Review of "Poison" (Tuesday, May 11, 2004 NBC Episode of "SVU")
Walt Parker
First, a reminder that this episode of "SVU" will repeat on Sunday,
May 23 at 11:00 PM ET/PT on USA Network (part of a mini-marathon on
USA that night that is preceeded and followed by "Exiled" which was
Chris Noth's return as Mike Logan). See below for more
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For starters, this was quite a different opening than we usually see
on the show. We already had Elliott and Olivia at a hospital with a
young girl (named Alexis) with tubes all over her and Olivia talking
to the mother, with the suspicion being the mother's sister-in-law of
being the suspect. Elliott interviews the older sister at the same
time. The older sister notes how Alexis got sick, and it a couple who
appeared to be accused of doing so (Karen and Pete Campbell, Cynthia
Gibb and Sean Cullen) was being taken to the SVU headquarters.
The sister-in-law is accused of repeatedly putting a soapy sponge in
Alexis' mouth, as detergent was found in Alexis' body.
They go to a Judge (Oliver Taft, played by Tom Skerritt) who orders
Alexis' sister to be produced (I also have to admit, I'm surprised we
didn't have any Judges ever tell any of the female ADAs on the
original or Alex on "SVU" to wear a skirt in court before he did that
with Casey here). Between the Judge's questioning the child and a
hearing, the Judge seemed to be quite a bit harsh, and seeing Elliott
being arrested for what he felt was a joke. It also was wild seeing
Mary Clark (Marlo Thomas) get Elliott out, with Mary giving strong
warning to Casey to be careful with this Judge, whom Casey called "an
old prick." It was then quite interesting that Casey asked that Judge
Taft recuse himself, mainly because of bias as this was going to be
the Judge who would determine the verdict.
Quite an interesting conversation that Casey had with Mary about the
Judge, where Casey notes she was trying to get Taft disqualified from
the case before Mary got her off of that. Also nice the way Elliott
brought in new evidence that the mother tried to give back Alexis to
the child agency that adopted her. Even with that, Karen Campbell was
found not guilty at trial.
Casey then is determined to get Taft removed from the bench for his
actions in this trial, as Casey (along with everyone else) felt the
mother was guilty, and asks Mary for a huge favor, which Mary says she
can't do because there is no evidence. Casey then talks with Jack
Dryer, who had defended a mother who went to jail for a crime she
didn't commit: Her baby had died, apparently of anti-freeze poisoning,
only it actually was a rare disease. Dryer notes that Taft would not
allow evidence being brought in on that case, and that Dryer left
practicing law because of Taft, noting he had a huge class bias.
Quite an interesting conversation that Elliott and Olivia had with
the mother (Rosalind Salvo), and then it turned out the child did have
a rare disease. We then see Casey with Mary, who once she realizes
that the mother who went to jail, and she takes the mother on as a
client. The mother's conviction was overturned. Casey then gets a call
finding out Alexis was dead, with Karen Campbell arrested for such. In
interrogation, Karen claims her husband Pete demanded she bring her
home, and then she accuses Judge Taft of telling Karen to kill Alexis,
apparently doing so during the earlier trial. Casey then orders Taft
be arrested for Criminal Facilitation, and Eliott and Olivia go to his
home to arrest him. That charge against Taft is thrown out, but Taft
does have to testify at the murder trial. We see quite a heated
exchange between the two, which was quite a battle royal. Karen
Campbell is found guilty, and the Judge notes that this could have
been avoided if Taft had not been so biased in the earlier trial.
Quite a finish seeing Judge Taft being hounded by reporters, noting
he was going to be reassigned to Civil Court and the Governor
demanding an investigation.
This was one hell of an episode that in my opinion should have been
at least 90 minutes in length.
Walt
Tracey
disorder) the same actress that played the first Becky on Roseanne?
Maggie
>disorder) the same actress that played the first Becky on Roseanne?
***I noticed her name in the credits and the last name was definitely Goranson,
but the first name wasn't Lecy (Roseanne's Becky). But I looked her up on IMDb
and see that Lecy now goes by "Alicia." I can't remember if that's the name in
the credits or not. There are two other Goransons listed in IMDb--Linda and
Lisa. Linda's too old to be the girl on SVU, but if Lisa's related to
Lecy/Alicia, it could be her, I suppose.
Maggie
"You can't take your eyes off [it]. It's like Donald Trump's Hair." -- Dan
Neil
Tracey
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
news:20040511232912...@mb-m07.aol.com...
> ***I noticed her name in the credits and the last name was definitely
Goranson,
> but the first name wasn't Lecy (Roseanne's Becky). But I looked her up on
IMDb
> and see that Lecy now goes by "Alicia." I can't remember if that's the
name in
> the credits or not. There are two other Goransons listed in IMDb--Linda
and
> Lisa. Linda's too old to be the girl on SVU, but if Lisa's related to
> Lecy/Alicia, it could be her, I suppose.
Thanks. I didn't catch the credits, but it sounds like it must have been
her. I was watching in one room, DH was watching in another, and we were
both trying to figure out if it was her, and we both decided it must be. We
asked our DD (a big Roseanne fan) and she said she thought it was her as
well. Of course it could be a sister too. Thanks for the info.
Walt
Cynthia Gibb played Karen Campbell in the episode. You can see for yourself at:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?W29E42648
Walt
E-mail me at: Free...@juno.com
Check out a great web-based "Law & Order" Message board at:
http://www.alhenastar.net/forums/index.php where you can also discuss many
non-"L & O" topics.
MS A
Do you know who played Rosalind Salvo?
It's bothering me. She looked really familliar.
Walt
Lecy Goranson played Rosalind Silvo (not Salvo as I wrote earlier).
Sc57
"Maggie" <maggi...@aol.comSPAMBLOC> wrote in message
news:20040511232912...@mb-m07.aol.com...
> >disorder) the same actress that played the first Becky on Roseanne?
>
> ***I noticed her name in the credits and the last name was definitely
Goranson,
> but the first name wasn't Lecy (Roseanne's Becky). But I looked her up on
IMDb
> and see that Lecy now goes by "Alicia." I can't remember if that's the
name in
> the credits or not. There are two other Goransons listed in IMDb--Linda
and
> Lisa. Linda's too old to be the girl on SVU, but if Lisa's related to
> Lecy/Alicia, it could be her, I suppose.
>
name is Alicia Goranson.
Chris ®
>sounds like it must have been her. I was
>watching in one room, DH was watching
>in another, and we were both trying to
>figure out if it was her, and we both
>decided it must be. We asked our DD (a
>big Roseanne fan) and she said she
>thought it was her as well. Of course it
>could be a sister too. Thanks for the info.
I always liked Sarah Chalke better.
"They say she's the same, but she isn't the same....they say she's the
same, but she isn't the same"
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