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George Huang (Law & Order)
Encyclopedia
Special Agent George Huang, M.D.
is a fictional character
on the TV drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. He is portrayed by B. D. Wong.
" (#42). He is both an FBI Agent and the resident forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler for the Special Victims Unit. He provides them with expert analysis of crime scenes and suspects. His vast knowledge of forensic psychology
and psychopathology
lends him a preternatural ability to understand, empathize
with, and predict the actions of suspects as well as victims. He also has extensive knowledge in the fields of theology
, ethnic studies
, and forensics, and speaks fluent Chinese
.
Despite a rocky start with the SVU detectives, they seem to have come to trust Huang implicitly. However, his opinion is not always appreciated; he sometimes agrees with the diagnoses of mental illness
provided by defense attorneys and their psychiatrists, making it harder for the Assistant DAs
who work with the precinct to prosecute criminals.
Like the detectives, however, Huang has empathy first and foremost with victims of sexual assault
, particularly children. He is usually very calm, soft-spoken, and even-tempered, except in one notable occasion (see below). As a psychiatrist, he sometimes offers his expertise to the detectives themselves, by helping them with any emotional problems they may have. One notable example is the Season 6 episode "Charisma" (#123). After the detectives see that several children have been murdered in a cult
leader's home, Huang sits down with each of the detectives individually. He also does not believe in the death penalty.
Early in his career as a psychiatrist, Huang worked as a counselor for sex offender
s, motivated by a genuine belief that he could rehabilitate them. He quit after a few years, however, frustrated by his patients' unwillingness to truly participate in the therapy
. As special agent assigned to the FBI's New York City office, he was seconded to the 16th Detective Squad to help catch the same criminals he once treated.
According to the episode "Inheritance" (#51), he has a sister.
while he and Detective Elliot Stabler
(Christopher Meloni
) try to get him to confess to a murder.
In the 2003 episode "Coerced" (#97), he clashes with Stabler about the treatment of a suspect and says that he would testify on behalf of the defense.
In the 2009 episode "Lead
" (#217), he is attacked in the interrogation room by a murder suspect who had pica
, which indirectly caused the suspect to be violent due to consumption of lead-based paint.
In the episode "Crush" (#222) he makes his first on-air arrest
as an FBI agent.
In the 2009 episode "Hardwired" (#229) he mentions that he is gay
after becoming involved in a case in which a pedophile rights group compares the public's hatred of them to homophobia
.
In the 2009 episode "Users" (#231) he illegally administers ibogaine
to treat a heroin addict. When confronted with possible consequences, he says that his work as a physican is more important to him than his own welfare. After he reports himself to the New York Department of Health, his license to practice medicine is suspended for 30 days.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the TV drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. He is portrayed by B. D. Wong.
Character overview
Huang is introduced in the episode "PiqueLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 2)
This article contains a list of episodes for season 2 of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.David J. Burke and Neal Baer served as chief executive producers; Baer took over in the season finale.-Cast:...
" (#42). He is both an FBI Agent and the resident forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler for the Special Victims Unit. He provides them with expert analysis of crime scenes and suspects. His vast knowledge of forensic psychology
Forensic psychology
Forensic psychology is the intersection between psychology and the criminal justice system. It involves understanding criminal law in the relevant jurisdictions in order to be able to interact appropriately with judges, attorneys and other legal professionals...
and psychopathology
Psychopathology
Psychopathology is the study of mental illness, mental distress, and abnormal/maladaptive behavior. The term is most commonly used within psychiatry where pathology refers to disease processes...
lends him a preternatural ability to understand, empathize
Empathy
Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another sapient or semi-sapient being. Someone may need to have a certain amount of empathy before they are able to feel compassion. The English word was coined in 1909 by E.B...
with, and predict the actions of suspects as well as victims. He also has extensive knowledge in the fields of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, ethnic studies
Ethnic studies
Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary study of racialized peoples in the world in relation to ethnicity. It evolved in the second half of the 20th century partly in response to charges that traditional disciplines such as anthropology, history, English, ethnology, Asian studies, and orientalism...
, and forensics, and speaks fluent Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
Despite a rocky start with the SVU detectives, they seem to have come to trust Huang implicitly. However, his opinion is not always appreciated; he sometimes agrees with the diagnoses of mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
provided by defense attorneys and their psychiatrists, making it harder for the Assistant DAs
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
who work with the precinct to prosecute criminals.
Like the detectives, however, Huang has empathy first and foremost with victims of sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
, particularly children. He is usually very calm, soft-spoken, and even-tempered, except in one notable occasion (see below). As a psychiatrist, he sometimes offers his expertise to the detectives themselves, by helping them with any emotional problems they may have. One notable example is the Season 6 episode "Charisma" (#123). After the detectives see that several children have been murdered in a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
leader's home, Huang sits down with each of the detectives individually. He also does not believe in the death penalty.
Early in his career as a psychiatrist, Huang worked as a counselor for sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s, motivated by a genuine belief that he could rehabilitate them. He quit after a few years, however, frustrated by his patients' unwillingness to truly participate in the therapy
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
. As special agent assigned to the FBI's New York City office, he was seconded to the 16th Detective Squad to help catch the same criminals he once treated.
According to the episode "Inheritance" (#51), he has a sister.
Notable episodes
In the episode "Execution" (#58), Huang is attacked by a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
while he and Detective Elliot Stabler
Elliot Stabler
Det. Elliot "El" Stabler is a fictional character on the TV crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Christopher Meloni. He was the partner of Olivia Benson before retiring, following a shooting.-Character overview:...
(Christopher Meloni
Christopher Meloni
Christopher Peter Meloni is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and as inmate Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama Oz.-Early life:Meloni was born the youngest of three children in...
) try to get him to confess to a murder.
In the 2003 episode "Coerced" (#97), he clashes with Stabler about the treatment of a suspect and says that he would testify on behalf of the defense.
In the 2009 episode "Lead
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 10)
This article contains a list of episodes for season 10 of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Cast:*Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler*Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia Benson*Richard Belzer as Sgt. John Munch...
" (#217), he is attacked in the interrogation room by a murder suspect who had pica
Pica (disorder)
Pica is characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive . For these actions to be considered pica, they must persist for more than one month at an age where eating such objects is considered developmentally inappropriate...
, which indirectly caused the suspect to be violent due to consumption of lead-based paint.
In the episode "Crush" (#222) he makes his first on-air arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
as an FBI agent.
In the 2009 episode "Hardwired" (#229) he mentions that he is gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
after becoming involved in a case in which a pedophile rights group compares the public's hatred of them to homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
.
In the 2009 episode "Users" (#231) he illegally administers ibogaine
Ibogaine
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance found in a number of plants, principally in a member of the Apocynaceae family known as Iboga . A hallucinogen with both psychedelic and dissociative properties, the substance is banned in some countries; in other countries it is being used...
to treat a heroin addict. When confronted with possible consequences, he says that his work as a physican is more important to him than his own welfare. After he reports himself to the New York Department of Health, his license to practice medicine is suspended for 30 days.