Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Identity

Season 6, Episode 12, Aired 1/18/05

Episode Summary

Complications ensue in the investigation of a Stone Cold Assassins gangbanger who fell off a building after attacking a tagger. Confusion arises when the tagger confesses to being there and committing the act, but the physical evidence seems to prove otherwise.

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Cast & Crew

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Dann Florek

Capt. Donald Cragen
Richard Belzer

Det. John Munch
Mariska Hargitay

Det. Olivia Benson

Fan Episode Reviews (10)

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Good story, but the detective work was lacking.

7.8

"Good"

By sandybadlands, Sep 15, 2011 Report Abuse

The story for this episode had some intriguing twists and turns, and the acting was quite remarkable at times. However, the intriguing twists and turns were apparent from the first scene they were introduced in. This led to a good 20 minutes of investigation into what I knew were false leads, making our heroic officers of the law look significantly less open-minded and savvy than usual (and making me yell at the TV screen repeatedly). Maybe I've been watching this show too much, but when there are 30 minutes left on the clock, you know it's not the end of the story, and the writing in this episode didn't obscure the true nature of the case well enough to keep me in the dark.

That being said, Stabler and Benson had some excellent quips, and the acting was superb, most notably guest star Reiley McClendon. Also, though not as surprising as intended, the ending landed almost perfectly.moreless

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3 2
"Ripped from the headlines" element!

9.5

"Superb"

By jkdowney, Mar 10, 2011 Report Abuse

This episode was riveting. The series begins with the murder of a young man being thrown off a building. One of Sister Peg's girls saw what happened and her information leads the detectives down the track of the gang "Stone Cold Assassins". One of the asassins seeks revenge on the girl, and she is murdered. Upon his arrest, we find out that the gang member had been up on the roof with another male, as evidenced by the DNA. The tag from new grafitti spotted on the building leads the detectives to a teen by the name of Logan Stanton. Upon hearing of her brother's arrest, Logan's twin sister, Lindsay, admits to being the murderer. The detectives do not believe her because the DNA reveals that the murderer had to be male. The investigation leads down a bizarre path when they realize that the mother had given birth to twins, both had been males, but a circumcision mishap had led the parents to agree to a sex change for one of the boys. This is the element that was true to life and ripped from the headlines. Only the parents and their doctor knew the truth, and Lindsay's parents had been giving her hormones all these years and raising her as a girl. Lindsay is appalled when she hears this info and stops taking her hormones and reverts to her birth name, Luke. The twins take revenge upon the doctor and he is murdered. However, the case is impossible to prosecute. Though the detectives view the security tape at the doctor's office and are assured that one of the twins committed the murder, neither twin will rat out the other and the fact that the twins have identical DNA (now that Lindsay has stopped taking hormones) prohibits the prosecution from finding out who is guilty and who is innocent. Reiley McClendon did an amazing job playing both of the twins in this episode. This episode was filled with intriquing, sensational, and amazing plot twists and again represents the fine writing we've come to expect from the show.moreless

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5 2
A showcase for SVU's plot twist reputation.

9.2

"Superb"

By SWERJ321, Mar 10, 2011 Report Abuse

The early part of the episode lags a tad with sidetracks such as busting the identity theft ring but picks up after the murder of the mute woman. The gangbanger quickly becomes the worst killer in SVU history, almost immediately confessing to it without remorse. This leads to a moment that had me laughing out loud when they lead the suspect away in handcuffs and, after he brags about how his victim begged, Stabler and Benson, without slowing down or changing expression, smack his head into a pole, then pull him away and go back to walking like nothing happened. A good example of the well-oiled machine that is their partnership.

Now I'll admit, I saw the twist with the twins coming but it was still good to see the reaction of the "girl" to find out she'd been lied to her whole life and the idea of the doctor thinking he was making a great breakthrough by putting them through this was good too. And the final scene, with the two twins on either side of a wall, both leaning on it with matching expressions, was both chilling and yet somewhat moving. It seemed that only by committing murder could the two twins finally find some peace together.moreless

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shocking

10

"Perfect"

By esquisofrenic, Mar 10, 2011 Report Abuse

One of the best episodes of the series and personally my favourite; Everything Start with a usual homicide crime, A Criminal of a band is thrown of the top of a building, He felt, hits with a car and die, It seems that the person who commits the crime do it for self- defence
A Graffiti found in the crime take the detectives to Lindsay and Logan. Because of the DNA found in the blood of the criminal indicate that Logan is the Killer, But her sister tells that he was in the house all the night, Things get worst when Lindsay Tells that she murdered that man, something impossible because of the DNA.

This is only the beginning of confusion, these events Leads to search in the Birth Papers of the twins and it is discover the the "little secret" of the family and the strange sessions of a sexual psychologist who obligate made things that I can't mention here.The end of this episode and what an end, is really sad but it will leave you with the suspense. I only wait that the twins have found a little inner peace with what they have done and I am agreed with what they do,but who killed the doctor lidsay or logan or i have to said luke or logan... The part when it can see the twins against the wall and I saw their reflection it gave me the chill, it makes you value the things that you have because you can lose it in matter of minutes. I have my hopes that they show who kill the doctor, I only going to said you to see the episode and get your own conclusions. I recommended this for real. VIVA PANAMA AND LATIN AMERICAmoreless

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You will be shocked.

9.4

"Superb"

By joeyissoweird, Mar 10, 2011 Report Abuse

Children having a sex change? Sounds too far fetched, Huh? well, in this episode, that idea happens in a great episode. I happened to catch the middle of this during a marathon happening as I type this (and Annihilated is airing right now but it's commercial break now).

Detectives are trying to find out what happened to a Stone Cold Assassins gangbanger who fell off while trying to attack a graffiti artist. And it happens to be one of the twins with the same DNA that was a tagger, and difficulty continues.

This was a great episode and I really enjoyed the action in this.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Goof: When Warner shows the detectives a karyotype, the "Y" chromosome should be much smaller than the "X" chromosome. It is in fact an "X" chromosome with one of the legs blacked out. Edit
Notes
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- John Bolger (Clark Stanton) and Hillary Bailey Smith (Amelia Stanton) previously worked together on One Life To Live. Edit
Quotes
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- Elliot Stabler: Doc, I saw the art in your office and even I was uncomfortable with how many phalluses were on display. Dr. Preston Blair: That's because you're a bourgeois American completely uptight about sex. It's what screws up your children and turns them into sex offenders. Elliot Stabler: You lost me at 'bourgeois'. Edit
- Stabler: Great, we can print out fliers and hope someone recognizes her genes. Edit
- Casey Novak : The wheels of justice move slowly. Especially when a file clerk friend of mine misplaces the paperwork. Olivia Benson: Nice. Edit
Allusions
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- This episode appears to be ripped from the headlines of the John/Joan case in Winnipeg, Canada. The patient eventually became known as David Reimer and was treated by a psychologist named John Money whose practices and theories mirror to some degree the work of the psychiatrist in this episode. Edit