The SVU squad pursues a suspect after a child is found in the trunk of an abandoned car.The SVU squad pursues a suspect after a child is found in the trunk of an abandoned car.The SVU squad pursues a suspect after a child is found in the trunk of an abandoned car.
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- Sergeant Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola
- (as Ice T)
- Dr. Darby Wilder
- (as Yvonna Kopacz-Wright)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWith this episode, its 457th, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) overtakes the original Law & Order (1990) as the longest running prime-time drama on television.
- GoofsIn one scene, Amanda and Olivia notice that Emerson Mauer has blue eyes, but Zachary and Rowan Mauer both have brown eyes, making it unlikely that Emerson is their biological child. However, the actress playing Rowan Mauer clearly has blue eyes, which can be seen during her testimony.
- Quotes
Soren West: Who are you?
Olivia Benson: You running a book?
Soren West: Get out of here.
Olivia Benson: Yeah, not without my Oreos.
Soren West: Just go someplace else.
Olivia Benson: Hey, sweetheart, I've had a very bad day, okay?
[rummaging in her pockets]
Olivia Benson: I know I have cash in here somewhere.
Soren West: It's on the house.
Olivia Benson: Yeah?
Soren West: Yeah.
Olivia Benson: That okay with you?
Bodega Owner: Yeah, yeah, I'm good.
Olivia Benson: Okay, that's a first.
Soren West: Just get out of here.
Olivia Benson: Oh, um, sorry, can I just get some aspirin?
Soren West: And that's it.
Olivia Benson: Thank you.
[he turns around to get it; turning back, he sees she has her gun drawn]
Olivia Benson: Drop the knife.
On the most part, "Missing" is one of those episodes. It is not a great or perfect episode and is not as good as "Alta Kockers" and "Dear Ben" when talking about Season 20 episodes. But it is certainly much better than outings like "Mea Culpa" and "Part 33" and has a lot done right. The premise is not a new one and some of the execution does reflect that, but lack of innovation is not always immediately a bad thing depending on how everything else is executed and enough of "Missing" is an example of that.
The good things will be talked about first. The production values are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough while also taut. The story does grip and the script provokes a lot of thought.
Mariska Hargitay's performance here is one of her best of Season 20 and closer in spirit to the Olivia this reviewer fell in love with in the earlier seasons than the sanctimonious, biased, I'm always right boss she became when promoted. The supporting cast are very good, especially for Emerson. Really liked that there was an old SVU vibe to the storytelling and there were quite a number of surprising twists, including one character not being what they seemed.
For my tastes though, some of the characters do behave a bit too cluelessly, especially the perpetrator. Characters going into tense situations on their own is getting old and it's not realistic. Especially if they are ones chastising others in other episodes for doing the same thing or something not quite on the same level. Olivia though may have felt that she had something to prove and needed closure.
Perhaps it's a bit ordinary to begin with and the actress who plays Rowan tries too hard at times.
In conclusion, another good but not great episode. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 22, 2023