Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 3
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season 3) | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
 DVD cover art | |
| No. of episodes | 23 |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | September 28, 2001 – May 17, 2002 |
| Season chronology | |
The third season of the television series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit premiered Friday, September 28, 2001 and ended Friday, May 17, 2002 on NBC. It occupied the Friday 10:00 p.m. timeslot once again.
Production
In the aftermath of 9/11, several cast and crew members volunteered to help the rescue effort.[1] The main title voiceover by Steven Zirnkilton was also changed for the first few episodes to include the following dedication: "On September 11, 2001, New York City was ruthlessly and criminally attacked. While no tribute can ever heal the pain of that day, the producers of Law & Order dedicate this season to the victims and their families and to the firefighters and police officers who remind us every day with their lives and courage what it truly means to be an American". Syndicated airings of the episodes replaced this dialogue with the original title voiceover. The opening sequence changed as well; NBC ordered the opening credits for the third season re-edited to remove images of the World Trade Center, which were seen at the beginning and ending; the credit sequences in the previous two seasons were not subsequently changed.
With David J. Burke having left the show at the end of the second season, Neal Baer was the sole showrunner / executive producer of Season 3. During the production of the third season, Baer convinced Amanda Green to begin writing scripts. Green was already serving as a consultant for the series while she worked for the NYPD. The episode "Counterfeit" became her debut as a writer.[2] Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas who also joined the writing staff in the third season enjoyed the freedom of not having to meet with a large team in a writer's room. "As a result, there was no sense of competitiveness. We were working on our own so it was like writing your own mini-feature."[3]
Cast changes and returning characters
All second season main cast members returned for the third season of the series. BD Wong returned to play forensic psychiatrist Dr. George Huang. He was originally contracted to appear in two episodes at the end of the second season and two episodes at the beginning of the third. As Wong puts it "They asked me to come and do four episodes as a kind of audition, to see if it worked, and after those four episodes they asked me to stay on."[4] Wong credited the New York based show with giving him the opportunity to regularly act in theatre.[5]
Four long time recurring cast members of SVU began appearing on the show in the third season. Robert John Burke began playing NYPD Internal Affairs Sergeant Ed Tucker in the episode "Counterfeit". He comes in when the Special Victims Unit is believed to be acting out of misconduct. The episode "Monogamy" first shows Peter Hermann playing Defense Attorney Trevor Langan. This role introduced Peter Hermann and Mariska Hargitay to each other and the two later married. Another recurring actor who first appeared in Season 3 was Joel de la Fuente in the episode "Surveillance". His character Ruben Morales with the Technical Assistance Response Unit was originally called "Burt Trevor" while Fuente was auditioning.[6] This name ended up being used for a different technician character on the show. Finally, Judith Light joined the recurring cast in "Guilt" as Alex Cabot's strict and audacious boss, Bureau Chief ADA Elizabeth Donnelly. Light was already a fan of the program, saying "You can see when you watch a show like this, the level of professionalism going into it."[7]
Cast
Principal cast
| Actor | Character | Main cast | Recurring cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Meloni | Det. Elliot Stabler | entire season | — |
| Mariska Hargitay | Det. Olivia Benson | entire season | — |
| Richard Belzer | Det. John Munch | entire season | — |
| Ice T | Det. Fin Tutuola | entire season | — |
| Stephanie March | ADA Alexandra Cabot | entire season | — |
| Dann Florek | Capt. Don Cragen | entire season | — |
| Tamara Tunie | ME Dr. Melinda Warner | — | episodes 1,3-6,9-11,14,20-23 |
| B.D. Wong | Dr. George Huang | — | episodes 1-11,13-15,17-18-20-23 |
Recurring cast
- Susan Pellegrino as Dr. Barrett
- Jill Marie Lawrence as Defense Attorney Cleo Conrad
- Judith Light as Bureau Chief ADA Elizabeth Donnelly
- Audrie Neenan as Judge Marilyn Haynes
- Ned Eisenberg as Defense Attorney Roger Kressler
- Peter Hermann as Defense Attorney Trevor Langan
- Lou Carbonneau as CSU Forensics Technician Harry Martin
- Joel de la Fuente as TARU Technician Ruben Morales
- Joanna Merlin as Judge Lena Petrovsky
- Liz Larsen as Defense Attorney Regal
- Harvey Atkin as Judge Alan Ridenour
- Rob Bartlett as Defense Attorney Milton Schoenfeld
- Tom O'Rourke as Judge Mark Seligman
- Daniel Sunjata as CSU Forensics Technician Burt Trevor
- Fernando Lopez as CSU Forensics Technician Ramone Vargas
- Ron Leibman as Executive ADA Stan Villani
- Dianne Wiest as DA Nora Lewin
Guest stars
The show "Wrath" has been repeatedly mentioned by Mariska Hargitay as one of her favorites.[10] For the episode, Justin Kirk portrayed the wrongfully imprisoned man Eric Plummer. Upon being freed, he kills four people to exact revenge upon the police and Olivia Benson in particular. The scene in which Benson shoots Plummer was described as being very challenging to act. In an interview with Universal Channel, Hargitay said "I shot him dead and some things happened to me physically that I wasn't expecting."[11] Although the video was cut to disguise it, Hargitay in fact mentions two Season 3 episodes in the interview. The second is "Inheritance" which shows Benson identify with a suspect who is a child of rape like herself. Marcus Chong played the suspect Darrell Guan who exemplifies the aggressive characteristics of his father.
The episode "Ridicule" portrayed a man as a victim of gang rape by women for the first time on network television. The victim Peter Smith was played by Pete Starrett while his rapists were played by Paige Turco and Diane Neal, who would join the cast playing ADA Casey Novak in the fifth season after Stephanie March left the series. Mike Doyle portrayed Assistant Medical Examiner Karlan in the episode "Prodigy" before portraying CSU Forensics Technician Ryan O'Halloran in the fifth season.
Nick Chinlund guest starred as serial killer Matthew Brodus, who is scheduled to be executed in the episode "Execution". Chinlund had originally auditioned to portray the role of Detective Elliot Stabler. John Ritter guest starred as Dr. Manning, a psychiatrist distraught over his wife's affair in "Monogamy". He becomes the prime suspect in a crime committed against the woman and is backed into an emotional corner in the courtroom. Michael Buckley of TV Guide wrote that "The gradual change in his demeanor makes for a memorable piece of acting."[12]
Martha Plimpton was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in "Denial".[13] She played Claire Rinato, a drug addict who is traumatized by having learned terrible things about her mother, played by Mary Steenburgen. Detective Tutuola tries to help her character recover from the addiction using his background as a narcotics detective. In "Guilt", Bret Harrison had a dramatic performance as Sam Cavanaugh, a confused and ashamed victim of child molestation. This appearance later helped the actor secure his best known role in Reaper which was created by the same writers as "Guilt".[14]
In the second last episode "Competence", a girl with Down Syndrome struggles to prove that she is mentally competent to take care of a child. Lois Smith played the girl's mother and James Badge Dale played the girl's boyfriend. A writer of the episode, Robert F. Campbell, mentioned Lois Smith and "Competence" when reflecting on his favourite experiences as an SVU writer.[15] The season finale "Silence" deals with sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Eric Stoltz portrayed a priest who initially lies to protect clergymen higher up but eventually comes forward with the truth. Charlayne Woodard guest starred in the finale as Sister Peg, a role which she later reprised several times.
Episodes
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Production code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 1 | "Repression" | Henry J. Bronchtein | Marilyn Osborn | September 28, 2001 | E2310 | 15.80[16] |
| 45 | 2 | "Wrath" | Jean de Segonzac | Judith McCreary | October 5, 2001 | E2314 | 15.04[17] |
| 46 | 3 | "Stolen" | James Quinn | Robert F. Campbell & Jonathan Greene | October 12, 2001 | E2315 | 17.20[16] |
| 47 | 4 | "Rooftop" | Steve Shill | Teleplay by: Robert F. Campbell & Jonathan Greene Story by: Neal Baer, Robert F. Campbell, & Jonathan Greene | October 19, 2001 | E2318 | 15.44[17] |
| 48 | 5 | "Tangled" | Jean de Segonzac | Dawn DeNoon & Lisa Marie Petersen | October 26, 2001 | E2312 | 16.50[16] |
| 49 | 6 | "Redemption" | Ted Kotcheff | Jeff Eckerle | November 2, 2001 | E2319 | 14.58[17] |
| 50 | 7 | "Sacrifice" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Teleplay by: Samantha Howard Corbin & Javier Grillo-Marxuach Story by: Javier Grillo-Marxuach | November 9, 2001 | E2309 | 16.20[17] |
| 51 | 8 | "Inheritance" | Juan J. Campanella | Teleplay by: Tara Butters, Kathy Ebel & Michele Fazekas Story by: Kathy Ebel | November 16, 2001 | E2311 | 14.50[17] |
| 52 | 9 | "Care" | Gloria Muzio | Dawn DeNoon & Lisa Marie Petersen | November 23, 2001 | E2317 | 14.86[17] |
| 53 | 10 | "Ridicule" | Constantine Makris | Judith McCreary | December 14, 2001 | E2316 | 15.33[17] |
| 54 | 11 | "Monogamy" | Constantine Makris | Tara Butters & Michele Fazekas | January 4, 2002 | E2323 | 17.71[17] |
| 55 | 12 | "Protection" | Alex Zakrzewski | Robert F. Campbell & Jonathan Greene | January 11, 2002 | E2327 | 17.00[16] |
| 56 | 13 | "Prodigy" | Steve Shill | Dawn DeNoon & Lisa Marie Petersen | January 18, 2002 | E2326 | 16.03[17] |
| 57 | 14 | "Counterfeit" | Arthur W. Forney | Amanda Green | January 25, 2002 | E2313 | 16.76[17] |
| 58 | 15 | "Execution" | Alex Zakrzewski | Judith McCreary | February 1, 2002 | E2325 | 17.05[17] |
| 59 | 16 | "Popular" | Jean de Segonzac | Teleplay by: Stephen Belber Story by: Stephen Belber & Kathy Ebel | March 1, 2002 | E2329 | 15.80[16] |
| 60 | 17 | "Surveillance" | Steve Shill | Jeff Eckerle | March 8, 2002 | E2328 | 16.40[16] |
| 61 | 18 | "Guilt" | David Platt | Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters | March 29, 2002 | E2332 | 14.40[16] |
| 62 | 19 | "Justice" | Juan J. Campanella | Dawn DeNoon & Lisa Marie Petersen | April 5, 2002 | E2331 | 16.60[16] |
| 63 | 20 | "Greed" | Constantine Makris | Robert F. Campbell & Jonathan Greene | April 26, 2002 | E2330 | 14.22[17] |
| 64 | 21 | "Denial" | Steve Shill | Judith McCreary | May 3, 2002 | E2334 | 16.70[16] |
| 65 | 22 | "Competence" | Jud Taylor | Teleplay by: Robert F. Campbell & Jonathan Greene Story by: Jeff Eckerle, Robert F. Campbell, & Jonathan Greene | May 10, 2002 | E2335 | 17.30[16] |
| 66 | 23 | "Silence" | Steve Shill | Patrick Harbinson | May 17, 2002 | E3103 | 14.27[17] |
References
- ^ Leopold, Todd (2002-09-09). "Real Life Overwhelms Fiction for SVU Producer". CNN. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
- ^ Green and Dawn (2009), p. 27
- ^ Green and Dawn (2009), p. 32
- ^ Green and Dawn (2009), p. 175
- ^ Patterson, Tresa (2011-04-12). "B.D. Wong of 'Law and Order: SVU' Brings Talents to the Stage in Support of Symphony Space". Yahoo TV. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ Green and Dawn (2009), p. 179
- ^ Green and Dawn (2009), p. 181
- ^ Romine, Damon (2001-02-11). "Carrie's Mother on Law & Order: SVU". TV Guide. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "Piper Laurie". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "Benson's Best". Universal Channel. 2012-06-19. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ Mariska Hargitay (2011). Mariska Hargitay on her favourite SVU episode. Universal Channel.
- ^ Buckley, Michael (2001). "Shrink Rap". TV Guide. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "SVU Emmy Nominations". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
- ^ Harrison, Bret (2009-04-12). "Bret Harrison Interview". Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "Interview with Producer Robert F. Campbell". The Eerie Digest. 2011-03-01. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Series - Episode List - Season 3". TV Tango. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "SpotVault - Law & Order: SVU (NBC) - 2001-02". Spot Vault. December 9, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
Bibliography
- Green, Susan; Dawn, Randee (2009). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion. Dallas: BenBella Books. ISBN 1-933771-88-7.
External links
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 3 at TVGuide.com
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 3 at TV.com
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 3 - TV IV
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 3 on the Law & Order Wiki
- Season 3 episodes at IMDb.com
| Preceded by Season 2 |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit list of seasons |
Succeeded by Season 4 |