Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses

are considered especially heinous.

In New York City, the dedicated detectives

who investigate these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

You took my wife from me.

Elliot.

- I wrote this. - Just read it.

Your boss ordered a hit, killing my wife.

- I want to talk. - I need protection.

What is this?

It's just precautionary, Izak.

Liv, you mean the world to me.

I am not gonna allow these emotions

to derail me from my mission.

Angela Wheatley is luck to be alive.

Does your doctor think you'll be well enough to testify?

- Ah! - Look what I found.

Olivia Benson.

Elliot, now I understand. She's a knockout.

Get him out of here.

Hey.

Thanks for coming, Olivia.

- How you all doing? - We're okay.

And... and I'm really getting through things.

Good. Ah, you shaved.

- It's nice to see your face. - It was time.

Happy belated birthday, Mom.

We love you. We miss you.

Every single day.

Italian for lunch?

- Kathy's favorite. - Sounds perfect.

Actually, Dad, I was gonna go meet Sara.

Is that okay?

You got a date now?

- She's not a date. - She's my study partner.

All right, well, check in, text.

Okay.

- Good. - Show him you trust him.

Trust, but verify.

I got a tracking app on his cell.

- I can't hear this. - And security cameras at home.

We'll meet you guys.

God, Eli's growing up fast.

Last nine months have been a blur.

Until Wheatley goes to trial, there's no closure.

Carisi said that Wheatley's out of postponements.

The clock is ticking.

Make it tick faster.

Mr. Baptiste, Mr. Carisi, I'm denying People's motion

for this evidence to be admitted at trial.

Your Honor, Izak Bekher was Richard Wheatley's

right-hand man, his bodyguard, his head of security,

the architect of the bomb that killed Kathy Stabler.

His taped confession is crucial to the state's case.

And inadmissible as hearsay,

as my predecessor admonished you three months ago,

since Mr. Bekher isn't available

for cross-examination.

Mr. Bekher can't make himself available

because he's presumed dead,

most likely at the hand of Richard Wheatley.

The larger point remains, the state has not proved

that my client, by "violence, threats, or chicanery,"

caused Bekher to be unavailable.

I'm agreeing with you, Counselor.

Take yes for an answer.

- Motion denied. - In that case,

we move to set an immediate trial date.

Actually, that won't be possible.

- Excuse me? - I need time

to find new representation.

- I'm firing my lawyer. - What?

Sorry, Lisa, you're fine for motions,

but you're not cut out for trial.

My right as a defendant, if I understand that correctly?

Yes, that of course, is your right, Mr. Wheatley.

You have one week.

The long-anticipated trial of Richard Wheatley

has been delayed once again.

Wheatley has changed lawyers for the fourth time

since he's been accused of the contract killing

of Kathy Stabler...

- How'd that go? - Not good.

- Change of lawyers. - We should've seen that coming.

And somehow they get Judge Ellery?

With what we had on that guy, how is he still on the bench?

- You have to ask? - Paranoia won't help us.

Angela Wheatley, Wheatley's ex-wife,

is expected to take the stand,

after turning state's evidence and implicating...

We'll need your help prepping witnesses.

Wheatley's not going down easy.

This guy doesn't want to spend one more minute

of his life in jail.

I hope to work with you, Mr. Wheatley.

- We'll be in touch. - All right.

Nice ass for Yale Law, but no.

Just one more, Mr. Wheatley.

Send him in.

Born in South Bronx, full scholarship to Harvard.

- Impressive. - And yet I'm here.

I've done well by hiring self-made men.

They know how to hustle, and they work twice as hard.

The only thing that gets in their way,

they always have a chip.

What's yours?

I don't suffer fools,

especially as clients.

Why don't you tell me your side?

sync & corrections jhj@2021

- Angela, let me help you. - No.

I need to do this myself.

Miss Wheatley, nice to see you again.

I'm sorry. Uh, we've met?

ADA Carisi.

I'm prosecuting your ex-husband.

Yes. Of course.

You wanted to prep?

Yeah.

I don't need protective custody.

Nobody knows I'm gonna testify.

We're gonna have to inform the defense before trial.

Right, you're gonna have to tell my dad.

Well, if that's a problem, you need to say something now.

After what he did to my grandfather,

my mother,

he's dead to me.

You've accepted my offer?

Whoever said crime doesn't pay wasn't a lawyer.

So you see that I'm innocent?

I'm being framed for a crime I didn't commit.

I see that there's ample opportunity

for reasonable doubt, but we got a lot of work to do.

What do you want to know?

Anything you told Izak, Angela, or Richie.

Anything they told you.

- Rafael Barba. - You know him, right?

- I do. - He's representing Wheatley.

He good?

- Very. - Hey, Liv.

Barba's here, you want me to tell him to wait?

No. Counselor.

- Rafael Barba. - Elliot Stabler.

- Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. - Are you?

Then why are you defending the man who killed my wife?

Liv, I'll see you later.

- Why are you doing this? - Because it's wrong.

If the DA's office can bring a case like this

against someone as wealthy as Wheatley,

then that gives them license

to railroad any defendant at any time.

- Richard Wheatley is guilty. - Then let the state prove it.

That's how this works. Think about it.

30 RICO charges that they let slide.

30, but they cherry-picked this one?

Why? Because one PP pressured them?

I get that that's how you're justifying this to yourself,

but I am asking you not to take this case.

Be careful what you wish for.

I step aside, whatever shark Wheatley hires

will put not just the NYPD and Stabler on trial,

but you... you!

Not just your partnership with Stabler,

but your relationship.

He should never have been allowed

anywhere near this investigation, Liv.

They'll eviscerate you on the stand.

- Maybe end your career. - So which is it?

Are you protecting me?

Or is this your defense attorney outrage?

- Or is this about Stabler? - I don't know Stabler.

Maybe it's the first two out of three.

I know you're sure that Wheatley is guilty.

- I am. - That does not give the NYPD

the right to frame him.

Rafa.

Day one of the long-awaited trial of Richard Wheatley

for the contract killing of an NYPD detective's wife.

Wheatley had been looking at RICO charges of racketeering,

money laundering, and drug trafficking.

But those charges were dismissed as a result

of his cooperation with federal authorities.

Carisi, get any sleep?

- Was up all night. - What about you guys?

- Same. - I slept like a baby.

Hey, Liv, heads up, Baptiste is gonna take your direct.

We'll both protect on Barba's crossing.

- I'm ready. - All right.

I'll see you inside.

Dominick, you look tired.

- Not me. - I slept like a baby.

Good. You'll need it.

I arrived shortly after the bomb went off.

Um, Kathy Stabler was badly injured

and being loaded into the ambulance.

Captain Benson, you're the head of SVU.