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"Padre Sandunguero"
SVU, Episode 16.12
Production number: 16012
First aired (US): 21 January 2015
First aired (UK): 22 March 2015
First aired (CAN): 21 January 2015
First aired (AUS): 7 May 2015
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
th of 502 released in SVU
  th of 1271 released in all  
Padresandunguero
Teleplay By
Peter Blauner

Story By
Peter Blauner & Warren Leight

Directed By
Mariska Hargitay

When his father is arrested, Amaro must choose between his badge and his family's honor.

Summary[]

Amaro's father Nicolas asks his estranged family to attend his marriage to 28-year-old Gabriella Nuñez and despite their volatile past, all but Amaro agree. When a fight breaks out at the wedding and Nicolas is put in handcuffs, Amaro becomes a witness in a case that could expose family secrets and tear his family apart.

Plot[]

Nick's estranged father Nicolas Amaro arrives at the SVU precinct to see his son & Nick is not happy to see him. Nicolas announces that he's getting married and wants him to be at the wedding.

When Nicolas takes Nick to lunch, he shows him photos of his 28-year-old fiancee Gabriella. Nick is surprised that his mother has forgiven him for abusing her. Nicolas tries to get Nick to open up, but Nick's not ready to forgive him for all the years he mistreated him.

When Nick visits his mother's house, he learns that his mother and his sister Sonya are going to wedding and is surprised when Sonya brings Zara back from Los Angeles with her & it's revealed that Zara will be a flower girl at the wedding.

During the rehearsal dinner, all is well until Nicolas sees Gabriella dancing with another man & a fight breaks out. Zara (who hides underneath a table) calls Nick for help.

When Nick arrives to the scene, he is able to get his mother & daughter to safety & notices Gabriella being wheeled out of the party on a stretcher, all bruised up. Gabriella tells Nick that Nicolas hit her, but after she learns that Nick is Nicolas' son, she changes her story. Nicolas is escorted from the party by police & he begs Nick to help him out, but Nick refuses to.

At the hospital, Olivia learns that an EMT overheard Gabriella telling Nick that Nicolas assaulted her, but changed her story & the EMT thinks that something that Nick said to her in Spanish made her change her story.

When Gabriella is questioned, she claims that a guest, Javier followed her into the bathroom & assaulted her, Nicolas defended her & Gabriella accidentally hit her head against the wall.

Fin and Carisi talk to Javier, who not only denies hurting Gabriella, but he never followed her into the bathroom & Gabriella's father, Luis can confirm it. When they talk to Luis, he says that he saw Nicolas following Gabriella downstairs & came back up a few minutes later, getting ice for his hand. When he went to check on Gabriella, he found her bloodied & beaten and he attacked Nicolas.

Nick gets questioned by Internal Affairs where Lt. Tucker reprimands him for pressuring Gabriella, but Nick denies it. Tucker believes Nick, but he has to stay clear of the investigation so it doesn't appear that Nick is pulling strings in order to protect his family.

When Nick visits his father in jail, he recommends that he takes a plea, but Nicolas refuses to and gets angry with him. Since Nicolas won't take the plea, Barba & Olivia need Nick to testify against his father about his violent behavior. Nick's mother & sister are taking Nicolas' side and are unhappy with Nick for tearing their family apart.

During the trial, Nicolas has everyone on his side & Barba doesn't want to pressure Nick into testifying against Nicolas, but Nick knows that this is what he has to do for himself & his family. Outside the courtroom, Nicolas tries pressuring Nick into not testifying, but Nick stands by his choice.

On the stand, Nick testifies about Gabriella revealing to him that Nicolas hurt her & reveals that his father not only abused his mother, but him as well. Nicolas' attorney tries to discredit Nick by bring up his past anger management issues & suggests that Nick is using the case to get back at his father.

When Nicolas takes the stand, he claims that Javier assaulted Gabriella & she accidentally hit her head. In the end, the jury finds him not guilty.

Later that night, Nicolas stops by the precinct to talk to Nick, asking him for a fresh start, but Nick doesn't seem ready to do that. Nicolas remarks on the fact that Gabriella forgave him, indicating that he had, in fact, been the one to abuse her, and that he had gotten away with it, but he's willing to be there for Nick when he's ready to start over.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Recurring Cast[]

Guest Cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Episode quotes

Background information and Notes[]

  • Per IMDB: "Padre Sandunguero" is Puerto Rican Spanish for "Mischievous/Playful Dad". In a Spain dialect it would mean "Charming/Graceful".
    • Another reported title of the episode is "un padre encantador", which means "a charming father".
  • This episode marks the final appearances of Cesaria and Zara Amaro.
  • Detective Nick Amaro's anger issues are referenced, mainly his fight with Simon Wilkes from the episode "Thought Criminal".

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3 4

Apartment of
Cesaria Amaro
175 East 115th Street
Thursday, January 15

West Side Dermatology
339 West 18th Street
Friday, January 16

Internal Affairs Bureau
317 Hudson Street
Friday, January 16

Manhattan Detention
Complex
125 White Street
Saturday, January 17

5 6 7 8

Supreme Court
Part 18
Monday, January 19

Forlini's Restaurant
93 Baxter Street
Monday, January 19

Supreme Court
Part 18
Tuesday, January 20

Supreme Court
Part 18
Wednesday, January 21

Previous episode:
"Agent Provocateur"
"Padre Sandunguero"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 16
Next episode:
"Decaying Morality"
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