A doctor who was arrested for sexually abusing his patients is set free due to Cassidy's testimony which results in a mistrial.A doctor who was arrested for sexually abusing his patients is set free due to Cassidy's testimony which results in a mistrial.A doctor who was arrested for sexually abusing his patients is set free due to Cassidy's testimony which results in a mistrial.
- Detective Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola
- (as Ice T)
- Lorenzo
- (as Anthony Grasso)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe end scene with Cassidy and Peter Stone explains why Cassidy was unable to deal with the cases SVU handles and offered a transfer by Captain Cragen in "Disrobed (2000)".
- GoofsAll entries contain spoilers
- Quotes
Brian Cassidy: [to Stone] I heard that Reggie confessed.
Peter Stone: Yeah, he did.
Brian Cassidy: I mean, can you cut this kid a deal? Don't you think he's suffered enough?
Peter Stone: So, you total my case, you... uh... run from a murder scene, and hole up with a fellow officer, and now you're telling me how to do my job?
Brian Cassidy: Okay, so then fire me then, all right? I deserve that. I get that, but not Reggie. Come on, man. After what West did to him? This kid's gonna be chasing demons away the rest of his life. Every relationship, every time this kid looks into a mirror, there's just there's gonna be this looming shadow there.
On rewatch, when rewatching the whole show over time on and off, "Chasing Demons" still holds that distinction of being surprisingly good and being much better than expected. With the character writing of both Cassidy and Olivia and their chemistry being significantly improved. It is far from perfect, for instance Stone has a long way to go until he can be considered interesting (something that to me he never reached). But the good things outweigh the not so good and the best of the good things are excellent.
First and foremost, Dean Winters gives what is a strong contender for his best performance of the show. Especially in Cassidy's anger, where the intensity does burn. Mariska Hargitay's acting was less consistent to me in the seasons post-Olivia's promotion, but here she is every bit on Winters' level and it is a return to the mid seasons Olivia and not the one that frustrated me for most of this season, with her steel and sympathetic quality done so well. For the first time since forever their chemistry is very believable and at its best scintillates.
As said, Olivia was a very frustrating character this season and every bit as much since, but this is one of the few Season 19 episodes where she was not an issue at all and actually one of the reasons as to why "Chasing Demons" worked as surprisingly well as it did. Really liked how Olivia dealt with Cassidy, with it being obvious that she really wants to help him within reason. Rollins telling it like it is was also well done and didn't come over as preachy but more tough love. The script is thought probing and tight most of the time and the story absorbs and isn't too simple or too complicated.
Photography and such as usual are fully professional, the slickness still remaining. The music is used sparingly and is haunting and non-overwrought when it is used, and it's mainly used when a crucial revelation or plot development is revealed. The direction has nice and at its best (such as towards and at the end) thrilling tension while keeping things steady, without going too far the other way.
However, Phillip Winchester is still very bland and his acting range seems limited. Always did find Stone a flat character from his first appearance, which the show never rectified. Sometimes characters take time to settle, but the franchise did prove quite a lot that a character can make an instant positive impression as soon as they are introduced (i.e. Briscoe, Barba, Goren).
Did feel too that some of the dialogue was on the melodramatic side and that some of Cassidy's behaviour bordered on the ridiculous and extreme.
In conclusion, was very surprised at how well this episode worked. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Dec 31, 2022