From NBC Universal Media Village

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT

SIGNATURE

01-08-2008 10:00PM

DETECTIVE OLIVIA BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) TEAMS UP WITH SPECIAL AGENT LAUREN COOPER (GUEST STAR ERIKA CHRISTENSEN) WHEN A SERIAL KILLER IS THE SUSPECT. A woman’s body is found murdered in a park alongside a man with a bullet in his head - Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Special Agent Cooper (Guest Star Erika Christensen) join forces and suspect “The Woodsman”, a serial killer Cooper has tried to catch for years. Detective Chester Lake (Adam Beach) and Benson begin to question Cooper’s true motives when the male victim is later identified as “The Woodsman”. Also starring: Christopher Meloni, Dann Florek, Ice-T, Diane Neal, Richard Belzer, and Tamara Tunie.

Show Cast: Chris Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice T, Diane Neal

I wish ifthey would have teamed Olivia up with agent Porter instead.That would have made it more interesting

I saw the preview for this at the end of tonights eppy, and I was wondering, was it Olivia screaming at the end of the previews? And also, is Elliot going to be in this episode at all?

I have so many mixed emotions with this episode preview. I'm not sure how I feel about it. The last scene they showed was gripping but before that it makes it seem just like a run of the mill episode.

I have a feeling that the reason Olivia was "screaming" at the end of the preview is because the guest star detective gets killed or something like that. I don't know, it seems possible. Either way, the episode does look pretty good, but I am hoping that they still show Elliot in it. I hate these tandem episodes where they only show one detective instead of both.

The preview was too quick. LOL! Loved the ding sounds though. It almost gave it a feeling of a horrer movie. LOL! But Olivia screaming at the end was good. It seemed more of a suprise scream. Almost like if you thought someone was dead, you get closer to their face and BAMN! the person's eyes open or they grab you. I am really interested in seeing what could happen.

That's what I was thinking. On a small note, though, I never thought of Olivia as the type to "scream," per se. Some women tend to "yell" or "shout," but screaming just doesn't come naturally to them. Tougher women tend to be like that, which is why Olivia always struck me as that type.

I agree.Olivia has been through so many different surprise situations(ex. someone coming out of the dark to grab her)and she has never screamed.just doesn"t sound like her.

Everyone can be suprised, no matter who you are or what you have been through. I find it possible for her to be frightened due to the case. Its like a horrer movie coming to life for her. We will have to wait and see. I seriously believe the scream was a frightened or unexpected scream. I doubt she was hurt. Olivia is human and is capable of being suprised or frightened. But...that is just what I think.

i think that scream looks and sounds far too intense for a scream of fearful surprise...like finding s/o dead...it looks to me like an im about to die or s/r REALLY REALLY REALLY disturbing...but i have a feeling like theyve been doing lately it looks huge on promos but then its going to be nothing,...or s/t that lasts a minute...
but...it still got me interested to see the eppy...but the writers have been a bit weird this season...so this one probably will also be really really weird...its a trend...

also... the promo was rly weird... with the narrator talkign about "those SVU episode where you just feel like digging your nails into your leg" and "the mother of all endings" was a bit werid...
also streetwises promo was werid... usually its a buncha random clips of the eppy put together but that one was just one random scene that didnt rly have much to do with the eppy...i think they are trying new tecniques for promos...but they are just weird...

Does anyone else think that maybe the serial killer will go after Olivia? That could be some kind of reason why she screams maybe. Dunno. Just trying to think of some explanations.

I don't know about everyone else, but I liked it!

i have never posted here before and i probably won't again but I LOVE THIS SHOW!! i am a faithful fan of this show. my husband has even said "thank you dick wolf" after a few episodes.
99.9% of the time we are crazy about this show.....

TONITE!!!! yikes!!! that woman guest star....SUCKED!!! what a horrible, i don't even like using the word, actress. she was terrible. i felt like she won a raffle and the payoff was being a guest star on a TV show. that show had so much potential, great ideas...it's a shame that the casting director for that show wasn't involved in the writer's strike.

I agree with you! I just love SVU but the terrible actress playing the FBI agent sucked bigtime and really ruined this episode for me.

I enjoyed this episode. I didn't enjoy EC's performance at first because she seemed so "robotic" and emotionless. However, she managed to deliver in the end.

Could someone please tell me how the episode ended! My DVR cut off right as agent cooper plead Not guilty. NBC's stupid cut in to tell that Hillary "who cares" Clinton won the New Hamp. primary so my show got cut off at the end.

Many thanks.

Also, I agree, the guest star was not very good....BUT...she was p.d.h. (purdy damn hot)

Thanks

Ya know, there's not much to say after that 1st post, other than ditto. My lady and I could not believe how friggin' bad that lady was on the show. She was like Save the Lance Dance bad...truly horrendous. I used to love this show but there are too many hokey plots and crappy actors that appear these days...sigh.

This was a great episode! I don't think I've ever seen SO much emotion out of Benson; seeing her break from her standard tough-as-nails demeanor made her seem all that more human.

But...they have really got to bring Munch back. Det. Lake is okay, but he'll never be Munch. Time to stop worrying about eye-candy as most of SVU viewers are beyond looks and more into the quick wit that Belzer's character offers. Well, my 2c anyway. lol

This episode gave me the heeby jeebies. Although it was very predictable, IMO. And I find it hysterical that NOW Olivia is concerned about spinal injuries. Good Lord, woman!

Some other DA comes in and decides to dismiss the charges against Cooper. Then some Bigwig officials come into the SVU office and tell them that they need to get Cooper to confess to the killing the Woodsman.

Lake and Benson go to Cooper's apartment and when they come in she's sitting at a table with her gun on the table pointing at her badge. L & B edged towards her. Olivia's talking to her and eventually grabs the gun off the table. Cooper's crying and asking Olivia if she's ever felt like killing a rapist and telling her that she tried to save the girl but the Woodsman wouldn't give up the girls location even with the gun to his head. Olivia tells her that she symapthasize's with her but she doesn't condone what Cooper's done. Olivia tells Cooper that the DA will give her a deal but Cooper doesn't want it. Cooper saids something like "when your dealing with monsters make sure you don't become one" and then she pulls out a gun and shoots herself in the head.

I know I missed some other stuff (others can fill in what I missed) but I'm pretty bad at describing stuff...even if I just seen it a few minutes ago.

Should I put a spoiler warning on this? Or is it enough that it's in the title of the thread?

I enjoyed this episode for the most part. However, I do agree that EC's performance was pretty boring. She was pretty much dull and monotanous (sp?). I thought she was better at the end when she was crying.

you missed sooo much. cooper went and shot herself in front of benson and benson started crying and just sad there as the m.e. took care of it....she just sad there starring at nothing. it was soo sad. it will replay on USA network. probably this sunday at 11:00 or maybe on saturday...i dont know.

well i never come to these boards but I dont know.. I sort of agree with all that is posted about the guest actress being horrible.. BUT i tell you what.. it was one of the most reactive episodes i have watched and i watch re runs pretty much every time i turn the tv on. i am addicted to this show and have it on USA every nite after work.. i think a few of the episodes before christmas were not the greatest but this one I think wow.. it was almost too intense for me at times. i really felt what the actors were .. eerie..

i agree with you all though.. no actress will ever come close to olivia's actress EVER. she is by far one of the best there is.. however, the episode itself i thought it was deep.. i mean i felt sick a few times and screamed once which i never do and i was really surprised by the outcome and that that cop had been involved. but i am me and i am usually way off with my opinons.. regardless, svu is one of the best and maybe the best show ever in my book and this time my dvr is already recording so i dont miss the first 10 minutes like i did today which made it hard to catch up! (maybe why i am not coming down so hard on the guest gal)

I too missed the first few minutes (which I so hate to do). Did anyone else notice that the last victim that Olivia and Agent Cooper found alive looked terrified of Agent Cooper. Do you think she saw Cooper blow away the serial killer? Just wondering...any comments would be appreciated.

I have to say that this was one of the most poorly written SVU (perhaps any tv show) episodes I've ever seen. The dialogue was unrealistic and overdramatic (do you really think the DA is going to follow the ADA to court, wait for her to request Remand and THEN say they're dropping all charges... then the "brass" storms into the Captain's office in uniform and explains how to get the FBI agent to take a deal?). Olivia was written WAY out of character. Even particulars were just out of line with so many things we've seen from the show (not to mention common sense). Do people usually give out the gun used for a suicide as a memento? Agent Lake was, I believe, written poorly and acted poorly. The ending was predictable and ... just bad.

I usually love SVU, but who wrote this episode? Did they pull somone off the street during the writer's strike or something?

I noticed that too. However, I don't think the victim seen Cooper because they found the victim tied up underneath the torture table and she had been down there since the Woodsman died which I think had been a few days. I saw an equal amount of fear towards both Olivia and Cooper at first. However, Benson was trying to keep the victim calm while Cooper seemed to agitate the victims with her actions. The victim got especially scared after Cooper grabbed a scapel to cut the duct tape. And before Cooper killed herself she did say that she tried to find the girl but the Woodsman wouldn't give up her location even with a gun to his head.

First off I am not a huge shipper but this eppy made me miss Elliott. Especially the end when Lake was being such a what...a dumb***, even more wooden and cardboard then he has ever been before, annoying, freaky,...all I know is he's gotta go.

That and the FBI chick was just annoying too.

And what's the deal with the torture theme this season?

And does anybody know what's up with Casey--does Diane Neal want off the show or what? It seems like they have just been either devaluing her input or ignoring her character all season (IMHO)

Overall I was kind of disappointed in this eppy. It had potential and if it had been Olivia and Elliott and a decent actress as the FBI agent it could have been really good. Maybe more it was a good eppy on paper.

Anyway that is my 2 cents. I'll hop off my soapbox now and go back to watching the discussion of the New Hampshire primary.

Worst episode ever? Oh please!
It was good. I'll admit, the show doesnt have what the first couple seasons had but they still have me watching the show... Obiously you too since you watched it. So dont sit there and complian. Mariskas performance was awesome. That other chick,.... now can anyone say Bad Actress? Good God! lol jk but seriously! She was horrible at the beginning but at the last scene in her apartment where she is talkin to Olivia, that was good. I was so anxious to see what would happen!
I wish Elliot would of been there for Olivia. but Lake was ok...

I liked the episode :-)

WOW.. This eppie lived up to the height of the previews...NOT!! The one good thing was that the end, but I din't like how they portrayed Olivia. All Day I was looking forward to this eppie, and I was greatly dissapointed. I wonder if the writers knew they were going to strike when this eppie was written and they didn't care.??



PLease Bring Back Elliot~~!!~~

I really didn't like Erica's work in this episode. Maybe it was because her character was sort of lame and just brought out with out much back bone. Or maybe it was because something she said at the end got to me. It inferred that maybe she had been a victim of some sort of sexual trauma. I don't know it just irked me greatly. I wish the writers would get better soon. I miss last season's awesomeness.

Wow lol espacially the end.

Can someone please tell me what channel this episode was on and the time? I turned on NBC last night and all they had was coverage of the NH primary and I couldn't find it on any other channel. I was so peeved, assuming it had been cancelled, but apparently it was on. Someone help me!

I really liked this episode because of the range of emotion from Mariska! I haven't seen too many episodes with Lake, but from what I've seen I don't like. I really missed Elliot..I sure hope Christopher doesn't want off the show..jmho.

The actress (can you even call her that?) who played the FBI woman was horrible! No acting ability whatsoever!

I hope they bring back Elliot in the next episode!! I miss him dearly!

Overall, a really great episode, very suspenseful!

God and peace
Vanessa

The eppy was ok, I am glad to hear that the acting was really bad with the agent, I was thinking I am just really over tired. I thought that when the girl in the table was freaking out that the FBI agent was one of the killers due to the eye contact she was trying to make with Olivia and back to the agent. What would have been better storyline would have been for the agent to have crossed over the evil side and the her and the woodsman to have joined forces, taken care of her boss and then she would have taken care of the woodsman due to some mess up and realizing that the cops would be closing in on them. Then she would have killed herself once she realized that she truly became what she studied.

Have a great day!
Jojo

I thought this episode was ok. All I kept thinking is where are the good detectives - where's Elliot, Fin and Munch? A huge case like that and they don't call in their most experienced detectives. I thought Olivia did a good job for the most part but the scream at the end was way too much. Did not ring true. That just didn't seem to fit the way Olivia would react in that situation. It seemed to be some dramatic see how I can over-emote for an Emmy moment.

How could Lake and Olivia be so dense to not pick up on that Cooper was so suicidal. I thought maybe she had a gun under her desk or behind her or even that she might go out the window.

Oh, I beg to differ. MH did not over emote. It was really great to see Liv being affected by watching this woman shoot herself in the head. If it does not bother her, there is a problem that will fester. We know how those turn out. MH didn't over do it, and it was not even Emmy material because it was such a small part of the show. MH can act in her sleep, and I was so happy to see her taking Liv outside the box for a change. It's not often that TIIC get a high five from me, but they will get two for Signature. MH was fantastic. She made me cry.


ANDREA

I never thought I could watch an SVU episode that really grabbed me like this one did. I couldn’t help but cry when the woman died in the hospital. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for all of the women that died in such a horrible way and when Lauren shot herself I felt like it was the ending she wanted. The ending she chose, just like her mentor, her father figure, and the only family she had ever known. The “Woodsman” crimes were her entire life and when it all ended, so did her life. After witnessing the suicide, Olivia’s reaction was appropriate and I am sure she blames herself. Not only was she interrogating her, she was blaming her for the death of the last woman. Lake holding her hand was also appropriate. I just…I can’t even express how much this episode touched me. This is, by far, the best episode SVU has created in a really long time.

I noticed that a lot of people are referring to “Saw” but if you have really seen “Saw”, the Controller chose sinners for his victims. Nether were rapped, and all were either men or women. “Saw” never even entered my mind but for some reason, Jack the Ripper did…Odd I know seeing as how Jack only killed 5 women and they were all prostitutes who were found on the streets of London. But the way he only chose women just clicked. I’m weird, sorry. LOL!

I really would have liked to have known a bit more about why he killed his victims. I mean all that was introduced was the way they died, where they died, and possibly a time span. But nothing was said about the “Woodsman’s” life. All we got to hear was that he was a creep who liked to fondle women and was sent to a juvenile facility. That was the only real complaint about this episode. To me, it was amazing.

did any one see yesterdays show at the end the way olivia started crying was so fake.

I am a huge svu fan, but I have to admit the writing in the entire episode just seemed a little off. I was left disappointed and a little confused. I actually went back and watched it a second time to see if there was something I missed. I have never missed an episode, but I felt like I didn't even know the characters at the end. Liv, especially (by the way, my favorite actress by far), seemed really out of character to me--and I'm referring more to the writing than the acting. I feel like the writers nailed her character in Paternity, but this seemed a complete contrast to who she is. I also think the scream was out of character for her. Liv has been through a lot the last few episodes, and I do think that a breakdown on her part is not unheard of, so the end where she was kind of there, but not really there seemed very plausible. But the scream and crying just didn't fit her.

Contrary to others, I do like Lake's character (although not so much in this episode), but at the end I felt like part of Liv's breakdown was partially not having El there with her (and no, I'm not a shipper). She needed someone to support her who knew her, and there was no-one there. Also, I know Mariska is tall, but I've never noticed it as much in any other episode (and believe me I've seen them all). I don't know if it was something with the camera angles or if it was the blocking (and other characters she was paired with throughout the episode), but I have never seen her tower over everyone like she did last night.

I was also very disappointed in the acting with Cooper's character, and I don't remember ever feeling that way before about any other episode. I'm also curious as to whether the writer's strike had anything to do with the difference this week...

I wasn't impressed with the show or the acting of any of them. And I want more Munch!!! Thank God for reruns on USA so I can be reminded of what a great show SUV used to be.

S

The more I thought about this episode the more it seemed like it should have been an Elliott stand alone episode rather than an Olivia stand alone one. And that is why Olivia's emotion at the end seemed so out of character.

I mean it's Elliott's character who is the one more likely to kill a serial killer (or a pedaphile). It's Elliott who has kind of found a dad figure in Cragen. It's even Elliott who has crossed the line a few times and he would have related much better to the FBI agents final statement about making sure those who fight the monsters don't become them.

Did anybody else feel this way too?

This eppy was freakin great i honestly loved it sure cooper was... eh but overall it was intence and Mariska is a great actress and w/ her an SVU eppy cant be bad
sure it couldve been better but it was still a great episode the ending was great predictable sure but heck it was the bomb digity lol.

That's an interesting take and the more I think about it I think you are right. I think Elliot, especially the Elliot of a few seasons ago who was going thru his unstabler time would have related more to that ending statement from Cooper and the whole issue of relating to someone who crossed over the line with a perp. But that being said they have been doing some odd things with Olivia's character lately and its hard to say how she would react to anything any more. I think the choppiness of this episode has more to do with bad writing and even worse editing than whether or not it was Elliot screaming like a banshee or Olivia.

i totally agree with you girlfriend! mh's performance was amazing! i loved her reaction to the fbi women shooting herself, it was appropriate, convincing, moving and very well done. i don't understand why some people are saying it was "out of character for olivia". what, then, is a more "in character" reaction then? should olivia have just stood there, wide eyed and shocked (like lake)? no, i don't think so.
i loved the whole eppy, esp. that last scene, so much that i didn't even miss the boys (el and fin). mh can def carry her own.
btw, with is tiic?

Folks, no. This episode was not amazing. It wasn't even good. It was an amateur remake of "Se7en" in 49 minutes. And I swear to you, the minute that blonde chick who looks like a dyke came on the screen, I was like "Her! She did it." And I was right.

Do the writers read these message boards? Oh yeah... there aren't any! lol! Well, if they ever get back to work and read this, would you mind cutting it out with the "Law & Order" episodes that are all Order and no Law? It's misleading.

Does anyone know who the actress playing FBI agent Cooper on Saturday (1-12-08) show? She looks and sounds familiar but I can't place her name?

The actresses name was Erika Christiansen.
Honestly, I'd never seen her before, so I had no expectations.

I finally saw Signature last night.
Overall, I thought it was one of the better episodes this season...but I know that's not saying a lot. What on earth has happened to the writing on this show? CI and now even the OS have had MUCH meatier storylines, that made SENSE...and they have flown under the radar for some time, while SVU has been the 'breadwinner' for many years.
I'm so sad to see my favorite show floundering....

That said...Christiansen's acting didn't bother me..she did deliver most of her lines flatly...but in the end, you realize that this was a young, troubled girl who was becoming unraveled...bouncing between flat affect and emotional outbursts.

I did like the end...I didn't think MH overdid it at all.
She identified with Cooper...and to see her blow her brains out over a perp...I thought Olivia's outburst was a reasonable reaction.

My biggest gripe is...why are most of the really good cases split up between the Detectives. This was one where EVERYONE could have been used...they were running out of time to find Amy Doe...it should have been all hands on deck.

Honestly...in my opinion...they are already setting the stage for Olivia Bensons character to walk away from SVU in another year
(assuming there IS a Season 10, with all the strike mess.)
I think that is why we've seen a big change in her over the last two seasons.
I think SHE'S 'losing it'. Too many years in the unit.
They would have to start setting the stage at some point...it wouls be stupid for her to decide to be 'done', out of the blue, in one or two episodes next year.
We can see that the work is wearing her down.
And I think last night, we saw that she DOESN'T want to end up like Agent Cooper.

Well...two more to go and then we'll get to rehash all the FUN that has been Season 9 for awhile.
Oh boy.

I didn't like that episode. This is the second time in a row that they've had some kind of blatant inconsistency in the story-telling. RIGHT after Olivia says the guy had no boating-related receipts, she talks about one she had found? The ending was so predictable, too, especially when Cooper let Olivia take the gun from the table. It was so obvious she had another gun. I also thought Olivia's reaction was out of character. I could see her giving a low-pitched scream or shouting "oh my G**" or "No," crying afterward. But the high-pitched girly scream, running away crying... It wasn't like her. And again, we had a female perp. How often are women the perps on this show? about 90% of the time? Seriously, I've been watching for the last several days for an episode in which they didn't have a male victim and/or a female perp. I'm not saying they can never have male vics or female perps, but I just can't believe how often it happens on this show. They're working sex crimes, for goodness sakes! The most of their perps should be male if you want any semblance of realism on the show. Some of the ways in which they twist stories to make women the villians is creepy, too. They convicted that Cassidy girl in "Streetwise" for murder because she wounded a guy's pride? Without any evidence except the word of the 6-time murderer who was convicted on Cassidy's testimony and believes that kind of "disrespect" is punishable by death? PLEASE! What kind of a defense attorney did she have? I could have ripped that case to shreds, and I'm an 18-year old college student with no legal training!

But, I digress. My point is, this was a very poorly-written show, as was the episode before it.

For everyone who thinks MH overdid it in the end with her reaction, I want to throw something out there. How many people really know how they would react to someone blowing their brains out right in front of them? Even a person with a TON of experience dealing with horrible situations and crime scenes probably doesn't even know how they'd react. I don't think it even matters if someone knows the person who blows their brains out. It would be something horribly traumatic for anyone to see, and I think her reaction was completely appropriate.