"Acceptable Loss" | |
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode | |
![]() Detectives Tutuola (Ice-T) and Amaro (Danny Pino) with Lt. Eames (Kathryn Erbe), their weapons trained on their suspects. | |
Episode no. | Season 14 Episode 4 |
Directed by | Alex Chapple |
Written by | Ed Zuckerman |
Production code | 14004 |
Original air date | October 17, 2012 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Acceptable Loss" is the fourth episode of the fourteenth season of the police procedural television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit , it is the series' 299th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC on October 17, 2012. In this episode, Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) comes back from his suspension just as the Special Victims Unit is being stopped by Lieutenant Eames (Kathryn Erbe) for uncovering a sex trafficking operation, leaving Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to figure out another way to free the enslaved women.
The episode was written by veteran Law & Order franchise writer, Ed Zuckerman and directed by franchise director Alex Chapple. It marks the first crossover of any kind with SVU and the now-ended L&O spin-off Law & Order: Criminal Intent . Kathryn Erbe reprises her role of Alexandra Eames from that series.
"Acceptable Loss" received generally positive reviews, with critics mostly commenting on Ice-T's performance throughout the episode. According to Nielsen ratings, the episode's original broadcast was watched by 6.25 million viewers and acquired a 1.6/4% share in the 18–49 demographic. It ranked fourth in its time slot, but was the highest-rated NBC program that evening.
With Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) back in the precinct, the Special Victims Unit is in full force and working to expose a sex trafficking operation that tags and enslaves young women. The captain puts Detective Tutuola (Ice-T) undercover to find out who is behind the brutal crime, Amaro (Danny Pino) is irate at the captain's decision.
Fin, undercover as Harold, picks up one of the girls, Anna (Angela Sarafyan), hoping she'd tell him more about who they work for. She comes back raped and Fin offers to drop her off back at home, where Lou (Alon Moni Aboutboul) is upset at how she got an expensive dress ripped during her rape, Lou's son Mikey (Joey Oglesby) saying she could "work it off". Tutuola and Amaro go to Cragen to get a warrant to bust them, but Cragen comes to the scene with Lieutenant Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) who transferred out of the Major Case Squad and is on loan to a joint City/Federal Homeland Security Task Force, Eames taking the SVU off the case, citing they had stumbled upon a terrorism case.
Eames tells the SVU detectives she understands their frustration, but Eames explains the Pappases came into the country with fake visas, as well as their victim Pilar (Jamila Velazquez), and they had accomplices who have yet to be seen. Liv asks Eames how she could stand by and let this go, Eames reminding Olivia about 9/11. The SVU detectives figure out a way to keep tabs on them without Eames knowing, Cragen uncomfortably authorizes what the detectives want, if they keep him in the loop.
The detectives hatch one plan, but it goes south, Fin suggests they go back to Anna, but using Amaro instead. Anna initially refuses to help them, but the detectives promise they'd keep her safe and that Lou and Mikey were going down; Anna tells them at the SVU squad she was answering a nanny ad and that there were nine others. Eames comes down to the squad to tell them their terrorist is in the country and heard of SVU's operation, Eames saying she was going to have to explain it to her bosses and theirs, Cragen told the detectives to go after them anyway, not caring if they fire him.
The SVU learns that Sophia's name wasn't on the Pappases books, learning Sophia could be the terrorist. Eames and Benson go to Lou for answers, learning Sophia came with them on a lie. Liv begs Eames to let them go after Sophia so Lou doesn't get off. Eames and the SVU detectives bust Sophia and her friend before they detonate a bomb. Eames and Liv talk to Sophia at Federal Plaza, Sophia telling them her father was a doctor who was killed by a drone. Later over drinks, Benson and Eames discuss the case, Eames saying she learned how to get people to talk from her partner.
"Acceptable Loss" was written by veteran Law & Order franchise writer, Ed Zuckerman and directed by franchise director Alex Chapple.
On August 14, 2012, it was announced that Kathryn Erbe would be guest starring in at least two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as her Law & Order: Criminal Intent character, Alexandra Eames, who has transferred out of the Major Case Squad and over to a joint City/Federal Homeland Security Task Force. [1] [2] Executive producer/show runner Warren Leight (who was producer, then co-executive producer, and later show runner/EP on LOCI from seasons two to seven) says he was struck by the characters' similarities. "These are two women who had long-term partnerships with difficult guys," Leight says. "These are two people who've been underestimated — who've worked just as hard, just as long —and people don't quite get how good they are." [3]
Kristen Elizabeth of TV Equals reviewed portions of the episode positively, "The case itself was barely interesting. The terrorist that Eames was hunting down turned out to be hiding amongst the sex slaves; Eames had to use a few moves she picked up from Goren to coax the girl to explain that she wanted to make America pay for the death of her father, a doctor who was killed while rendering aid during an airstrike. As if we didn't already know that war sucks. It's always fun to see Fin go undercover, though. It rarely works out for him, so I was surprised that he wasn't made for a cop right away. In the end, both the traffickers and the terrorists were taken down and the women they exploited were set free. Everybody wins this time. Except the civilians being killed in the Middle East every day. But they don't count... right?" [4]
On The Huffington Post, novelist and former sex crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta said of the episode, ""Acceptable Loss" was an intense episode, lightened by Ice-T's one-liners and Cragen's self-deprecating orange-jumpsuit jokes." Leotta noted the episode was correct in its subject matter regarding sex slavery/trafficking in the U.S. along with the radicalization of female terrorists abroad, but Leotta felt the medical plots were off and that in real life a Special Victims Unit would not have much involvement in this type of case. Leotta also gave the episode a "B+". [5]
Viewers from the Islamic community, including Michael Muhammad Knight were disappointed at the episode's uniform depiction of Muslim practices, especially Sofia being stereotyped as a virgin. Knight wrote "the assumption here is that if this woman is not really a sex slave but a Muslim radical in disguise, there are no possible circumstances by which she might have had sex with someone." They considered the remark about Sofia's tattoo unrealistic in view of the variety of opinions in different Muslim sects and commented that tattoos have found popularity even among some al-Qaeda members. [6] [7]
In its original American broadcast on October 17, 2012, "Acceptable Loss" was viewed by 6.25 million viewers and acquired a 1.6 rating/4% share in the age 18–49 demographic. "Acceptable Loss" was the most watched program on NBC that night, beating new episodes of its lead-ins Guys With Kids , and Animal Practice (which had been canceled by NBC earlier that day [8] ), the SVU episode also beat out its following program, another Dick Wolf created series, Chicago Fire . "Acceptable Loss" was the fourth ranked program in that timeslot, under FOX's The X Factor , Criminal Minds on CBS, and Modern Family on ABC, but above CW's Supernatural . [9]
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the third series in Wolf's successful Law & Order franchise. Criminal Intent focuses on the investigations of the major case squad in a fictionalized version of the New York City Police Department set in New York City's One Police Plaza. In the style of the original Law & Order, episodes are often "ripped from the headlines" or loosely based on a real crime that received media attention.
Robert "Bobby" Goren is a fictional character featured in the NBC-USA Network police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio.
Donald 'Don' Cragen is a fictional character played by Dann Florek in the American police procedural television series Law & Order and its spinoff, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, on NBC. Cragen is a homicide captain with the New York Police Department who later becomes captain of the department's Special Victims Unit. A recovering alcoholic, Cragen is a tough police veteran who is loyal to his officers. He appeared in the first three seasons of Law & Order and in the first 15 seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Having credited appearances in 400 episodes in the Law & Order franchise, Cragen has appeared in the third-most episodes of any character in the franchise; this mark is surpassed only by Olivia Benson and Fin Tutuola, main characters on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
John Munch was a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on the American crime drama television series Homicide: Life on the Street on NBC. A regular through the entire run of the series from 1993 to 1999, Munch is a cynical detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide unit, and a firm believer in conspiracy theories. He is originally partnered with Detective Stanley Bolander. Munch is based on Jay Landsman, a central figure in David Simon's 1991 true crime book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.
Alexandra "Alex" Cabot is a fictional character within the Law & Order universe portrayed by Stephanie March. She is a primary character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Conviction.
Olivia ¨Liv¨ Margaret Benson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. Benson holds the rank and pay-grade of Captain and is the Commanding Officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, which operates out of the 16th Precinct. She investigates sexual offenses such as rape and child sexual abuse.
Alexandra "Alex" Eames is a fictional character within the Law & Order universe portrayed by Kathryn Erbe. Eames first appears on Law & Order: Criminal Intent as a detective partnered with Robert Goren. Following the end of the series in 2011, Erbe reprised her role in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, with her character promoted to lieutenant and now working in the joint City/Federal Homeland Security Task Force.
Detective Brian Cassidy is a fictional character played by Dean Winters in the American crime drama television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC. A recurring cast member during the first season, Cassidy is a young and inexperienced detective with the New York Police Department's Special Victims Unit, and the original partner of John Munch.
Nicolas Fiorello Amaro, Jr. is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Danny Pino. Amaro was a detective with the Manhattan SVU at the 16th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.
Amanda Rollins-Carisi is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Kelli Giddish. Rollins was a detective with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit at the 16th Precinct of the New York City Police Department.
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"Justice Denied" is the seventeenth episode of the thirteenth season of the NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 289th episode overall. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 11, 2012. The episode follows Detective Olivia Benson, who discovers that she may have put an innocent man in prison eight years ago for a crime that he did not commit, placing her job and her relationship with Executive ADA David Haden on the line.
"Rhodium Nights" is the thirteenth season finale of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 295th overall episode. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 23, 2012. In the episode, a high-society bachelor party ends when an escort is found dead, and the Special Victims Unit must proceed with caution as influential people try to bury the truth, which may destroy the life of one of the detectives. Meanwhile, Captain Don Cragen is blackmailed, and later he awakens in the middle of the night to find blood on his hands and a sex worker's dead body in his bed, her throat slit.
"Lost Reputation" is the fourteenth season premiere of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 296th overall episode. It originally aired on NBC on September 26, 2012. In the episode, the Special Victims Unit detectives try to stop a growing scandal when Captain Cragen is arrested for the murder of an escort, Carissa Gibson. Meanwhile, Detective Nick Amaro has to juggle trying to solve the case against Cragen without losing his family in the process.
"Above Suspicion" is the second episode of the fourteenth season of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 297th overall episode. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 26, 2012, after the episode "Lost Reputation". In the episode, continuing after the previous one, the case against Captain Cragen sets in motion after he is arrested for the murder of escort Carissa Gibson ; meanwhile, Detective Olivia Benson has to keep her partner calm, deal with Detective Brian Cassidy's shooting, and prove to ADA Foster that Cragen was being set up.
The fifteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit made its debut with a two-hour premiere episode on September 25, 2013, at 9pm/8c - 11pm/10c (Eastern), on NBC. The season ended on May 21, 2014, after 24 episodes.
"Manhattan Vigil" is the fifth episode of the fourteenth season of the American police procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the 300th overall. It first aired on October 24, 2012, on the NBC network in the United States. The episode's plot focuses on the kidnapping of a young boy from the subway in Morningside Heights. Captain Donald Cragen, Sergeant John Munch and Detective Olivia Benson realize the case echoes a similar kidnapping in the same neighborhood 13 years prior. As the SVU squad try to find the missing child, they also try to solve the earlier case and learn from their mistakes.
"Chicago Crossover" is the seventh episode of the sixteenth season of the American police procedural-legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the 350th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on November 12, 2014. In this episode, the SVU team meets up with the Intelligence Unit of Chicago P.D. to solve a decades-old child pornography ring case, which is personal for CPD's Detective Erin Lindsay.
"Comic Perversion" is the fifteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American police procedural-legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The episode aired on February 26, 2014 on NBC. In the episode, a comedian, who makes jokes about gang rape to his audiences, is put on trial after it emerges that he has raped a young woman. Towards the end of the episode, Chicago P.D. character Erin Lindsay visits the Manhattan Special Victims Unit to obtain information regarding rapes that are occurring in Chicago. This episode continued in the Chicago P.D. episode "Conventions".