Written By Amanda Green
Directed By David Platt
The disappearance of an Asian mother and her teenaged daughter (Jenny Wong) sparks to an investigation that uncovers a conspiracy between a corrupt immigration attorney (Loren Dean) and gangsters (Jack Yang and Aaron Yoo) running a prostitution/brothel ring staffed by women working to pay off their debts from having been smuggled into the country.
Tropes
- Amoral Attorney: Roger Baker, an immigration lawyer who hands over his clients to become sex slaves for the snakehead.
- And Starring: The episode have "Special Guest Star Ming-Na" and "Special Guest Appearance By Loren Dean".
- Asian Hooker Stereotype: Played for Drama. Ping and several other Chinese women were forced into prostitution by Ricky Yao.
- Asian Rudeness: Villain of the Week Ricky Yao is openly and proudly a shitbag.
- Bilingual Backfire: Li Mei could've gotten away with lying to Benson and Stabler about Jiao's dealings with Ricky Yao if Huang wasn't there to expose what her niece is really saying.
- Bilingual Bonus: Li Mei exploited this by talking to her younger niece on her sister's (the child's Missing Mom) whereabouts and purposely mistranslating what the child said to Stabler and Benson in order to not involve the cops. (Un)fortunately for her, Huang is also there and exposes her.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Roger Baker is introduced as a seemingly Crusading Lawyer who does free cases for illegal immigrants. Until it's revealed that he's in cahoots with Ricky Yao.
- Bittersweet Ending: Jiao is unfortunately Dead All Along, but the detectives manages to rescue Ping in time.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Ricky Yao is so Obviously Evil that he doesn't bother on subtleties while in a police station or court.
- Celebrity Paradox: Disney is mentioned twice in the episode. This episode alone features three cast members of Mulan (B.D. Wong, Ming-Na Wen, James Hong), not to mention other cast members and guest actors in the entire franchise who have appeared (and will appear) in its works.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Roger Baker is introduced early in the episode as a seemingly Crusading Lawyer. Turns put he's in cahoots with Ricky Yao, and catching him becomes integral on finding Yao's secret brothel.
- Chekhov M.I.A.: Jiao and Ping's Uncertain Doom drives most of the episode. Jiao is unfortunately Dead All Along, but Ping came really close.
- Chinese Launderer: Li Mei works in a laundry shop.
- Dead All Along: Jiao is already murdered by the start of the episode.
- Digital Piracy Is Evil: The detectives go to a counterfeit specialist to try to track where the victim works. The investigator notes that NYC no longer raids sweatshops because they're focused on counterfeit DVDs that fund Al-Qaeda.
- Dirty Coward: Roger Baker. He succumbs easily to Stabler's intimidation and gives up the location of Ricky's brothel. He's also an Opportunistic Bastard, promising immigrants he will help them get asylum but he in fact is the supplier for Ricky's brothels.
- Finally Found the Body: SVU finds Jiao Wu's body in a garage Ricky Yao rented third quarter into the episode.
- Friendly Local Chinatown: Much of the episode takes place in Chinatown.
- The Main Characters Do Everything: The squad has only two Asians available, Li Mei and Huang, so they get used in multiple undercover ops through the episode, even though neither of them is qualified (apparently nobody else in the NYPD was available to join the case).
- Mighty Whitey: Stabler, especially since the actual Asian-American member of the main cast (Huang) gets shoved aside.
- Justified since they were sending the young Asian woman into a potentially dangerous situation and wanted someone there who could handle himself if necessary. If you might get attacked at any moment, would you want Stabler (a veteran cop) or Huang (a psychologist) at your side?
- They do discuss the possibility of using Huang, but they decide it would be too easy to make him as a cop (a Chinese man not part of the community asking questions); Stabler supposedly being a local girl's white boyfriend lets him keep an eye on her while she (a familiar face) asks the questions. Huang does play a critical role in a sting later on.
- Missing Mom: Jiao abandoning her two young daughters for over a week is what kickstarts the episode. The investigation reveals she went out to buy her eldest daughter's freedom from Yao, but was murdered when he demanded more money and she threatened to get the police involved.
- Mommy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Initially, the detectives believe that Jiao Wu abandoned her children inside their apartment, which nearly lead to their deaths, so she could dalliance with a boyfriend. Eventually, they learn that Jiao only left the children to negotiate with her eldest daughter's captors, and that she intended to return for them but was killed before she could do so.
- Not His Blood: SVU breaks up a sex slavery ring in New York City, ending with a raid on one of the brothels and a Shoot the Hostage Taker resolution. As Benson escorts the woman-who was splattered with the criminal's blood—away, she reassures the woman’s aunt, "Don't worry, it's not her blood."
- Racial Face Blindness: Exploited in the final sting where Huang and Li Mei pretended to be cousins in order to catch Roger Baker.
- Sex Slave: The fate of some of Ricky Yao's victims, although most are simply sent to sweatshops.
- Shoot the Hostage Taker: The police raid a brothel run by a Chinese gang. In one of the rooms a gang member takes one of the prostitute hostage and uses her as as a Human Shield. The prostitute is saved when Detective Elliot Stabler dives through the door of the room and shoots the gang member in the chest.
- Shout-Out: The episode has shout-outs for Mulan, of all things. The Victim of the Week was searching for her daughter, Ping. There are no fewer than three Asian-American actors in the episode who also starred in the Disney film; Ming-Na Wen (Li Mei) portrayed Mulan herself, B.D. Wong (Huang) is Captain Li Shang, James Hong (the sweatshop owner) was Chi-Fu. Disney was also referenced at least twice.
- Smug Snake: Ricky Yao. He's so Obviously Evil it's ridiculous, to the point of making blatant Evil Gloating while in police custody and openly signaling to a Mook to execute Ping immediately after trial.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: The pretty girls who owe Ricky money are sexually enslaved, all the other debtors only have to work ordinary jobs.
- Special Guest: Ming-Na Wen (Li Mei Wu) and Loren Dean (Roger Baker) get the citations.
- The Triads and the Tongs: Ricky Yao leads one, specializing in extortion and (forced) prostitution.
- Undercover as Lovers: Stabler pretended to be Li Mei's Caucasian lover while searching for both Jiao and Ping Wu.
- Wham Line: When trying to get a prostitute to help them against Yao.Prostitute: I want a deal in writing. Get me a lawyer.
Stabler: Call Roger Baker, see if he'll take another pro bono.
Prostitute: Baker?! That's the son of a bitch who filed my asylum claim, then he sent me to Ricky Yao!
