Written By Lisa Marie Petersen and Dawn De Noon
Directed By Juan Jose Campanella
A shooting by a seven year old of his classmate leads to new evidence in an unsolved murder and brings up discussions about the cycle of violence and revenge among SVU detectives.
Tropes
- Accidental Murder: In trying to defend himself, Elias inadvertently shot a little black girl.
- Cycle of Revenge: The main theme of the episode. Elliot even compares it to the Gaza Strip.
- Cruel Twist Ending: Cabot drops the murder charges against 7-year-old Elias, after it comes out he witnessed a murder and was trying to shoot the killers he saw out of fear for his own safety - the events that lead to him accidentally killing a little black girl at his school. As Elias is Latino, there are fears that racial tensions could reach a breaking point, as one man yells that the charges dropped means letting the killers of black children walk away scot-free. The girl's mother even encourages the violence to end, asking the parents to go home and take care of their kids, not seek revenge. Elias is finally prepared to go home to his loving parents and hopefully put this nightmare behind him. As everyone congratulates Alex and prepares to go out for drinks, Cragen gets a call - a young black boy shot and killed Elias, yelling, "You can't kill a sister and just walk!" as he's dragged off to the squad car.
- Friendship Moment: Although it gets overshadowed by the Cruel Twist Ending, at the end of the case the whole squad congratulates Alex on her victory. When Stabler offers to buy her a drink, Alex pauses for a moment before agreeing, looking noticeably happy. It's especially sweet considering that they originally didn't get along very well.
- Mood Whiplash: The case wraps up peacefully, the squad is about to go get drinks, everyone's happy...and then, in comes the Cruel Twist Ending.
- Outliving One's Offspring: The Victim of the Week, Carly, is outlived by both her parents.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Inspiration was taken from the 2000 shooting at Buell Elementary School.
- Vigilante Injustice: Refusing to believe that Elias didn't mean to kill anyone, a young black boy murders him at the end of the episode when he's allowed to go free.
