Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Catfishing Teacher (2016) User Reviews

I Encouraged Him

[yazguloner · 10/10 · 8 January 2022]

Teacher-Look Predators There are two predators female and male teachers. In fact, you may find someone more innocent.

The predator in the guise of a ram ends young lives at the age of 15. One more case has been added to the tragedies and storms.

The victim's interrogation of the predator is impressive and striking: "I encouraged him."

Catfishing

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 22 September 2022]

Anybody who has read any of my other reviews for for example individual episodes of the 'Law and Order' shows, am slowly working my way through writing reviews for all the episodes of 'Law and Order', 'Special Victims Unit' (finished my 'Criminal Intent' reviews last year) and some time next year some of the lesser known/received shows, will know already how much admiration there is from me for anything that tackles difficult and controversial themes and issues. The topic here did sound interesting and quite brave.

"Catfishing Teacher" however is one of those episodes that could have handled its difficult topic a lot better than it did, it succeeds at being uncompromising which is good and it succeeds at being creepy which is equally good. If the pace had been more consistent and if nothing was underdeveloped, it would have been a much better episode than it turned out. Not a terrible episode by any stretch, but this is an example of a topic that can go either way in execution, and similar topics can be executed in too sleazy a manner, and it doesn't quite come off in the way it's executed.

There are plenty of good things here. It is well made, intimately photographed and slick with no signs of under-budget or anything. The music didn't sound melodramatic or too constant and the direction is accomodating while still having pulse. Much of the script is tight and intelligent, though there is not much that illuminates about the subject. Did think that the episode started off very well, disturbing but not being too sleazy.

Story generally is dark and disturbing, fitting for a subject that is exactly those things, and pulls no punches. Love Rollins and Carisi together, their scene was very cute. The acting is very good all round.

However, "Catfishing Teacher" could have been a lot better. It does slow down and lose tension towards the end. Much more focus could have been put on the female teacher, she and her role in the story, which was every bit as crucial as what transpired, were practically dropped.

While the ending does shock and sadden, it is also too drawn out and could have been explained in a shorter time frame than it was. Am really not caring for Dodds, bland, ill fitting and too much rookie like.

All in all, decent if unexceptional. 6/10.

Apparently When a Woman is the Predator, no Repercussions

[bkkaz · 1/10 · 4 December 2021]

SVU knows its audience, and it now panders with scripts that 97% of the time feature a male perpetrator and a female victim. This episode is one of those rarities that reverses the dynamic, and perhaps truer to life, shows both the investigation and consequences are not the same. In this case, a female high school English teacher is nailing the school's no-necks and knuckledraggers. That by itself could be the story, but, no, it has to be a circuitous plot that -- wait for it -- ultimately shows a man is the perpetrator. What happens to the female teacher? Nothing of consequence. In fact, the SVU moral majority seems uninterested in hammering her legally the way they would a male. Yes, they arrest her, but there's none of the standard preachy lectures or snarls of disgust, no effort to coddle and comfort the victims. These things happen, I guess, and because she's female, she's not simply a predator but someone who must have a compelling reason for doing what she does. Who knows, she disappears once they're on to the real culprit. Cue preachy lectures and snarls of disgust.

Known to seduce students

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 6 January 2016]

A high school kid has gone missing and suspicion falls on a female teacher known to seduce students. Not that any were complaining but this kid hasn't come home. When Kelli Barrett is found she's got another boy toy, but she's actually married this one and he's legal in any event.

But she's got reliable information about the school wrestling coach who likes them straight if he can get them and a little date rape drug and a little alcohol helps him achieve his objective. Michael Gaston is as sleazy a sex criminal as they come on SVU.

The problem is that Mariska Hargitay can't get anyone to come forth. The kid he's found with won't talk especially with the image conscious parents he's gotten. The rest of the macho jocks don't want to talk about it either.

Gaston gets his due, but not through court of justice.

Not one of the better stories, but SVU fans should like it.