One would imagine that after 20 years a show would run out of storylines, but Law & Order: Special Victims Unit proves this notion to be false with every new episode. The latest episode “Alta Kockers” (with guest stars Judd Hirsch and Wallace Shawn) is testament to the show’s ability to adjust to societal changes and to tell compelling stories.
Spoilers for the episode follows.
“Alta Kockers” is an unpredictable episode to say the least. As the show opens, the audience is faced with Bobbi, a poet, who was reading her book “Blue Barracuda” to a small yet enthusiastic crowd. Almost too quickly, we’re thrown for a loop: Bobbi is dead and Bobbi isn’t Bobbi. SVU arrives on the scene and eventually uncovers that the Bobbi shown was just a face and possibly a trans prostitute. Video surveillance is able to identify the killer, who not only confessed but who felt this constant need to reassure Lieutenant Benson of his heterosexuality. And while, the killer has been revealed, could the true Bobbi be culpable?
The location of the unidentifiable writer was traced by messages sent to the publisher. In an odd turn of events, th SVU ends up at the home of two recluse brothers: Joe and Ben. Ben admits to writing the book back at the station, while Carisi found the body of their dead mother when searching the home of the men. They are charged with murder and Benson is able to use the horrific accounts of abuse from the book as a motive for the killing. On the day of trial Joe admits to killing his mother and quickly suffers from a heart attack, he dies in the hospital.
This episode of Law & Order: SVU serves as a grim satire, criticizing society’s blind and inadequate adoration for things that may seem taboo, but are actually bigger issues at large. If we look back to what happened in the beginning, we see a story being told of hurt and inability to find closure. And while the storyteller wasn’t the true writer, why didn’t anyone ask “why are you writing this”? If someone would’ve asked the brothers all the why questions when they were younger, maybe “Blue Barracuda” wouldn’t of have been a thing and maybe the cycle of abuse, repression, and anger wouldn’t of have occurred within the brothers.
But wanna remark that you have a very decent web site, I like the style it actually stands out.