Episode Guide: Law and Order SVU - Season 17
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Season 17 of Law and Order SVU, premiered on NBC on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 and concluded on Wednesday, May 25, 2016.
This was Warren Leight's final season as showrunner/executive producer - he was replaced by Rick Eid for the eighteenth season. Raúl appeared in 17 of the 23 episodes. Episodes that Raúl appeared in are indicated with ** |
Episode 1: Devil's Dissections**
Air Date: September 23, 2015
Synopsis: The SVU returns to the beach where serial killer Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts) had buried his victims when another body is washed ashore. Detective Rollins visits Yates in prison to obtain a confession, but he instead provides information that leads the squad to a different suspect (ME Dr. Carl Rudnick, who had performed the autopsy), causing ADA Barba to deal with the possibility of Yates appealing his conviction in court. Episode inspired by Robert Durst and his possible connections to the Long Island serial killer murders from the past two decades
Ratings: 8.27m (US)
Episode 2: Criminal Pathology**
Air Date: September 23, 2015
Synopsis: The SVU team decides to do a secondary investigation into Yates' murders when his fiancée's dismembered body is discovered washed ashore. The clues then lead to the Deputy Chief M.E. Carl Rudnick (Jefferson Mays), who failed to disclose his past association with Yates. After Sergeant Benson places M.E. Rudnick under arrest, Barba pushes the SVU team to gather as much evidence against him as possible to secure a conviction. With a trial looming, Rudnick hires two defense attorneys (Elizabeth Marvel & Delaney Williams) to square off against Barba in court. Episode inspired by Robert Durst and his possible connections to the Long Island serial killer murders from the past two decades
Ratings: 8.27m (US)
Episode 3: Transgender Bridge
Air Date: September 30, 2015
Synopsis: A transgender teen, Avery, is sent to the hospital for injuries inflicted when three boys bullied and then pushed her off a walking bridge. Although Avery shows forgiveness to the boys, ruthless ADA Kenneth O'Dwyer (Robert Sean Leonard) takes the case out of family court and decides to try one of the offenders on adult charges. Detective Tutuola and the SVU squad are conflicted on whether the crime fits the charges, while dealing with the delicacy of the families involved.
Ratings: 6.69m (US)
Episode 4: Institutional Fail**
Air Date: October 7, 2015
Synopsis: A starving toddler found wandering the streets alone leads detectives to the home of Manuela Ozuna (Jessica Pimental) and another child in grave condition. The police question Department of Child Services caseworker Keith Musio (John Magaro), whose vague and backdated reports on the family suggest he hadn't checked on the children in months. When the overworked Keith accuses his supervisor, Janette Grayson (Whoopi Goldberg), of orchestrating the false reports, Chief Dodds promises to conduct an internal investigation. But when neglect leads to death, Barba takes matters into his own hands and arrests them for manslaughter. Meanwhile, Dodds indicates some changes coming to Benson's squad.
Ratings: 7.00m (US)
Episode 5: Community Policing**
Air Date: October 14, 2015
Synopsis: While in pursuit of an SVU rape suspect, detectives from the 27th precinct shoot and kill an unarmed black man. Internal Affairs investigates the shooting, but under intense pressure from the Mayor and the DA, Barba takes the case to a grand jury to indict the cops. While Benson believes the detectives were following procedure, Barba disagrees, creating a tense divide between the newly-minted lieutenant and the ADA.
Ratings: 6.20m (US)
Episode 6: Maternal Instincts
Air Date: October 21, 2015
Synopsis: Rollins' mother Beth (Madsen) throws her a baby shower while the SVU reports to a four-star hotel where a famous violinist was raped by her colleague, Anton Krasnikov (Zach McGowan). With no memory of the crime, Anton claims a hired escort drugged and robbed him, and evidence leads to the shocking return of Rollins' fugitive sister Kim (Lindsay Pulsipher). Meanwhile, Sgt. Mike Dodds (Andy Karl) arrives for his first day at SVU.
Ratings: 6.33m (US)
Episode 7: Patrimonial Burden
Air Date: November 4, 2015
Synopsis: The SVU investigates an unraveling web of secrets when the virtuous 13 year-old daughter of a famous reality TV family discovers she's pregnant. Meanwhile, Rollins experiences pregnancy health issues and is ordered on bed-rest. Episode inspired by the Josh Duggar molestation controversy
Ratings: 6.55 (US)
Episode 8: Melancholy Pursuit
Air Date: November 11, 2015
Synopsis: The hunt for a missing teenage girl takes an emotional toll on Sgt. Dodds (Andy Karl), and DNA evidence becomes a crucial lead in finding the girl's abductor.
Ratings: 7.76 (US)
Episode 9: Depravity Standard**
Air Date: November 18, 2015
Synopsis: Benson seeks justice in the trial of child abductor Lewis Hodda ( Tom Sizemore), but when a plea deal is rejected, Barba must rely on decades-old evidence to make his case and faces off against former SVU colleague Dr. Huang (BD Wong).
Ratings: 6.29m (US)
Episode 10: Catfishing Teacher
Air Date: January 6, 2016
Synopsis: A high school student plans a clandestine hookup with his female teacher but ends up in a far more sinister situation. Meanwhile, Rollins adjusts to motherhood with her new daughter.
Ratings: 7.84m (US)
Episode 11: Townhouse Incident**
Air Date: January 13, 2016
Synopsis: When Benson's sitter expresses concern over another mother for whom she babysits, Benson looks into the matter and steps into the middle of a violent home invasion where she becomes a hostage. To protect the family and save her own life, Benson works to get inside the perps' heads while SVU and newly promoted Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) Captain Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke) works the escalating situation from the outside to rescue the lieutenant.
Ratings: 8.01m (US)
Episode 12: A Misunderstanding**
Air Date: January 20, 2016
Synopsis: A typical he-said she-said rape case lands on Benson's desk after Rita Calhoun (Elizabeth Marvel) brings it to her attention. With SVU now entangled in a murky case, the detectives must wade through the emotions of two high school students while the parents try to save their children's futures. When Barba brings the case to trial, lies are exposed that make his prosecution even more difficult.
Ratings: 6.91m (US)
Episode 13: Forty-One Witnesses**
Air Date: February 3, 2016
Synopsis: When an intoxicated woman is attacked outside of her apartment building, the SVU team investigates, only to find out that there are multiple witnesses who didn't call for help. While the woman struggles to remember what happened to her, Benson and Barba must deal with the unreliability of those witnesses in making an ID of the attackers.
Ratings: 7.31m (US)
Episode 14: Nationwide Manhunt**
Air Date: February 10, 2016
Synopsis:Benson calls CPD Sgt. Voight (Jason Beghe) after Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts), whom they jointly arrested last year, claims that some of the unidentified remains from the beach have ties to Chicago. Voight sends Detectives Lindsay and Dawson (Sophia Bush & Jon Seda) to New York to interview Yates. However, when Benson, Barba and Dodds return to Green Haven to meet with Yates again, they learn that he has escaped with fellow convict Dr. Carl Rudnick (Jefferson Mays), triggering a massive manhunt. Inspired in part by the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape. This episode begins a crossover with Chicago P.D. that concludes on "The Song of Gregory Williams Yates".
Ratings: 7.59m (US)
Episode 15: Collateral Damages**
Air Date: February 17, 2016
Synopsis: SVU goes undercover to arrest a former boxing champion who had been suspected of having sex with minors. When they make the arrest, the boxer makes a deal with Barba to give up pedophiles active in distributing online child pornography. The detectives track down the address of an online pedophile but, when they discover the man to be a high profile figure, Benson must delicately handle the now high-profile case.
Ratings: 7.73m (US)
Episode 16: Star-Struck Victims**
Air Date: February 24, 2016
Synopsis: Kristi Cryer (Vivien Cardone), a vlogger, reports that she was sexually assaulted by a bartender (James Madio). However, during the investigation, it is revealed that she was also assaulted by a famous actor, Bobby D'Amico (Craig Bierko), who has ties to the NYPD. With minimal evidence and little corroboration of the victim's account, Barba decides to drop the charges, prompting Rollins to do an undercover stint. Rollins' undercover job lends credence to Kristi's rape claim, but reasonable doubt comes into play and claims arise that SVU entrapped the actor.Inspired by the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations of the previous several decades.
Ratings: 7.72m (US)
Episode 17: Manhattan Transfer**
Air Date: March 2, 2016
Synopsis: An investigation into the sexual exploitation of underage Catholic schoolgirls leads to shocking charges against judges, legislators, DAs, and members of the NYPD, forcing Benson to reluctantly reveal her romantic involvement with Captain Ed Tucker.
Ratings: 6.86m (US)
Episode 18: Unholiest Alliance**
Air Date: March 23, 2016
Synopsis: When one of their own is implicated in a cover-up, the SVU struggles to unravel a sex trafficking operation deeply-rooted in government offices, the police department, and the Catholic Church.
Ratings: 6.11m (US)
Episode 19: Sheltered Outcasts
Air Date: March 30, 2016
Synopsis: With Carisi undercover at a homeless shelter, another rape in a recent string of attacks occurs nearby. Trying to determine if one of the residents is responsible, Carisi gets himself into hot water with members of the shelter and the community. When a shelter advocate is murdered, Benson debates pulling Carisi out, but they catch a break thanks to some fellow shelter members.
Ratings: 6.07m (US)
Episode 20: Fashionable Crimes**
Air Date: May 4 2016
Synopsis: An aspiring model says that she was raped by a famous photographer whose assistant did nothing to stop it. Former SVU Sergeant John Munch (Richard Belzer) helps the SVU squad question previous clients of the photographer, many of whom admit that they were pressured to have sex with him, but refuse to testify against him as it could jeopardize their careers.
Ratings: 5.26 (US)
Episode 21: Assaulting Reality**
Air Date: May 11, 2016
Synopsis: The producers of a reality dating series make Benson and the SVU part of the show when they investigate a contestant's claim that she was raped.
Ratings: 6.06m (US)
Episode 22: Intersecting Lives**
Air Date: May 18, 2016
Synopsis: When a corrections officer (Brad Garrett) is arrested for sexually assaulting female inmates in and out of prison, the union that supports him targets Barba and the SVU.
Ratings: 5.78 (US)
Episode 23: Heartfelt Passages**
Air Date: May 25, 2016
Synopsis: When the investigation of Corrections Officer Gary Munson (Brad Garrett) deepens, he and his union take drastic actions that threaten the lives of ADA Barba (Raúl Esparza) and the SVU squad.
Ratings: 7.19m (US)
Air Date: September 23, 2015
Synopsis: The SVU returns to the beach where serial killer Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts) had buried his victims when another body is washed ashore. Detective Rollins visits Yates in prison to obtain a confession, but he instead provides information that leads the squad to a different suspect (ME Dr. Carl Rudnick, who had performed the autopsy), causing ADA Barba to deal with the possibility of Yates appealing his conviction in court. Episode inspired by Robert Durst and his possible connections to the Long Island serial killer murders from the past two decades
Ratings: 8.27m (US)
Episode 2: Criminal Pathology**
Air Date: September 23, 2015
Synopsis: The SVU team decides to do a secondary investigation into Yates' murders when his fiancée's dismembered body is discovered washed ashore. The clues then lead to the Deputy Chief M.E. Carl Rudnick (Jefferson Mays), who failed to disclose his past association with Yates. After Sergeant Benson places M.E. Rudnick under arrest, Barba pushes the SVU team to gather as much evidence against him as possible to secure a conviction. With a trial looming, Rudnick hires two defense attorneys (Elizabeth Marvel & Delaney Williams) to square off against Barba in court. Episode inspired by Robert Durst and his possible connections to the Long Island serial killer murders from the past two decades
Ratings: 8.27m (US)
Episode 3: Transgender Bridge
Air Date: September 30, 2015
Synopsis: A transgender teen, Avery, is sent to the hospital for injuries inflicted when three boys bullied and then pushed her off a walking bridge. Although Avery shows forgiveness to the boys, ruthless ADA Kenneth O'Dwyer (Robert Sean Leonard) takes the case out of family court and decides to try one of the offenders on adult charges. Detective Tutuola and the SVU squad are conflicted on whether the crime fits the charges, while dealing with the delicacy of the families involved.
Ratings: 6.69m (US)
Episode 4: Institutional Fail**
Air Date: October 7, 2015
Synopsis: A starving toddler found wandering the streets alone leads detectives to the home of Manuela Ozuna (Jessica Pimental) and another child in grave condition. The police question Department of Child Services caseworker Keith Musio (John Magaro), whose vague and backdated reports on the family suggest he hadn't checked on the children in months. When the overworked Keith accuses his supervisor, Janette Grayson (Whoopi Goldberg), of orchestrating the false reports, Chief Dodds promises to conduct an internal investigation. But when neglect leads to death, Barba takes matters into his own hands and arrests them for manslaughter. Meanwhile, Dodds indicates some changes coming to Benson's squad.
Ratings: 7.00m (US)
Episode 5: Community Policing**
Air Date: October 14, 2015
Synopsis: While in pursuit of an SVU rape suspect, detectives from the 27th precinct shoot and kill an unarmed black man. Internal Affairs investigates the shooting, but under intense pressure from the Mayor and the DA, Barba takes the case to a grand jury to indict the cops. While Benson believes the detectives were following procedure, Barba disagrees, creating a tense divide between the newly-minted lieutenant and the ADA.
Ratings: 6.20m (US)
Episode 6: Maternal Instincts
Air Date: October 21, 2015
Synopsis: Rollins' mother Beth (Madsen) throws her a baby shower while the SVU reports to a four-star hotel where a famous violinist was raped by her colleague, Anton Krasnikov (Zach McGowan). With no memory of the crime, Anton claims a hired escort drugged and robbed him, and evidence leads to the shocking return of Rollins' fugitive sister Kim (Lindsay Pulsipher). Meanwhile, Sgt. Mike Dodds (Andy Karl) arrives for his first day at SVU.
Ratings: 6.33m (US)
Episode 7: Patrimonial Burden
Air Date: November 4, 2015
Synopsis: The SVU investigates an unraveling web of secrets when the virtuous 13 year-old daughter of a famous reality TV family discovers she's pregnant. Meanwhile, Rollins experiences pregnancy health issues and is ordered on bed-rest. Episode inspired by the Josh Duggar molestation controversy
Ratings: 6.55 (US)
Episode 8: Melancholy Pursuit
Air Date: November 11, 2015
Synopsis: The hunt for a missing teenage girl takes an emotional toll on Sgt. Dodds (Andy Karl), and DNA evidence becomes a crucial lead in finding the girl's abductor.
Ratings: 7.76 (US)
Episode 9: Depravity Standard**
Air Date: November 18, 2015
Synopsis: Benson seeks justice in the trial of child abductor Lewis Hodda ( Tom Sizemore), but when a plea deal is rejected, Barba must rely on decades-old evidence to make his case and faces off against former SVU colleague Dr. Huang (BD Wong).
Ratings: 6.29m (US)
Episode 10: Catfishing Teacher
Air Date: January 6, 2016
Synopsis: A high school student plans a clandestine hookup with his female teacher but ends up in a far more sinister situation. Meanwhile, Rollins adjusts to motherhood with her new daughter.
Ratings: 7.84m (US)
Episode 11: Townhouse Incident**
Air Date: January 13, 2016
Synopsis: When Benson's sitter expresses concern over another mother for whom she babysits, Benson looks into the matter and steps into the middle of a violent home invasion where she becomes a hostage. To protect the family and save her own life, Benson works to get inside the perps' heads while SVU and newly promoted Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) Captain Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke) works the escalating situation from the outside to rescue the lieutenant.
Ratings: 8.01m (US)
Episode 12: A Misunderstanding**
Air Date: January 20, 2016
Synopsis: A typical he-said she-said rape case lands on Benson's desk after Rita Calhoun (Elizabeth Marvel) brings it to her attention. With SVU now entangled in a murky case, the detectives must wade through the emotions of two high school students while the parents try to save their children's futures. When Barba brings the case to trial, lies are exposed that make his prosecution even more difficult.
Ratings: 6.91m (US)
Episode 13: Forty-One Witnesses**
Air Date: February 3, 2016
Synopsis: When an intoxicated woman is attacked outside of her apartment building, the SVU team investigates, only to find out that there are multiple witnesses who didn't call for help. While the woman struggles to remember what happened to her, Benson and Barba must deal with the unreliability of those witnesses in making an ID of the attackers.
Ratings: 7.31m (US)
Episode 14: Nationwide Manhunt**
Air Date: February 10, 2016
Synopsis:Benson calls CPD Sgt. Voight (Jason Beghe) after Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts), whom they jointly arrested last year, claims that some of the unidentified remains from the beach have ties to Chicago. Voight sends Detectives Lindsay and Dawson (Sophia Bush & Jon Seda) to New York to interview Yates. However, when Benson, Barba and Dodds return to Green Haven to meet with Yates again, they learn that he has escaped with fellow convict Dr. Carl Rudnick (Jefferson Mays), triggering a massive manhunt. Inspired in part by the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape. This episode begins a crossover with Chicago P.D. that concludes on "The Song of Gregory Williams Yates".
Ratings: 7.59m (US)
Episode 15: Collateral Damages**
Air Date: February 17, 2016
Synopsis: SVU goes undercover to arrest a former boxing champion who had been suspected of having sex with minors. When they make the arrest, the boxer makes a deal with Barba to give up pedophiles active in distributing online child pornography. The detectives track down the address of an online pedophile but, when they discover the man to be a high profile figure, Benson must delicately handle the now high-profile case.
Ratings: 7.73m (US)
Episode 16: Star-Struck Victims**
Air Date: February 24, 2016
Synopsis: Kristi Cryer (Vivien Cardone), a vlogger, reports that she was sexually assaulted by a bartender (James Madio). However, during the investigation, it is revealed that she was also assaulted by a famous actor, Bobby D'Amico (Craig Bierko), who has ties to the NYPD. With minimal evidence and little corroboration of the victim's account, Barba decides to drop the charges, prompting Rollins to do an undercover stint. Rollins' undercover job lends credence to Kristi's rape claim, but reasonable doubt comes into play and claims arise that SVU entrapped the actor.Inspired by the Bill Cosby sexual assault allegations of the previous several decades.
Ratings: 7.72m (US)
Episode 17: Manhattan Transfer**
Air Date: March 2, 2016
Synopsis: An investigation into the sexual exploitation of underage Catholic schoolgirls leads to shocking charges against judges, legislators, DAs, and members of the NYPD, forcing Benson to reluctantly reveal her romantic involvement with Captain Ed Tucker.
Ratings: 6.86m (US)
Episode 18: Unholiest Alliance**
Air Date: March 23, 2016
Synopsis: When one of their own is implicated in a cover-up, the SVU struggles to unravel a sex trafficking operation deeply-rooted in government offices, the police department, and the Catholic Church.
Ratings: 6.11m (US)
Episode 19: Sheltered Outcasts
Air Date: March 30, 2016
Synopsis: With Carisi undercover at a homeless shelter, another rape in a recent string of attacks occurs nearby. Trying to determine if one of the residents is responsible, Carisi gets himself into hot water with members of the shelter and the community. When a shelter advocate is murdered, Benson debates pulling Carisi out, but they catch a break thanks to some fellow shelter members.
Ratings: 6.07m (US)
Episode 20: Fashionable Crimes**
Air Date: May 4 2016
Synopsis: An aspiring model says that she was raped by a famous photographer whose assistant did nothing to stop it. Former SVU Sergeant John Munch (Richard Belzer) helps the SVU squad question previous clients of the photographer, many of whom admit that they were pressured to have sex with him, but refuse to testify against him as it could jeopardize their careers.
Ratings: 5.26 (US)
Episode 21: Assaulting Reality**
Air Date: May 11, 2016
Synopsis: The producers of a reality dating series make Benson and the SVU part of the show when they investigate a contestant's claim that she was raped.
Ratings: 6.06m (US)
Episode 22: Intersecting Lives**
Air Date: May 18, 2016
Synopsis: When a corrections officer (Brad Garrett) is arrested for sexually assaulting female inmates in and out of prison, the union that supports him targets Barba and the SVU.
Ratings: 5.78 (US)
Episode 23: Heartfelt Passages**
Air Date: May 25, 2016
Synopsis: When the investigation of Corrections Officer Gary Munson (Brad Garrett) deepens, he and his union take drastic actions that threaten the lives of ADA Barba (Raúl Esparza) and the SVU squad.
Ratings: 7.19m (US)