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"Serendipity"
SVU, Episode 5.05
Production number: E4408
First aired: 21 October 2003
  {{{nNthProducedInSeries}}}th of 502 produced in SVU  
{{{nNthReleasedInSeries}}}th of 502 released in SVU
  {{{nNthReleasedInAll}}}th of 1271 released in all  
Novak Serendipity
Written By
Dawn DeNoon & Lisa Marie Petersen

Directed By
Constantine Makris

Summary[]

The discovery of the bodies of a newborn and her mother leads to a doctor coming under suspicion.

Plot[]

The body of a deceased newborn female is found in a sewer, dead from fatal bleeding. As the detectives investigate, they soon discover that the mother, Brianna Morris, was brutally murdered in her home after being forced to give birth. The investigation leads toward a dermatologist, Dr. Archibald Newlands, whom Brianna claimed was the father of her child.

Meanwhile, Olivia and Elliot butt heads with the new A.D.A., Casey Novak who is interfering with their methods.

While a paternity test proves that Newlands isn't the father of Brianna's child, Munch discovers that his DNA matches a pair of rape cases involving young girls and a culprit known as the "Honey Rapist". Newlands is subsequently arrested but denies the allegations. He later disappears before his hearing and is later found murdered during his trial. Cragen also reveals another girl was kidnapped, with an empty honey stirrer being found nearby and coinciding with Newlands' supposed MO of using honey as a turn-on to rape his alleged victims.

An autopsy reveals a tube containing blood that he had implanted in his arm, which Agent Huang recognizes as a way to "beat" a paternity test. Benson realizes that Newlands was the father of Brianna's child, while Warner informs the confused Stabler that the scar would've been hidden when he gave “his blood” so that's how he was able to avoid suspicion. The detectives come to the assumption that whoever's blood it is, they are the true culprit of the cold cases Newlands was wrongfully accused of.

While going over the case, the detectives and Huang conclude that Newlands faked the blood sample by using one of his clinic's patients to cover up his role in the murders of Brianna and their child, but the false blood implicated him in the crimes of said patient. They note on how he was guilty either way even if he gave his blood and told the truth, so he figured to tell his attorney the truth and then flee the country, but the real Honey Rapist tracked him down and killed him before he could in order to close the case. Huang informs the detectives that the rapist is likely basking in victory, and snatched another kid to rape with the intention of killing her afterward to conceal the fact that he's still alive and active. Wanting to avoid this, they go to Newlands' widow, who also works as a dermatologist, for help in identifying the rapist/her husband's killer. Sure enough, with her help, they learn the man's identity: one of her patients, Peter Nestler.

They subsequently raid Nestler's apartment, where they find child porn and numerous bottles of honey, thus confirming his identity as the real "Honey Rapist". Novak, who tagged along to see if she could handle this sort of thing, notices clues that Nestler is a fisherman and Benson finds the location and name of a boat owned by him.

They catch him at the docks, where Nestler realizes the cops are on to him and tries to flee but Stabler chases him down before knocking him off the docks. As Olivia searches Nestler's boat, Stabler, enraged over his crimes, repeatedly shoves the man under the water in an attempt to force him to reveal the location of the victim while Nestler begs for help. However, Novak checks a cooler Nestler was carrying with him when they caught him and finds the little girl inside it, still alive and apparently unharmed. Novak carries the girl to safety as Benson and Stabler arrest Nestler for the rapes, kidnapping, and Newlands' murder.

Later, Novak approaches Branch, believing she can't handle this job. However, he believes otherwise and tells her that she will understand eventually, revealing that how the case affected her showed him that she's exactly the right person for the job.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Tutuola: [to one of Brianna Lewis' neighbors] Woman had a freaking baby across the hall and you don't hear that?
Neighbor #2: I don't know. She was a quiet girl.
Tutuola: No woman's quiet during childbirth.

Tutuola: Phone line works. She could've called for help.
Munch: Well, killers don't usually encourage that.

[during Brianna Lewis's autopsy]
Warner: She was injected with Versed, a powerful sedative that paralyzes.
Benson: But doesn't knock you out. Brianna would've felt everything going on, but couldn't move to resist.
Stabler: Wait a minute. How can you go into labor if you're paralyzed?
Warner: Pitocin causes the cervix to dilate.
Benson: Which pregnant women produce naturally.
Warner: But I found evidence of a synthetic form in the anal cavity. I'd say your perp incapacitated her with the Versed and then gave her a Pitocin suppository to induce labor...
Stabler: And then ripped the baby right out of her.

Benson: Who the hell are you?
Stabler: That's our new ADA. Casey Novak, Olivia Benson. Olivia, this is Casey Novak.
Novak: Do I know you?
Stabler: Yeah, shortstop, cop's team. Come here.
Novak: Oh, right. Didn't recognize you when you weren't covered in my dust.

Munch: Last call for bets on Dr. Newlands paternity test.
Cragen: Just give us the results, John.
Munch: What do you want, the good news or the bad news first?
Cragen: John...
Munch: He's not the father.
Casey Novak: So what's the good news?
Munch: We cleared a cold case.

Dr. Archibald Newlands: I'm not a pedophile.
Stabler: Yeah, you are. You're just a well-read one.

[after Casey halts the interrogation of Dr. Newlands]
Stabler: Where's Cragen?
Novak: I don't know.
Stabler: Then you don't interrupt me when I'm in there with a perp. You stand here, watch through this one-way and see where we are.

Stabler: Detective Elliot Stabler: ADA Novak, Trevor Langan.
[to Langan] Detective Elliot Stabler: I assume you're here to protect your pedophile?
Trevor Langan: Alleged pedophile. And Casey and I go way back.
Novak: To Wall Street. Most of his clients just screw employees out of pension plans.
Trevor Langan: Well, this one didn't screw anyone. If he's not charged, I'll be collecting him. Detective Benson, my client has nothing more to say to you.

[When Elliot and Olivia speak to a young girl who was sexually assaulted]
Benson: Molly, we found the man that did it.
Molly Stratton: Good. I hope they kill him in jail.
Stabler: Actually, he's not in jail yet.
Molly Stratton: Why not?
Stabler: The law lets us pursue someone for only so long and we caught this guy a little too late.
Molly Stratton: You guys suck. [walks off]
Benson: I hate to do this to her.
Stabler: It's for her.

[about Alicia Hahn]
Benson: Could you have been any tougher on that little girl like she hasn't already been traumatized enough?
Novak: I'm sorry.
Benson: Nobody thinks that they can do this at first.
Novak: I wanted straight homicides, you know? All the glory, no living victims.
Benson: Lesson number one: nobody can handle the children.

Novak: What do you tell your boyfriend?
Benson: I don't have one actually, once they find out what I do, the ones that don't pull away immediately get too interested and want to know all the sickening details.
Novak: I guess it's easier on the men's side.
Benson: Well, Fin doesn't talk about his personal life at work, Elliot doesn't talk about his work at home, and Munch has just given up.

Munch: [to Fin] You ever think of investing in a restaurant or bar?
Tutuola: With your track record? No way. I heard about that dive of yours in Baltimore.
Trevor Langan: [to Munch and Fin] I'd stay away from the food and beverage industry. If you're looking for a good tax shelter...
Munch: Can you make it any more obvious that you're talking to us?

[When it's discovered during Dr. Newlands' autopsy that he put a tube of blood in his arm]
Warner: He could have given himself a local, inserted the tube and stitched himself back up.
Stabler: Why would he do that?
Dr. Huang: To beat a paternity test.
Benson: Son of a bitch. Newlands was the father of Brianna's baby. He put somebody else's blood in that tube.
Stabler: Hold on a minute, hold on. You have professional people taking blood out of his arm. Wouldn't they notice that?
Warner: You only have to roll your sleeve up to the elbow. The scar would've been hidden.
Stabler: Thought I'd seen everything.

Novak: Got a minute?
Branch: When you rescue a little girl, you get two. Have a seat.
Novak: I can't do it.
Branch: Sure you can. Just bend your knees and let gravity take over.

Branch: I was watching you for this job when you were in White Collar. Knew you were tough, but wasn't sure you were the right person.
Novak: I'm not.
Branch: The fact that it effects you like this tells me my first instincts were right.
Novak: What are you talking about?
Branch: This case was the ultimate test and you passed with flying colors.
Novak: But I don't want it.
Branch: You will.

Background information and notes[]

  • This episode marks the first appearance of ADA Casey Novak, who replaces Alexandra Cabot after the latter's apparent death. It is not, however, the first appearance of Diane Neal - she previously appeared in the episode "Ridicule". In the episode, ADA Casey Novak asks Detective Stabler if they've met before, probably a reference to her previous appearance.
    • They talk about how they played on opposing teams in what sounded like softball. Novak can be seen at a batting cage in the next episode "Coerced".
  • This episode also marks the first appearance by Paulina Gerzon, who would later return as Katie Nicholson in the Season 9 episode Savant.
  • Goof: When Dr. Warner first extracts the tube, the sutures are in the middle. When she holds it up for the detectives in the next frame, the sutures are at one end.
  • Loosely based on the case of Dr. John Schneeberger. Dr. Schneeberger inserted a tube into his arm filled with a patient's blood in an attempt to fool investigators in Kipling, Saskatchewan, into thinking that he was not responsible for the sexual assaults for which he was eventually found guilty.

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3

Frith Apartments
173 East 89th Street
Monday, October 6

Offices of
Metro Help Line
1160 Second Avenue
Tuesday, October 7

Wolcott Residence
42 East 78th Street
Wednesday, October 8

4 5 6

Apartment Building of
Brianna Morris
173 East 89th Street
Wednesday, October 8

Manhattan
Public Library
1303 Lexington Avenue
Thursday, October 9

Dermatology Practice of
Dr. Archibald Newlands
77 East 86th Street
Thursday, October 9

7 8 9 10

Stratton Residence
Springfield, New Jersey
Friday, October 10

Newlands Residence
63 East 81st Street
Friday, October 10

Trial Part 22
Tuesday, October 14

Office of
District Attorney
Arthur Branch
Wednesday, October 15

Previous episode:
"Loss"
"Serendipity"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 5
Next episode:
"Coerced"
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