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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 5 Episode 20

Lowdown

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8.5

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 4/6/04

When the death of a prosecutor is staged using information gleaned from a co-worker's caseload, Novak endangers her career to obtain a confession.

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

Great show Great episode

10

By angelsxo, Mar 27, 2011

Great show Great episode. I love this episode because it was so unexpected. The concept of the perps being on the down low wasn't even thought of in the beginning of the episode. It was Fin who figured it all out. His street smarts cracked what might have never been cracked with hiim. In the end of the episode it was very sad to see the wife in such pain of knowing she may never get to be there for her kids but loved her husband enough to forgive him and stick with him as long as he told the truth. Excellent episodemoreless
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The episode had a fantastic storyline and layers to it. It touched on a subculture that is was considered a phenomenon but is pretty common in its reach.

9.0

By chitownjedi, Sep 15, 2010

The episodes introduces a lot of folks to the sub culture within the African American populace known as being on the Down Low. Being on the Down low suggest that normal heterosexual males, who identify themselves as being straight, have sex with each other. They usually have wives and kids, and yet do the deed in secluded locations with the premise that it's not talked about and not tipped to in anyway by speaking of sex, or providing sexual contraception. To begin the episode An assistant D.A is found murdered in a seedy location where Prostitutes are usually located. During the Investigation, detective Benson realizes that the suspect/victim, happened to be someone that she dated 5 years before. She found it hard to conceive that he would participate in such distasteful acts, but its soon revealed through more investigation that not only was he have sexual relations in that car, but it was with a man, and he was HIV positive. Olivia is then motivated to get herself tested since she admitted to having sexual relations with the victim, but used protection. The episode continues and shows that a sub-culture of lies and promiscuity is what leads to the possibility of multiple powerful individuals being destroyed when their Down Low Secret can be revealed. And it's up to these man to face who they are truly so that justice may prevail. This episode had a great look into something that is usually not talked about or acknowledge, and they used the subject matter, and all performances were great.moreless
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Law and Order Special Victims Unit!

8.0

By ourkissgoodbye, Mar 05, 2007

When an Assistant DA from the Bronx, and one of Olivia's ex boyfriends, Jeff York is found dead in his car in a known hooker stroll, Benson and Stabler are called to the scene. They start to piece together evidence to find out what happened just before his death. At first, because of the location, they think that he might have solicited a hooker, who went to far. Evidence points to the fact that there was another male in the car with him, and the DNA does not match any of the prostitutes in the area. They find that Jeff and his friends have a little club where they have sex with other men, which is also known as being on the down low. When M.E. Warner determines that Jeff had HIV, she suggests that Olivia get tested as well, because of her past relationship with him.

This is a good episode. It is another storyline that is ripped from the headlines. I first became aware of this issue of married men sleeping with other men behind their wives backs on Oprah. I was really surprised when it showed up on an episode of Law and Order SVU.moreless
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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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Marlo Thomas	Mary Conway Clark	Guest Star
Michael Beach	Andy Abbott	Guest Star
Bethany Butler	Maryellen Abbott	Guest Star
Peter Riegert	Chauncey Zeirko	Recurring Role
Caren Browning	Judith Siper	Recurring Role
Ian Bedford	Off. Bamford	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Equipment Showing: There is camera equipment visible in the opening scene.
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QUOTES (5)
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- Elliot Stabler (to Benson as she arrives on the scene in the middle of the night): Morning, Sunshine.
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- Odafin Tutuola: It's different for black men. They go out, have sex with other men, then come home, have sex with their woman, and pretend they're straight. (Benson, Cragen, and Stabler look at him) Don't look at me, I just know stuff.
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- DuShawn McGovern: I have relationships with women and sex with men.
  Fin Tutuola: Newsflash: That means you're gay.
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- M.E. Warner: Condoms are effective, not perfect.
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- Elliot Stabler: (to Benson) No wonder you and Jeff didn't have any chemistry, he was gay.
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NOTES (3)
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- International Air Dates:
  Finland October 28, 2009 on YLE TV2
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- This is the second time Michael Beach has played a character who infected his wife with HIV. The first was as Al Boulet on ER, who infected Jeanie Boulet (played by Gloria Reuben).
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- Episode originally scheduled to air 30 March 2004
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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