Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Holden's Manifesto (2014) User Reviews

Pent up resentments

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 23 February 2015]

While dealing with a health crisis for baby Noah, Sergeant Olivia Benson has a real crisis on her hands. There's a young kid out there who has graduated from rape attempts to murder. He's even written down a manifesto kind of like a Mein Kampf for serial killers.

John Karna plays young Holden March and I don't think the writers at SVU missed the reference to the lovelorn Holden Caulfield that J.D. Salinger created back in my young days. This kid remembers every slight, every put down especially from girls who grew up with him. But he graduates soon enough to murder and Mariska Hargitay has the new chief Peter Gallagher on her back as well as a social worker in the hospital.

It's Kelli Giddish who bonds with Karna, she's just Karna idealized back in the day when he was going through a late puberty. But Karna's passed the point of salvation.

Young John Karna dominates this episode, the climax scene with him and Kelli Giddish is superbly crafted and done.

Very heavily based on Elliot Rodger

[bazmitch23 · 8/10 · 7 August 2016]

The Isla Vista killer was the basis for Holden, the name being the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, though.

Holden's video vlogs, manifesto, time in Summer Camp, his crushes on girls who didn't like are massive references to Elliot Rodger's life.

John Karna plays Holden as a very creepy loner with a bizarre way of speaking, which is not too different from the way Rodger spoke, if you watch his real life vlogs.

My favourite scene is when Holden is hearing the couple having sex next door, bangs his fist on the wall and then talks into the camera. Him going on about how girls should not be attracted to the immature football jocks and should be attracted to "Sophisticated gentlemen" like himself is just Elliot to a tee.

I have never watched this show before, but I am familiar with the Elliot Rodger incident and since this episode was heavily influenced by it, I got intrigued.

Resentment

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 22 August 2022]

"Holden's Manifesto" left a big impression on me on first watch. Not just for the disturbing story and the even more disturbing perpetrator, but it also resonated with me as someone who is autistic and recognised some of the signs in the way the perpetrator acts. While Season 16 was a long way from a bad season, this episode was one of not many episodes from it that really stood out in such a vivid way. In a good way, just to say, in case anybody's not sure.

On re-watch, "Holden's Manifesto" holds up even better. It is one of the creepiest episodes of Season 16, it has one of the season's best acted perpetrators, has a powerful climax and contains one of Kelli Giddish's best performances of the show. As far as Season 16 goes, "Holden's Manifesto" is easily to me one of the best and one of the few outstanding episodes from it. If asked what the best episode of the season is, this would be a strong contender. Not to mention it is one of the best ripped from the headlines type cases from the latter seasons and the best one from this.

Almost everything works, and wonderfully, and even the one not so good thing isn't in any way a disaster. What immediately stands out is the performance of John Karna, who is deeply unsettling as a seriously disturbed character. The way Holden is written and acted, such as the stilted speech pattern and introverted body language and way of speaking, is very accurate to someone on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. What he does is stomach churning but part of me couldn't help not completely despising him. The case is twisty, tense and tightly paced, especially the climax.

The script is taut and pulls no punches. Peter Gallagher is a great addition, more than the standard stereotypical boss, and the initial friction between him and Olivia is not overdone. As said, Giddish gives one of her best performances and really knocks it out of the park in the truly hair raising climax.

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, and the direction is alert and accommodating.

Only one aspect doesn't quite work. Olivia's soapy subplot is a slight distraction from the case and could have been excised easily.

In summation though, wonderful and a Season 16 high point. 9/10.

Magnificent

[amckee-64063 · 10/10 · 4 December 2017]

Now I understand why so many people love this show. Holden is the type of gloriously deranged villain that I usually expected from something like Criminal Minds, and his conversation with Rollins and Amaro is one of the most epic talkdowns I have ever witnessed. His video messages were intensely creepy, especially the one at the end-- although that one offers a ray of hope by revealing that this poor, lonely boy died doing what he loved: attracting attention. Icing on the cake was Benson's heartwrenching struggle to care for her son, her job, her new boss, and her social worker, none of whom have anything better to do except suck up her attention. This is a truly magnificent episode, and it does SVU, along with the whole police procedural genre, proud.

Thrilling Episode

[wrenleung · 10/10 · 23 June 2020]

John Karna who played Holden March is brilliant. I'm surprised he doesn't work as a voice actor. The scene with him and Rollins was gripping.

"He might be on the spectrum" That's an important line to me

[UniqueParticle · 10/10 · 24 January 2021]

John Karna (Holden March) wants to be acknowledged and goes on drastic measures throughout which is captivating! It's great that OCD is mentioned among other aspects. Really enjoyable episode I love the ones with manhunts the most! A bit unfortunate ending I wish the circumstances were different still deserves a 10.

Sadly this is a movement now

[Agcrdk · 9/10 · 28 April 2021]

Online Incel movements have encouraged and expanded this type of behavior. Sadly it is so much more frequent.