In the conclusion to the season premiere, ADA Stone blames himself for the shocking verdict in Sam's case, and before Benson can offer help, Sam makes a tragic decision.In the conclusion to the season premiere, ADA Stone blames himself for the shocking verdict in Sam's case, and before Benson can offer help, Sam makes a tragic decision.In the conclusion to the season premiere, ADA Stone blames himself for the shocking verdict in Sam's case, and before Benson can offer help, Sam makes a tragic decision.
- Sergeant Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola
- (as Ice T)
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode marks the first appearance of recurring character Lisa Abernathy.
- Goofs7:30 An NYPD officer stands post in front of the school while school staff help evacuate students out to safety from the active shooter. In an ongoing active shooting incident, every single NYPD officer would mobilize into evacuating everyone (staff and students) out of the school safely and take control of the building.
- Quotes
Olivia Benson: Peter, this is not your fault.
Peter Stone: I made the decision to cross-examine him. I could have stood up, and said, "No questions, Your Honor." I could have looked in that boy's eyes and seen how fragile he was and damaged. I should have seen past the brave face, thought about sparing his soul any more pain instead of winning my case.
Olivia Benson: Peter, you were trying to save him.
Peter Stone: I didn't have to cross-examine him.
Olivia Benson: Yes, you did. His father raped him, for God's sakes.
Peter Stone: And then I raped him all over again up on that witness stand.
Feelings on rewatch were pretty much the same for the same reasons as on first watch, positive and negative. Positive and negative reasons being fairly similar to "Man Up". Of the two episodes, "Man Down" rates marginally lower, namely down to it being less consistent. Some 'Special Victims Unit' episodes have one half being better than the other, and that is the case with "Man Down" with it starting off so well but the final act brings it down quite significantly.
There are so many good things here. The production values are well done, subtly stylish and intimate without being claustrophobic. The lighting is better here. The music isn't too melodramatic and the direction lets the drama breathe while not dragging the momentum out. The script on the whole is thought provoking and uncompromising, especially when at the school.
As said earlier, "Man Down" starts off incredibly well, with some legitimate nail biting tension in the scene at the school. Did appreciate that the personal lives weren't melodramatic or too heavily focused on, though have always found everything with Olivia and Noah tired and dragged out. All the regulars are very good, especially Peter Scanivino who shines most in his chemistry with Bryce Romero, again knocking it out of the park in a moving performance. Dylan Walsh gives the creeps.
On the other hand, not everything works. The final act does bring the episode down, just found it very rushed and predictable with the truth never being in doubt. The writing in this section can be needlessly heavy handed and it was like being talked at and down about things known and made clear already.
Phillip Winchester is still very bland and stiff, and Stone never really worked as a character. Too little personality and too little development.
In conclusion, good but not great. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- May 3, 2023