Brian Cassidy
From The Law & Order Wiki
| Brian Cassidy | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Title Detective | ||
| Affiliation NYPD's Special Victims Unit | ||
| First Appearance SVU: "Payback" | ||
| Last Appearance SVU: "Disrobed" | ||
| Played by Dean Winters |
Detective Brian Cassidy worked for the Manhattan's 16th Precinct, or the "Special Victims Unit".
Cassidy was the youngest and most inexperienced member of the precinct. He was partnered with the most experienced member of the team, John Munch. Cassidy makes a real effort to learn from the other members of the precinct, but he also creates friction between him and his colleagues. In the investigation into the death of two young models Olivia Benson suggests to Munch and Cassidy that they should try a tactic called the prisoners dilemma, in which you get each of the suspects to think that the other confessed. Cassidy gets really excited about this tactic and expresses his love for the job. This owned him a few surprised glares from his co-workers. (SVU:"...Or Just Look Like One")
Cassidy's relative lack of sophistication causes several problems for him. His co-workers tend to make fun of him, and don't always take him seriously. During the investigation into the death of Victor Spicer, Captain Donald Cragen decides that Cassidy can investigate another crime on his one. In this case it was about a man who molested a dead woman. (SVU:"Payback") As the only detective on the case, he has to appear in court to testify against the offender. ADA Abbie Carmichael questions him about the events that lead to the offense. Cassidy is extremely nervous during his time in the witness stand. Defense attorney Hawkins takes advantage of Cassidy's nervousness and lack of sophistication. When Hawkins asks him about the technical term for fondling a stranger, Cassidy comes up with the answer "fromage". The answer was supposed to be frottage. (SVU:"A Single Life")
During his time in the Special Victims Unit he started a brief relationship with Detective Benson. When he starts to come close to her, she decides to end the relationship. This causes a lot of friction between the two of them during the cases they investigate. When Benson comes up with a theory for a crime, he is the one to make objections against it. While they investigate the rape of Harper Anderson, Cassidy is convinced that she's lying. Although it's clear to the other detectives that she's indeed telling the truth. (SVU:"Closure")
While far from an intellectual, Cassidy is a genuinely talented and driven police detective. He has a genuine desire to put rapists and child molesters in prison, but lacks the professional detachment necessary to deal with particularly grisly sex crimes or remain objective toward victims and perpetrators of sexual assault. He often has trouble concealing his anger and revulsion toward the cases he investigates. When Captain Cragen sends him to check up on a teenaged rape victim, it turns out to be the final straw. After the young girl tells him in detail how she had been systematically violated by her abuser and then gang-raped, Cassidy and Cragen decide he lacks the stomach to deal with sex crimes, and transfers to the NYPD's Narcotics Division. (SVU:"Disrobed")
