Written By Elizabeth Rinehart
Directed By Jonathan Herron
A teenage girl is found assaulted and dead from an overdose. She is later identified as Natalie Curtis and had not been reported missing because she had been at Lux, a high-end rehab center for months. Rollins goes undercover to figure out the truth behind the disturbing reports and allegations made by past clients. Meanwhile, things cool down between Benson and Sheila as the detective starts to befriend Sheila.
Tropes present:
- Artistic License – Law: Barba and the detectives are frustrated at not being able to charge the supervisor of the sober house. He says he didn't breaking any laws because the girl he impregnated was 15 and he is only 19. In New York, this would still be a misdemeanor. Additionally, sex in exchange for drugs could be considered prostitution, and since the prostitute in question is under the age of consent, he would be in serious legal jeopardy.
- Beneath the Mask: The head of the rehab center pretends to care deeply about his patients until he's accused of insurance fraud, at which point he smugly sneers to the detectives that none of his girls will be believed on the witness stand because they are addicts, have emotional problems, are criminals and are underage sluts.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: The head of the rehab center spent years getting away with insurance fraud and setting recovering addicts up to relapse. He ended up being murdered by the head counselor when she found out.
- Loophole Abuse: The supervisor of the sober house gets away with screwing a series of the underage girls in his care because, being 19, he is protected by the Romeo and Juliet age of consent loophole.
- Punny Name: The street name of the first dealer/suspect? Hackapulco.
