| "American Tragedy" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 15.03 | → |
| Production number: 15003 First aired: 2 October 2013 | ||
 | ||
| Teleplay By Julie Martin & Warren Leight Story By Jill Abbinanti Directed By Fred Berner | ||
A celebrity restaurateur claims self-defense in a racially-charged murder case.
Plot
A string of rapes on the Upper West Side raises concerns across the city, and while Detectives Tutuola and Rollins question everyone who fits the suspect's description, celebrity chef Jolene Castille fears she's the next victim when someone follows her home. The SVU arrests her for shooting and killing the unarmed teen, and her attorney faces off against ADA Barba in a trial that tests the limits of the jury’s moral and legal responsibilities. Meanwhile, Detective Benson continues to struggle with the aftermath of her traumatic ordeal.
Summary
Episode summary
Cast
Main Cast
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen (credit only)
Recurring Cast
- Jeffrey Tambor as Attorney Ben Cohen
- Pablo Schreiber as William Lewis
- Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner
- Bill Irwin as Dr. Peter Lindstrom
- Leslie Odom, Jr. as Reverend Curtis Scott
Guest Cast
- Cybill Shepherd as Jolene Castille
- Kevin Carroll as Mr. Carter
- Cindy Katz as Chloe Lesedi
- Allison Mackie as Bethenny Dunstan
- Sonja Sohn as Mrs. Carter
- Alice Barrett Mitchell as Aubrey Trisler
- Francis Jue as Judge Steven Ong
- Joshua Boone as Willie Smith
- Albert M. Chan as Lloyd Chang
- Gregory Konow as Craig
- Patrick Byas as Shawn
- Joshua Rivera as Darryl
- De'on Ragin as Tyrone
- Kal Parekh as Doctor
- Moise Morancy as Mehcad Carter
- Andrew Rein as Reporter #1
- Sope Aluko as Reporter #2
- Bill Kocis as Reporter #3
- Rhonda Ayers as Jury Foreperson
References
Episode references
Quotes
Episode quotes
Background information and notes
- This case is based off the 2011 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a teenager who was walking down his street with candy and ice tea before being followed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. They fought and Zimmerman killed Martin with a gun. It caused numerous racial issues, especially after Zimmerman was aquitted of second-degree murder. Zimmerman claimed he committed the shooting in self-defense and thought Trayvon was going to do something wrong.
Episode scene cards
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
St. Michael's Hospital |
Office of |
Chez Jolene |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
|
Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
| Previous episode: "Imprisoned Lives" |
"American Tragedy" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 15 |
Next episode: "Internal Affairs" |