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"Raw"
SVU, Episode 7.06
Production number: 07008
First aired (US): 1 November 2005
First aired (CAN): 1 November 2005
First aired (AUS): 19 June 2006
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
th of 502 released in SVU
  th of 1271 released in all  
Dana Lewis
Written By
Dawn DeNoon

Directed By
Jonathan Kaplan

Plot[]

A six-year-old boy dies in a school shooting and two other children are severely injured. Despite multiple and unreliable descriptions by both kids and adults, one of the injured boys identifies a troubled student named Johnny Mayhew, who is found to be innocent, mainly because the gun is a pistol rather than the high-powered rifle used in the killing spree. As kids are returned to school, one terrified little girl is noticed by the detectives. Doctor Huang questions her, and she eventually reveals that she was being molested by a man named Mr. Buggesi, whose name she mispronounced as "Mr. Bug Eyes," and he threatened to shoot her with a gun that was as tall as she was. As Cragen and Stabler go to his apartment in order to question him, they find the girl's vengeful uncle savagely beating him to a pulp. Both are arrested on the spot, but the only gun found is a realistic-looking toy rifle. Despite being found to have no connection with the shooting, Buggesi has warrants for sexual abuse in Florida, and will still be extradited as soon as he recovers from his injuries.

Meanwhile, Munch traces the gun used from South Dakota to a gun shop on Staten Island named Gun Ho. Stabler and Munch find that it is being managed by a young boy named Kyle Ackerman. A commotion in the basement during the investigation leads the detectives to find a woman named Star Morrison and that the gun shop is also a base of operations for "RAW," or "Revolution Aryan Warriors", a neo-Nazi white-supremacist group led by Kyle's father Brian Ackerman. Munch and Fin both face hatred and prejudice from the major suspects in the case during interrogations (due to Munch being Jewish and Fin being Black). However, their investigation soon takes them from former Rikers inmate Brannon Lee Redding, the man who pulled the trigger, back to the gun shop owner, who makes no bones about his hatred of anyone who is not white. By comparison, the sniper is even more of an obnoxious bigot.

Eventually, it is revealed that Ackerman's group are terrorists, not just white supremacists. As Brannon reveals his ties to Brian's organization, Kyle and another member of the group, Christopher Rawlings, open fire on the courtroom, killing the sniper, the judge, and a court officer, and wounding Stabler, Munch, and another officer, but Stabler is able to kill Rawlings. Kyle goes to kill Stabler, but is killed from behind by Star, who reveals herself actually to be an undercover FBI agent, whose real name proves to be Dana Lewis. She later reveals to Munch that she infiltrated the group months before and worked her way to the top. She then apologizes to Munch and Fin for the racial slurs and behaviors she used against them, as that was part of her cover too and not her real personality, and both men forgive her. Later, Lewis visits Benson with the news that thanks to her undercover efforts, the FBI was able to bring down the group, doing so before they could bomb an unknown location. Lewis also reveals shocking evidence she uncovered during the bust: the adoptive parents of the murdered child hired the group to kill him for the money they would receive from life-insurance policies taken out on the child. Lewis and Benson confront the parents, who say that they did it only for the money, not out of racist beliefs.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Dr. Beresford: You'll be back to running marathons in no time.
Koehler: But I never ran in a marathon.
Dr. Beresford: Well, you will now. That's how good we're gonna fix you up.

[while examining a map that was hit by a stray bullet]
Cragen: Looks like he took out Tulsa. Probably unintentional.

Star Morrison: [to Munch] I'm not going anywhere with you, kike! [slaps him]
Stabler: Assaulting a police officer. Now you're guaranteed a ride with us.

Tutuola: So you know I'm employed here?
Star Morrison: Affirmative Action hard at work, ladies and gentlemen!

Stabler: You make a mistake on that one?
Star Morrison: It must've been, 'cause she is too pretty to be Jewish.

Kyle Ackerman: RAW doesn't advocate violence. We leave that to the savages.

Tutuola: [to Kyle Ackerman] You never had a chance, did you?
Kyle Ackerman: What?
Tutuola: Your father's been filling your head with hate since you were a baby. I actually feel sorry for you.
Kyle Ackerman: Oh, don't. I was lucky to be born a Caucasian. You were the one who drew the genetic short straw.
Munch: You know, scientists have discovered there's really no genetic difference between the races. It's only skin deep.
Kyle Ackerman: Jews are the descendants of the union between Eve and Satan.
Tutuola: And who do you think spawned you?

Brian Ackerman: I need someone to help me right now, preferably someone who speaks English with an I.Q. above 60.

Benson: [to Brian Ackerman] You know, your rant is even funnier in person than it is on your website.
Brian Ackerman: Ah, yeah. The requisite tuna feminist. Why don't you stay out of this one, Hillary? What have you done with my son?
Benson: Don't worry. His mind is just as warped as you left it.

Tutuola: [to Brian Ackerman] I understand you home-school this boy. You afraid to expose him to the truth?
Kyle Ackerman: My father's a brilliant teacher. He doesn't dumb down the lessons for minorities like they do in public school or distort history to mollify them.
Benson: Sweetheart, he's completely brainwashed you.
Kyle Ackerman: You're the idiot embracing the lies.

Munch: [to Brannon Lee Redding] Mein Kampf. I see you're not a member of Oprah's Book Club.

Novak: What does your client have to offer?
Redding: Just my undying love and affection. We'd make pretty white babies together, don't you think?

Novak: Heshy, have you informed your client that if you take this to trial, he will be judged by a jury of his peers?
Redding: Other skinheads. Great.
Novak: No, your human peers. It's a lovely, racially diverse group.

Judge Schuyler: You may now allocute... Describe your crime for the court.
Redding: Uh, I shot the two Jew kids and the porch monkey.
Gallery Member: May you burn in hell, you racist pig!

Judge Schuyler: [rejecting Brannon Redding's plea bargain] Two options, Mr. Redding: withdraw the plea and take your chances at trial or accept the current offer of 25 to life for each count, but to be served consecutively, not concurrently, as so egregiously suggested. If you should choose to go to trial and are found guilty, I will show no leniency. Your parole officers parents haven't even been born yet!

Barry Moredock: I'm taking over representation for Brian Ackerman.
Novak: How'd you let that piece of garbage con you, Barry? It's not a First Amendment case.
Moredock: It is if you're only going after him because you don't like the things he has to say.
Novak: Have you had a conversation with him?
Moredock: Yes, and I find every word he spews morally repugnant, but his speech, despicable as it may be, doesn't entitle anyone to trample all over his constitutional rights, now, does it?

Tutuola: [visiting Munch in the hospital after the courtroom shootout] So where is it you got shot?
Munch: That would be in the ass. You wanna kiss it and make it better?
Tutuola: You be nice to me or you won't get the shake I smuggled in for you.
Munch: Thanks.
Tutuola: Thanks for not makin' me break in a new partner.

[about arranging the shooting of Jeffrey Whitlock]
Janice Whitlock: We're not racists. We just needed the money.


Background information and notes[]

  • This is the only instance where Munch gets shot.
  • This is the third time that Detective Elliot Stabler was forced to shoot and kill a suspect. In this case it was Christopher Rawlings.
  • This episode is one of two that Wolf Films submitted for consideration for a 2006 Emmy nomination.
  • Universal City Studios, who produces Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, owns the two fictitious websites mentioned in the episode and created by the Ackermans: "blitzkriegwarriors.org" and "blitzkriegkids.com."
  • Goof/Nitpick: When Heshy Horowitz (according to dialog) evidently bails on his client, Brannon Lee Redding, Barry Moredock takes over representation of Brian Ackerman. However, even though Moredock has a brief major scene arguing with Novak and the judge, while Novak was questioning Redding right before the court shooting incident Horowitz is the attorney shown seated next to Ackerman instead, and Moredock is nowhere to be seen. It is unclear whether or not this was intentional.
  • Barry Moredock, however, did say that he took over the case as defense attorney.
  • Dana Lewis would appear again in the season 8 episode "Informed", but both her and Brian Ackerman would return in the season 12 episode "Penetration".
  • Goof: Munch talked of a loophole for purchasing Long Guns, not requiring background checks. This is incorrect, all firearms purchased from FFLs require NICS check.
  • The white supremacist family being named "Ackerman" is ironic, as Ackerman, while originally German, is also a common Ashkenazi Jewish surname.
  • Kathy Stabler has filed divorce papers which Elliot has not signed. The audience finds out about their separation in the episode "Doubt".

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3

P.S. 74
503 West 160th Street
Monday, October 3

Bellevue Hospital
Recovery Room
Monday, October 3

Gun Ho!
Staten Island, New York
Tuesday, October 4

4 5 6

Trial Part 40
Thursday, October 27

Bellevue Hospital
Recovery Room
Thursday, October 27

Whitlock Residence
462 West 163rd Street
Friday, October 28

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"Strain"
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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 7
Next episode:
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