Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Devastating Story (2015) User Reviews

Everybody has an agenda

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 January 2016]

If there's a lesson to be learned here is that you always make a report to the cops immediately especially if it involves a sex crime. After that success in the criminal justice system is problematic.

Coed Ally Ioannides is gang raped at a frat house by members of the mythical Hudson University hockey team. But she doesn't report the crime to the police, she reports it to a feminist professor Laura Fraser who takes up her victimization as a cause. By the time the SVU squad gets a hold of it, the whole thing just falls apart in a tragic way.

Everybody has an agenda here, the professor, talk show host Rob Morrow whom she appears with before even giving her full story to the police, and University President Kathleen Chalfant. Not even all of the four men named are culpable in any way.

It's a mess, but you have to see what happens. SVU can't win all the time.

The Low Reviewers Can't Handle The Truth

[amckee-64063 · 8/10 · 21 January 2018]

This isan episode we need right now, especially when hyperfeminism is sweeping the countrry. I believe in the horrors of sexual assault, but the truth is that some stories are just that--stories. That's what happens in this episode of SVU, where a picture-perfect rape victim turns out to be the center of a campus case that is far more complicated than it appears. Seemingly deprived of free will following a night of hard partying, one college girl falls prey to the wiles of a somewhat unstable professor and a rating-hungry television reporter. There are no happy endings in this story, only grim truths about how lying and stupidity can cause as much damage as clear-cut malice.

Confirming Biases

[yazguloner · 10/10 · 16 December 2021]

Raising awareness about campus and rape, going back decades while trying to go forward.

It is the story of how sometimes those who want to move forward try cases with bloodthirsty vampirism, making the victim even more victimized.

It's ironic that real crimes don't turn out to be real crimes.

When it is learned that the events are not true, the media mouse is the first to leave the sinking ship.

It is one of the darkest gray cases.

It's always great when Benson talks to the principal, woman-to-woman. (Kathleen Chalfant) It is written in the history of women as a common self-criticism of the old authoritarianism and the new democratic view.

Emma Sulkowicz

[akeefe-02940 · 10/10 · 28 May 2018]

This episode was most likely a direct result of what happened in the real world. Emma Sulkowicz, aka "mattress girl" paraded around campus accusing a guy of rape. Turns out it was all an act for attention. He sued her and the school successfully. Emma Sulkowicz alone set rape culture back 30 years.

Grim story

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 25 August 2022]

This is an episode that covers a very difficult subject matter with interesting moral dilemmas worthy of much debate. It is though a subject matter that can go either way in execution, it could either be harrowing and thought-provoking or it could be too sleazy and sensationalist. Which is the case with ripped from the headlines type stories in general, which is why this type of story doesn't always appeal to me (especially as there is a lot of the latter in the later seasons).

While appreciating "Devastating Story" taking on such a tough subject, especially one that could go either way of harrowing and thought provoking or sleazy and sensationalist, it didn't come together really for me. Cannot accuse anybody of not trying and could see that there were good intentions, but this was a subject that needed to be executed with a lot more tact than what was provided. Regarding the going either way point, there is a bit of both in "Devastating Story" but mostly the latter.

"Devastating Story" does have good things. The production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up.

Furthermore, the regular performances are strong in particularly the second half. The episode does start off very well and what it has to say about the subject is shocking.

Having said all of this, there are quite a lot of shortcomings. While it doesn't trivialise the subject matter, it did to me come over as on the heavy handed side and going too far on the sleaze. So a good deal more tact was needed. There are no surprises and also no suspense, due to the story being very predictable from having too few twists and doing nothing new with a familiar scenario. The dialogue is both overripe and trite and the pedestrian direction does nothing to make the at times thin story more interesting and less mundane.

Also did find the professor and talk show host characters too over the top and lacking in subtlety, to the point of cartoondoom. The supporting cast are not too memorable, Rob Morrow tries his best but deserved better than the pedestrian material he was given. Olivia is not objective enough and resorts too often to conclusion jumping and too sympathetic gut instinct. Even usually sassy, straight talking Barba comes over as too soft and too easily walked over.

In summary, appreciated the intentions but the execution was very flawed. 5/10.

These are the episodes that totally piss me off

[norareign · 2/10 · 11 November 2019]

Barba's comment that the actions taken by the main protagonist in this episode sets culture back decades seems believable to me. Her actions are part of the problem she claims to be fighting against. It's so disheartening.