"Alternate"
←	SVU, Episode 9.01	→
Production number: 9003 First aired: 25 September 2007
	th of 295 produced in SVU
←	th of 295 released in SVU	→
	th of 1021 released in all
Written By Neal Baer & Dawn DeNoon Directed By David Platt

Contents 1 Plot 2 Summary 3 Cast 3.1 Main cast 3.2 Recurring cast 3.3 Guest cast 4 References 5 Quotes 6 Background information and notes 6.1 Episode scene cards

Plot Edit

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.

Summary Edit

Episode summary

Cast Edit

Main cast Edit

• 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

Recurring cast Edit

• Joe Grifasi as Attorney Hashi Horowitz
• Peter McRobbie as Judge Walter Bradley
• Isabel Gillies as Kathy Stabler
• Allison Siko as Kathleen Stabler
• Donnetta Lavinia Grays as Officer Ramirez

Guest cast Edit

• Cynthia Nixon as Janis Donovan
• Laura Allen as Cass Magnall
• Ann Morgan Guilbert as Church Lady
• Stephen Spinella as Museum Manager
• 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

References Edit

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

QuotesEdit

Chester Lake: It was an honor serving under you, sir.

Don Cragen: I'm not dead yet, Detective Lake.

Phychiatrist: That's not violent. [In response to Benson & Stabler's remarks about his patient]
Elliot Stabler: How about calling her baby a dirty slut and scrubbing her raw?
Phychiatrist: [pause] That's not good.

Olivia Benson: Tammy told us that Burt took her. She was about to tell me where when Petra showed up and bitch-slapped Elliot.

Lawyer: I still say you're making a big mistake. Call on me if you change one of your minds.

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!

Background information and notes Edit

• "Janis" is almost certainly a deliberate pun on "Janus", the name of the two-faced Roman god of doors and gates.
• This is the the first episode Richard Belzar's credited as Sargeant John Munch.
• Its revealed that Oliva was temporarily suspended as a result of her actions, but Cragen was able to save her job by pulling some strings.

Episode scene cards Edit

1	2	3
Office of Doctor Henry Carlisle 14 East 72nd Street Wednesday, August 8	Prince of Peace Church 1689 Bleecker Street Wednesday, August 8	Donovan Residence 276 Fieldston Road Riverdale, New York Thursday, August 9

4	5	6
Grellman Psychiatric Hospital Troy, New York Thursday, August 9	Trial Part 38 Tuesday, September 18	Bedford Hills Correctional Facility For Women Westchester County, NY Wednesday, September 19

Previous episode: "Screwed"

"Alternate" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 9

Next episode: "Avatar"

Seasons 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14