Alternate
From The Law & Order Wiki
| "Alternate" | ||
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| ← | SVU, Episode 9.01 | → |
| Production number: 9003 First aired: 25 September 2007 | ||
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| Written By Neal Baer & Dawn DeNoon Directed By David Platt | ||
Contents |
[edit] Plot
In the ninth season premiere, Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler suspect that Janis Donovan (played by Cynthia Nixon), a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder, may have harmed her own daughter. Their investigation is met with initial resistance from Dr. Henry Carlisle (played by Bronson Pinchot). Captain Don Cragen is temporarily re-assigned due to problems with his detectives last season. The detectives end up discovering that Janis has 4 other alternate personalities. As the episode progresses, the detectives witness these personalities, culminating when one of Janis's personalities throws a chair across the room. Later in the episode, Janis and her sister are re-united after serving time in jail. The day after Janis and her sister go home together, their parents are found murdered in their beds. Janis's fingerprints are found on the gun. When Janis goes to trial, she displays one of her alternate personalities, choking ADA Novak. Janis is then found not guilty by reason of mental defect. In the end of the episode, it is discovered that everything was an act cooked up by Janis and her sister in order to fake a motive to kill their parents. When detective Stabler and Benson go to visit Janis in the psychiatric hospital, Janis confesses to everything and her sister, who was visiting with Janis, is arrested for being a co-conspirator and is taken away in cuffs.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Main cast
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Diane Neal as A.D.A. Casey Novak
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Adam Beach as Detective Chester Lake
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang
- Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
[edit] Recurring cast
- Joe Grifasi as Hashi Horowitz
- Peter McRobbie as Judge Walter Bradley
- Isabel Gillies as Kathy Stabler
- Allison Siko as Kathleen Stabler
[edit] Guest cast
- Cynthia Nixon as Janis Donovan
- Laura Allen as Cass Magnall
- Bronson Pinchot as Dr. Henry Carlisle
- Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Sheri Simkins
- Amy Tribbey as Penny Taylor
- Tamela Aldrige as Carla Sexton
- Katy Grenfell as Mrs. Lynde
- Donnetta Lavinia Grays as Officer Ramirez
- Ann Morgan Guilbert as Church Lady
- Stephen Spinella as Museum Manager
[edit] References
Dissociative Identity Disorder, Spiders; Anna Young; Dori Johnson; Francis Donovan; Molly Donovan; Grellman Psychiatric Hospital; Prince of Peace Church; Queens; Troy; Bedford Hills Correctional Facility For Women; Westchester County
[edit] Quotes
- Chester Lake: It was an honor serving under you, sir.
- Don Cragen: I'm not dead yet, Detective Lake.
- Olivia Benson: Tammy told us that Burt took her. She was about to tell me where when Petra showed up and bitch-slapped Elliot.
- Fin Tutuola: Special Victims Unit. I think you need to adjust your TV. The baby we're looking for is Caucasian
- Casey Novak: And the circus begins.
- Dr. George Huang: From what you're telling me, she has Dissociative Identity Disorder, or what we used to call multiple personalities.
- Elliot Stabler: Right, and I call it a crock.
(after Cragen relieves him of command of the SVU)
- John Munch: I don't know how you do it. This job sucks!
[edit] Background information and notes
- "Janis" is almost certainly a deliberate pun on "Janus", the name of the two-faced Roman god of doors and gates.
[edit] Episode scene cards
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
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Office of |
Prince of Peace Church |
Donovan Residence |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
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|
Grellman |
Trial Part 38 |
Bedford Hills |
| Previous episode: "Screwed" | "Alternate" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 9 | Next episode: "Avatar" |
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