Scorched Earth (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Encyclopedia
"Scorched Earth" is the thirteenth season
premiere episode of the NBC
legal drama
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
and the 273rd overall episode of the series. It aired on NBC in the United States on September 21, 2011. In this episode, Detective Olivia Benson investigated when a hotel maid accused a powerful Italian diplomat of rape.
), a hotel maid, claims to have been sexually assaulted by Roberto DiStasio (Franco Nero
), an Italian diplomat who is about to leave the country. While Detective Benson
interviews Deng at the hospital, Detective Amanda Rollins, who just transferred from Atlanta, manages to find enough evidence of the assault in Mr. DiStasio's room. Sergeant Munch
and Detective Tutuola race to the airport to arrest him before his plane departs for Italy.
DiStasio quickly lawyers up with Stan Exley (Ron Rifkin
) and asserts his diplomatic immunity
. After Deng positively identifies DiStasio from the lineup
, Tutuola and Benson take him to Dr. Warner's
office to have a forensic exam. His DNA is a match. Later, Benson and ADA Alexandra Cabot tell Deng that DiStasio's defense team will claim in court that she fabricated the accusation for monetary reasons and ask if she has been completely truthful; she asserts that she has. However, they later discover a tape recording wherein Deng says that she could get a lot of money from DiStasio for assaulting her, weakening her credibility, but Deng does not retract her accusation and insists that she was raped by DiStasio.
The defense presents evidence that Deng was convicted of prostitution two years ago. Deng denies the charge and said she had been gang-raped by the soldiers who killed her husband. Deng's credibility weakens further when the defense presents a surprise witness, Daniel Achok, who testified that he had advised her to lie about being raped on her application for political asylum. In the end, the jury deadlocked on the rape charge, but found DiStasio guilty of unlawful imprisonment, and Benson says that he will likely serve a year in prison.
Earlier in the episode, Captain Donald Cragen
tells Benson that her partner Detective Stabler
is under investigation from Internal Affairs for the squad room shooting
, in which Stabler was forced to shoot and kill a girl, and was put on leave. Benson is upset, saying it was a justified shooting. In the final scene of the episode, Cragen informs Benson that Elliot has resigned. A stunned Benson heads to the interrogation room and breaks down in tears as the episode ends.
; former show runner Neal Baer
departed after getting a three-year deal at CBS
; Baer is an executive producer on the Susannah Grant
created CBS medical drama, A Gifted Man
.
This is also the first episode to be produced where Christopher Meloni
was not part of the cast, due to his departure from the show in May 2011. Kelli Giddish
and Danny Pino
join the cast as Detectives Rollins and Amaro, respectively, although in this episode, Pino is absent; his character is introduced in the next episode. Tamara Tunie's
role as M.E. Melinda Warner
has dropped back to a recurring status, Tunie began portraying the character with recurring appearances from the second season until the seventh season, when she was officially added to the cast in the opening credits.
This episode is inspired by the Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrest
. Strauss-Kahn, who was head of the International Monetary Fund
and considered the front-runner in the French presidential election, was accused of sexually assaulting a maid at a midtown Manhattan hotel in May 2011. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, although he quit his IMF post, and his candidacy was derailed. Subsequently, the case has been shaken as prosecutors said his accuser admitted to lying to a grand jury about events surrounding the attack. Franco Nero
portrays a Strauss-Kahn like character, Roberto DiStasio, but he is an Italian dignitary. Ron Rifkin
is playing Distasio's defense attorney, who is similar to Strauss-Kahn's real-life attorney, Benjamin Brafman
.
New show-runner Warren Leight said about the premiere episode being inspired by Strauss-Kahn, "In this case, I don’t believe we ripped from the headlines. I believe the actual story ripped us off." While the real-life case’s twists and turns made for tantalizing headline news, it wound up being "quite annoying," Leight said, "We had to do rewrites. Everything we had in our initial draft had to be changed." He joked that the story was so fast-moving that they worried the final scenes would have to be shot live on the day the episode airs.
premiere of 9.68 million. SVU was the highest rated program on NBC that night, but did not beat the season premiere of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
on CBS
which drew approximately 12.74 million total viewers and had a 3.2/9% share in the age 18–49 demographic.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 13)
The 13th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit debuted on September 21, 2011 on NBC.This season Law & Order: SVU will be broadcast without any other running U.S. Law & Order series...
premiere episode of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
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...
and the 273rd overall episode of the series. It aired on NBC in the United States on September 21, 2011. In this episode, Detective Olivia Benson investigated when a hotel maid accused a powerful Italian diplomat of rape.
Plot
Miriam Deng (Anika Noni RoseAnika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog....
), a hotel maid, claims to have been sexually assaulted by Roberto DiStasio (Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
), an Italian diplomat who is about to leave the country. While Detective Benson
Olivia Benson
Det. Olivia "Liv" Benson is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. She is the former partner of Elliot Stabler. In Season 13, her partner will be Nick Amaro...
interviews Deng at the hospital, Detective Amanda Rollins, who just transferred from Atlanta, manages to find enough evidence of the assault in Mr. DiStasio's room. Sergeant Munch
John Munch
Sergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise...
and Detective Tutuola race to the airport to arrest him before his plane departs for Italy.
DiStasio quickly lawyers up with Stan Exley (Ron Rifkin
Ron Rifkin
Ron Rifkin is an American actor. He is best-known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama Alias and as Saul Holden on the American family drama Brothers & Sisters.-Personal life:...
) and asserts his diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws...
. After Deng positively identifies DiStasio from the lineup
Police lineup
A police lineup or identity parade is a process by which a crime victim or witness's putative identification of a suspect is confirmed to a level that can count as evidence at trial....
, Tutuola and Benson take him to Dr. Warner's
Melinda Warner
Dr. Melinda Warner is a fictional character on the show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Tamara Tunie. Tunie was originally a recurring cast member until she was added to the main credits in season 7. She became a recurring cast member again in season 13.-Character overview:As the...
office to have a forensic exam. His DNA is a match. Later, Benson and ADA Alexandra Cabot tell Deng that DiStasio's defense team will claim in court that she fabricated the accusation for monetary reasons and ask if she has been completely truthful; she asserts that she has. However, they later discover a tape recording wherein Deng says that she could get a lot of money from DiStasio for assaulting her, weakening her credibility, but Deng does not retract her accusation and insists that she was raped by DiStasio.
The defense presents evidence that Deng was convicted of prostitution two years ago. Deng denies the charge and said she had been gang-raped by the soldiers who killed her husband. Deng's credibility weakens further when the defense presents a surprise witness, Daniel Achok, who testified that he had advised her to lie about being raped on her application for political asylum. In the end, the jury deadlocked on the rape charge, but found DiStasio guilty of unlawful imprisonment, and Benson says that he will likely serve a year in prison.
Earlier in the episode, Captain Donald Cragen
Donald Cragen
Donald "Don" Cragen is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order and its spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Dann Florek.-Character appearances:...
tells Benson that her partner Detective 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:...
is under investigation from Internal Affairs for the squad room shooting
Smoked (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
"Smoked" is the 24th episode and season finale of the twelfth season of the NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the 272nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 18, 2011...
, in which Stabler was forced to shoot and kill a girl, and was put on leave. Benson is upset, saying it was a justified shooting. In the final scene of the episode, Cragen informs Benson that Elliot has resigned. A stunned Benson heads to the interrogation room and breaks down in tears as the episode ends.
Cast
- Mariska HargitayMariska HargitayMariska Hargitay is an American actress, best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role that has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.The daughter of actress...
as Det. Olivia BensonOlivia BensonDet. Olivia "Liv" Benson is a fictional character on the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay. She is the former partner of Elliot Stabler. In Season 13, her partner will be Nick Amaro... - Danny PinoDanny PinoDaniel G. "Danny" Pino is an Cuban American actor. 2002 saw him appear in London's West End in the theatre play called Up for Grabs with Madonna. In May 2003, Pino played Desi Arnaz in a CBS special on the life of Lucille Ball, Lucy: The Lucille Ball Story. Pino was born in Miami, Florida...
as Det. Nick Amaro (absent) - Kelli GiddishKelli GiddishKelli Giddish is an American actress. She is known for her role as Diana Henry on the ABC's daytime drama All My Children . She is also known for her leading roles in the short-lived TV series Past Life and Chase...
as Det. Amanda Rollins - Richard BelzerRichard BelzerRichard Jay Belzer is an American stand-up comedian, author, and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as John Munch, which he has portrayed as a regular cast member on the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as well as in guest...
as Sgt. John MunchJohn MunchSergeant John Munch is a fictional character played by actor Richard Belzer. Munch first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon that series' cancellation, the character was transplanted to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the first spin-off of the Law & Order franchise... - Ice-TICE-T* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
as Det. Odafin TutuolaFin TutuolaDet. Odafin "Fin" Tutuola is a fictional character and protagonist on the TV drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Ice-T.The character's name is taken from the book The Palm Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola, a member of the Yoruba people of Nigeria... - Dann FlorekDann FlorekEzekial Dann Florek , professional name Dann Florek, is an American actor and director.-Early life:Florek was born in Flat Rock, Michigan. He attended Eastern Michigan University, but never graduated...
as Capt. Don CragenDonald CragenDonald "Don" Cragen is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order and its spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Dann Florek.-Character appearances:...
Production
"Scorched Earth" was written by David Matthews and directed by Michael Slovis. This is the first episode produced under new show runner, Warren LeightWarren Leight
Warren Leight is an American playwright, screenwriter, film director and television producer. He is best known for his work on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Lights Out and the showrunner for In Treatment and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit....
; former show runner Neal Baer
Neal Baer
Neal Baer, MD is an American pediatrician and television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the television shows ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Education:...
departed after getting a three-year deal at CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
; Baer is an executive producer on the Susannah Grant
Susannah Grant
Susannah Grant is an award-winning American screenwriter and director. She wrote the screenplays for Ever After, Erin Brockovich, directed by Steven Soderbergh, 28 Days and Disney's Pocahontas. For Erin Brockovich she received an Oscar nomination in 2001...
created CBS medical drama, A Gifted Man
A Gifted Man
A Gifted Man is an American television series, which premiered on CBS on September 23, 2011. The series is about a talented but self-absorbed surgeon who starts questioning his purpose in life when he is visited by the spirit of his deceased ex-wife...
.
This is also the first episode to be produced where 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...
was not part of the cast, due to his departure from the show in May 2011. Kelli Giddish
Kelli Giddish
Kelli Giddish is an American actress. She is known for her role as Diana Henry on the ABC's daytime drama All My Children . She is also known for her leading roles in the short-lived TV series Past Life and Chase...
and Danny Pino
Danny Pino
Daniel G. "Danny" Pino is an Cuban American actor. 2002 saw him appear in London's West End in the theatre play called Up for Grabs with Madonna. In May 2003, Pino played Desi Arnaz in a CBS special on the life of Lucille Ball, Lucy: The Lucille Ball Story. Pino was born in Miami, Florida...
join the cast as Detectives Rollins and Amaro, respectively, although in this episode, Pino is absent; his character is introduced in the next episode. Tamara Tunie's
Tamara Tunie
Tamara Renee Tunie is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and medical examiner Melinda Warner on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit...
role as M.E. Melinda Warner
Melinda Warner
Dr. Melinda Warner is a fictional character on the show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Tamara Tunie. Tunie was originally a recurring cast member until she was added to the main credits in season 7. She became a recurring cast member again in season 13.-Character overview:As the...
has dropped back to a recurring status, Tunie began portraying the character with recurring appearances from the second season until the seventh season, when she was officially added to the cast in the opening credits.
This episode is inspired by the Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrest
Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case
New York v. Strauss-Kahn was a criminal case relating to allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape made by a hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo, against Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the Sofitel New York Hotel on May 14, 2011. The charges were dismissed at the request of the prosecution which pointed...
. Strauss-Kahn, who was head of the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and considered the front-runner in the French presidential election, was accused of sexually assaulting a maid at a midtown Manhattan hotel in May 2011. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, although he quit his IMF post, and his candidacy was derailed. Subsequently, the case has been shaken as prosecutors said his accuser admitted to lying to a grand jury about events surrounding the attack. Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
portrays a Strauss-Kahn like character, Roberto DiStasio, but he is an Italian dignitary. Ron Rifkin
Ron Rifkin
Ron Rifkin is an American actor. He is best-known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama Alias and as Saul Holden on the American family drama Brothers & Sisters.-Personal life:...
is playing Distasio's defense attorney, who is similar to Strauss-Kahn's real-life attorney, Benjamin Brafman
Benjamin Brafman
Benjamin "Ben" Brafman is a criminal defense attorney based in New York. He maintains a firm focused on criminal defense, Brafman Associates, in New York City and has handled cases for clients including Jacob Arabo, James Patino, Peter Gatien, Plaxico Burress, Michael Jackson, Carl Kruger, Charles...
.
New show-runner Warren Leight said about the premiere episode being inspired by Strauss-Kahn, "In this case, I don’t believe we ripped from the headlines. I believe the actual story ripped us off." While the real-life case’s twists and turns made for tantalizing headline news, it wound up being "quite annoying," Leight said, "We had to do rewrites. Everything we had in our initial draft had to be changed." He joked that the story was so fast-moving that they worried the final scenes would have to be shot live on the day the episode airs.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on September 21, 2011, "Scorched Earth" was viewed by an estimated 7.63 million households with a 2.4 rating/6% share in the age 18–49 demographic. This was down from the season 12Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 12)
The 12th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered on September 22, 2010 on NBC and concluded on May 18, 2011. The timeslot was moved from 10 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the NBC broadcast in 2010...
premiere of 9.68 million. SVU was the highest rated program on NBC that night, but did not beat the season premiere of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
which drew approximately 12.74 million total viewers and had a 3.2/9% share in the age 18–49 demographic.
External links
- "Scorched Earth" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "Scorched Earth" at IMDb
- Law & Order: SVU - Episode Guide - Scorched Earth