"Abomination" | ||
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← | SVU, Episode 5.08 | → |
Production number: E4410 First aired: 11 November 2003 | ||
Written By Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas Directed By Alex Zakrzewski |
Plot[]
When a young gay male who was a poster-boy for a sexual re-education group is found brutally murdered, the SVU squad suspect an outspoken minster who was responsible for sending hundreds of hate mail and death threats to the victim. The case takes another twist when they focus their attention on a professor who believes that same-sex relationships are wrong and then it is discovered that his son, who is also gay (but deep in the closet) turns out to be a suspect in the murder. The son, Ian, is revealed to be the partner of the murdered man and that his father did it. He'd hidden his orientation from his father, but he'd had a girlfriend in high school who was aware of his secret and her mother had told his father. Ian is horrified and wishes he was dead as his father is arrested. At the end of the episode, Novak apologizes for forcing him to accept that he is gay and reveal it, but Ian isn't sorry and is relieved that the secret was out.
Summary[]
Episode summary
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Diane Neal as A.D.A. Casey Novak
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast[]
- Daniel Sunjata as C.S.U. Technician Burt Trevor
- Caren Browning as C.S.U. Technician Judith Siper
- Fred Dalton Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch
- Michael Boatman as Defense Attorney Dave Seaver
- David Lipman as Judge Arthur Cohen
- Peter McRobbie as Judge Walter Bradley
- Elizabeth Flax as Nurse Carey Hutchins
- James T. Williams II as Officer Marvin Bryson
Guest cast[]
- George Segal as Dr. Roger Tate
- Jonathan Tucker as Ian Tate
- James Otis as Reverend Mitchell Shaw
- Tim Bohn as Dr. Phil Sona
- Jeffrey Ware as Dr. Waldman
- Don Stephenson as Derek Singer
- Daphne Zuniga as Defense Attorney Emma Dishell
- Andrea Cirie as Kelly Singer
- Alison Fraser as Dr. Elizabeth Cahill
- Stephanie Mnookin as Crossing Guard
- Kathleen Lancaster as Sandy Klein
- Alice Schaerer as Laura Klein
- Cecilia Vanti as Tate's Receptionist
- Craig Zucchero as Tony
- Tim Spanjer as Bartender
- Jeff Benson as Protestor with Camera
- Rick Johnson as Court Clerk
- James Abrams as First Grader
- Ingrid Johnson as Gay Protester / Day Player (uncredited)
References[]
- Gay panic defense
- Leviticus 18:22
- Matthew Shepard
- Lawrence v. Texas
- 29th Precinct
- Church of Eternal Providence
- James Reed (victim)
Quotes[]
- Crossing Guard: I hope a cab doesn't splatter you all over mid-town, you little brats.
- Officer Marvin Bryson: Must have shown him a real good time before she did the deed.
- Stabler: Marvin, right now's a real good opportunity to learn. An erection is often a side effect of asphyxiation.
- Officer Bryson: [chuckling]] Oh yeah? 'Cause I was gonna say the guy was scared stiff.
- Tutuola: Killed in an apartment with white walls and a crappy laundry facility. I think I live there.
- Stabler: I don't know, maybe some people choose to be gay and others choose to be straight.
- Benson: Oh, so you chose to be heterosexual?
- Stabler: Me? Noooo.
- Stabler: [reading a gay victim's hate mail] "'All queers will burn in the eternal fire of hell,' so sayeth the Lord." Somehow I don't think that's a direct quote.
- Stabler: [reading his file] Reverend Mitchell Shaw... you really get around. Protesting in Vermont, at the Supreme Court... cheering at the funeral of a six-year-old who died of AIDS.
- Benson: Maybe you should switch to a career in publicity.
- Rev. Mitchell Shaw: The Lord asked me to do his work.
- Stabler: Did he ask you to ignore all that, uh... "Love thy neighbor" stuff?
- Shaw: "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, "both of them have committed an abomination. "They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them." Leviticus.
- Stabler: The Bible also says I can sell my daughters into slavery and be put to death if I work on a Sundays. 12 years of Catholic school. Anyone can memorize words, Reverend. Doesn't make 'em righteous.
- Shaw: The city is full of sodomites, and you waste your time protecting them... and yet you wonder why so many of your NYPD brothers were struck down on September 11th. Do you not see the Lord's judgment upon you?
[Elliot shoves away the table and gets right in Shaw's face] - Stabler: I see a scared, shriveled-up piece of trash who uses God to justify his bigotry.
- Stabler: Go back in there and strangle the son-of-a-bitch.
- Munch: I love the guy; I want to invite him to the Christmas party.
- Cragen: What did you get from the people at Reed's funeral?
- Tutuola: Not much - after the fight broke out, a bunch of people left before we got their names.
- Munch: [brandishing a camera] Yeah, but... we got their pictures.
- Cragen: Where the hell is that from?
- Munch: One of Reverend Shaw's church members, he must've left it behind.
- Novak: [smiling] I didn't hear that.
- Cragen: Get it back to him, John.
- Munch: I'll be happy to, I'll even develop his film for free.
- Munch: If an overbearing mother and a distant father cause homosexuality, how come I'm not gay?
- Tutuola: Maybe you're in denial.
- Munch: That'd explain a lot.
- Munch: [about Ian Tate] No wonder he tried to hide it. "You're not gay, son, you're just crazy."
- Dr. Roger Tate: [as he's being arrested] This is...
- Stabler: What? Sick? Unnatural? So is murder.
- Novak: They took the plea.
- Ian Tate: It's so weird, you know. I've been sitting here watching people go by, thinking 'does he know? Does she?' James was always talking about how happy he was he was gay, he said guys are more fun.
- Novak: [laughs] Yeah, I agree with James.
- Ian Tate: Everything's different now, you know. No matter what I do, nothing will be like it was before.
- Novak: Ian, I had my job to do, and I made you deal with something you weren't ready for. I'm sorry.
- Ian Tate: Yeah. I'm not.
Background information and notes[]
- The episode title is drawn from Leviticus 18:22, which says, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination."
- Goof: The woman escorting the school children at the beginning of the episode begins to lead her charges across the street despite the fact that the "Don't Walk" signal is clearly displayed over her shoulder.
Episode scene cards[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Hugo's Bar |
ReGenesis Headquarters |
Hudson University |
Apartment of |
6 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
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Office of |
Rikers Island |
Trial Part 38 |
D.A. Conference Room |
Previous episode: "Choice" |
"Abomination" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 5 |
Next episode: "Control" |