Written By David Matthews
Directed By Michael Slovis
A hotel maid (Anika Noni Rose) reports being assaulted by a powerful Italian diplomat (Franco Nero). Bureau Chief Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) and ADA Cabot (Stephanie March) both get involved in the high profile case, but the victim's credibility is shot when it's revealed she exaggerated some of the details on her asylum application.
This episode provides examples of:
- Adaptational Heroism: The alleged victim in the real life case this episode is based on admitted to fabricating the story of her previous gang rape in her home country; Miriam, however, maintains that she was raped in Sudan but admits to exaggerating some of the details in order to bolster her asylum application.
- Adaptational Nationality: Italian diplomat Roberto Distasio is based on French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
- As Long as It Sounds Foreign: Miriam is portrayed by an American actress, who feigns an accent that sounds very different from Sudanese accents.
- Based on a True Story: Many details of the episode closely resemble the real life case it is based on.
- Broken Tears: Olivia takes Elliot's resignation hard.
- The Bus Came Back: Alex returns from working in the Congo.
- Call-Back:
- Alex's time in Africa is repeatedly brought up.
- The episode deals with the fallout of the precinct shooting.
- Changing of the Guard: With Elliot's departure, Olivia becomes the main protagonist and lead detective.
- Crossover: The Mothership's Michael Cutter appear in this episode.
- Dawn of an Era: Amanda Rollins joins SVU not long before Elliot resigns, kick-starting the show's new status quo.
- Debut Queue: Amanda Rollins makes her series debut.note
- Diplomatic Immunity: Roberto Distasio claims this as an excuse to get away with raping Miriam.
- Dirty Old Man: Roberto Distasio rapes Miriam Deng, a woman forty years his junior.
- End of an Age: Elliot officially resigns from the force, solidifying the end of the show's original status quo of him and Olivia being the central Action Duo.
- First Day from Hell: Rollins's first day in SVU starts with her working on the rape of a maid by Roberto Distasio.
- Perp Walk: Even though Cragen said not to do a perp walk, Olivia and Fin give him one.
- Present Absence: Elliot's absence is noted by several characters, with Liv in particular tying to cope with it.
- Put on a Bus: Stabler has quit the police in between seasons after the events of the last season finale.
- Rape as Backstory: Miriam was gang raped in Sudan and the police wouldn't help her, saying she broke Sharia law and that she should be stoned to death.
- Later it's clarified that she was actually raped by one man, but claimed to have been gang raped by twelve men in order to build a stronger asylum case. This revelation negatively affects the case against Distasio.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The episode is inspired by the New York vs. Strauss-Kahn case
. - Sudden Downer Ending: The episode seems to be heading to Bittersweet Ending with Roberto Distasio being sentenced less than he should have, but before the episode ends Cragen breaks Elliot's resignation to Olivia which sends her to tears.
- Wham Episode: Elliot officially departs the cast. This is somewhat lessened with the announcement of Christopher Meloni not returning months prior.
- Wham Line: "Elliot put his papers in." And with that, the show's original Action Duo is officially no more.
