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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 8 Episode 8

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8.7

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 11/21/06

After a van containing two young children ends up in the river, Beck finds herself drawn to the young girl, Eden, and the investigation into a tape found in the vehicle turns up a mysterious death involving a controversial attachment therapy technique. Beck tries to do the right thing by saving Eden, only to find herself torn when it seems as though there is nothing she can do to help. The investigation into the rebirthing turns up a foster family who abuses the children in their care, but not all of the children agree that it was abuse.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (18)

Dani was great It was wonderful journey.

9.5

By AssandroJourn, Nov 18, 2012

I know all meticulous fans of the show who've been watching show from the beginning get used to procedural structured series with "realistic" vibe to it with no excessive character developments (just minimal bits per episode) and they hate all new characters who threatens to replace their beloved leads. no matter how good newbie are they still hate him or her. but IMHO Connie Nielsen's Dani was a wonderful addition to the strict procedural with longtime traditional structure. She added more raw feel to it, Connie Nielsen is great actress and I don't think she was over the top she was different from all buttoned up characters (Olivia especially) on this show. it was good departure and Dani gave show movie vibe. coz all these longtime strictly procedural shows afraid of stepping in different direction, afraid of new approach and therefore these shows became tiresome and repetitive. so I praise showrunners that they try to refresh show's outlook. And I guess they could keep Dani after Olivia's arrival but she is too much for this cast anyway she is bigger and emotionally she would steal all the attention from Olivia and Elliot.moreless
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Dani finally leaves!

2.2

By angelspinknose, Mar 29, 2011

I am so glad Dani is finally gone. Even worse than her was when Anthony Anderson guest starred. Normally I like Anthony Anderson but his character on the show was awful. I wish they had made him a nice guy instead of a jerk. The little girl setting fire to the apartment at then end was awful. I felt helpless at the end of the episode because of the mental problems she had.moreless
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This was a very special episode for me--because Det. Dani Beck finally leaves. Which means Det. Olivia Benson returns. Which means Det. Elliot Stabler might actually become stable again. Hallelujah!

8.0

By olivenson, Mar 29, 2011

So this episode alludes to the controversial rebirth/ breathing theraphy technique, which is a road SVU has never tread down before. However, abused/ unwanted/ shuffled around orphans, is not original. Demon children (or kids with severe mental health issues) is not that wholly original either, but the combination of all these three conditions made the episode somewhat interesting.

Stabler and Beck--as well as most of the cast--seemed pretty flat and non-commital this episode, so when ever someone delivered a line, I couldn't help but shake my head. Note: ADA Casey Novak seems pretty worthless. The only piece of dialogue that was engaging was betweeen Det. Stabler and a foster mom accused of caging her kids. When she protests to having her husband arrested and starts weeping and all that, Stabler says, "Shut the hell up, lady! And get your ass outside! You're under arrest, too." Now, there was some real Elliot there.

This case proves too difficult for Dani Beck, however, so she leaves just as abruptly as she had arrived in the SVU world, except on a somber note. Thank. God. Elliot appeared shock, but he was probably thinking he's really good at driving away all the women in his life. Little did he know...

In summary, another blah episode. But my hope is that things will get back on the good foot once Mariska Hargitay's Benson gets back with the SVU crew.moreless
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Dani Beck says goodbye to SVU.

9.5

By keipots, Mar 29, 2011

1. I'm not a big fan of Dani Beck. She's overzealous and too brash for my taste. But this episode had somehow given me a new respect for her, and I now see her in a different light. I must admit I had gotten used to her braid and her get up and her compact baton, and seeing her leave made me kinda sad. Connie Nielsen did a helluva good job in her 6-arc stay.

2. My heart also went out to Elliot. He looked really dejected as he watched her walk away. I mean, first Kathy, then Olivia, and now Dani? I can't imagine the pain he must be feeling.

3. It looks like the Fannings are turning this into a family business. Elle isn't as great as Dakota, but she played a convincingly freaky kid.

4. I loved what Casey said about aliens and giant pumpkins.

5. Olivia's coming back for good! *jumps with glee*

All in all, GREAT EPISODE.moreless
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Dani gets attached to a child reported to the police after they were left for dead. Too much attachment leads to Dani seeing a side of the job that she doesn't know if she can handle. A child is murdered during a 'rebirthing' session.moreless

7.4

By jayta78, Mar 29, 2011

IT was alright. I think the storyline was okay but there just was too much Dani in it. It was overload. She\'s too soft and I can see why she couldn\'t hack it. And the whole overnight entanglement with Elliot was so bazaar and I don\'t know how they even came to be \'together\'. Yuck.

The storyline was kind of freaky and disgusting. But how cute was that baby in that video? How could anyone turn away from a child? IT\'s beyond me.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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BD Wong	Dr. George Huang
Christopher Meloni	Det. Elliot Stabler
Dann Florek	Capt. Donald Cragen
Diane Neal	A.D.A. Casey Novak
Ice-T	Det. Odafin Tutuola
Richard Belzer	Det. John Munch

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Marilyn Chris	Dora Hovis	Guest Star
Khaleel Carter	Marc	Guest Star
Matthew Gumley	Joe	Guest Star
Connie Nielsen	Det. Dani Beck	Recurring Role
Linda Powell	Lauren White	Recurring Role
Philip Bosco	Judge Joseph P. Terhune	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Goof: Poughkeepsie was referred to as being right outside Albany, but it is 79 miles south of Albany and has it's own Department of Social Services.
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QUOTES (8)
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- Kathleen Stabler: Are you serious, Dad? A kid stabbed you?
  Kathy Stabler: Your father probably yelled at him.
  Kathleen Stabler: Yeah, for not doing his homework.
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- Elliot Stabler (introducing Beck to Kathy and Kathleen): This is my new partner, Dani Beck. My wife, Kathy.
  Kathy Stabler: How do you do?
  Elliot Stabler: Kathleen.
  Dani Beck: Hi.
  Kathleen Stabler: What happened to Olivia?
  Elliot Stabler: Well, she's doing her job. She's with the feds.
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- Dani Beck: I don't know how you kept your cool.
  Elliot Stabler: Adrenaline.
  Dani Beck: Yeah, but that had to hurt. I couldn't have stayed so calm.
  Elliot Stabler: Yeah you could. You know the right thing to do.
  Dani Beck: Just because you know what's right doesn't mean you do it. (Stabler holds and rubs Beck's hand) Elliot ... I ...
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- Don Cragen: Dani doing okay?
  Elliot Stabler: Yeah.
  Don Cragen: See a future for her here in SVU?
  Elliot Stabler: Sure.
  Don Cragen: Don't want your old partner back?
  Elliot Stabler: Since when was that up to me?
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- (Rita Gabler protests as Beck drags her husband outside to arrest him.)
  Elliot Stabler: Lady, shut up and get your ass out there; you're under arrest too!
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- Elliot Stabler: John, what do we got?
  John Munch: Van tried to take a shortcut to Brooklyn. River got in the way.
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- Casey Novak: The defense can say that in the missing sections a spaceship landed and aliens squashed the girl with a giant pumpkin.
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- Dani Beck: I can't do this.
  Elliot Stabler: Why?
  Dani Beck: I fix things. That's who I am. And I can't fix the little girl.
  Elliot Stabler: That's not what we do.
  Dani Beck: But you want to. And I thought I could. (crying) How do you keep doing this job?
  Elliot Stabler: Because I have to.
  Dani Beck: Why? We don't make a difference.
  Elliot Stabler: Dani, you can do this.
  Dani Beck: Are you asking me to stay?
  Elliot Stabler: (long pause) Dani, I can't. You've got to be here for yourself, not for me.
  Dani Beck: (in a whisper) Yeah. (long pause) Bye Elliot.
  (He watches her as she walks away, visibly upset.)
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NOTES (4)
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- Original International Air Dates:
  Czech Republic February 23, 2010 on TV Nova
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- Tonight's episode aired on CTV (Canada) Monday November 20, at 9:00pm due to the American Music Awards.
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- As of this episode, Connie Nielsen has completed her six-episode guest arc as Det. Dani Beck, which was written in to facilitate Mariska Hargitay's maternity leave.
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- Special billing was given to Connie Nielsen (Special Guest Star), Viola Davis (with) and Ken Howard (and) in this episode.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- This episode appears to be ripped from the headlines of the Candace Newmaker case. In April of 2000, Candace died during a rebirthing session scheduled by her adoptive mother, Jeane Newmaker. The entire rebirthing was conducted by two attachment therapists and was videotaped, with Candace often heard on the tape screaming and begging to be allowed to breath. The two professional therapists who held the girl down while she suffocated were sentenced to sixteen years apiece in prison. In 2001, Governor Bill Owens of Colorado signed Candace's Law, which made rebirthing illegal in the state of Colorado. Other parts of this episode appear to be ripped from the headlines of the Sharen and Mike Gravelle case. In 2005, the Gravelles were charged with child abuse after the authorities learned that they forced their 11 children to spend their days and nights in cage-like enclosures. In both cases, the methods connected to attachment therapy were cited as the reason for the scenarios.
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