Tonya Glanz, as plaintiff, Monica Russo, was the most angry and impassioned victim I have seen since Tracy Pollan played Harper Anderson. It was refreshing to see such anger and passion in Monica, and I was with her all the way.
But, of course, there are flaws. She is a starving artist living in New York, who lives with a boy friend, whose sleaze factor is one step that of a drug dealer. Now, I get the whole starving artist thing, darlings, but why did she have to be a pole dancer? How about a waitress or a barista? Or a researcher?
This episode used the sleaze factor so much I thought they were out to get Monica, not help her. Now, realistically, Tonya Glanz looks too suburban and robust, to work as a pole dancer. That her boyfriend tolerates it says something about their relationship.
Here is where things get dicey. The girls all dance in public, sure, but high priced clients pay for after show services. In one of these encounters, Monica maintains she was raped. And by some faux celebrity named Markeevelous Ryan, wonderfully played by Wole Parks. Jenna Stern is also excellent as attorney Elana Barth, who goes after Carisi like a mongoose in this, his first case. The court room scenes crackled with tension unseen since earlier days, but I was so afraid Barth would win for Ryan, and Carisi would go back to law enforcement.
Of course, Mother Olivia has to step in and comfort Carisi, inspiring him to find something to use against Ryan. That is his contempt for all women, and when he finally gets on the stand, and admits it was not rape because sex is all these women want, to extort money from him, and what are they good for, to him, but sex, jurors are enraged, and Carisi lands his first conviction.
As I stated, Monica is an artist. She paints beautiful, impassioned pictures, and she first comes to the squad's attention when pictures and billboards chronicling her rape openly--a gesture I applaud--appear all over the city! But, then, how does one afford to do this on a pole dancer's salary. I mean, come on, hons! But I felt and was with her anger. I might have done the same thing. And I have wet my toes in it on this blog.
So, of course, the episode has to end on a contrived note, with Monica, happy and safe,(but still pole dancing, and with sleaze boyfriend) directing Carisi, Finn, Rollins, and Benson to an above ground billboard, where she has replicated either a religious painting, or Greek God art, showing Benson and Carisi's faces, painted onto the bodies of winged angels!!!!!!!!!!
Could anything be more contrived???????????????
The writers get the big pictures right, but when they close in on details, crucial to the story being plausible, they mess up every time.
Yes, Mariska hogs all the action; she calls the shots. She has Dick Wolf by his balls.
But don't blame the other actors.
Fire the writers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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