"LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT"
"SUGAR"

10/03/2009 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Saturday) : WHEN A DEAD WOMAN IS FOUND STUFFED INSIDE A SUITCASE, DETECTIVES ELLIOT STABLER (CHRIS MELONI) AND OLIVIA BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) BELIEVE SHE WAS MURDERED BY HER SUGAR DADDY.
A young woman's body is found stuffed inside a suitcase, and police believe that Mindy Keefe, the victim, was a train passenger on her way to Tampa when she was murdered. Detectives Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) turn to Keefe's financier boyfriend, Owen Cassidy's (Guest Star Matt C. Burns) yacht to investigate. However, Cassidy claims he was on his boat during the time of the murder. After further searching, the detectives discover Keefe belonged to an online dating website. But when the CEO of the dating website, Vance Shepard (Guest Star Eric McCormack), refuses to comment on the case, the detectives turn to ADA Sonya Paxton (Christine Lahti) for help. Also starring: Richard Belzer (Detective John Much), Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen), Ice-T (Detective Odafin Tutuola), Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner), and B.D. Wong (Dr. George Huang).

This is definately my most favorite show.. I love sitting and watching Law and Order SVU whenever there is a marathon on, and since I am a member of the COFFEE-MATE Brew Crew, there is nothing better then watching my most favorite show while drinking coffee and having my favorites coffee mate french vanilla in it..

Did your parents ever tell you that if you couldn't say anything nice, you shouldn't say anything at all?

Well, let me start with one nice thing - unlike Wentworth Miller's performance in "Unstable", I have to say that I found Eric McCormack's performance in this episode to be easy, comfortable and a good piece of acting for the most part. I think, unfortunately, he seemed to be the only one...

I also thought the whole "sugar daddy" concept was interesting enough as a episode arc (although only briefly even tied in to a very short discussion on what constitutes/does not constitute prostitution).

Here's what I don't understand:

a. why is so much of the episode so extremely dark? Are the producers trying to highlight their niffy new computer screens in the squadroom? Are they trying to give it an X-Files feel? Are they trying to give us eyestrain, peering through the darkness of the tv screen?;

b. I'm not a police officer; however, I have to say that it doesn't seem normal police procedure to be letting two suspects get together in the squad room no less, without cuffs, and near all sort of potentially dangerous objects. Sorry for being a bit cryptic, but I don't want to spoil the episode for those in the US who will not see the episode until tomorrow evening. Why wouldn't they have them meet in the interview room, for example, where it's a controlled environment? Maybe someone who IS a police officer can provide some comment;

c. What the heck is up with the Paxton character? She's not in any way endearing, she acts in a way I've never know a prosecutor to act, and she runs roughshod over Stabler, Benson and Cragen - and they let her! Prosecutors don't run police investigations/cases and there's no way they put themselves in a position of being a potential witness to a case nor be accused of threatening a potential witness - such a prosecutor would be recused from participating in the case by her superiors, if not upon a defence motion. She has got to go!;

d. Benson and Stabler don't do much again in this episode but scowl. Where's their humanity? Where have their character traits/expressions gone? Do they have indigestion - it looks like they ate something that disagreed with them. Is it a possible reaction to Paxton and not being backed up by Cragen? Perhaps something only the writers know? The only hint of the "old" gang was with Stabler telling off Paxton. Heck, I've wanted to chuck that "honey" out a window since the first episode! What's going on?! Seriously...!

e. What about Munch and Fin? Again, they seem to be inserted only to remind us that they are still hanging around and haven't be seconded to another department or the FBI on special assignment.

Were these episodes written with the possibility of Meloni and Hargitay not signing for another year - so that the producers could plug any old detective characters into the narrative?

Sigh - come on, this season has to get better...doesn't it....? Please?

Are they playing the new episodes twice a week? First on Wednesday then again on Tuesday's in the original time slot?

No, in Canada, it's playing on Tuesdays and then on Wednesdays on NBC through cable..

Please get rid of Christine Lathi. She is just terrible. This week the show was better but Christine Lathi as District Attorney just does not cut it.

...WTF, SVU. WTF.

This is it, for real. I don't watch the show because it's just like NCIS or CSI. I watch it for the amazing cast, but the old Law & Order I loved is gone. This sucks.

Hello,

This is my first time posting here - and I have to agree with the comments made thus far. I missed last week's episode and had high hopes for this week's. I agree that Eric McCormack's performance was good, but everyone else's seemed very stiff and unnatural. I most definitely do not care for Christine Lahti's character. The performance seemed to be forced to me. I can honestly say that this is the first episode that I've ever been disappointed with. I do hope that this is not a sign of things to come!!!

Bronzino

Bronzino[/quote]
This is my first reply and I have to agree with you.Christine Lahti is enough to make me turn the channel. I can not find anything close to likable about her.I have watched all the Law& Order show's from the begining and I was so disapointed in the turn this show is taking.

Ok first the D.A. is crap. She is a good actress in other things but not L & O SVU. Did I see the beginning credits right or did I "blink" too long, was Christopher Meloni not in the beginning credits? OK and why are they only showing MH & CM & Ice-T in the pull back at the end of the beginning credits?

I don't think the episode's this season have been as good for some reason, I hope this is not the trend, I love this show and watch it any time I get, even the marathon's on the USA network.

All the main characters seem to not have any raw acting ability right now...not like they have been for years. I love this cast, starting acting like you have fire in you again.

What's going on is it because all the changes and problems with the cast or is it just a dry spell in the writing and/or directing?

Please help, are they CM & MH not coming back next season?

1) Did the change writers?

2) Did they they change producers?

3) Is NBC trying to kill the series?

I didn't watch the whole episode because Christine Lahti's Sonia Paxton character turned me off last week. I did catch the last 20 min of it and she did nothing to redeem the character. She was even more obnoxious (I didn't think that was possible) than last week. God, how I wanted Elliot to slap that smug attitude out of her. I don't know what the writers are thinking having Elliot and Olivia just meekly take crap from her.

Then the end of the episode. Two straight episodes where someone dies because the police officers act like idiots and do not practice better prisoner security? Give me a break. I mean I could see the end coming about 2 min before it happened. When they uncuff the obviously disturbed daughter so she can get a sharp object from the desk.....I mean it's bad when you can see what's coming before it happens.

I saw the previews of next week's episode and all I can say is that I wish it was Paxton who gets pushed off a roof instead of Elliot. If the writing doesn't get any better, this very well could be the last season of the show. Please....who ever is writing the episodes, please do better than the garbage you have put out the lst 2 episodes of this season.

I used love this show now how ever I am starting to hate it, reason why:
1. Christine Lahti's Sonia Paxton character, big turn off why does she have be on?
2.Elliot and Olivia meekly little mice, pitfull
3.acting ability right now

can have old show back please?

Oh Okay! I saw online at the website that is was airing 2 different dates...I meant to ask Wed & Sat...my brain thought one thing my fingers typed another...LOL! I did catch some last night, I do not care for Christine Lahti as ADA. I adore CBS'sCriminal Minds...that show keeps getting better every episode...this new time slot for SVU interrupts with my viewing CM. Do you know anything about the original L&O? With Leno on at 10pm Mon-Fri it must have changed from 10pm Wed......

I still loved Mariska in the episode last night. I know the show was not the best and I do hope the writing gets better but it is not the actors fault. They can only perform with what they are given and they act accordingly. I suppose I am biased because my user name says it all and I think she does a amazing job on screen as well as off screen with her JHF. Great job Mariska!

I love Mariska Hargitay. She is the most beautiful woman on television. I didn't watch last night...I think I will catch it again maybe Saturday? I hope! I like the tension between Elliott and Olivia...I am glad the writers didn't end up putting them together. They make for great partners....police partners.

Well, we all know they're getting rid of Christine Lahti's character in a few episodes. Maybe they're making us hate her for a reason... like Stuckey. Not that she's going to go batstuff crazy and kill people, but hating her might serve a purpose in the overall plot line. Clearly, she had her eyes opened a bit at the end of Sugar. Who knows how that will affect her character.

But why the hell didn't Olivia cuff that girl at the end? Everyone was just standing there. Elliott was dealing with the injured guy and Olivia was just standing behind that girl. I don't get that whole scene. It just seemed too unbelievable.

I am new to this forum, but a long time fan of L&O SVU, I must say the last two seasons of SVU have been a disappointment. What has happened to the characters of BD Wong and Richard Beltzer and Ice T?
This is not the Benson and Stabler show. The other characters provide comedy relief and other aspects of characters besides what Benson and Stabler show. Please give us back these three fine actors, oh and please bring back Novac

I am so glad to see so many fans agree! I am home sick today and have been watching the SVU marathon on USA. The change is even more evident after seeing a few of the old episodes. I do miss the intermingling of stories and the lack of ICE-T, Richard Belzer, BD Wong, are truly disappointing. I miss the old charisma of the ensemble cast with all the characters working equally together to solve cases. Perhaps this is the result of contract negotiations or change in writers/producers - whatever, I don't really care, but I do hope that TPTB pay attention to the fans. If this is the last season with CM and MH, or if they are trying to wind up the series, please make it go out with a bang and dignity, not shoddy writing and performances. Don't disappoint the people that have been supporting you for the last 10+ years! Phew! I feel a little better now!

I really feel bad for Christine Lahti. I cannot believe that such a bad performance came from her without help from the director. The dark half lit faces at the end, the "surprise" ending telegraphed halfway through the show and the complete and total disregard for anything resembling police procedure on a POLICE drama should all fall on the shoulders of the director. (Althought I agree with everyone who says that the writers need to step it up or hit the road.) I loved SVU, but it is becoming unwatchable.

And in the off chance that someone from NBC is actually reading this, please do not delude yourself into believing that Lahti's character is "a character you love to hate!!!" She isn't. Frank Burns from MASH was a character we loved to hate, she is just a character we hate. I understand that there are only two more episodes with her character, I'll check back then.

Between this and putting Jay Leno on at 10pm five days a week, I can't think of a single show other than SNL that I watch on NBC anymore.

I gotta agree. But knowing the character will be gone soon helps. Stuckey was the same, only I thought we were stuck with him (no pun intended). They're just bloody annoying. Dani Beck was like that, too, and to be honest, I don't even watch the episodes with her in them on the DVDs unless they have some compelling Olivia/Elliott stuff in there (like when Olivia calls).

I simply don't trust the writers to wind things up in a way that's satisfying to me after Zebras. Zebras was an excellent episode, but had it been the last MH/CM episode, I would have been really pissed to have followed these characters for 10 years only to have them end it all with "what a way to end." What a way indeed. So now I just wonder what theuy're up to and if they're going to live up to my expectations.

Wow...Chrstine Lahti is poorly used in this role. She's a fine actress, but not in this venue. In fact, this role is poorly filled in...were the writers scrambling to come up with "An entirely new ADA!!! Something you haven't seen here before???" Please. <sigh> Glad the character is "out" soon...should have been sooner, in my opinion. Her purpose should be to back up the detectives...maybe not agreeing with them every step of the way, okay, but they ARE all on the same team, remember? The pandering and pounding of Lahti's character is simply. just. boring.
And I have to agree with some other posts here...I love Elliott and Olivia, too, with their chemistry and disagreements and awesome working relationship, but it is NOT their show alone. Part of the reason we want to see more of them is because we can't get enough of them. We keep wondering about them...what makes them tick...their pasts...how do they feel about each other, really? We don't have to wonder about anything if you give us (please excuse) the equivalent of "full frontal" throughout the episode, capisce? And as far as them thinking and scowling so much...how about them DOING a bit more? Like in seasons 8 and 9, huh? I'd like to see a bit more physical work here - not necessarily "runnng" and such, but like investigating...without being acutely "aware" of what the other is thinking - just doing their jobs. Let the "thinking" part come later, I guess. I fondly recall that awesome episode with Lou Diamond Phillips and how physically and emotionally wrenching it was for ALL the characters in the SVU cast. I don't need fever pitch like that 24/7, but the writers could take a lesson from it, eh?
Just my opinions, here....

So this is a little off topic, but did anyone watch the previews for next week's episode? I think I might start a new thread, but like, does anybody else think that they've tried to kill Stabler off one too many times already? Anyone think this is the real deal? I certainly hope not. It didn't look like he fell too far down but who knows.

And what's up with this new ADA? She's such a...a...bitch! I mean the acting is good and everything, but her character is just like...OMG really? Personally, I prefer ADA Novak to this new lady.

And I also agree that the end of this most recent episode was kind of like, 'well shiet, really? that's it?' but it's Hollywood people. What do you expect?

Not the real deal. 1. CM signed for 2 more seasons and 2. he's in the episode the following week. ;-)

Hey, what's the name of Vance's assistant who rats him out? I looked on IMDB to find casting credit, but couldn't find her.

I think the character's name was Lizette, but I don't know the actress' name.

Raushanah Simmons as Lysette Dale

Bronzino:
^5 you hit all the high points, yes I agree please let the show end if it has to end on the 'best season' possible.