Written By Ed Zuckerman
Directed By Martha Mitchell
Three years after being apprehended by SVU, Lewis Hodda (Tom Sizemore) refuses a plea deal on kidnapping charges with the claim that Benson coerced a confession out of him. When the parents of the Wyatt Morris refuse to let him testify, Barba must try Hodda on murder charges for the 1999 abduction that Benson also handled. With Benson's interrogation tactics come under fire, Hodda's savvy defense attorney (Robin Weigert) hires former SVU colleague, Dr. Huang (B.D. Wong), to challenge Barba's already-shaky case in court. Meanwhile, Rollins goes into labor, but faces extreme difficulties that lead to her bleeding and her baby's life at risk.
Tropes
- Happy Ending Override: Pretty much anything happy about the ending of "Manhattan Vigil" (which was already a Bittersweet Ending to begin with) is undone in this episode — what seemed like a slam dunk conviction ends in a hung jury after Hodda recants his confession, and it's also revealed that rather than the possible reconciliation, or at least truce, the previous episode hinted at, Wyatt Morris' parents are back to hating each other.
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: The episode ends with Rollins facing life-threatening pregnancy complications.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: The main plot ends with one. Hodda recants his confession and casts enough doubt on the SVU's methods to get a hung jury, but Wyatt Morris' parents agree to let him testify against Hodda for abusing him, giving Barba a better chance of convicting him next time around.
