Families
- Episode aired Feb 10, 2004
- TV-14
- 41m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
A high school student is found murdered, and it appears she's the victim of incest.A high school student is found murdered, and it appears she's the victim of incest.A high school student is found murdered, and it appears she's the victim of incest.
Photos
BD Wong
- Special Agent Dr. George Huang, M.D.
- (as B.D. Wong)
Patrick John Flueger
- Aidan Connor
- (as Patrick Flueger)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPatrick John Flueger makes an appearance in this episode. Ten years later he goes on to star in Chicago P.D. (2014) as Officer Adam Ruzek. Chicago P.D. and SVU occasionally have at least one crossover episode a season.
- GoofsDuring the opening when the police dog takes a nibble on the suspect, the padded sleeve to protect his arm is clearly visible.
- Quotes
[Benson catches a fleeing suspect]
Det. Olivia Benson: What's your name?
Suspect: Screw you!
Det. Olivia Benson: Screw You, you're under arrest for attempted rape until we nail you for the other eleven.
Featured review
Family secrets
Have always liked this kind of story, it is the kind of story that the 'Law and Order' franchise has done very well a number of times. Some cases better than others but that can be expected. Although the franchise has done better and more consistently with stories with heavier and more polarising themes, stories revolving around serial killers/rapists and stories about sexual abuse and the moral dilemmas that comes with getting a result.
"Families" struck me as a very good episode, if not one of the best of Season 5. A bit of a let down too after such an incredible previous episode in "Ritual", with it not quite having quite the extra something that made that episode so special and unforgettable. It does very well with this type of story, with enough shocks to stop it from being too predictable while not being too convoluted. Even if it does get quite crazy, not meant in a bad way.
Am going to get the not so great things out of the way. To me the ending was a bit too hastily wrapped up.
Not all the acting is there either. Helen Slater's performance was pretty erratic, and mostly she seemed to be slumming it. Despite liking Jane Seymour as an actress, she has little screen time and her character is underwritten.
The rest of the acting is very good however. Mariska Hargitay in particular has steel and authority and all the other regulars are on strong form. Love the chemistry between Stabler and Olivia, one can see how they care for one another while taking their jobs seriously. While Tom Mason is effectively skin crawling, the best performance comes from Patrick Flueger, namely because of him having the best acted scene of the entire episode. That being his genuinely devastating reaction to learning the truth, which shocks the viewer just as much as him so one is right on his side at that bit.
Much of the story is very well done indeed, with a tight pace and plenty of surprising twists and turns that become increasingly intricate. Luckily though not incoherent or too overloaded. The truth is truly shocking and not what one expects when watching the start of the episode. The script is tautly and thoughtfully written, Olivia's "screw you, you're under arrest for attempted rape until we nail you for the other eleven" is absolutely priceless.
Production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space.
On the whole, very good apart from the rushed ending, one not so great performance and one actor being wasted. A strong 8/10
"Families" struck me as a very good episode, if not one of the best of Season 5. A bit of a let down too after such an incredible previous episode in "Ritual", with it not quite having quite the extra something that made that episode so special and unforgettable. It does very well with this type of story, with enough shocks to stop it from being too predictable while not being too convoluted. Even if it does get quite crazy, not meant in a bad way.
Am going to get the not so great things out of the way. To me the ending was a bit too hastily wrapped up.
Not all the acting is there either. Helen Slater's performance was pretty erratic, and mostly she seemed to be slumming it. Despite liking Jane Seymour as an actress, she has little screen time and her character is underwritten.
The rest of the acting is very good however. Mariska Hargitay in particular has steel and authority and all the other regulars are on strong form. Love the chemistry between Stabler and Olivia, one can see how they care for one another while taking their jobs seriously. While Tom Mason is effectively skin crawling, the best performance comes from Patrick Flueger, namely because of him having the best acted scene of the entire episode. That being his genuinely devastating reaction to learning the truth, which shocks the viewer just as much as him so one is right on his side at that bit.
Much of the story is very well done indeed, with a tight pace and plenty of surprising twists and turns that become increasingly intricate. Luckily though not incoherent or too overloaded. The truth is truly shocking and not what one expects when watching the start of the episode. The script is tautly and thoughtfully written, Olivia's "screw you, you're under arrest for attempted rape until we nail you for the other eleven" is absolutely priceless.
Production values are slick and have a subtle grit, with an intimacy to the photography without being too claustrophobic. The music isn't used too much and doesn't get too melodramatic. The direction has enough taut urgency when needed while giving the case breathing space.
On the whole, very good apart from the rushed ending, one not so great performance and one actor being wasted. A strong 8/10
- TheLittleSongbird
- Dec 15, 2020
- Permalink
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