Written By Judith McCreary
Directed By Arthur W. Forney
Detectives Benson and Lake investigate a double homicide in which one of the victims is a woman who matches the victim profile of a serial killer and sexual sadist known as "The Woodsman", who is already the subject of an investigation by FBI Special Agent Lauren Cooper (Erika Christensen). But the case takes a shocking turn when the SVU discovers that the serial killer is already dead — he was the other body found next to the victim.
This episode provides examples of:
- And Starring: "Special Guest Star Erika Christensen".
- Asshole Victim: The Woodsman himself. Even the people who have a problem with the manner of his death (mostly Casey and Cragen) aren't entirely sorry he's dead. The DA's office decides to withdraw prosecution of the agent responsible because "Where are you gonna find a jury pool that doesn't think the guy deserved to die?"
- Berserk Button: For Lauren Cooper, insulting her late mentor Karl Tillman is one. Benson makes note of this during her interrogation of Lauren, pushing it further by insinuating she and Tillman were romantically/sexually involved.
- Boom, Headshot!: Lauren Cooper's mentor killed himself this way. By the end of the episode, she does the same.
- Also how Cooper killed The Woodsman.
- Bound and Gagged: When The Woodsman's final victim ("Amy Doe") is found, she's gagged and has her hands bound with duct tape.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: The Woodsman likes to torture his victims, including burning their breasts and genitalia.Doctor: What the hell happened to her?
Lauren: Everything. - A Day in the Limelight: Benson and Lake are the central detectives this episode.
- Deranged Park Ranger: Larry Moore, also known as "The Woodsman", uses his role as a ranger in central park to abduct and sexually assault women, with 23 known victims.
- Downer Ending: The Woodsman's rescued victim ultimately dies from her wounds and Lauren Cooper gives in to her depression and kills herself in front of Benson and Lake, leaving the former traumatized.
- Driven to Suicide: Lauren's mentor, and eventually Lauren herself.
- Failure Is the Only Option: Huang bitterly notes that, even if the Woodsman had been taken alive, he'd have deliberately withheld the location of his last victim until it was too late to save her.
- FBI Agent: Lauren Cooper.
- Forced to Watch: The Woodsman would occasionally hold two victims at a time, to force one to watch (or at least listen) to the other being tortured. In fact, when his Torture Cellar is found, the TV is playing a tape of one victim being tortured, presumably so that the one still captive will have to hear the screams — which she quite possibly doesn't even realize are coming from a recording rather than from another victim actively being tortured nearby.
- Gory Discretion Shot: When Lauren kills herself, only her blood is shown.
- He Who Fights Monsters: Lauren Cooper ultimately realizes that in killing The Woodsman, she's lost her own humanity. She even quotes the trope nearly word per word before killing herself.Lauren Cooper: Those who fight monsters have better make damn sure they don't become one.
- Heroic BSoD: Lauren Cooper committed suicide in front of Olivia, who is predictably traumatized.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Lauren justifies executing The Woodsman due to him being a Serial Rapist and murderer. Eventually, though, her own conscience wins out.
- Joggers Find Death: The John Doe at the scene is at first thought to be an innocent jogger who stumbled upon the Woodsman (he's even wearing a jogging outfit). And then subverted, as he is the Woodsman.
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: Lauren's mentor committed suicide.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Lauren going Rogue Agent and murdering the Woodsman in cold blood results in the surviving victim not being found until it's almost too late—and she ultimately dies of her wounds—and no way of knowing if all of the Woodsman's victims have been accounted for. Downplayed in that his latest victim was likely doomed either way, as pointed out by Benson.Benson: (to Cragen) If Moore was sitting in a cell, he'd already be looking at 23 counts of murder. Do you really think he would have led us to [the last victim]?Huang: I think he would have taken pleasure in our desperate efforts to save her.
- Pronouncing My Name for You: Strip Club owner Lavender?"It's La-VAN-der. Do I look like a damn flower to you?"
- Rogue Agent: Because "The Woodsman" is too rampant and there are too many procedures in the FBI to follow for her to even make an official course of action, Lauren Cooper chooses to take matters into her own hands.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Lauren Cooper chooses to be a Rogue Agent by killing the notorious Serial Rapist known as "The Woodsman".
- Shout-Out:
- This episode shares similarities with Saw (2004) in which a serial killer kidnaps and tortures his victims, similar to what is depicted in this episode. The movie also has FBI agents trying to locate the serial killer, some of whom are strongly affected emotionally, like Agent Lauren Cooper.
- The scene where the detectives find the killer's latest tortured victim in a small compartment apparently dead, but surprisingly still alive and barely breathing is somewhat reminiscent of the Sloth scene from Se7en.
- That One Case: Agent Lauren Cooper is obsessed with "The Woodsman". It's eventually revealed that this was her mentor's That One Case and her obsession stems partially from the fact that he was ultimately Driven to Suicide over it.
- Those Who Fight Monsters: Quoted in the episode by FBI agent Lauren Cooper who murdered a serial killer as a personal act of revenge for her mentor who killed himself over the case. Lauren also unwittingly caused the serial killer's last victim to die when they found her too late, which helps drive her to suicide.
- Torture Cellar: The episode had a pretty horrific one.
- White Shirt of Death: Lauren is wearing a white top prior to her suicide.
- Worst Aid: Played with. When they find the Woodsman's surviving victim, Lauren immediately suggests moving her and removing the tape from her mouth. Benson shoots both of these down since the victim might have spinal injuries and has been trapped/tortured for so long that her skin would tear with the tape. Lauren then makes things worse by grabbing a scapel to cut the victim loose; the victim sees this and understandably freaks out at the sight of the blade.
