Lt. Benson and the SVU squad investigate a kidnapping involving the parents of an infant at the heart of a right-to-die case. ADA Barba sympathizes with the mother and does what she's unable to bring herself to do: switch off the baby's life support system. District Attorney Jack McCoy charges him with murder and enlists Barba's replacement, ADA Peter Stone, to prosecute the case. Even though he's acquitted and McCoy seems perfectly fine with letting a baby killer stay on staff, Barba resigns and leaves New York.

We’re discussing the heart-tugging, star-packed Special Victims Unit season 19 episode 13 "The Undiscovered Country." Our guest from this March 11, 2020 episode is Gaby Dunn from the "Bad with Money" podcast. 

This episode is inspired by the 2017 case of Charlie Gard.

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Gunshots ring out after someone heckles the singer at mob-friendly Raimondo's restaurant. Briscoe and Green think a Hollywood producer at a different table was simply caught in the crossfire, but Van Buren says the bullet that killed him was from a different gun. The detectives nab a hitman who took advantage of the commotion to take out the producer. He says he was hired by an author who got stiffed on the movie adaptation of his Raimondo's-inspired book. But McCoy and Southerlyn learn it was Raimondo himself who sought revenge on both the writer and the producer for disrespecting his famous restaurant.

We're talking about Law & Order season 14 episode 20 "Everybody Loves Raimondo's." Our guest from our April 17, 2017 episode is Chris Greene of RTÉ Two radio in Ireland.

This episode is inspired by the real life shooting in Rao's restaurant by Louie "Lump Lump" Barone.

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Captain Olivia Benson thinks the creepy cleaver-wielding butcher who likes to wear clown masks is behind the disappearance of a teenager. EADA Peter Stone charges him with murder, although her body is never recovered. Detectives Carisi and Rollins discover the girl is alive and well, living in hiding and having a secret affair with her music teacher. But sh*t gets bananas when the mother confronts the couple. She confesses to her own affair with the teacher years earlier which left her pregnant. Although they never knew it, the teacher has been sleeping with his own daughter. 

We'll never ever get over SVU season 19 episode 17 "Send in the Clowns." Our guest for the April 11, 2018 episode is Kimberly from the Date with Dateline podcast.

This episode is inspired by the case of Steven Walter Pladl.

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Cosgrove and Shaw investigate the murder of a right wing congresswoman's husband, a doctor bludgeoned in his home office. The detectives focus on a teenager who'd been secretly visiting the doctor's home. They learn the patient is a trans girl who'd been receiving gender affirming care despite her parents' objections, and Frank and Jalen arrest the dad for murder. His lawyer argues self-defense, and Price and Maroun quarrel about whether the victim should have been treating the 13-year-old without permission. In order to protect the teen from a withering cross-examination, McCoy offers a plea. But the political fallout from the trial might make things less safe for trans kids in the future.

We're talking about Law & Order season 22 episode 19 "Private Lives." Our guest is Brady Carlson from the Cool Weird Awesome podcast.

This episode takes its inspiration from the attack on the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

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Nerdy teenager Zach is getting dirty pics and suggestive texts from his English teacher, but vanishes on his way to a secret tryst with her. Benson and Dodds learn Miss Barnap has been giving lessons in lust to some students, but the photos to Zach were actually sent by the school's wrestling coach. The squad later finds the kidnapped boy in the man's remote cabin.  Zach's parents won't let him testify, so Olivia and Mike ask some of the coach's past victims to come forward. But one has a better idea...he gets a videotaped confession from the coach by torturing him to death. Also, Rollins apparently survived childbirth.

In our 200th episode, we're talking about Special Victims Unit season 17 episode 10* "Catfishing Teacher." Our special guest is the winner of the "These Are YOUR Stories contest," Jon Gregory.

Some inspiration for this episode comes from the life of former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau.

*Note, because of a two-part season opener, some streaming services list this as episode 9.

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An online sting leads the squad to a photographer (Joshua Malina) who has fantasies about slicing up children. Murphy and Tutuola uncover his torture chamber, but Benson and Rollins can't find any real-life victims. Barba prosecutes him anyway, but the defendant is acquitted. Meantime, while already dealing with family issues, Amaro spots the photographer taking pictures at a playground. Nick beats him to a pulp and is quickly arrested.

We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 15 episode 23* "Thought Criminal." Our guest is Kimberly from the Date with Dateline podcast. 

Inspiration for this story comes from the case of the so-called "Cannibal Cop" Gilberto Valle.

*Note, because of a two-part season opener, some streaming services list this as episode 22.

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When three parents are killed in separate shootings, Goren and Eames learn their three-year-old children had all been accepted to an exclusive day care center. Is someone trying to get their own kid off the waitlist and into the school by picking off the other moms and dads? An overbearing matriarch found with the murder weapon would do anything to get her grandson in, but Goren de-deuces she couldn't do it because she can only poop in her home toilet. It seems the child's belittled mom set up her mother-in-law, and now she's taken school officials hostage at gunpoint.

We're talking about Criminal Intent season 7 episode 15 "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger." Our guest is Chris Farah from the DocuSweeties podcast.

Inspiration for this episode comes from the real life case of the Texas cheerleader murder plot.

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A Guatemalan boy is discovered in a bus luggage compartment. His friend tells Benson and Stabler they were running away from the child molester who adopted them and kept them locked in his apartment for sex. Before they can question Brett Jansen, he's found murdered in his bed. Olivia and Elliot learn Jansen is among those who've been traveling to Central America to bring back boys for their own pleasure. Munch goes undercover to bust the travel agent arranging the trips (Will Arnett). Was Jansen killed to protect the pedophile ring? Or was it because his love for the boys wasn't sweet enough?

We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 4 episode 6 "Angels." Our guest is Alexis Linkletter from "Unraveled" and "The First Degree" podcasts.

Inspiration for this story comes from the 1999 case of Marvin Hersh.

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Briscoe and Curtis look for the stalker who threw Andrea Blake down the stairs. Is it the computer hacker with a taste for opera or the creepy neighbor with the telephoto lens and X-rated website? But inconsistencies in the victim's story lead Lennie and Rey to suspect she faked the attack. Soon after, Andrea is murdered in her apartment.

The defense attorney gets the 911 call tossed, saying she already falsely accused the defendant once. To save the case, Briscoe tells McCoy he believed Andrea's story all along, which everyone knows is a lie. Curtis refuses to perjure himself, so McCoy must attack his credibility to get a murder conviction.

We're talking about Law & Order season 8 episode 18 "Stalker." Our guest is Jenn Jackson from the We Talk $hit podcast.

Plot points for this episode come from the death of Canadian nurse Cindy James.

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Detectives Churlish and Muncy investigate a rape accusation against the son of a rich, domineering real estate mogul. When Benson goes to arrest Martin Parish, she finds Connie Parish breastfeeding him. Carisi's rape case falls apart when the victim recants, then dies before testifying before the grand jury. The squad learns her cocaine was laced with industrial abrasive, which is also the cause of Martin's failing health. He refuses to testify against his mother, until his long-absent father returns to say he lost the taste for Connie's boobies when he learned she was trying to kill him with the same abrasive. 

We're talking about Special Victims Unit season 24 episode 18 "Bubble Wrap." Our guest is Melody Carlisle from the "Heaving Bosoms" podcast.

A few plot points in this episode are inspired by the controversy around actor Armie Hammer.

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Benson and Stabler learn the kidnapper and rapist they're looking for is children's book author Saul Picard. When they take him into custody, Picard head butts Elliot into a car window, leaving him temporarily blind. The feds want to bring Picard back to Louisiana where child rape is a capital offense. Huang says the suspect is schizophrenic and belongs in a hospital, not death row.

Novak schemes with a defense attorney to keep Picard in NY.  Motivated by personal reasons, Casey's plan to sabotage her own prosecution to save Picard puts her at loggerheads with new District Attorney Jack McCoy and a vengeful Benson, seeking revenge for Stabler's injury. 

We're talking about Special Victims Unit season nine episode seven "Blinded." Our guest is Ronald Young Jr. from the "Weight for It" podcast.

A minor plot point alludes to the life of author Theodor Geisel, aka, Dr. Suess. 

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