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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 5 Episode 8

Abomination

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8.6

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 11/11/03

After the homosexual poster-boy for a sexual re-education group is found murdered, the detectives suspect an outspoken minister who was in the process of flooding the victim with hate mail and death threats. When the activist's alibi checks out, the detectives turn their attention to a professor who objects to the victim's thesis on the failure of sexual re-education groups.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

A well needed installment in one of the most hard hitting and ground breaking shows on television right now. With homosexuality and gay rights as pertinent issues in the news today, an episode like this is essential to remind us of the devestating effectsmoreless

10

By KillinAristotle, Mar 24, 2011

This is one of my favorite episodes of the season. The context in which this episode was aired could not have been better. Homosexual issues have become an essential aspect of the current political climate of this country, and this episode does an excellent job representing the many sides of the debate. It also helps highlight problems of bigotry against homosexuals that were taken off the backburner after Matthew Shephard was killed in Laramie, WY, in the late 90s.

In this episode, viewers are exposed to a murder of a gay man, an in-the-closet gay man who is burdened by a homophobic father, the devestating effects that homophobia can have, a group called "ReGenesis" that believes homosexuals can turn straight with enough effort, and a plethora of psychological discussion about the nature of homosexuality. One of my favorite performances in the show comes from Diane Neal while she is in the court room and her office dealing with the defendant. I think Neal gets a lot of unnecessary criticism because she's different from Stephanie March, but that is honestly the reason I like her so much. Casey Novak has the same aggressive instinct as Alexandra Cabot had, but there is a significan difference between the two characters, and for some reason, I like Novak better.

All in all, this is a phenomenal episode that is incredibly important to today's political climate. Lets not forget the hatred and bigotry against homosexuals that is being fostered right now by high profile senators, representatives, and other politicians and the impact that this hate can have on innocent people.moreless
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After a supposed \"reformed\" homosexual turns up dead, the detectives go on a search for the killer.

5.0

By jeralvsut, Mar 24, 2011

OK, so this episode was pretty good, overall, but by far, not one of the best ones I\'ve ever seen, to be sure.

Yes, the idea behind being able to \"re-educate\" a homosexual into being a straight person is a divise issue and one that can be explored well in this show. I think that part was done very well.

However, when the son of a homophobic psychiatrist turns out to be gay himself, that\'s when it starts to fall apart. No father could be that anti-gay and still love his son. I mean, where\'s the reality? As well, the son\'s lover was murdered and he showed practically no sadness about it all, instead focusing on his own \"outing.\" Come on! This episode just highlights gay men in the same vein as other shows: totally promiscuous with no sense of morality. I would expect more from a show where one of the main actors (BD Wong) is gay. Can\'t he explain to the writers how ridiculous it is? Guess it\'s not good TV to show an emotionally-wrecked gay man after the death of his boyfriend.moreless
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This is one of the best episodes of Law and Order SVU that has ever been written.

10

By apnew1962, Mar 24, 2011

This is one of the best episodes of Law and Order SVU that has ever been written. Like most gay men I struggled in coming out of the closet even with a most understanding family. I could not image what it would have been like with a father like Dr. Tate. Jonathan Tucker was superb in in portral and should have been nominated for an Emmy. The final scene between Tucker and the Diane Neal was so well done, and an inspiration to anyone struggling with coming out and the "knowing or not knowing" looks that surround oneself when they do was one of the most touching moments in television history. To be honest, I cried.moreless
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Law and Order Special Victims Unit!

7.0

By ourkissgoodbye, Mar 02, 2007

When James Reed is found murdered in the streets, covered in only a king size sheet, the Detectives of the Special Victims Unit are on the case trying to figure out the circumstances that put him there. They find out that James was a poster-boy for a group that believes that you can change your sexual orientation. Benson and Stabler find out that James Reed was still sleeping with men, which would have angered some at ReGenesis. When they find a professor who believes that being gay is wrong, they turn their sites on his son, Ian Tate, who was in a relationship with Reed.

Good episode. It kinda makes me upset to see that there are so many people in the world who are so against homosexuality. It is one thing to be against it, but it is a completely different thing when you hurt and abuse those who are homosexual and you can see yourself jusified in your actions.moreless
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this one is over shown

6.4

By SplishySplash, May 31, 2006

I don't know if its just me, but it seems like this one is always on, I bought the fifth series and saw it the first time and then on TV I saw it like six more times, I mean how can you not know your son is gay, or pretend to not know, and why do they keep asking Elliot the what if it was your family questions! For pete's sake, his family was raised catholic and they are the perfect example of what a family was, until later seasons when they get a divorce, but don't ask them that question! and an ex-gay anti-gay? meh whatever it was an alright showmoreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Dann Florek	Capt. Donald Cragen
Richard Belzer	Det. John Munch
Mariska Hargitay	Det. Olivia Benson
BD Wong	Dr. George Huang
Christopher Meloni	Det. Elliot Stabler
Ice-T	Det. Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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George Segal	Dr. Roger Tate	Guest Star
Jonathan Tucker	Ian Tate	Guest Star
James Otis	Rev. Mitchell Shaw	Guest Star
Daniel Sunjata	CSU Tech Burt Trevor	Recurring Role
Caren Browning	Judith Siper	Recurring Role
Fred Dalton Thompson	Arthur Branch	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (9)
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- Officer Marvin Bryson: Must have shown him a real good time before she did the deed.
  Det. Elliot Stabler: Marvin, right now's a real good opportunity to learn. An erection is often a side effect of asphyxiation.
  Officer Marvin Bryson: (chuckling) Oh yeah? 'Cause I was gonna say the guy was scared stiff.
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- Elliot Stabler: I don't know, maybe some people choose to be gay and others choose to be straight.
  Olivia Benson: Oh, so you chose to be heterosexual?
  Elliot Stabler: Me? Noooo.
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- John Munch: No wonder he tried to hide it. 'You're not gay son, you're just crazy.'
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- John Munch: If an overbearing mother and a distant father cause homosexuality, how come I'm not gay?
  Fin Tutuola: Maybe you're in denial.
  John Munch: That'd explain a lot.
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- Don Cragen: What did you get from the people at Reed's funeral?
  Fin Tutuola: Not much. After the fight broke out a bunch of people left before we got their names.
  John Munch: Yeah, but we got their pictures. (holding camera)
  Don Cragen: Where the hell is that from?
  John Munch: One of Reverend Shaw's church members; he must have left it behind.
  Casey Novak: I didn't hear that.
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- Elliot Stabler: I want to go back in there and strangle the son of a bitch.
  John Munch: I love the guy, I want to invite him to the Christmas party.
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- Fin Tutuola: Killed in an apartment with white walls and a crappy laundry facility, I think I live there.
  Investigator: And I'm guessing you didn't kill the guy.
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- Don Cragen: What did missing persons say?
  John Munch: Nobody's missed him yet.
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- Dr. Roger Tate: (as he's being arrested) This is...
  Elliot Stabler: What? Sick? Unnatural? So is murder.
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NOTES (1)
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- International Air Dates:
  Finland July 29, 2009 on YLE TV2
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- This episode appears to be ripped from the headlines of the scandals surrounding Pastor Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, USA.
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