| "Quickie" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 11.11 | → |
| Production number: 11011 First aired: 6 January 2010 | ||
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| Written By Ken Storer Directed By David Platt | ||
A murder case puts detectives on the trail of a vengeful womanizer infected with HIV who is knowingly spreading the disease.
Plot
When seventeen-year-old Anna McWilliams is found strangled and beaten to death in an alley, her ex-boyfriend leads the cops to a website that McWilliams used to meet up with random men. Detective Olivia Benson decides to create a user account for the site and finds womanizer Peter Butler, the man who met up with McWilliams. The case is closed when a different suspect is proven guilty of her murder, and a new one opens when McWilliams rape kit tests positive for HIV. Not only is HIV spreading because of countless attacks, but now the detectives must also track down a man who is knowingly spreading HIV and catch a rapist on the loose. Eventually, the detectives figure out that the one spreading HIV is Peter Butler, who is angry with women because his mother ran off on him as a child. He is charged with assault for spreading the disease with a young woman who he had slept with, Rebecca Ellison, testing positive for HIV from Peter. Rebecca has no money to pay for her treatment and no insurance either.
During the trial, someone hacks Peter's Face Union page, warns everyone on it to get tested, and leaks the story to the media, causing the city to learn how hundreds of women may have been infected by Peter, who has no remorse for his actions. Rebecca sprays Peter in the face with hydrochloric acid, seriously burning him and causing him to lose an eye, forcing Cabot to charge her with assault as well. Cabot offers her a deal so she won't die in prison if found guilty, which could give her a twenty-year term. However, she refuses to take it, so Cabot is forced to destroy her credibility on the stand.
After a conversation with Peter's grandfather, Dewey, Benson and Stabler realize he was the one that warned everyone and tell Peter, who confronts him. Dewey admits to lying about the whole thing and confessed to Peter about his mother: she loved Peter with all her heart, but when he was three, she started dating a man who was abusive to both of them. To protect her son, Peter's mother murdered the man and died in prison. Dewey thought by lying to him was protecting him as well, but it only resulted in further fueling his ire. He then commits suicide by a sleeping pill overdose; in his dying breath, he tells Peter to become a good human being and not let his death be in vain. As a result of his grandfather's sacrifice and knowing the truth about his mother, a guilt-ridden Peter lets go of his anger and does the right thing: he pleads guilty to all of his crimes and drops the charges against Rebecca, who Cabot and Benson release with the good news. They also inform her that before Dewey died, he disinherited Peter and put all of his money into a fund to pay for the treatment of all of Peter's victims, which includes Rebecca. While her rapist is still on the loose, Benson promises that they will not stop until he/she is brought to justice.
Summary
Episode summary
Cast
Main cast
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only)
- Tamara Tunie as Dr. Melinda Warner
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast
- David Thornton as Attorney Lionel Granger
- Audrie J. Neenan as Judge Lois Preston
- Patricia Kalember as Judge Karen Taten
- Joel de la Fuente as TARU Lieutenant Ruben Morales
- Jabari Gray as CSU Tech Keegan Timmons
Guest cast
- Brian Geraghty as Peter Butler
- Mattie Hawkinson as Rebecca Ellison
- Monique Gabriela Curnen as Attorney Owens
- Brady Corbet as Henry Christensen
- Orlagh Cassidy as Mrs. Christensen
- Jack Larson as Dewey Butler
- Robert Levine as Sherman
- Gerald McCullouch as Ben McWilliams
- Sylvia Kauders as Esther
- Erica Bradshaw as Court Clerk
- Kate Simses as Penny
- Cuyle Carvin as Brad
- Eric Peterson as Jake
- Trevor Zhou as Levi
- Chris Sierra as Frank
References
Episode references
Quotes
Cabot: (about the victim's boyfriend's sob story) How pathetic: she's dead but he's the victim.
- Olivia Benson: How about a threesome?
- Peter Butler: You got a hot girlfriend stashed somewhere?
- Olivia Benson: I got a hot boyfriend.
- Peter Butler: That's not really my scene... but I'll try anything once.
(Fin comes up from behind and handcuffs Butler) - Peter Butler: Hey! I'm not into S&M!
- Odafin Tutuola: You're under arrest, idiot.
- Peter Butler: I'm a stockbroker.
- Elliot Stabler: Wow, you really do enjoy screwing people.
- Peter Butler: What happens in my bedroom...
- Elliot Stabler: ...or a public park...
- Peter Butler: ...is none of your business. Unless consensual sex is illegal.
- Elliot Stabler: No, but assault with your "deadly weapon" is.
Peter Butler: Those women will have a part of me in them until they died.
Dewey Butler (his last words): It's not too late for you, Peter; become a good human being. Peter...don't let me die...in vain.
Background information & notes
This episode makes reference to the recent case of the State of Texas vs. Philippe Padieu. Padieu was convicted of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and sentenced to 45 years in prison for intentionally transmitting HIV. In the case of Padieu, the victims conducted their own investigation and brought forward the witnesses and key information needed to launch the case and secure a conviction. For the first time in Texas, phylogenetic DNA testing was used as evidence to confirm a link between Padieu and his victims. The backstory for this groundbreaking case was also featured on ABC 20/20 and prominent talk shows. The victims tell their story and provide resources for HIV testing in the web site http://getested.com.
Episode scene cards
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Branford |
Residence of |
Christensen Residence |
Supreme Court |
| 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|
|
Supreme Court |
Supreme Court |
Rikers Island |
| Previous episode: "Anchor" |
"Quickie" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 11 |
Next episode: "Shadow" |