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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 5 Episode 1

Tragedy

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8.8

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 9/23/03

In a race against time to find a woman with a high-risk pregnancy who's kidnapped as approaches her delivery date, Benson and Stabler are faced with more than one suspect willing to take the fall for the crime.

Fan Episode Reviews (8)

Really Intense Episode

9.5

By lawandorder, Jul 14, 2012

I loved this episode! It started in an interesting way (with the 911 call) and continued to keep me guessing though out. Some other reviews said it was predictable but I didn't think so. I was surprised every time the detectives suspected a different person. I guess that was just me. Also to the viewer who complained about the child birth scene being to short I have a few things to say. 1: It's a television show get used to it. 2: The episode is a little less than 45 minutes and there was a lot more information the script writer had to get in. 3: I think when Stabler and Fin find Annika she mentions having been in labor for hours. Stabler just finishes the job. So maybe you should stop complaining about a small detail that bothered no one else.moreless
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Family politics turn deadly.

9.0

By ArwenEvenstarU, Mar 22, 2011

This episode had a surplus of characters that were at times rather difficult to keep straight. Other than that, this episode was excellent. It starts with a woman, Annika, being kidnapped. Olivia and Elliot believe it to be the work of the car-jack rapist, and start a hunt for the perpetrator. Eventually they realize that Annika's case doesn't match the car-jack rapist's MO and start looking elsewhere. They suspect everyone from Annika's sister to her ex-boyfriend. I have to say the ending was a little cheesy and predictable, but it was still a very decent episode and strong start to the fifth season.moreless
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Law and Order Special Victims Unit!

7.5

By ourkissgoodbye, Mar 22, 2011

After a frantic 911 call, the Detectives of the Special Victims Unit believe that this is another attack of the Car Jack Rapist. After discovering that the missing women is Annika Bergeron. She is heavily pregnant and considered at a high risk. The clock begins ticking to find her before she gives birth. After questioning her former boyfriend and the father of her child, Daniel Lester, the Detectives are convinced that he is to blame for her disappearance. When Daniel's fiancee comes forward to clear her name, the Detectives do not know whose story to believe. This is a good episode. It was interesting because they were working on a severe time crunch. They had to find Annika before she gave birth to ensure that her and the baby would survive. You also got to see another glimpse into the life of Detective Stabler when he helped to deliver Annika's baby. He tells her that he was there to help deliver all of his four children.moreless
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Great guest performance by Gabriel Olds.

8.5

By delta_belle, Mar 22, 2011

The story has an interesting premise and is well written, well acted. I rated it only 8.5 for two reasons.

While Rose Granville's man-hating is understandable, for me it didn't quite work as a motive for getting Annika Bergeron out of the picture. It would have made more sense if Rose wanted Melinda and Daniel to be happy, and feared that while Annika doesn't want Daniel now, she might change her mind later and come back seeking financial support from a then-wealthy Daniel. Elliot acted like a colossal jerk when he said he'd stick the needle in Daniel's arm himself. When it's proven later that Daniel didn't kidnap Annika, nobody apologizes for trying to nail him to the wall.moreless
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The SVU team has to race against the clock to reach a kidnapped woman before she gives birth.

7.6

By cherrytree34, Mar 22, 2011

I found this episode somewhat disappointing. To begin with, it was very predictable. I mean, how many times have we seen this? Any time there is a rich mother involved, she always seems to be the one responsible for the crime. I knew it was her before we were even halfway through the episode.

Additionally, there were several inconsistencies. The most glaring inconsistency was the way that the rich mama's future son-in-law behaved. At first, when confronted with evidence that seemed to implicate him, he confessed to having kidnapped his ex-girlfriend in order to cover up the fact that she was carrying his child. Later, we find out that he only did so to protect his fiance. It seemed, at least to me, that he thought she was responsible, so he lied. But later, when his fiance's mother is found to be the one who paid the kidnapper, he walks away from his fiance. It seemed very strange that he would be willing to go to prison to protect her, but he won't even speak to her when he finds out she is innocent and her mother is the one who is guilty. I love SVU, but I really found this episode to be unoriginal and predictable.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Christopher Meloni	Det. Elliot Stabler
Dann Florek	Capt. Donald Cragen
Ice-T	Det. Fin Tutuola
Mariska Hargitay	Det. Olivia Benson
Richard Belzer	Det. John Munch

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Kellie Martin	Melinda Granville	Guest Star
Gabriel Olds	Daniel Lester	Guest Star
Marisa Ryan	Laura Bergeron	Guest Star
Daniel Sunjata	CSU Tech Burt Trevor	Recurring Role
Caren Browning	Capt. Judith Siper	Recurring Role
Joel de la Fuente	TARU Tech Ruben Morales	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (7)
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- Olivia Benson: Look, pregnant women are fighters. If Annika resisted she could be lying somewhere injured or unconscious.
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- Elliot Stabler: If she dies because you're holding out on us, I will personally stick that needle in your arm myself, you little prick.
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- Rose Granville: I made a mistake marrying Melinda's father. I wasn't going to let history repeat itself.
  Captain Cragen: He left you?
  Rose Granville: With half my money and my secretary.
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- Olivia Benson: I've got a psychic who says she can channel Annika for the right price.
  John Munch: Let me guess. She's in a cold, dark place near a body of water.
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- Elliot Stabler: (interrogating Daniel) I'm about three seconds away from shoving your head through that wall. (later) Why'd ya' pull me out, Captain, you didn't think I was gonna hurt him, did ya'?
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- Odafin Tutuola: Daniel'll be fine. The guy's got no reason to harm him.
  Melinda Granville: Then why the bullet-proof vest?
  Odafin Tutuola: Just a precaution.
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- Olivia Benson: 'Stand By Your Man' sounds much better when Tammy Wynette sings it.
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NOTES (3)
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- Beginning with this episode, the series now aired Tuesdays nights at 10:00 pm (9 pm Central).
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- Special billing was given to Shirley Knight (and) in this episode.
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- Part of this episode was filmed on Beach 129^th Street in Belle Harbor, New York (USA).
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Olivia Benson (to the suspect's girlfriend): Stand by Your Man sounds much better when Tammy Wynette sings it.
  
  Benson is referring to the 1968 single that topped the country music charts for three weeks from November 23 to December 7.
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