Written by Judith McCreary
Directed By Constantine Makris
Stabler and Benson investigate the death of Sydney Green, ostensibly from auto-erotic asphyxiation. Suspicion falls on her husband, who was filing for divorce after just a few months of marriage. He confesses that the reason their marriage broke down was because Green and her friends raped a stripper at her bachelorette party. Stabler and Benson interview the stripper, Peter Smith (Pete Starrett). He identifies Pam Adler (Paige Turco) and Amelia Chase (Diane Neal) as his rapists, and they are arrested. The DA's office decides to prosecute even though Stabler does not believe a man could be raped by women; and Smith's ex-girlfriend alleges he's faking for attention.
Cabot gets the case to court despite strong opposition, but cannot prevent Adler (a licensed attorney) from cross-examining Smith herself. Adler reveals that he filed a previously undisclosed civil suit against Green - throwing the criminal case into jeopardy. Smith protests that he didn't know what to do, since the police didn't take him seriously when he tried to go to them. He says he didn't want money, just to expose the rapists and that Green had agreed to co-operate before she died. Green's lawyer confirms this.
A closer look into Green's death proves that it was a deliberate strangulation. Chase, who practices auto-erotic asphyxiation herself, knew how to make the death look accidental. Green was going to co-operate with Smith and give him Chase and Adler's names, so they killed her. Chase accepts a plea deal to testify against Adler, but in court, Adler's defense twists this around to make Chase look guilty. Adler is convicted of only a minor assault charge with regard to Smith. As she leaves, she is arrested again for the murder of Sydney Green. Adler smugly insists she'll never be convicted but her lawyer, conceding that Cabot can prove guilt, agrees to discuss a plea deal to reduce her sentence.
Tropes in this Episode:
- Amoral Attorney: Pam Adler, the episode's Villain of the Week, is a lawyer.
- Attention Whore: Smith's ex describes him as such, although averted by what we see of him.
- Bondage Is Bad: The rapists tied up Peter to assault him and they're into serious kink.
- Catchphrase: Pam Adler's is "What you know about the law wouldn't fit in the palm of my hand." This comes back to bite her as her saying it to Peter allows him to find her through SVU, who've heard her say it before.
- Chekhov's Gun: Amelia Chase always wears a scarf, which turns out to be because she practices auto-erotic asphyxiation.
- Chippendales Dancers: Smith moonlighted as one.
- Continuity Cameo: Nora Lewin from the parent series makes a brief appearance.
- A Day in the Limelight: Alex is the central character of the episode.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The dismissive attitude towards Peter's story is painfully similar to what female victims have been put through. Particularly the male DA who makes a snide comment regarding his job as a stripper, essentially saying that he asked for it because of how he was dressed.
- Double Standard Rape: Female on Male: Many characters play this trope straight (especially Stabler), but averted with Cabot and Benson who take Smith completely seriously and do their best to get justice for him.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Sidney Green is dead, Amelia Chase is going to prison for killing her and raping Peter Smith, and Pam Adler is not only going to serve time for a minor assault charge, but at most, another 25 years to life for her role in Green's murder. Before Pam is arrested for Green's murder, Peter acknowledges that even though they only convicted Chase of rape, it's better than no one getting convicted.
- Erotic Asphyxiation: This is Amelia Chase's hobby, and she tried to make it look like the cause of Green's death.
- Evil Redhead: Amelia Chase.
- Friendly Rivalry: Cabot has one with Adler's lawyer. They're kind enough to each other that they decide to bargain Adler's sentence for a murder charge over drinks.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: How Adler and Chase covered up Green's murder.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Stabler's treatment of Peter is why he neglects to mention the civil suit to the police and prosecution before the trial, thinking they'd use it as a reason to drop the case.
- Noodle Incident: Pam Adler is said to have histories with Finn and Alex; she represented a former suspect that the former caught during his narc days and has defeated the latter at an earlier court case.
- "Not If They Enjoyed It" Rationalization: Brought up with regard to Smith, although Benson and Cabot argue that an erection is a physical response and doesn't mean that Smith consented in any way.
- Police Are Useless: The cops who took Peter to the hospital after he was raped outright told the nurses it was a scam.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Adler and Chase clearly thought they were above the law for this reason. Neither were.
- Secret Test of Character: Carolyn Maddox attempts to provoke Cabot by bringing up the latter's history with the Amoral Attorney Pam Adler. Cabot immediately says Maddox should be worried about the lineup, to which Maddox happily says that Cabot didn't jump for the bait.
- Smug Snake: Adler
- Stag Party: Smith was raped by Green and Chase at Green's bachelorette party.
- Starter Marriage: The Greens.
- Starving Artist: Smith was an out of work actor and worked as a stripper to bring in extra cash.
- Straw Feminist: Carolyn Maddox, Adler's lawyer, scoffs at the idea of men being rape victims.
- Token Good Teammate: While she did participate, Sidney Green confessed to her husband and felt serious guilt for raping Peter while her friends felt nothing and murdered her to stop her telling anyone.
- Worthy Opponent: Adler's lawyer, Carolyn Maddox, tells Cabot that she'll be a formidable opponent in court, after the Secret Test of Character above.
