Identity
- Episode aired Jan 18, 2005
- TV-14
- 42m
When a murdered gang member is linked to a sexual assault, Benson and Stabler find neither the alleged victim nor the alleged killer to be who they think.When a murdered gang member is linked to a sexual assault, Benson and Stabler find neither the alleged victim nor the alleged killer to be who they think.When a murdered gang member is linked to a sexual assault, Benson and Stabler find neither the alleged victim nor the alleged killer to be who they think.
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- Special Agent Dr. George Huang, M.D.
- (as B.D. Wong)
- (credit only)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
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- TriviaAll entries contain spoilers
- Quotes
Detective Olivia Benson: Do you realize that disseminating pornography to a minor is a felony?
Dr. Preston Blair: I showed them art books.
Elliot Stabler: Doc, I saw the art in your office, and even I was uncomfortable at how many phalluses were on display.
Dr. Preston Blair: That's because you're a bourgeois American, completely uptight about sex. It's what screws up your children and turns them into sex offenders.
Elliot Stabler: You lost me at "bourgeois".
"Identity" is a wonderful episode and one of my favourites from Season 6 and certainly from its mostly highly impressive first half. The major twist that changes events drastically and spins the case on its head completely is obvious early on admittedly, which does take away a little from the surprise factor. The twist still was very well executed, plausible and the outcome of it does shock. As far as 'Special Victims Unit's' episodes go, "Identity" is there towards the top in my view.
What really stands out here is the acting, which is superb all round. Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay are both tough talking yet sympathetic, and their chemistry when Meloni was still on the show (which was up to the end of Season 12) played a big part in the earlier seasons' appeal. Peter Firth does expertly in making his character so detestable to almost scary effect, have always on all my viewings been absolutely repulsed by what he says and equally repulsed by how anybody can be that delusional and full of themselves.
Best of all is the unforgettable performance of Reilly McClendon, the heart of the episode. An acting highlight being Lindsay's heart-wrenching reaction to learning the truly disturbing truth about her, was completely on her side at that point and would have acted exactly that way if that happened to me.
Script challenges enough while still being easy to follow and not being too complicated. It is very thought-provoking, flows beautifully, is forceful yet sensitive and the wide range of emotions is striking. The story is both uncompromisingly shocking and very moving. It is a very tough subject to tackle and one that should always be approached carefully, something that "Identity" does extremely well.
As usual, 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.
Concluding, wonderful. 10/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Feb 18, 2021