Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Chameleon (2002)

Sharon Lawrence: Maggie Peterson

Photos 

Quotes 

• Olivia Benson : [interrogating a victim who has killed her seven rapists]  Sit down in the chair, Maggie.

  Maggie Peterson : Where's Elliot?

  Olivia Benson : Just us girls now. Sit! That act of yours was a whole lot of fun to watch, but you should know that it's not gonna work with me.

  Maggie Peterson : What act?

  Olivia Benson : You can pretend to be a victim, you can pretend to be a whore, you can pretend to be whatever it is you want to be. It's a joke. Maggie, you're done.

  Maggie Peterson : Where's my son?

  Olivia Benson : No, see, that's not gonna work either.

  Maggie Peterson : I do not believe that you are talking to me this way. I was raped more times than I can remember.

  Olivia Benson : Right, and your mom died and your dad beat you.

  [Maggie nods] 

  Olivia Benson : Your mom's alive. No dad on the birth certificate. You never knew him, did you? Was your mom a pro, too?

  Maggie Peterson : Where's my son? I need to see him.

  Olivia Benson : Your son? You're never gonna see that kid again. You murdered seven men for a hotel room and a manicure.

  Maggie Peterson : They raped me!

  Olivia Benson : You want the whole world to think that you're a victim? Well, Maggie, you're getting your wish, because the state's gonna kill you.

  [Maggie lunges at Olivia] 

• Elliot Stabler : [to Maggie]  What do you want to talk about?

  Maggie Peterson : Whatever you wanna talk about. Although guys like you, you don't usually like me to talk.

  Elliot Stabler : Guys like me?

  Maggie Peterson : I am a professional, Detective Stabler. I know men.

  Elliot Stabler : Why don't you sit back down over there.

  Maggie Peterson : But you... you're different from most of the others.

  Elliot Stabler : Am I now? And how am I different?

  Maggie Peterson : Well, you try to be nice and normal, but there's a part of you that will never be that guy. I mean, look at your body. Who are you trying to impress?

  Elliot Stabler : Maybe my wife.

  Maggie Peterson : Oh, no. No. That entire package is for everyone else. You're a tease, Detective Stabler. Everything about you says, "Look at me, look at what you can't have." Well, I I like that. I aspire to that.

  Elliot Stabler : You should listen to yourself. You sound just like a shrink.

  Maggie Peterson : Like I said, I know men.

  Elliot Stabler : So you must enjoy your job.

  Maggie Peterson : I'm good at it.

  Elliot Stabler : You're not afraid of getting hurt?

  Maggie Peterson : You walk around afraid, you're never gonna get what you want. I'm not afraid, Detective. Are you?

• Maggie's Attorney : [to Cabot]  So the kid's not hers. Why does it matter?

  Alex Cabot : Do you want to tell her how you got your child, Maggie or should I?

  Maggie Peterson : I don't know what you're talking about.

  Alex Cabot : Let me jog your memory. Eighteen months ago, 26-year-old Erin Byers went grocery shopping. Her body was found in the store parking lot, strangled. Her stolen car turned up a week later, intact. Her 6-month-old son was never found.

  Maggie's Attorney : You'll never be able to introduce this.

  Alex Cabot : Actually, it was your client who opened the door. Everything she does is for her child, right?

  Maggie's Attorney : The judge will call a mistrial.

  Alex Cabot : Fine. I'll just re-file and tack on the kidnapping charges, plus the murder of the mother.

  [to Maggie] 

  Alex Cabot : Do you think a jury is going to believe your "I kill men because they beat me" story now? Do you think the D.A. Is going to give you another pass on the death penalty? Try it.

  Maggie Peterson : Where's Joey?

  Alex Cabot : With his father who thought he was dead.

  Maggie's Attorney : Is there an offer on the table?

  Alex Cabot : Murder two on all counts, concurrent sentences, 15-to-20.

  Maggie's Attorney : What about the new charges?

  Alex Cabot : We'll talk about that after I file. You'll never get a better deal than this.

  Maggie Peterson : I'm not pleading guilty. I did not kill that woman. I found Joey. She threw him away.

  Alex Cabot : It's over. This whole motherhood facade, this lie you have told yourself and the whole world is going to be exposed.

• Alex Cabot : [to Maggie]  So every day, you wake up, you drop your son off at the babysitter's and you go to work. You knowingly put yourself in danger. You knowingly place yourself in situations you cannot control where you admit you could be killed. Is that how you love your son? Is that how you take care of the most important thing in your life?

  Maggie Peterson : I accept the risk. I accept it on behalf of that boy. I would die for him. You can question my past, you can question my life and my profession, but do not ever question how much I love my son.