Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Secrets Exhumed (2013) User Reviews

The Dark Secret of Agent Lewis

[domino1003 · 8/10 · 24 June 2016]

Marcia Gay Harden's character arc through the "SVU" episodes, starting with "Raw" comes to an earth shattering conclusion in this episode.

Agent Lewis is back because of a serial rapist/killer bound in a wheelchair (Harold Perrineau in a wheelchair AGAIN?), tying to get a confession from him about a young girl's murder from years ago. But it looks like Olivia and Co. find out that Lewis has some serious skeletons in the closet.

And the more the crew digs, the more secrets about Dana's past come back to haunt her. And it's a HUGE secret that's exhumed that just threw me off guard.

Olivia sums it up for all of us: Dana was an FBI agent that buried herself in her job to avoid her past. And she wasn't wrong.

A very powerful episode from start to finish. And the end is painful as hell.

Her dogged dedication

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 10 October 2013]

Marcia Gay Harden as FBI agent Dana Lewis makes her latest appearance on an SVU episode where the FBI and SVU have a joint interest. Mariska Hargitay and Danny Pino are sent to Florida on an extradition when they find Harden there after the same guy.

It's Harold Perrineau who is in a wheelchair, but back 25 years ago he was a serial rapist and killer and two of the crimes where he was a suspect are in New York.

After a while it becomes abundantly clear that Harden has a more than average interest in this case. That's not easy to detect since SVU fans are already familiar with her dogged dedication.

Some of the evidence is in Cold Case where Sergeant Richard Belzer has been spending time and some of it is missing. He's got a Herculean labor to perform going through all those boxes.

I can't say more, but when retired Detective Stabler calls his old partner Detective Benson for the latest gossip will she have a tale to tell.

The Mask Comes Off

[amckee-64063 · 7/10 · 27 December 2017]

In this episode, the true character of Dana Lewis is revealed. The stalwart FBI agent of other episodes, she who has overcome all sorts of horrors in the name of justice, reveals her dark side in the case of a serial rapist. Whoever she was in the past, all I see is a cunning killer who ruthlessly attempts to manipulate those around her in order to conceal a ghastly crime from her past: a heartbreak-inspired temper tantrum that led her to a murder a young pregnant woman. Maybe she did feel sorry, but sorry isn't going to reanimate a two-month old fetus. At least she got the justice she deserved.

Let it go

[yazguloner · 10/10 · 27 July 2021]

There is an old friend Dana Lewis in this story, and interestingly, no one was shot. She was Stabler's trouble-maker.

The interrogation scenes were great, so is the story.. It was theatrical and remarkable. Of course, a well-known character was needed for such a shocking finale.

Marcia Gay Harden performs so well as Dana Lewis, she's a strong character. I wish it wasn't her last appearance.

I even thought you'd hook up with William Lewis. A strong enemy can also emerge from the character of Dana Lewis. She can be a solid team member, too. I think Svu could have developed this character.

Great hour of TV

[james-94585 · 10/10 · 11 November 2017]

Really good story line. Surprising reveal and convincing pathos for a crime drama. I think this is my favourite episode of SVU. Watched it twice as soon as I saw it. Sorry for the cliché, but it is very "Shakespearean tragedy". You sympathize with the villain and mourn the downfall.

This show started in Season 13-14

[barbararush-95830 · 10/10 · 15 October 2021]

I've watched every season, and they were mostly predictable, even formulaic. It seems that in Season 13 Hargitay had so much more energy than before. Pino finally showed what he can do in Season 14, and especially this episode. The writing is tighter, the plot more nuanced, and the acting of all the SVU actors is better than ever. Giddish fit in very well and has added much to the production. Ice-T is very likeable and believable, as always (and I'm glad he lost the rapper costume). In 2021 it's hard to recall how some of this would have played in 2012. The FBI agent had me buffaloed until Pino began putting it all together.

One of the best of the best

[norareign · 10/10 · 6 November 2019]

This is an "if you only see 20 of the 480 (so far) episodes, make sure this is one of them" episodes!

A+ Story Telling BUT...

[dillanholliday · 10/10 · 8 February 2023]

Dana Lewis appeared in episodes S07E06 Raw, S08E01 Informed, S12E08 Penetration and of course in this episode.

Her story from start to finish has been a wild ride. We first meet her undercover where she hurls her undercover ideology constant at the detectives. She grew to care for Detectives Benson and Stabler and the paths of all these officers would cross at various stages... Until this episode that is. Obviously Detective Stabler is no longer on the force at this time but the fact this story came to an end without him is quite a bummer in my opinion.

She is a unique side character who writers could cycle back to every few seasons. We watched as her character grew and adapted off screen which in a weekly episodic program is rare for an adjacent character like Dana. On one hand, I am thankful that for once a character has a full story. Many of the ADA's and Judges from prior seasons seem to just disappear with no rhyme reason or closure. On the other hand, this story (while influenced by real events) does not seem to be a fit for the character of Dana Lewis.

All of that aside, I will award this episode 10/10 stars. The story was compelling. The actors were brilliant and believable in the disbelief that a beloved friend could commit such an act.

It makes me wonder if the writers were smart enough to realize we would have blinders for a recurring character... Perhaps we the viewer were supposed to feel the same way as Benson. Betrayed.

Dark secrets

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 13 July 2022]

"Secrets Exhumed" is notable for being the final appearance of Dana Lewis, a very interesting, entertaining and tough as nails character who shone from her very first appearance in "Raw". Have always wished that she was in more episodes, and Marcia Gay Harden was always wonderful playing her. Fans were generally not crazy about the episode, some even panned it, criticising especially the way Lewis was written in especially the latter stages.

Really sadly do have to agree here. "Secrets Exhumed" is by all means not one of the worst episodes of Season 14, but it is one of the most frustrating ones considering the potential. A truly great recurring character deserved a far better final episode than this and also far better and less contradictory character writing. It was like 'Special Victims Unit' had forgotten what made the character so great to begin with, which is a shame seeing as Harden certainly hadn't forgotten.

Harden in fact is the main reason as to why "Secrets Exhumed" is still watchable despite the flaws, making for an intense but later oddly affecting presence without any over-compensating or under-acting. Mariska Hargitay also gives a strong account of herself and shines particularly in her interaction with Harden.

It was great too to have Munch back and in a role that isn't too under-utilised, he is amusing too in usual Munch style. Photography while very close up doesn't come over as too static or filmed play-like, while the production values are typically solid and have subtle atmosphere while not being drab and keeping things simple. When the music is used it is haunting and has a melancholic edge that is not overdone.

However, "Secrets Exhumed" feels rushed with too much going on and is also predictable. There is a real lack of suspense, was not at all surprised by the truth or the big secret. Lewis just seemed too off and too suspicious from the beginning. The writing lacks spark, coming over as bland, and the climax is overwroughtly written. Not the tense and moving one that was hoped for.

Actually did think on first watch it was those adjectives but that was when not paying as much attention to what made Lewis such a great character in her earlier appearances. Like other fans, the character assassination of Lewis was the biggest problem, the way she was written here just went against everything she stood for in the previous episodes and it was impossible to buy.

Overall, disappointing but not terrible. 5/10.

Eh?

[Dorjee_Wang · 5/10 · 28 September 2016]

"Don't poke a sleeping bear" - I had this line in my mind throughout this episode. Agent Lewis' hyperbolic interest in the last of the 5 murder was dogged. And the shadiness of it did not miss the SVU Detectives. Hence led to some unfortunate consequences for her.

I absolutely abhorred the destruction of her character in this episode. Agent Dana appeared in previous episodes as well (Raw, Informed, Penetration), and in those episode she did not show even a figment of being a murderer. She was as strong minded and law-enforced as Benson is. So it's flabbergasting to see her character written this way as it was unprecedented. Besides that as a profiler she should've been immune to such basic manipulation like that by the SVU squad at the end, so her confession in the end made no sense either. I mean come on, if you want to write up someone like the FBI version of Benson (i.e Lewis) as a murderer at least write it good and make the confession sensible. As a caveat, it was just one big messy episode in terms of writing. I gave it a 5/10 only because of Marcia Gay Harden's delightful stint as Agent Dana Lewis on this show.

Why do the writers do this?

[marysammons-42220 · 4/10 · 1 September 2019]

The writers took a great recurring character and trashed her. Much like Agent Dean Porter who they made a complete SOB. They make Dana Lewis a murderer. They can't have a woman better than Olivia. Rollins screws up on the daily. How dare she be as good as the great Olivia Benson who gets a pass on everything since Hargitay got Exec Producer credits.

The hatred I have for this episode is immeasurable.

[kami_amaya · 1/10 · 26 November 2014]

I don't want to spoil too much of this episode so I won't go into very much detail.

They ruined her. They completely ruined FBI Agent Dana Lewis (from prior episodes S07E06 Raw, S08E01 Informed, S12E08 Penetration) in this episode.

The only reason I can think of as to why the writers would do such a thing to Dana Lewis was to make her *beep* compared to Benson. Remember, this is The Olivia Benson Show now, no one can surpass her in anything. Dana Lewis, if you remember in S12E08 Penetration, had said she had a wonderful husband and kids. She was very happily married, excelled at her job, and kicked ass. She could have been liked just as much as Benson, and to me, was liked more than Benson in her recent years. Well, they couldn't have any one thinking like that, could they? So in one episode the character of Dana Lewis is completely and utterly destroyed by being given a huge secret as to why she strives for perfection with her job and life. But does Benson need a secret like this to do the same with her job? Of course not!

The worst episode of anything I have seen in years. The anger this episode caused me was unreal.

Sure, I could try to ignore it or pretend it didn't happen at all, but I can't forget the huge negative impact this episode has had on my enjoyment of this show as a whole.

I don't even want to watch this show anymore, and it it wasn't for Raul Esparza, I wouldn't.

Easily One of the Stupidest Episodes of the Series

[bkkaz · 2/10 · 10 June 2021]

Hey, here's an idea: Let's take a well-played, well-defined and likable character from earlier episodes and -- wait for it -- reveal she has a dark, secret past that she's been running from all these years. And by darker, we're talking murder. So, everything you thought you knew about the character is suddenly -- GASP! -- turned on its head. What utter trash. I give it an extra star because the wonderful Marcia Gay Harden is in it, but I really should take it away because she agreed to be in this utterly dumb stunt episode.