Written By Warren Leight and Julie Martin
Directed By Laurie Collyer
Following up on he previous episode, detective Frank Bucci has kidnapped Rollins and is holding her hostage in a motel as retribution for Steve Getz not being imprisoned for raping Bucci's daughters. SVU is now on a manhunt for the two while also simultaneously investigating why Getz was able to escape his charges. Their investigation reveals sinister secrets shared between Getz's trial judge and defense attorney which may explain how he was able to dodge jail time.
Tropes:
- Amoral Attorney: Getz' lawyer, Abrams. He also enjoys Getz' "parties".
- Bait-and-Switch: Fin and Kat pull over a car, dramatic music plays, and Bucci and Rollins aren't in the car. Bucci put his cell phone in the car.
- Category Traitor: The characters argue if Bucci, a former NYPD officer, falls into this as a result of kidnapping Rollins.
- Conspiracy Theorist: Carisi is certain Getz had Judge Ellery on his side, and is proven right. Kat and Fin speculate a bit about Getz' death at the end of the episode.
- Cry into Chest: After bringing Bucci in and saying she wants to see her daughters, Rollins cries into Carisi's chest when they are alone in an elevator together.
- Damsel out of Distress: Rollins ends her own hostage situation by gaining the upper hand when Bucci is distracted. She grabs his gun, handcuffs him, and hauls him into the precinct herself.
- Do Wrong, Right: Rollins, speaking as a hostage in a spuriously-conceived plan, directly advises Bucci to not put pills and alcohol in himself and says it's better to stay lucid.
- Double Standard: Some think Bucci won't hurt Rollins just because he used to be a cop.
- Driven to Suicide: Getz. Maybe.
- Driven to Villainy: How Bucci justifies his kidnapping Rollins. It's the only way to motivate SVU into arresting Getz.
- Epiphany Therapy: After getting kidnapped from her psychiatrist's office, Rollins starts going through this while held prisoner by Bucci.
- Extremely Short Timespan: The episode takes place over the course of about six hours.
- Hostage Situation: The premise of the episode.
- It's Personal: Given that Rollins is kidnapped, everyone sees it that way.
- Limited Advancement Opportunities: Rollins comments she's been a Third Grade Detective for 8 years.
- Naïve Newcomer: Kat realizes she is acting like this. Especially when she wonders if Rollins is helping Bucci.Kat: Sorry for what I said back there about Rollins.Fin: You're gonna be a great detective but...Kat: I gotta think before I open my mouth.Fin: That and before you go off the playbook.
- Out-of-Character Alert: Dr. Hanover sending her son Dylan to his father alerts Dylan to call the police. Which ties into SVU realizing Rollins might have started seeing Dr. Hanover. And finding out that's where Bucci kidnapped Rollins.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Getz and his lawyer Abrams used this in the previous episode. Getz attempts to use his list of connections as a way to avoid spending the rest of his life in prison. He dies in his cell (maybe) before it becomes an issue.
- Wrong Genre Savvy:
- Kat suggests that Rollins might be complicit in her own kidnapping in order to help Bucci's crusade, drawing negative responses from the rest of the squad.
- Abrams is a bit off on how things are going to go with Carisi, given Rollins is being held hostage.
Abrams: Right, so your next line is "Let us help you," right? Oh wait, I like, uh, "Work with us, here."Carisi: Well actually, I was thinking more like, "Deal or rot in jail."
