Night

"Night"
←	SVU, Episode 6.20	→
Production number: E5224 First aired: 3 May 2005
	th of 502 produced in SVU
←	th of 502 released in SVU	→
	th of 1271 released in all
Teleplay By Amanda Green Story By Amanda Green & Chris Levinson Directed By Arthur W. Forney & Juan J. Campanella

A bizarre rape-murder case draws the Special Victims Unit into a web of third-world refugees who claim to have been victimized by a wealthy eccentric. As the detectives get closer to solving the case, one of their own is brutally attacked.

Plot

Episode plot

Summary

The rape-homicide of a woman leads detectives to a link of illegal immigrants who have each been raped but are too afraid of getting deported to report it. Olivia Benson is able to pull the story from a Bosnian Muslim woman who is very fearful of telling her story, not only because she is at risk of being deported, but because Muslims must be virgins before marriage. Thus, Benson must keep the rape a secret from the woman's brother.

The witness gives Benson money that the perpetrator left on her and after some testing the detectives discover three fingerprints on the bill: One belonging to a bank teller, one belonging to the victim, and one belonging to a local lawyer. The detectives, along with some help from ADA Novak, make a visit to the lawyer and soon discover he is covering up for one of his clients. Following some more clues, they come up with a prime suspect: a man that follows a strict, daily schedule and is paranoid about little things, such as what time he has to eat dinner. The suspect is brought in for questioning, but is immediately released thanks to his lawyer and mother. However, as he leaves the station he complains about a cold. He picks up a tissue out of his pocket and blows into it. As he is about to set it back into his pocket his mother scolds him and tells him to throw it away, which he does. Stabler later picks up the tissue and takes it to the crime lab. Warner says it will take time to run all the tests, but she believes there is make up on the tissue, perhaps that of the original victim's.

The detectives turn to the witness to identify the perpetrator of a line up, but when they arrive at her home they find she was arrested due to her illegal status. The detectives hunt her down and Novak arranges for her to have legal status until she testifies in court, after which she promises to fight for a green card for her. The witness picks Gabriel Duvall out of a line up, and he just happens to be the detectives' prime suspect.

Novak returns to her office along with Benson during the night to work out the details on the case. A phone call comes to Novak's office saying that someone sent her flowers. Novak tells the caller to send them up, however she fears they are from Gabriel's defense attorney. Benson offers to go get some coffee and leaves. Suddenly, a man dressed in black enters with flowers and begins to brutally beat Novak. She suffers several blows to the head and a few kicks as well. Benson returns to her office to find the ADA knocked out on the floor. She calls an ambulance and rides to the hospital with her, while she tells Stabler to check the security cameras.

Stabler decides to make a stop at the Duvall's house. Gabriel demands he leave, but Stabler refuses. He searches around and throws out a few threats before leaving. After checking the security tapes, Stabler finds Gabriel was not behind it. The attacker happened to be the witness' brother. He is arrested and explains that, under his interpretation of fundamentalist Islam, Novak deserved to die as she revealed that his sister wasn't pure. He also reveals that she no longer wishes to testify. Gabriel offers to go talk to her, but Cragen demands Novak does. Stabler objects that she is off work and doesn't want to be seen, and Cragen reveals that is why he wants her to go. Novak talks to the witness and she agrees to testify again, however Novak soon finds she is taken off the case. The detectives now have a case against Gabriel for rape, but not for the rape-homicide shown at the beginning of the show.

Stabler soon finds the mother of Gabriel has filed a complaint against him and he is no longer allowed around him if he doesn't want the charges to escalate. Dr. Warner then calls with good news and Stabler heads to the lab. Warner explains the DNA of the victim is on the tissue in the form of tears. Stabler finds Gabriel having dinner at a restaurant and arrests him for the rape.

Cast

Main cast

• Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
• Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
• Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch (credit only)
• Diane Neal as A.D.A. Casey Novak
• Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
• B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
• Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen

Recurring cast

• David Thornton as Attorney Lionel Granger
• Mike Doyle as Forensics Technician Ryan O'Halloran
• Bebe Neuwirth as ADA Tracey Kibre
• Kirk Acevedo as DA Investigator Hector Salazar
• Fred Thompson as D.A. Arthur Branch
• Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner

Guest cast

• Alfred Molina as Gabriel Duvall
• Angela Lansbury as Eleanor Duvall
• Bradley Cooper as Jason Whitaker
• Anya Migdal as Nina Zergin
• Stelio Savante as Milan Zergin
• Lou Ferguson as Mr. Beauclaire
• Marlyne N. Afflack as Sarah Miller
• Rita Moreno as Mildred Quintana
• Geoffrey Ewing as Agent Tim Harriman
• Marla Schaffel as Vicky
• Jasmine Lobe as Marla
• Jack MacGruder as Roger
• Alan H. Green as Hank
• Alexis Neophytides as Girl
• Grant Monohon as Floyd
• Shane Geraghty as Tucker
• Dennis Pressey as Dog Handler
• Gladys Perez as Yolanda Martinez
• Folake Olowofoyeku as Amina Asante
• Haerry Kim as Korean Woman
• E. Calvin Ahn as Man #2
• Dan Schultz as ND ADA
• Chris Lees as Skateboarder

References

The Box; Sarajevo, Bosnia; Nigeria; Granger, McCullum, & Kerstetter; New Americans Justice Center; Marguerite Beauclaire; Clay Duvall; Tobias Gaynes; Manhattan Bank & Trust; Immigration & Naturalization Service

Quotes

Novak: [after her beating] Did he...did he rape me?

Benson: No.

Novak: Why can't I remember?

Benson: You don't have to. We're gonna find this guy.

---

Benson: You feel like a cup of coffee?

Novak: Every second of every day.

---

Stabler: [after a complaint is filed against him by Eleanor Duvall] Captain...

Captain Cragen: Don't worry about. I probably would've thrown him out of the window.

Background information and notes

• This episode is the first half of a two-part crossover with Law & Order: Trial by Jury. The other half is the TBJ episode "Day"
• When Olivia and Elliot were in the victim's storage unit, they weren't wearing gloves. They are required to wear gloves so they can't contaminate potential evidence.
• Casey is seen in a baseball jersey stating "Sex Crimes" indicating that the squad most likely has a baseball team.
• Diane Neal (Casey Novak) stated that the scene in this episode where Casey was knocked unconscious was real; she had really fainted.
• Alfred Molina, who appears in the SVU/TBJ crossover episodes as Gabriel Durvall, later stars as Detective (and former Deputy District Attorney) Ricardo Morales on Law & Order: LA. He is one of the two actors who appeared on TBJ prior to Law & Order: LA, the other being Peter Coyote (who appeared earlier in the series second episode, 41 Shots as defense attorney Mike LaSalle.

Episode scene cards

1	2	3
The Box 78 Trinity Place Tuesday, March 1	Apartment of Sarah Miller 312 East 79th Street Tuesday, March 1	Law Offices of Granger, McCullum & Kerstetter Office of Jason Whitaker Wednesday, March 2

4	5	6
Duvall Residence 38 East 91st Street Thursday, March 3	Immigration & Customs Enforcement 26 Federal Plaza Friday, March 4	Office of Assistance District Attorney Casey Novak Wednesday, March 9

Previous episode: "Intoxicated"

"Night" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 6

Next episode: "Blood"