manager, Lydia Lebasi (Patti LuPone), are covering up the crime when security footage from the party goes missing only to end up on a shady internet gossip site. When the site's CEO refuses to give up the source material and ADA Barba takes him to court to find the truth and ends up uncovering a frame up committed by one of Russo's co-stars.
Tropes:
- Bad "Bad Acting": In the trailer for the movie starring Scott Russo and Skye Anderson. As a movie within the show's fictional universe, it also has low quality production values, to contrast with the show.
- Beatnik: Scott Russo. When Fin and Carisi first meet him, he was even playing the bongo. Fin and Carisi could barely keep from rolling their eyes.
- Faux Affably Evil: Skye Adderson feigns honesty when SVU talk to him. Turns out, he was the perp.
- I'll Pretend I Didn't Hear That: When SVU scheme to put Carisi and Fin undercover in the Tombs to trick Simmons into giving them information, Barba walks away while saying that he didn't hear that.
- Impersonating an Officer: How LMZ managed to acquire surveillance video from Russo's hotel.
- Life Imitates Art: In-universe. Scott Russo is accused of a crime he claims he didn't commit, just like in his movie. Turns out he really was innocent. He even does the salute he did in the movie when charges against him were dropped.
- Loophole Abuse: Barba and Benson use a clever one when they arrest LMZ head Lenny Simmons at the end of the day so that he cannot be processed until Monday and has to spend the weekend in "the tombs" (lock-up).
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: When arrested in his gallery, Scott Russo is wearing a paper bag over his head with "#Arrested" written on it.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: The cold open has "Let Her Go" by Jasmine Thompson for the montage of what happened to Madison Baker, including her being stuffed in a bag.
- Twist Ending: At Scott Russo's triumphal press conference at the very end of the episode Madison shows up, smiling, and winks at him, suggesting the entire episode really was a complex fraud done just for the publicity.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: Barba, Benson, and Fin engage in an especially delicious one when Simmons is confronted with his recording.
- Youth Is Wasted on the Dumb: Not just with Madison Baker but with Russo and Skye's fans.
