Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

A Misunderstanding (2016)

Mariska Hargitay: Lieutenant Olivia Benson

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Quotes 

• Rita Calhoun : [to Olivia]  I'm representing a 15-year-old freshman at the Dowland School.

  Olivia Benson : Fifteen. What's he been accused of?

  Rita Calhoun : No. Her name's Abby Stewart. She's the victim.

  Olivia Benson : Working as an advocate? What is this, penance for representing a serial killer?

  Rita Calhoun : You're still holding that against me.

  Olivia Benson : Yes.

• John Buchanan : If I understood you just now, it's because the assailant is naive or shy that she waited four days to disclose?

  Olivia Benson : No, that's not what I said. I said it's not unusual at all for any victim to wait to disclose. Victims often need time to process what happened to them before approaching police.

  John Buchanan : You mean before approaching you. She went to her local precinct first, and they chose not to pursue an investigation.

  Olivia Benson : Because local precincts aren't properly trained in sexual assault. That's why the NYPD created the Special Victims Unit in the first place.

• Dominick Carisi, Jr. : [about the Cherry Pickers Club' list]  Oh, counselor, you're not gonna use this list though, are you?

  Rafael Barba : It goes to motive.

  Dominick Carisi, Jr. : Yeah, but it also outs a lot of teenagers. I mean, the guys, whatever. Who cares about them?

  Olivia Benson : But these girls, they don't want this list going public.

  Mike Dodds : Come on, like they haven't posted darkroom selfies on their Facebook pages already? We're dealing with hormone-flooded teenagers. I know things are grey here, but this is 50 shades of it.

• Mike Dodds : [When Olivia & Dobbs see Chris's appearance]  They made Chris look like Harry Potter.

  Olivia Benson : Well, we've seen that before, right? The nerd defense?

• Olivia Benson : [to Dodds about Chris Roberts:]  So what's your take on the boy?

  Mike Dodds : He's privileged, but not arrogant. No record, straight A's, waiting on an early decision from Stanford. He seems genuinely surprised by the allegation.

  Olivia Benson : Okay, so it sounds like a teenage he said/she said.

  Mike Dodds : It's more like her-parents-say/his-parents-say. Chris's mom, he's her only son, the golden boy.

  Dominick Carisi, Jr. : And the father of a teenage virginal daughter? Like my dad with my sisters. If a guy so much as looked at one of them, it's rape.

• Rita Calhoun : [When Olivia & Calhoun are in the bathroom with Abby]  We said no makeup. Remember, Abby?

  Abby Stewart : But I'll look like a little girl.

  Rita Calhoun : They're making him look like a saint. You can't look like a sinner.

  Olivia Benson : [Mrs. Roberts walks into the bathroom]  Mrs. Roberts, would you give us a minute?

  Ellen Roberts : [walks over to the bathroom sink]  I'm just washing my hands. Abby, did they tell you that Stanford requested Chris withdraw his application?

  Rita Calhoun : This isn't the time.

  Ellen Roberts : [grabs Abby]  Do you understand that you're ruining my son's life?

  Olivia Benson : Hey, you need to stop talking.

  Ellen Roberts : A woman cop like you, you always take the girl's side, don't you?

  Olivia Benson : That's not what's happening here.

  Ellen Roberts : Yeah, well, I've seen it. The sweet little girl becomes the victim and then the boy is made out to be a brute and do you know why that is?

  [yells in Abby's face] 

  Ellen Roberts : Because teenage girls are better liars!

• Olivia Benson : [to Barba]  You know, no matter what the jury decides, you did your job.

  Rafael Barba : Did I? It was always a murky case.

  Olivia Benson : Exactly the kind that we need to be fighting. The world is changing. We need new rules.

  Rafael Barba : Rules of sexual engagement for teenagers?

  Olivia Benson : Yes. California just passed affirmative consent.

  Rafael Barba : We'll see how that goes.

  Olivia Benson : Well, something needs to change. The problem is is that teenage boys even in college don't know what behavior might constitute rape. We need to make the lines clearer.