Re: Review of "Obscene" (Tuesday, October 12, 2004 NBC Episode of "SVU")
Brett A. Pasternack
>
> To all:
>
> First, forgive me if this review appears twice, for some reason, I also sent
> it from my other address and it had not posted at the time I posted this.
>
> I have to say it appeared NBC lucked out big-time here in that Game 1 of Red
> Sox-Yankees on FOX was a blowout (when the episode started in the east at 10:00
> PM), as otherwise, NBC probably would have been better off postponing this
> episode until November 9 in my opinion.
By the end of the episode, it wasn't a blowout anymore.
Walt Parker
First, I have to say it appeared NBC lucked out big-time here in that
Game 1 of Red Sox-Yankees on FOX was a blowout (when the episode
started in the east at 10:00 PM), as otherwise, NBC probably would
have been better off postponing this episode until November 9 in my
opinion. A reminder that this episode will repeat on Sunday, October
24, at 11:00 PM ET/PT on USA Network. See below for more:
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This episode opened with a dead woman lying on a part of the
boardwalk next to the east river, only it turned out that was a scene
that was being filmed. A dog that interrupted that went for the
trailer of the star of the film, who it turned out was beaten and
raped in there (it was funny to see who we thought was the dead body
actually turn out to be only playing dead and actually very much
alive).
The victim (Jessie Dawning, played by Maggie Grace) turned out to be
one whom some groups hated for her wearing of skimpy clothes in her
films, calling her a "Teen Tramp." A very interesting twist to the
normal "find the dead body" teaser.
When we first see Fin and Elliott, the doctor they are talking with
made a reference to Lennox Lewis, and then seeing Jessie alive and
very much in a panic to get out of there before finding out what
happened.
It was quite fun to see Elliott and Fin with a mother who was an
activist in a very "anti-smut" organization (Carolyn Spencer, played
by Dana Delany), who was all over Jessie because of the show she
starred on about a girl who was "pimped out" and other matter on the
fictional show "Girl Undercover", where she plays a 16-year old
detective. Very interesting to then find out that the DNA matched that
of a criminal (or so we thought) who turned out to be Jessie's husband
(Franco Marquez, played by Nestor Sorrano), with Jessie noting how her
parents would do "anything for a buck."
Quite an interesting situation after that with it turning out that a
piece of hair didn't match Marquez or anyone else on the set. Jessie
then noting a "paparazzi" who got into Jessie's car just because of
who she was.
The next twist (in a series of ones I could not see coming) had the
doctor who was taking care of Jessie allowing a photographer who went
into Jessie's room for $50,000. The photographer who paid the doctor
was then arrested, but he then noted he took pictures of some kids,
who in turn were there to try and get a pair of Jessie's underwear to
get on a "shock jock's" show (named BJ Cameron), with BJ then noting
how his listeners were teed off when Jessie only wanted to talk about
her show, and some remarks were taken seriously when one of BJ's fans
took a picture of Jessie in the room in the clothes that she was raped
in her trailer wearing. An even bigger shocker came when it turned out
Carolyn Spencer's son Daniel was the one who appeared to commit the
act and then was arrested. Loved the series of events here that
included Casey agreeing with Elliott on wanting to go after BJ, but
could not because before just because he said someone told him to.
That was before
Casey then is with Daniel, who committed the act of stealing her
underwear so he could be on the "BJ Show." Loved the way Daniel tried
to weasel his way out of trying to rape Jessie.
Elliott and Fin then were talking with Jessie in her home, who didn't
say it was him, but with her using pills as much as she did, while
Daniel then talked about his experiences with Jessie. This included
that while at the radio station studio, it turned out that Daniel told
BJ he did rape Jessie while unconcious, with BJ refusing to admit to
what the producer said. Like that Casey decided to go after the
company that aired BJ's show and the advertisers, etc., with BJ all
over Casey at first before agreeing to testify.
Liked seeing Casey talking with Jessie before talking with Daniel and
Carolyn, with Carolyn refusing to let Daniel take a deal on rape.
Nice way that Casey then brought Daniel and Jessie together, with
Jessie all over Daniel for what he did to her. Daniel then did feel
guilty for what he did, but Jessie pointed out how BJ got him to brag
about how he did the crime. Daniel then pled guilty after that, and in
front of his mother, Jessie and BJ, Daniel admitted to what happened.
Daniel then admitted he raped her while she was unconcious, and
admitted he deserved to go to jail for what he did.
This would seem to be the end, except BJ then had been shot in the
thigh, with Elliott and Fin going there to find Carolyn being the one
who shot BJ, waiting for him at the radio station. It was only natural
that Carolyn would want to be not guilty because she was distraught
over what happened to Daniel.
We then see Casey talking to Liz Donnelly (Judith Light), who pushes
Casey to get a plea, but Casey notes that Carolyn simply refuses to do
that.
Love how BJ took the stand, where he noted how BJ meant for some of
the lines on rape to be funny, including Casey re-directing to note
that it was funny like how certain hate groups were funny.
Carolyn then notes on the stand how Daniel had hid a radio from her
that he used to listen to BJ. When Casey asked if what happened to
Daniel gave her a right to shoot BJ, she predictably noted how BJ took
Liked how Fin walked in on a conversation between Liz and Casey with
new evidence that Carolyn planted the photos that Mr. Willoghby sold
to the New York Ledger over it, with Daniel then agreeing to testify
against her mother. The trial then ended in a hung jury, with the vote
6-6 to convict.
Liz was right in saying that Carolyn would probably win because of
sympathetic parents, which was before the evidence came in.
The last scene had Elliott and Casey arguing over what happened when
Fin and Cragen call them into Cragen's office, with BJ on an all-out
rant against Carolyn. Something tells me there might be a follow-up to
this in the future.
This was yet another excellent episode, with it looking like when it
was going to slow down then coming back to be even stronger.
Walt