I just watched a re-run of this episode for the first time. It was great but something is really bugging me, so if anyone else watched it and reads this, please reply. The mother with the 2 teenagers told the police her husband was away on a business trip, but what did she tell her kids about who their father was if he never came home from those trips? If she was having an affair with him since her daughter's birth, how come the kids never saw the guy. Surely if the daughter had met him, she would have known he was the father of her boyfriend. Did the mother just lie to the police but had told the kids their father was dead. I don't think they ever addressed this, but did I miss something???? Seems like this is a BIG gap in the plot that the audience might be willing to overlook because of the great cast. Just keeps nagging at me though, so I would really appreciate any comments as to whether I missed something or not. The episode was really great otherwise--I love family intrigue.
5 Reviews
Well written, well acted episode.
clubrhythm15 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
If someone is not a yet a fan of Law and Order:SVU they probably will be after they see this episode. I agree with other comments that the entire series is under-appreciated and this episode is another example of why it has endured for so many seasons. The writer (Jonathan Greene) understands that filling a scene with unnecessary, frivolous dialogue can bog a drama and the actors in it down. Every word, every phrase is well thought out by the writer and skillfully executed by the respective actors. Some of the biggest talent in Hollywood has made a cameo appearance keeping the show both fresh and energized even after such a long run.
The stand out performance is a scene where character Aidan Connor, played by actor Patrick Flueger, is confronted with the information that he has been unknowingly having a sexual relationship with his own sister, resulting in a pregnancy. Both facts have been hidden from him by his father. I can only imagine that Fluger must have reached down into the darkest, most abject place in his mind to bring all that gut wrenching emotion to the scene so brilliantly. When we first screened this episode every person in the room was brought to tears by his performance and watching it again, even years later, there still is not a dry eye in the house.
The stand out performance is a scene where character Aidan Connor, played by actor Patrick Flueger, is confronted with the information that he has been unknowingly having a sexual relationship with his own sister, resulting in a pregnancy. Both facts have been hidden from him by his father. I can only imagine that Fluger must have reached down into the darkest, most abject place in his mind to bring all that gut wrenching emotion to the scene so brilliantly. When we first screened this episode every person in the room was brought to tears by his performance and watching it again, even years later, there still is not a dry eye in the house.
Family secrets
TheLittleSongbird16 December 2020
Have always liked this kind of story, it is the kind of story that the 'Law and Order' franchise has done very well a number of times. Some cases better than others but that can be expected. Although the franchise has done better and more consistently with stories with heavier and more polarising themes, stories revolving around serial killers/rapists and stories about sexual abuse and the moral dilemmas that comes with getting a result.
"Families" struck me as a very good episode, if not one of the best of Season 5. A bit of a let down too after such an incredible previous episode in "Ritual", with it not quite having quite the extra something that made that episode so special and unforgettable. It does very well with this type of story, with enough shocks to stop it from being too predictable while not being too convoluted. Even if it does get quite crazy, not meant in a bad way.
Am going to get the not so great things out of the way. To me the ending was a bit too hastily wrapped up.
Not all the acting is there either. Helen Slater's performance was pretty erratic, and mostly she seemed to be slumming it. Despite liking Jane Seymour as an actress, she has little screen time and her character is underwritten.
The rest of the acting is very good however. Mariska Hargitay in particular has steel and authority and all the other regulars are on strong form. Love the chemistry between Stabler and Olivia, one can see how they care for one another while taking their jobs seriously. While Tom Mason is effectively skin crawling, the best performance comes from Patrick Flueger, namely because of him having the best acted scene of the entire episode. That being his genuinely devastating reaction to learning the truth, which shocks the viewer just as much as him so one is right on his side at that bit.
Much of the story is very well done indeed, with a tight pace and plenty of surprising twists and turns that become increasingly intricate. Luckily though not incoherent or too overloaded. The truth is truly shocking and not what one expects when watching the start of the episode. The script is tautly and thoughtfully written, Olivia's "screw you, you're under arrest for attempted rape until we nail you for the other eleven" is absolutely priceless.
Production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space.
On the whole, very good apart from the rushed ending, one not so great performance and one actor being wasted. A strong 8/10
"Families" struck me as a very good episode, if not one of the best of Season 5. A bit of a let down too after such an incredible previous episode in "Ritual", with it not quite having quite the extra something that made that episode so special and unforgettable. It does very well with this type of story, with enough shocks to stop it from being too predictable while not being too convoluted. Even if it does get quite crazy, not meant in a bad way.
Am going to get the not so great things out of the way. To me the ending was a bit too hastily wrapped up.
Not all the acting is there either. Helen Slater's performance was pretty erratic, and mostly she seemed to be slumming it. Despite liking Jane Seymour as an actress, she has little screen time and her character is underwritten.
The rest of the acting is very good however. Mariska Hargitay in particular has steel and authority and all the other regulars are on strong form. Love the chemistry between Stabler and Olivia, one can see how they care for one another while taking their jobs seriously. While Tom Mason is effectively skin crawling, the best performance comes from Patrick Flueger, namely because of him having the best acted scene of the entire episode. That being his genuinely devastating reaction to learning the truth, which shocks the viewer just as much as him so one is right on his side at that bit.
Much of the story is very well done indeed, with a tight pace and plenty of surprising twists and turns that become increasingly intricate. Luckily though not incoherent or too overloaded. The truth is truly shocking and not what one expects when watching the start of the episode. The script is tautly and thoughtfully written, Olivia's "screw you, you're under arrest for attempted rape until we nail you for the other eleven" is absolutely priceless.
Production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space.
On the whole, very good apart from the rushed ending, one not so great performance and one actor being wasted. A strong 8/10
Superb performances
RaymondKymSuttle4 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Absolutely one of the best episodes ever. Brilliant performances all round but especially from Patrick John Flueger & Jane Seymour. Definitely one of a Helen Slater's best performances. Intriguing plot & well written script. I often guess who the guilty parties are early on in an episode & this time I not only didn't guess until near the end, I also couldn't work out what the connection between all the characters was until it was revealed; as a writer who tends to see what's coming well in advance, it's always a joy when I'm surprised. There is one major plot hole in the episode in that I can't believe the kids never showed each other photos of their parents to each other & I can't believe that people in their situation would've sent the kids to the same school.
It's in the genes
bkoganbing29 January 2013
The discovery of a pregnant teenage girl's body while Mariska Hargitay is chasing down another suspect leads to quite an elaborate tale involving two wealthy families on the Upper East Side. It all starts when Christopher Meloni deduces that the dead girl went to a posh prep school.
The deceased had been going out with Patrick Flueger and when Medical Examiner Tamara Tunie runs a DNA test on the victim it comes back with some surprising results. Not that Flueger was the father, but that is not all the surprise in store for him.
Later on Flueger's father is killed as well and Helen Slater the mother of the deceased girl is arrested for the crime. Still not all the surprise left in this episode.
I agree that this is one of the craziest episodes that SVU in fact all the Law And Order franchise shows ever did. Not one the best, but definitely up there in the crazy department.
The deceased had been going out with Patrick Flueger and when Medical Examiner Tamara Tunie runs a DNA test on the victim it comes back with some surprising results. Not that Flueger was the father, but that is not all the surprise in store for him.
Later on Flueger's father is killed as well and Helen Slater the mother of the deceased girl is arrested for the crime. Still not all the surprise left in this episode.
I agree that this is one of the craziest episodes that SVU in fact all the Law And Order franchise shows ever did. Not one the best, but definitely up there in the crazy department.
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