Law and Order: SVU Episode 17: Send in the Clowns

This was quite the episode. The case this week started out as, well... “normal” for the SVU squad and their intrepid ADA. 16 year old Haley, on a field trip with her music class and male music teacher (James), disappears after sneaking out to a club. The prime suspect is a very creepy guy who works in a butcher shop and has a fetish for clown masks. He has no alibi. Her blood was found in his apartment and car along with some of her belongings and he was captured on camera dragging a very heavy bag around in a landfill. There’s just one thing missing.... A body. And the creepy clown guy claims he’s innocent. 

So what’s Peter Stone to do? It’s not a slam dunk case by any means. He’s hesitant, and with good reason, to charge the guy. He’s trying to relax in the bar but the case is all over the news. Benson then walks in and starts to press him to charge the guy. It’s been three days. The family needs closure. The news shows the young girl, a music prodigy, exquisitely playing the piano. Peter is obviously moved by this, or maybe by the memories the footage stirs up. We don’t quite know. But in any case, he turns to Benson and says he’ll charge the guy. Now, you would think after all the pushing she did, Benson would be supportive and glad he’s agreed. Well not quite. She then questions his abilities and whether or not he can get a conviction. What the heck, Benson? Or maybe the better question is, what the heck writers?? 

As the case goes to trial, we notice an interesting pattern with the defense attorney. He does not question any of the prosecution’s witnesses. Why? Well, plain and simple... no body. That alone casts a reasonable doubt over the case even with all the evidence they have against the defendant. But Peter presses on. He tells the parents and James to trust him. Between the dad’s testimony today and James’ testimony tomorrow, he is confident they can win the case.

That confidence goes out the window when James, his star witness, is a no-show in court. Things take a very warped and twisted turn here. James and Haley appear to have set up the clown guy for murder so they could flee the country together. Benson pushed Peter to prosecute the wrong man. Maybe next time he will go with his gut and not with Benson’s heart.

Haley and James profess their love for each other as they are pulled out of bed and driven down to the police station where we get another twist in this tragic tale. It turns out Haley’s mom had an affair with James and that resulted in... yes, you guessed it... a love child... Haley. So not only is James sleeping with a minor, he’s also sleeping with his own daughter. When Haley learns of this, she is excited and happy. She truly is special and not the daughter of a garbage man. I can only echo Peter’s utterly confused reaction about it all while he walks out of the courthouse with Benson after James’ trial.

But now... now is when we learn the heartbreak that is keeping Peter in NY and are treated to more brilliant acting by Philip Winchester. Earlier, he had to skip Finn’s birthday party because he had an appointment he couldn’t miss. That appointment is his sister Pamela. Choking back tears, he tells Benson she is in a facility in upstate NY because she suffers from schizophrenia. Their dad would visit her every week, and with him gone, it is now something Peter promised he would do. He gave up the entire life he had built in Chicago to be in NY for his sister.

The heartbreak continues to pile on for poor Peter when he goes to visit Pamela and we see she has no memory of her brother, a brother who obviously loves her very much. The pain floods over Peter’s face. She calls him dad even after he says who he is. Possibly some dementia, too? He tries to laugh it off but it hurts, badly. This is one of Philip’s many shining areas of acting. He doesn’t need to breakdown completely for the audience to see that immense pain. In fact, that makes the impact much more powerful (for me anyway).

Now, let us hope the SVU writers don’t drop this storyline for Peter and we continue to learn what his and Pamela’s relationship was like growing up. Was she the older of the two? I tend to think so. We’re they close? I can only imagine they were, or at least Peter really looked up to her, for him to selflessly walk away from an entire life he built.

And wishing Philip a very wonderful birthday today! Thank you for bringing us such wonderful and complex characters to enjoy.

Law and Order: SVU airs Wednesdays at 9:00pm Eastern on NBC.