This isn’t the ideal Valentine’s Day episode, but it’s still a great episode nonetheless.
By: Jacob Politte, Online Editor
Law & Order SVU: “I Deserve Some Loving Too”
Season 21, Episode 14
Airdate: 2/13/20
“I Deserve Some Loving Too” did not look like a particularly promising episode of SVU based off the promos that aired before it debuted. Immigration is a topic that is brought up on this show almost every season, and while it is an important issue you can only go back to that well so many times.
Surprisingly though, “I Deserve Some Loving Too” was a fast-paced, well-written episode that had a little bit of everything. Directed by the legendary Jean de Segonzac, it starts off with an intense chase through a crowded subway station to catch a groper. The suspect, Duane Varik, is a data clerk for the US Citizenship and Immigration Service. While it’s his first offense, Tutuola catches him throwing his phone on the subway tracks. Eventually to save his own skin, Duane gives up his boss Rory O’Toole, whose job it is to vet marriages and make sure that they are legitimate. He claims that O’Toole sleeps with these women multiple times without their husbands knowledge, then gives them green cards in exchange for having sex with him.
Three different women are contacted by SVU and admit that O’Toole coerced them, but two of those women are unwilling to testify, and the third is in I.C.E custody. Detective Rollins once again goes undercover, and successfully fools O’Toole into outing himself. The majority of the episode is spent trying to convince the women that O’Toole victimized to testify, and while it takes a while to do so, two of them do. That’s all that Carisi needs to get a conviction.
As Carisi said to O’Toole when he’s attempting to negotiate a deal, “You took advantage of them! When they were the most helpless, the most vulnerable and you used the power of your government position to force them to demean themselves. They came here hoping for the American dream and you made their lives a nightmare.”
O’Toole was a monster, and Captain Benson said to “make it hurt.” That’s exactly what Carisi did.
JACOB’S FINAL RULINGS:
– Once again, I have to say… what a very good opening sequence! The riot that almost started at the end of the subway chase was a nice touch; many people don’t know the full story of what happened in situations like that and that was excellently illustrated here.
– It would’ve been very funny if the lady would have genuinely gone to get Miss Klein instead of running away because she was Miss Klein.
– “I told him that I’d rather put the tailpipe of his minivan in my mouth.”
– “Let’s give this fool some love.”
– “Serving your country? By dipping your wick?”
– He may have lost the case, but that “Detective Carisi” burn from opposing lawyer John Buchanan was absolutely brutal.
– Carisi is obviously jealous of Rollins’ infatuation with Sergeant Hasim Khaldun and it’s incredibly obvious that he has feelings for Rollins. That being said, I like Khaldun and Rollins as a pair.
– Rollins’ comments about her sister is foreshadowing. Her sister will be appearing only two episodes from now.
– I remember there was a scene from the third episode of season 15 where Benson just punches a guy who bothers her on the street and I kind of wish that she would’ve done that to the jogger who was catcalling her on her way to work.
– Also, I’m pretty sure that was the first time we’ve seen the lobby of Benson’s apartment building. It’s fancy!
