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Recap / Law & Order: Special Victims Unit S14E3 "Twenty-Five Acts"

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This recap contains unmarked spoilers. You Have Been Warned

Written By Julie Martin and Warren Leight

Directed By Jean De Segonzac

When a famous TV host (Roger Bart) rapes the young author (Anna Chlumsky) of an erotic S&M novel while on camera, secrets are revealed that could permanently damage the reputation of the author. Meanwhile, SVU gets a new ADA: Rafael Barba (Raúl Esparza).

Tropes

  • Awesomeness by Analysis: Amaro is the first person to realize that Jocelyn Paley did not write 25 Acts. He goes to the the trouble of reading both the book and her dating advice blog, noting the difference between the two.
  • Curse Cut Short: Temporary Captain Harris is talking about ADA Rafael Barba. Talking about his reputation, he says "guy's got big brass..." and then cuts himself off and says "ego”.
  • Batman Gambit: After one of Adam Cain's victims claimed he was a good person, except for when he has a belt in his hands, Barba expertly manipulates Cain into revealing his true nature. Barba puts a belt around his own neck and taunts Cain until the tv show host loses his temper and chokes Barba in front of the entire courtroom.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Barba wins the case against Cain and finally gets him arrested for rape, vindicating his three previous victims by proxy, and while Paley had to sacrifice her writing career, losing all of her earnings in the process, Barba assures her by stating there's nothing Americans like more than a good comeback story.
  • Breather Episode: After the emotional wringer of the season 14 opening, this episode is much lighter and introduces fan favorite ADA Rafael Barba.
  • Da Chief: Captain Harris continues to fulfill this role as Cragen hasn't returned yet.
  • Good Is Not Nice: ADA Rafael Barba is introduced in his first scene by smugly offering a defense attorney a deal because the defendant won't play well with a jury and then doesn't even break stride before he snarking at Captain Harris. And while he spends the rest of the episode fighting hard for Jocelyn Paley, he is blunt, impatient, and ruthless.
    Barba: You may not like me when we're done.
    Paley: I don't like you now.
  • The Ingenue: Professor Dobson sees Jocelyn Paley's beauty and naïveté as the perfect balance to her own novel's blatant sexuality, which was why she chose Paley to play the role of the author.
  • Naughty Under the Table: While out to dinner with Adam Cain, Paley slides her panties into his hand beneath the table.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: Jocelyn Paley is a thinly-veiled reference to E. L. James.
  • Oh, Crap!!: Paley visibly pales and panics when Benson asks her who actually wrote the book. Understandable, as revealing the truth means Paley has to both give up her royalties and would probably be the end of her writing career.
  • Refuge in Audacity:
    • Rafael Barba's Establishing Character Moment is goading Adam Cain into strangling Barba with a belt, from the witness stand, right in front of the judge and jury.
    • Adam Cain, despite not being on the guest list of a magazine party for Jocelyn, storms in, gives a public toast, then rapes Jocelyn inside the elevator... that had security cameras on.

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