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"Contact"
SVU, Episode 1.19
Production number: E0921
First aired (US): 28 April 2000
First aired (CAN): 28 April 2000
First aired (AUS): 10 July 2000
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
th of 502 released in SVU
  th of 1271 released in all  
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Written By
Wendy West & Robert Palm

Directed By
Michael Zinberg

Summary

The detectives try to catch a rapist who strikes on the city subways.

Plot

After seven young women in a six-month time span are raped by a flash-and-dash assailant on the city subways, the brass calls in a psychologist to help the team get into the head of the perp. When he is caught, he possesses the driver's license of a new victim who could put him away, Sidra Lonstein. Jeffries decides to keep a very close eye on the man they believe is guilty of the crimes until the others can talk to her.

After Munch and Stabler locate her and return her license, they bring her to the office and ask questions. Jeffries and Munch arrest Sal Avelino and bring him in the office Sidra is in. When Avelino sees her, he admits to the crime in front of the detectives and promises when he gets out, he and Sidra will live together as a family. After he is hauled off, Sidra cries from the revelation of her ordeal, receiving comfort from John Munch, and Avelino is imprisoned thanks to her courage.

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Guest cast

References

Quotes

Dr. Audrey Jackson: He feels guilty about something.
Cragen: Maybe he's Catholic. He'd feel guilty about everything.

Nick Ganzner: You close your eyes... is that it... to have sex?
Benson: I have sex with my eyes wide open.

Nick Ganzner: Let's pretend.
Benson: [smiles] Pretend what?
Nick Ganzner: I'm the guy on the subway.
Benson: Ok, stop it.
Nick Ganzner: Just for fun
Benson: No, really. Stop it.
Nick Ganzner: What would you do?
Benson: Oh my God, Wow... [pulls away from him] I'm going to go wash my face and my hands and my mouth and, uh, there's the door. [backs into the bathroom] Make sure you're out when I get out of here. Gone. [closes bathroom door]

Benson: Nice article, Nicky.
Nick Ganzner: Olivia. I was just gonna call you.
Benson: Of course you were. Right after I got reamed by my boss for letting you read a confidential police transcript.
Nick Ganzner: Okay, you didn't let me read it. I dug it up on my own.
Benson: Oh, I know you did. Reporter's instinct. Only one problem, see my captain won't care about details. It looks like I screwed up.

Nick Ganzner: You're being too hard on yourself.
Benson: Why don't you save it? Really.
[Olivia tosses a pile of papers onto Ganzner's desk]
Nick Ganzner: What's this?
Benson: Read it. It's a cold case. You want a good story, you should check that out.

Nick Ganzner: Philip Sternhagen, convicted of a strangulation torture. Who the hell is this?
Benson: A man with a rich fantasy life, who couldn't stop. A man who uses women without the slightest twinge of regret.
Nick Ganzner: OK. OK.
Benson: A man like you, Ganzner. A man like you.

Cragen: You want to be number one, Sal?
Sal Avellino: Yeah.
Cragen: What is that your lucky number?
Sal Avellino: As a matter of fact, it is.
Cragen: Okay. Number one it is. Good luck.

[the police suspect that Sidra was impregnated by her rapist]
Stabler: When my wife got pregnant for the first time, I thought a pregnancy lasted nine months, but it can feel like ten, depending on the time of conception...
Sidra Lonstein: [cheerfully] It's always a mystery.

Background information and notes

  • This is Reiko Aylesworth's first appearance as A.D.A. Erica Alden.
  • This episode is Chris Orbach's last performance as Detective Ken Briscoe.
  • Detective Elliot Stabler appears to suffer from a cold throughout the whole episode.
  • When the detectives and psychologist brainstorm the rapist's pattern, it's mentioned that the seven victims to date share no apparent physical similarities, being an abundance of different ages, sizes, and races. Yet when they comes in for the lineups, all seven are white women.

Episode scene cards

1 2 3 4 5

Arnold & Schreiber C.P.A.
11 Astor Place
Tuesday, April 4

59th Street-Columbus Circle
Subway Station
Wednesday, April 5

Barology
126 East 38th Street
Wednesday, April 5

Delancey Street
Subway Station
Thursday, April 6

Supreme Court
Trial Part 80
Friday, April 7

Previous episode:
"Chat Room"
"Contact"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 1
Next episode:
"Remorse"
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