NBC manages to produce yet another golden episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as it marches on into its 12th consecutive season.
The storyline in this new episode of SVU titled, “Gray,” follows New York City Detectives Stabler and Benson as they investigate a rape of a student at Hudson University. Luckily for the audience, the seasoned actors in this ensemble wonderfully dramatized this episode in a very real way.
The performances of Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson) and Chris Meloni (Elliot Stabler) are a bit more timid in this episode, but manage to carry the audience into a splendor of emotions due to the serious nature of this growing college issue.
“Gray” unfolds and examines why colleges or universities prefer to keep sexual assault issues as an in-house incident and often times are never reported. It also offers both the female and male perspectives on this type of accusation.
“Gray” also shows how concerned students form an advocacy group to help women who are susceptible to these issues. The safety of female students on campus may not always be a priority to school officials, and it should be. This is exactly what SVU explores in this alarming episode.
Pioneer thespian Christine Lahti guest stars as Assist. District Attorney Paxton, a previously introduced character, who assists both detectives in the arrest of the alleged rapist.
Although her character feels that this particular case does not have enough evidence to convict the perpetrator for the crime of rape at first, eventually she reverts back to her justice roots and manages to get a conviction.
The justice system and protocol procedures are also portrayed as the law decides how to rule as punishment for sexual assault offenders. Women on college campuses deal with these issues and hardly report them due to fear, possible retaliation or social embarrassment.
This episode not only deals with the issue of rape and sexual assault on a college campus, but it also touches on the overuse of alcohol on campus, promiscuity, student abortions and gang rape.
You also can’t help but indulge in the stern and articulate portrayal of Tamara Tunie, who plays Dr. Melinda Warner, Chief Medical Examiner. Ice-T who plays Det. Odafin Tutuola, still continues to fall through the acting cracks, as his more-than-stiff performance evokes a yawn in me.
Overall, this episode of Law & Order: SVU is worth seeing. More importantly, this episode explores the factual issues that women face on a college campus every day. Rape is a sexual assault that victimizes women all over the world. In this case, this episode shines a little light on an already important issue.
According to the Executive Director of Law & Order: SVU, Neal Baer, M.D., 1 in every 4 women are raped during their college experience. This growing phenomenon is often overlooked by authorities by blaming the victims or accusing them of lying. The key is to get help.
