Written By Dawn De Noon
Directed By David Platt
Benson ends up the prime suspect when her DNA and business card are discovered at the scene of the sexually mutilated body of a member of a biker gang known for prostitution and contract killing. Further investigation leads to revelations about new developments in DNA technology that might prove troublesome for SVU detectives.
Tropes
- Artistic License – Biology: While convenient for the plot, there are many reasons why saliva can't be mixed with a blood sample to change it to someone else.
- Asshole Victim: Clyde Vandyne was a violent gang member who had raped his killer in prison and participated in gang-rapes with the rest of his gang.
- As You Know: Stabler and Starla explain to each other what "running a train" is for the benefit of the audience.
- Be Careful What You Say: The detectives and ADAs often make mention of prison rape when interrogating suspects. This turns around and bites Liv in the ass in this episode when Brady Harrison, a man that she interrogated and was later convicted, was raped in prison: he believes Liv arranged for him to be raped, and in revenge, had her DNA fabricated when he gets out so he can frame her for murder.
- Casting Gag: Benson is defended by recurring defense attorney Trevor Langdon. Offscreen, Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann are married (they actually met on the show).
- Frame-Up: The plot of the episode, as a recently freed rapist with a grudge against Benson sets out to frame her for murder.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The lab tech Brady pays to frame Benson has already framed a dozen other people and his scheme will wreak havoc on the judicial system, which relies on DNA evidence.
Lab tech: I guess your free ride is over.
- Groin Attack: the victim is found with a "missing kickstand", and the squad goes hog wild with the jokes:
Dispatcher's a comedian, wrote this up as a sexually mutilated tree hugger.
Someone did some illegal pruning.
Left the berries, chopped the branch clean off.
Perp take it as a trophy?
CSU saw a squirrel run up that tree with it.
I thought squirrels preferred nuts?
- Idiot Ball: After her arrest, Benson insists on doing an interview with IAD instead of getting a lawyer when the rest of the squad is lampshading what a bad idea this is (as Benson already knows). Eventually she acknowledges this is a mistake and lawyers up.
- Kick the Dog: The Death Knights gang kill Brady Harrison's dog after breaking into his home to kidnap him.
- Moral Myopia: In his Motive Rant, Brady Harrison reams out Benson for (so he thinks) setting him up to be raped in prison and seemingly having no remorse for it, while freely admitting that he himself has no remorse for all the women he raped before going to prison.
- My Card: Olivia was actually framed by Brady Harrison who killed Clyde Vandyne and left Olivia's card on the body... as well as her (fabricated) DNA on the knife.
- Prison Rape: Brady Harrison was a victim of this at the hands of Clyde Vandyne; Benson had previously made a remark about him being raped in prison to try and scare him into confessing, leading him to believe she set him up.
- Rape and Revenge: Brady Harrison kills the guy who raped him in prison and sets out to frame Benson, who he wrongly believes set him up to be raped, for the murder.
- Status Quo Is God: The episode ends with the idea DNA is no longer a feasible form of evidence thanks to the saliva-to-blood technique. It's never brought up again in the show and DNA comes back as a valid form of evidence. Artistic License – Biology aside, it could be Hand Waved that a method was found to tell the difference.
