Law and Order
Register
Advertisement
"Hunting Ground"
SVU, Episode 13.15
Production number: 13015
First aired (US): 22 February 2012
First aired (UK): 17 June 2012
First aired (CAN): 22 February 2012
First aired (AUS): 17 May 2012
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
th of 502 released in SVU
  th of 1271 released in all  
Svu1315
Teleplay By
David Matthews & John P. Roche

Story By
John P. Roche & Warren Leight

Directed By
Jonathan Kaplan

Detectives Olivia Benson and Nick Amaro lead the search for a serial killer who targets young prostitutes.

Plot[]

Detective Benson and Executive ADA Haden's romantic weekend is interrupted by news that an underage prostitute has gone missing. As the SVU detectives dig into her disappearance, they find a pattern of several missing escorts who all posted ads on a popular newspaper’s website. The line between Benson and Haden's personal and professional lives starts to blur as the squad races against the clock to find the girl before it's too late. Eventually, with the help of an escaped victim, the detectives track down the killer, but Amaro is forced to kill him to save Benson. They rescue the victim and find the bodies of eleven other victims during the investigation, but learn that he killed fifteen people.

Summary[]

Episode summary

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Rollins: [about the suspect] This is a predatory psychopath. He's grooming his victims, handpicking them out of the paper.
Munch: It's a little early to start profiling this guy. I mean, Roxie's a prostitute, she's a meth head and no one has reported her missing.
Benson: So we don't care about her?

Benson: If you ask me, the newspaper's become a front for escort services and underage sex trafficking.
Munch: I wouldn't hold their advertising against them. They're one of the few papers in New York City doing real reporting.
Benson: We need to go down to their offices, appeal to their conscience and find out if Brewster set up an account.
Amaro: Good luck.
Munch: They're gonna preach First Amendment.
Cragen: That's why I'm sending you, John. Play the civil liberties card. Benson, go with. Make sure he doesn't defect.

Graham Winger: [to Benson] There's an order to everything in nature. Hunt, feed, breed. All in the now. Honest! The animals don't lie about what they want, not like you whores, who tell you they want you as long as you pay.


Background information and notes[]

  • While it is not stated directly, it's obvious that the film Haden and Benson are discussing at the beginning of the episode is The Artist.
  • Cragen asks Rollins if she's still going to her meetings about her gambling addiction, revealed in "Home Invasions".
  • This is the first time Detective Nick Amaro has killed a perpetrator. It occurred when the suspect was about to shoot Olivia and his victim, who survived his attacks.
  • Based on the killings of Robert Hansen also known as the "Butcher Baker".
  • Emily Kinney, who plays 16 year old victim Haley Cole, was actually 26 at the time this episode was filmed. Emily frequently plays teenagers as she looks much younger than her age.

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3 4

G&S Services LLC
51 Woodhull Avenue
Hollis, Queens
Monday, February 6

Offices of
The Downtown Voice
68 Washington Square South
Tuesday, February 7

1061 Oceanview Avenue
Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn
Tuesday, February 7

Saugerties
General Hospital
117 Ulster Avenue
Saturday, February 11

Previous episode:
"Home Invasions"
"Hunting Ground"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 13
Next episode:
"Child's Welfare"
Seasons 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
Advertisement