TVSquad

(S01E13) How about that opening sequence? Before the credits, the entire cast gets to take a shot at a locomotive big guy on PCP. He throws Elliot through a window, knocks out a kid getting off the elevator and even takes a taser shot to the gut from Olivia before Fin takes him out with a chair to the back of the head. Anyway, the entire action sequence was a pretty elaborate way to write Christopher Meloni out of this week's script.

And, how unusual was this episode? The first 40 minutes had us thinking the detectives were investigating their usual child porn case, but then suddenly Olivia passes out?!? That's when the episode takes a turn from child porn to a much headier subject of chemical companies testing their products on humans. Wha? It took me a little while to catch up with the detectives as they spouted out their theories on why people in a low-income apartment building were being gassed. For a while there, I thought the theory was hair-brained and another of Det. Munch's theories. But it just kept going.

The episode takes another turn near the end when, based on Elliot's advice, Olivia goes rogue and hacks into the chemical company's computer to find out the name of the pesticide that was being tested in apartments, "Zilithion". Now I don't understand how they went from finding information illegally to getting a warrant to arrest the CEO of the chemical company, but I guess that doesn't matter? Maybe that's why Olivia and Novak offered him a deal right away to pay for medical care for all the victims rather than go to prison. Do you think they knew they'd never be able to win in court becaue of the illegal way Olivia obtained evidence?

The writers took an awful long time to build up a child pornography case and then whisked through the larger issue of chemical companies finding a loophole to test their products on humans. Frankly, it was a little jarring but I caught on and went with it.

Great line:
"Preferential treatment for a plutocrat? We'd lose our jobs." - Det. Munch putting a chemical executive in the clink.

Cheesy line:
"Don't marinate on it too long, gentlemen. This offer has a half-life of 10 seconds." - ADA Novak offering the chemical executive a deal.