As fans 'SVU' will recall, January 2014 began ‘the winter of discontent’ within the 16th precinct squad room.
When asked how this year will compare to last year's roller coaster ride, Executive Producer Warren Leight didn’t hesitate in saying, “That was an absolute Indian summer compared to what’s coming up.”
Yikes!
First on the docket is Wednesday's episode, "Forgiving Rollins," which pits the fair-haired detective against a high-ranking official from her former squad in Atlanta.
Everyone remembers that Rollins recently had an uncomfortable run-in with her former superior, Deputy Chief Patton, when she and Fin took a quick trip down South during the "Pattern Seventeen" episode. At the end of that installment, Rollins took a call from Patton during which he mentioned that he'd be coming up North soon for a conference and wanted to see her. Rollins quickly did her best to blow him off, saying she was busy, to which he creepily replied, "You know how I am. I don't take no for an answer."
That right there sounds pretty nasty, and clearly sets the stage for some hefty revelations about what exactly transpired between Rollins and Patton.
"A lot of people have been wondering what happened to Rollins in Atlanta and why she had to leave that job," explains Leight. "We’ve been hinting at things for a while, but now it's all coming to a head for her."
Giving more details, Leight goes on to say, "When Patton comes to New York, he brings another detective with him - a young, bright, pretty detective. Something happens to that detective and Patton is implicated. It's a real he said/she said situation and then the real question becomes, 'is there is anything that Rollins knows about Chief Patton that might make him good for this.'"
Along with Harry Hamlin as Patton, Peter Gallagher returns as [Benson's nemesis!] Chief Dodds. The episode also features fan favorites Delaney Williams as slimy lawyer John Buchanan and Jenna Stern as Judge Elena Barth.
Couple these folks with the series regulars and things get very heavy, says Leight. "There's a scene with Gallagher, Delaney, Hamlin and Raul in a steakhouse and you can just smell the 'old boy network' in there. This episode is very much about white male privilege and how the game is played when you enter that world."
What unfolds for Rollins has been coming for quite some time. "We planted this seed a long time ago - three and a half years ago. How's that for a slow burn," snickers Leight. "But seriously, with regard to what we learn about Rollins through this experience, let's just say that in many ways much of her past behavior has left a lot of people scratching their heads, and what we find out here makes the motivation behind her actions clearer."
Leight isn't kidding when he says that these storylines are tough on his cast "This was a grueling episode for Kelli {Giddish]. She really went all in. I mean, she does that consistently with whatever we give her, but we keep taking her to more and more difficult places and she keeps upping her game."
With this show, there truly is no rest for the weary. Ok, enough cliches. Simply put, it's all tension filled goodness, that just keeps coming.
For a recap of this episode after it airs, and more inside information about upcoming episodes of ‘SVU’ please visit The New Observer here.
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