Comic Perversion

Last updated
"Comic Perversion"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode
Episode no.Season 15
Episode 15
Directed byAlex Chapple
Teleplay byBrianna Yellen [1]
Original air dateFebruary 26, 2014 (2014-02-26)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Wednesday's Child"
Next 
"Gridiron Soldier"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 15)
List of episodes

"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".

Contents

Synopsis

The episode begins with university students watching a comedian (Jonathan Silverman) doing his gig in a comedy club. The comedian starts joking about rape. When the comedian humiliates a girl (Skyler Day) who is protesting against him two boys sexually assault her. The girl reports the crime to Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) who then investigates. The comedian, Josh Galloway, ends up inviting the SVU detectives to his next gig and he verbally abuses them during the gig. When the comedian starts talking about the sex he had with a student, she then reports him to Olivia. Amanda Rollins and Nick Amaro (Kelli Giddish and Danny Pino) learn that there was a previous victim who isn't willing to come forward. When Rafael Barba (Raul Esparza) puts Galloway on trial, Galloway uses the trial as material. Galloway is eventually set up by the girl he humiliated where she manages to record him sexually assaulting her and he takes a plea deal of ten years on the sex offenders registry. As Olivia is finishing her work, Chicago detective Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush) walks in looking for a file on a rapist, Erin is surprised when Olivia passes on the kind words Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) said about her.

Production

Sophia Bush appears in this episode as Erin Lindsay Sophia Bush 3, 2012.jpg
Sophia Bush appears in this episode as Erin Lindsay

It was announced that Chicago P.D. star Sophia Bush was going to appear as her character Erin Lindsay. It was said, "Sophia Bush, who plays Det. Erin Lindsay on the new NBC drama, is traveling to New York this coming week to shoot a scene for Law & Order: SVU with star Mariska Hargitay." [2] The Comic's Comic wrote about Silverman's casting, "Jonathan Silverman plays Josh Galloway, a stand-up comedian who makes a name for himself with rape jokes and a crime for himself in alleged rapes in tonight’s episode, “Comic Perversions.”" [3] It was posted on Skyler Day's website "Skyler is bringing her character “Renee Clark” back to Law & Order: SVU on February 26 at 9/8c on NBC." [4] Executive Producer, Warren Leight said in an interview with Eclipse Magazine that the episode was based on comedian Dane Cook. Leight said "I’d say, you know, this – we were aware last year there were – there’s a spate of comics getting a lot of attention for rape-jokes. And obviously there was the Tosh incident, was I think one of the more public and egregious incidents in which he decided wouldn’t it be funny if he – someone was heckling him and he got into it with her. And said wouldn’t it be funny if you were – if these guys gang raped you right here? And, you know, at SVU we don’t think that’s funny. And then there was Dane Cook had certain jokes." [1]

Reception

The episode received 7.78 million viewers. [5] The Pop Break wrote "Oh, SVU why did you have to do this? After weeks of steady improvement (particularly from the show’s terrible mid-season premiere) the series took a massive, massive step backwards with “Comic Perversion.”" [6] Erin Whitney of Screen Crush rated this episode 352 out of 399 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes. She wrote about the episode "The best part is an Ice-T line. When Rollins says, “He’s bating you, Liv,” Fin replies, “Masturbating!” [7] A reviewer for Geektastic Podcast wrote "In summation, this Law & Order: SVU was a lot like rape, in that I hope nobody ever has to experience it ever again." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> American police procedural crime drama television series (1999 – present)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Dick Wolf for NBC. The first spin-off of Law & Order, it stars Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson, now the commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit after originally having been Stabler's partner in a fictionalized version of the New York City Police Department, and Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit follows the detectives of the Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sexually based crimes. Some of the episodes are loosely based on real crimes that have received media attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariska Hargitay</span> American actress and producer (born 1964)

Mariska Magdolna Hargitay is an American actress and producer. Hargitay has played Olivia Benson on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999, which is the longest-running character in the longest-running American primetime drama. Since 2013, she is among the highest-paid actresses on television. Her accolades include an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, and in 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is also known for her philanthropic work and activism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Benson</span> Fictional character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

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 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.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 8 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The eighth season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered September 19, 2006 and ended May 22, 2007 on NBC. The series remained in its 10pm/9c Tuesday timeslot. With the introduction of a new partner for Detective Stabler, early episodes of season 8 took on a significantly different focus when compared to those of previous seasons.

Payback (<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>) 1st episode of the 1st season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

"Payback" is the pilot episode of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spinoff of the original Law & Order series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 20, 1999. In the episode, the detectives of the Special Victims Unit investigate a taxi-cab driver's brutal murder and castration. Detective Olivia Benson becomes personally involved in the case after discovering that the taxi driver was a rapist and murderer himself.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 13 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The thirteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted on NBC on September 21, 2011, and concluded on May 23, 2012. With Law & Order: LA and Law & Order: Criminal Intent having ended in July 2011 and June 2011 respectively, this season of Law & Order: SVU was the first to be broadcast without any other running U.S. Law & Order series, a position the series has held until the nineteenth season, when Law & Order True Crime premiered.

Smoked (<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>) 24th episode of the 12th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

"Smoked" is the twelfth-season finale of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 272nd overall episode. It originally aired on NBC on May 18, 2011. In the episode, Detectives Elliot Stabler, Olivia Benson, and Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) investigate the murder of a rape victim who was scheduled to testify in a high-profile rape case. After the suspects are arrested, the victim's daughter opens fire in the squad room, killing several people inside before Detective Stabler fatally shoots her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Rollins</span> Fictional character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Amanda Rollins 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.

"Scorched Earth" is the thirteenth season premiere of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 273rd episode overall. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 21, 2011. In the episode, which was inspired by the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case, an Italian diplomat is arrested when a hotel maid accuses him of rape. The District Attorney's office then brings the case to trial, which becomes increasingly complicated as the defense questions the maid's credibility. Meanwhile, Detective Olivia Benson struggles to cope with the aftermath of the squad room shooting.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 14 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The fourteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted with a two-part premiere episode on September 26, 2012, at 9pm/8c - 11pm/10c (Eastern) on NBC, which was the show's weekly time slot.

Behave (<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>) 3rd episode of the 12th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

"Behave" is the third episode of the twelfth season of the police procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the 251st episode overall. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 29, 2010. The episode, which was inspired by rape kit backlogs, follows Detective Olivia Benson helping a repeat rape victim stand up to her attacker, and finding the evidence to put him away. Meanwhile, the rapist could possibly walk because the evidence against him has been misplaced, poorly stored and even accidentally destroyed.

"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.

Acceptable Loss (<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>) 4th episode of the 14th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

"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 comes back from his suspension just as the Special Victims Unit is being stopped by Lieutenant Eames for uncovering a sex trafficking operation, leaving Detective Benson to figure out another way to free the enslaved women.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 15 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

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.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 16 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The sixteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, at 9pm/8c (Eastern), and concluded on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, on NBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Crossover</span> 7th episode of the 16th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

"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.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 17 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The seventeenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 on NBC, and concluded on Wednesday, May 25, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erin Lindsay</span> Fictional character

Erin Lindsay is a fictional character from NBC's Chicago TV franchise, as a lead character in Chicago P.D. and a recurring character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. Portrayed by Sophia Bush, she was introduced as a detective in the Intelligence Unit of the Chicago Police Department.

<i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i> season 18 Season of television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The eighteenth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted on Wednesday, September 21, 2016, on NBC and finished on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, with a two-hour season finale.

Peter Stone (<i>Chicago Justice</i> and <i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>) Fictional character on the Chicago franchise and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Peter Stone is a fictional character portrayed by Philip Winchester. Peter was initially a guest character as part of a backdoor pilot in the third season of the police procedural Chicago P.D. Following the success of the backdoor pilot and his character, Winchester was cast as a main character in Chicago Justice, a spin-off of Chicago P.D. During the character's time in the Chicago franchise a guest appearance was also made in Chicago Med. Following the cancellation of Chicago Justice, Winchester was cast as a series regular in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He departed SVU ahead of the series' twenty-first season.

References

  1. 1 2 D'Emidio, Tiffany (26 February 2014). ""Comic Perversion" – Law & Order SVU's Executive Producer Warren Leight & Guest Star Jonathan Silverman". Eclipse Magazine . Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  2. Stanhope, Kate (19 January 2014). "Chicago P.D. Sends Sophia Bush to NYC for Law & Order: SVU Crossover". TV Guide . Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  3. McCarthy, Sean L. (26 February 2014). "Jonathan Silverman as Josh Galloway, rape-joke comedian rapist(?), on Law & Order: SVU". The Comic's Comic. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  4. "Coming back to Law & Order: SVU!". Skyler Day's website. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. Bibel, Sara (17 March 2014). "Live+7 DVR Ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory' Has Biggest 18-49 Ratings Gain, 'Parenthood' Tops Percentage Gain & 'The Blacklist' Adds Most Total Viewers in Week 23". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  6. "TV Recap: Law & Order: SVU, 'Comic Perversion'". The Pop Break. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  7. Whitney, Erin (7 February 2017). "Ranking Every Episode of 'Law and Order: SVU' (Part 1)". Screen Crush. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  8. "More like Law & DISorder: An SVU Recap". Geektastic Podcast. Retrieved 15 April 2017.