Written By Jonathan Greene
Directed By David Platt
After a perpetrator high on PCP throws him through one of the squadroom's windows, Stabler is left temporarily out of commission and Benson must team up with Munch and Tutuola to investigate a mysterious packet containing photos of nearly naked children. The photographs lead them to both a suspected child pornographer and a junkie burglar, both of whom operate out of a lower-income apartment building. However, this proves to be a ruse and the real issue at hand is the unlawful testing of pesticides on the residents of the building by a corrupt chemical company.
Tropes:
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: When Munch presents evidence that what happened to Benson and the others at the Millstead building was an experiment gone horribly wrong, Fin labels it as just one of his conspiracy theories. An Answer Cut to ME Melinda Warner later confirms that this time, Munch's theory is right on the money.
- Combat Pragmatist:
- Stabler advises Liv that the only way to fight a company's dirty tactics is to fight dirty themselves.
- Earlier, Fin and Stabler both used improvised weapons to deal with Cupid. Fin ultimately succeeds in knocking Cupid out with a chair to the back of the head
- Destination Defenestration: Poor Elliot in the Batman Cold Open. He struck Cupid in the back of the head with a fire hydrant, but it didn't knock him out. Elliot ends up being thrown out a window. Good thing there's light fixtures there that kept him from plunging multiple stories down.
- Everyone Has Standards: While he may be a drug-addled serial burglar, Raymond Nesbitt is clearly disgusted by the photos Seth Millstead was taking of Diego Benitez (believing they were proof that he was molesting the boy).
- Impairment Shot: In the Benitez apartment, Benson begins feeling hot while Diego is sleepy. Moments later, Jennifer collapses, and when Olivia tries to rush to her aid, her vision is blurred and shifty.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Millstead's Amoral Attorney insists that pictures of a child made to pose in his underwear can't be prosecuted as child pornography without further evidence of sexual intent, to the outrage of not only the detectives but the judge who loathes the idea of letting a "pervert" geting off on a technicality. As it turns out the pictures were in fact not child porn.
- Loophole Abuse: The entire premise of the episode's Halfway Plot Switch is the investigation of an evil company's experimentation and how they skirted regulations to get what they want.
- No-Sell: PCP guy takes an assload of punishment before finally going down. In short order, he tanks a fire hydrant to the skull and a full charge from a taser before Fin finally subdues him with a metal chair upside the head.
- Potty Emergency: When Benson and Morales enact their hack into Danforth chemicals, they do it in the men's room so no one would see them (and because there's internet there). Once done, Morales leaves and when Olivia is about to get out, two male cops come in. Olivia claims she accidentally entered the wrong restroom.
- Vast Bureaucracy: The EPA and even the law is practically useless against Danforth chemicals and their evil experimentation. Well, at least until Benson, Morales and Novak begin fighting them on somewhat equal terms anyway.
