Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Pixies (2001) User Reviews

Intriguing.

[aratledge · 7/10 · 28 April 2011]

An unidentified teenage girl is found murdered. Detectives Benson and Stabler trace the girl back to an elite gym training Olympic hopefuls, including a quasi-abusive gymnastics coach, a mysterious, rich benefactor and a bitter rival.

An overall intriguing episode, although those hoping to catch a glimpse of gymnastics routines or depth in the gymnasts will be disappointed. Not among SVU's best, but putting the crime in the context of the gymnastics world definitely elevates it above the average procedural episode. That said, the "big reveal" of the victim's secret past isn't much of a reveal at all -- it may be relevant to her gymnastics career, but it doesn't play much of a role in the episode.

As always, solid performances by all the regulars, and great support from Tamara Tunie as the ME, who really begins to make the role her own in season two of SVU.

Gymnast tensions

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 19 March 2020]

When Season 2 was at its best, like "Closure Part 2" and "Baby Killer" as far as the previous episodes go, it was absolutely brilliant. Being incredibly well written and acted, emotional, great character interaction and writing and compelling storytelling that surprised. When it was not quite on form, it was still decent. Which was the case with the likes of the still fairly decent but bland and not much special "Asunder" that would have been even better with more tension.

"Pixies" is not one of the best or worst of Season 2 and instead somewhere in the middle. Somewhat disappointing after the excellent previous episode "Taken" which was a season high point. Don't get me wrong, "Pixies" is still well done in a lot of areas, with enough of what made 'Special Victims Unit' so great in its prime (which it wasn't quite at this early stage but for me still preferable to the later episodes). At the same time, something was missing, a better denouement for example would have made things better.

Am going to begin with the things that could have been done better. Personally didn't think that everything concerning the victim, and what is revealed about her, that much of a shock. It also comes practically out of nowhere and wasn't really developed enough beforehand for it to be buyable. The ending felt on the rushed side and also felt out of left field.

Did find the perpetrator underdeveloped and other characters had more presence in the episode. Too much time is spent on one plot point that turned out to not be as relevant as it first seemed and didn't connect with the crime.

However, "Pixies" is as usual for 'Special Victims Unit' well made and the production values have come on since the first season (and they were solid then too). The music fits nicely, neither being over-used or over-scored. The script is taut enough, a good thing for an episode that has a good deal of talk (not unusual for 'Special Victims Unit' or with 'Criminal Intent' and 'Law and Order') and provokes thought.

While there were problems with the story for me, the story was on the most part involving and the turns kept coming without feeling excessive or confusing. The regular characters are as well-defined as ever and they are well connected and cohesive as a team. The investigative elements all make sense and intrigue, with no obvious unprofessionalism or such. Have no issues with the acting which is solid all round.

Summing up, good if not great. 7/10

An early look at abuse of young female gymnasts

[lor_ · 11 July 2023]

This rather harsh segment deals with some salacious material, generally cleaned up a bit for broadcast television, including kiddie porn, exploitation of children and the treatment of young female gymnasts. Though the gymnast abuse issue dates back to the '90s, it was not a famous national scandal until the Larry Nassar case involving Oympians and Michigan State, many years after this show aired.

The show unfolds in police procedural format, and for some reason does not pack the wallop or become as involving as the best episodes of this popular series. I suspect the reason for this may be the lack of any important or top-notch guest star character actors -the cast seems comprised of relatively unknown players -competent but unexciting.

One exception to watch for: Kate Mara in one of her earliest (and effective) roles as a fellow gymnast working alongside the victim.

Nothing to charge him with

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 14 January 2015]

When Benson and Stabler first catch a case of a young adolescent entering puberty it was natural given their type of police work to assume she's an adolescent prostitute. They certainly go off in that direction and even manage to bust a producer of kiddie porn. But he and his world had nothing to do with what happened to their victim.

The victim was in fact in New York from California and she was here because she was training with Philip Casnoff to be a champion gymnast. This episode really belongs to Casnoff, he plays a refugee from Bulgaria who is singleminded in his pursuit of turning out champion athletes. So singleminded he forgets that he's dealing with children. Presuming he was doing this in Bulgaria what must those Bulgarian girls turn into if he's typical.

He in fact, but most indirectly is the cause of his charge's death. He really ought to go to the slammer, but there's nothing that the SVU squad can charge him with.