| "Totem" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | SVU, Episode 12.20 | → |
| Production number: 12020 First aired: 30 March 2011 | ||
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| Written By Jonathan Greene Directed By Jonathan Kaplan | ||
Summary
When a young girl is found dead with a doll that is believed to have been left as a totem, detectives Benson and Stabler team up with Captain Jackson, a psychiatrist assisted them with a recent case, to investigate her murder. Jackson joins the detectives as they retrace the girl's last steps and go to meet with her piano teacher June Frye. Jackson's skills prove to be invaluable in deciphering the meaning of the totem and ultimately finding her killer.
Plot
The body of missing girl Marnie Foster is found outside a church in a duffel bag. The autopsy shows that Marnie was sexually assaulted with a foreign object and suffocated to death with a pillow. There was a doll placed with Marnie in the bag and Marnie was given sleeping pills. With Dr. George Huang out of town, psychiatrist Cap Jackson helps the SVU squad with the case. Jackson believes that the killer didn't mean to murder Marnie.
The detectives later discover that the doll found with Marnie doesn't belong to Marnie, and was made 20 years ago. When Fin and Olivia go to talk to Marnie's mother, Susan, they witness Susan arguing with a man and getting pushed by him. The man turns out to be Chet Hadler, who had an affair with Susan. It turns out that Chet has a record of sexually abusing his previous girlfriend's daughter. Susan and Chet's alibi checks out. They were at a hotel together the day Marnie was murdered.
Jackson believes that Marnie's killer is a woman, but Olivia and Elliot don't think so because female rapists are rare, especially those who kill their victims. Jackson tells Olivia that his daughter, Ann, passed away and he is not reopening his clinic because he lost credibility with his colleagues for breaking doctor-patient confidentiality by cooperating with the police. Jackson believes not only is Marnie's killer a woman, but she was possibly sexually abused herself. The doll is a totem for the killer's loss of innocence.
The detectives focus on the female adults in Marnie's life, which includes her piano teacher, June Frye. June is shaken up over Marnie's death and tells Olivia that she was a talented student. June tells Olivia that her parents died in a car accident a long time ago. Meanwhile, the other detectives question Marnie's teachers who all have alibis. They decide to check out Marnie's funeral to see if her killer might be there.
At Marnie's funeral, Elliot, Jackson, Olivia, and Fin keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. Olivia notices a woman running through the crowd which turns out to be June Frye. Back at the precinct, it is discovered that June has no criminal record and teaches piano lessons at the brownstone that she inherited from her parents which is right around the corner from the church where Marnie's body was found.
Jackson says that June claims that Susan Foster called to cancel Marnie's piano lesson, but it turns out not to be true. June actually called Susan to cancel the lesson and canceled her other students' lessons as well. Unfortunately, Marnie didn't get the message that her piano lesson was canceled. Elliot believes that June's brownstone is the crime scene and wants to get a warrant, but Jackson wants to talk to June first.
Jackson, Olivia, and Elliot go to June's brownstone to talk to her. While there, Elliot and Jackson search around the brownstone and Jackson discovers a doll's hair on a pile of piano sheet music. Olivia finds pillows which matches the one found in the duffel bag where Marnie's body was. The detectives also discover luggage in the garbage that matches the duffel bag that Marnie's body was placed in. While Elliot and Jackson were outside, a muffled thud is heard from inside the house and Olivia calls for an ambulance. When they get inside, June is found unconscious on the ground from taking sleeping pills and Jackson tries to revive her by giving her CPR.
June awakes in the hospital, but she refuses to talk about what happened to Marnie. Fin tells the detectives that June used bleach on the wooden spoon and the luggage, which destroyed the DNA. Marnie's fingerprints were found at June's house along with her other piano students.
Jackson talks to June about the doll. She talks about her mother, but refuses to talk about her father. When June says that maybe she needs a lawyer, the detectives stop Jackson from talking to June since she asked for a lawyer. When Jackson explains he has to leave because June asked for a lawyer, June becomes upset and changes her mind. She explains to Jackson that her father gave the doll and sexually abused her. She confesses to murdering Marnie.
Before June is arrested, the detectives see June kneeling and praying for forgiveness, which leads the detectives to believe that there are other victims. The detectives question June's students, who all say that she is a good teacher. One of her students tells Elliot that June was seen arguing with an older woman the day Marnie was killed. It is later discovered that the lady is June's mother, Elaine Frye Cavanaugh. Jackson wonders why June said that her mother was dead. Elliot wonders if Elaine abused Marnie and believes that Elaine was over at June's house the day Marnie was killed. Olivia believes that Elaine killed Marnie.
Elliot and Olivia talk to Elaine, who denies murdering Marnie and orders them to leave. Elaine's daughter from her second marriage, Katie, asks what is wrong and Elaine asks her to tell the detectives where she was the day Marnie died. Katie says that she dropped off Elaine at a bridge tournament. She starts getting upset and says that she didn't do anything. Elaine tells her to shut up, but then Katie runs off to her room and hides in her closet. Elliot is able to coax Katie out of the closet. Olivia asks Katie if it is her room, which Katie says it is, but when Elaine comes in, she tells them to get out. It is assumed that Elaine and Katie share the same room, which disgusts Olivia.
At Rikers, Jackson and Elliot tell June that she doesn't belong in prison and that they know that June put Marnie in the duffel bag after Katie killed Marnie. Olivia walks in with Katie and the two sisters hug each other while in tears. Jackson assures June that what happened to her wasn't her fault. It is known that Elaine had been abusing them, leaving them physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred. Katie was the one affected the most, because she had been traumatized all the way from childhood to adulthood, which left her in a mental fragile state.
Katie confesses to molesting and murdering Marnie; June came home and helped get rid of Marnie's body. On the other side, June said that she heard enough and Olivia told her that she had to testify against Katie about the abuse she endured and also share her own abuse. June asks if that will be enough of keep her from going to prison. Olivia tells June that Katie will be sent to a psychiatric facility. Also, Jackson stated that they will do everything they can to help Katie, but she will never be free again, because of the murder she committed as a result of the loss of her innocence. June asks her about what will happen to her mother, and Olivia tells June there is one apartment bedroom that Katie shared with Elaine. As a result, Elaine will be charged and sent to prison for the abuse. Soon, Katie's voice calls out to June from the other side, telling her that she still loves her and will always be her little sister. June cannot help but feel guilty for what happened, believing she let her family be destroyed and wondering how can she forgive herself. Jackson assures her that he will help her and that she will find a way out from her depression and become a healthier person. Olivia looks on in hope, believing that it will help June regain her sense of innocence.
Cast
Main Cast
- Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch (credit only)
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only) (mentioned)
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Dann Florek as Captain Don Cragen (credit only)
Recurring cast
- Jeremy Irons as Dr. Cap Jackson
Guest cast
- Lisa Banes as Elaine Frye Cavanaugh
- Agatha Nowicki as Katie Cavanaugh
- Heidi Armbruster as Susan Foster
- Doug Wert as Chester Hadler
- Elizabeth Mitchell as June Frye
- Carmen Lopez as Rosita Vasquez
- Renée Veronica Freeman as Casey
- Stephanie Brait as Sheila
- Thoa Dang as Lily
- Dylan Gelulla as Becca (as Dylan Gelula)
- Cecilia Gault as Linda
- Katelyn Rapp as Sarah
- Kaylin Iannone as Tina
- Todd Thurston as Wilson
- Wayne Scherzer as Craig (as Wayne R. Scherzer)
- Andrew Firda as Shane
References
- Grant Cavanaugh
- Frédéric Chopin
- FBI
- Roger Frye
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- George Huang
- Washington, D.C.
Quotes
Background information and notes
- Dr. Jackson's daughter who was attacked in Mask has died.
- This episode is based on the murder of Sandra Cantu.
Episode scene cards
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Foster Residence |
Foster Residence |
Brownstone of |
Residence of |
Rikers Island |
| Previous episode: "Bombshell" |
"Totem" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 12 |
Next episode: "Reparations" |