Underbelly

"Underbelly" left me quite mixed on first watch. Actually found a good deal of the case to be quite powerful. The character writing for Dani Beck however struck me as too over the top on the soap and everything with her and Stabler distracting, the latter being the aspect that has been torn apart and condemned widely by fans. It also seems to be a polarising episode, having heard extreme reactions on both sides of love and hate (especially the latter).

After being blown away by the previous episode "Infiltrated", it was a shame that "Underbelly" is nowhere near as good as an episode. Personally do not think it is bad, certainly not as much as 'Special Victims Unit' fans elsewhere have said and 'Special Victims Unit' did far worse before and since. "Underbelly" just strikes me as an episode with a lot of great things, but also a few drawbacks too serious to overlook. Anybody who doesn't like Beck as a character, many don't, won't be converted watching this, quite the opposite.

Plenty of great things can be seen here. It looks good, with the usual slickness and subtle grit. Really liked too that the photography was simple and close up but doing so without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when used, and luckily it isn't constant, and when it is used it doesn't feel over-scored. The direction allows the drama to breathe while still giving it momentum as well. All the acting is good, Connie Nielsen's performance is very committed and while Michael Kenneth Williams really unsettles as a seemingly cool character that is really quite dangerous Charlotte Ray Rosenberg's touching Belinda is even better.

Enough of the script provokes thought and intrigues, with a far from sugar-coated or exploitative quality. Really admired what it had to say about the prostitution of minors, which is done very insightfully and harrowingly. The case is far from perfect, but it pulls no punches and depicts a disturbing subject with force and tact. The perpetrator is one that one really roots for having them behind bars for the rest of their lives and Belinda moved me a lot as a character, one that is easy to wish for justice for. The episode does show that Dani does once in a while have some ability to work with and be sympathetic to victims, she is touching with Belinda. Olivia's short appearance was telling, the aftermath of the awkward encounter with her, Stabler and Beck was strongly objected about but to me what she says is in reaction to her confusion and hurt felt at the time.

It's not a perfect episode. There is too much emphasis on Beck and most of her character writing, even for someone so unnerved by the case and takes it personally, is over-melodramatic soap opera. She was always a loose cannon sort of character, but she comes over as too fragile and her inability to gel with other team members thus causing unnecessary tension is taken to extremes here. One can see from her previous episodes why she is in the job she is in, the problem is that "Underbelly" especially is testament of her not being up to it emotionally.

Can totally understand why so many had a problem with everything with Beck and Stabler, even as somebody first getting into the show with no knowledge of people's thoughts on the episode and show (way back before knowing of this site's existence) this element of the story always felt very misplaced, especially when it came as out of nowhere as one could possibly get, and adds absolutely nothing to the episode or any character progression. Parts of the plot are unrealistic, such as IDs not being checked upon bail release and how bail is jumped which strained credulity beyond belief.

Overall, found a lot to like and appreciate but a lot of room for improvement. 7/10.

In this episode, Elliot and Dani investigate a case where several young teen prostitutes, all with the same tattoo, have been brutally murdered. Dani becomes overly involved emotionally despite Elliot's warnings not to do so because "everyone one of these cases will break your heart." Dani is determined, so the two forge ahead to find the killer. Meanwhile they find another young prostitute with the same tattoo, a 14 year old girl named Belinda. From her they learn about a guy named Victor, who is not only her pimp, but of the three murdered girls, as well. They then try to convince Belinda that she is in grave danger, and that she needs to testify against Victor. But she is resistive, convinced that Victor loves her, and is the only one who has ever taken care of her. Belinda's plight is truly pathetic; a young girl having suffered a neglected and sexually abusive home life runs away, and with nowhere to go, is taken in by predators like this Victor character. The girl's mind is twisted into believing the pimp truly loves her, even as she is turned out by him to prostitute herself. One of the most touching moments in this episode occurs while Elliot and Dani are interviewing Belinda, and Dani covers Belinda's bare shoulders with a sweater in a display of motherly compassion. In the process of watching this episode, Elliot's words ring true, that these cases will break your heart. In the end, it appears that it was all a little too much for Dani. I was left wondering what would become of Belinda; how much could she be really helped? The fact that Charlie Ray was cast in the role of Belinda, I think, very much added to the heart breaking effect of this story...for me. I read a comment in a message board by someone that thought she looked too healthy, and spoke too well to be believed in this role. I had only seen her previously in the film, "Little Manhattan," where as "Rosemary" she was a much more fortunate character, and one of the sweetest, most poised 11 year old girls you'll ever find. Now at age 14, Charlie brings much of that quality (which I suspect is her own) to this role, as well, which had the effect of amplifying the tragedy of victimized innocence. It was heart breaking to see someone like this cry out of the sheer hopeless of their predicament. It made Dani's determination to help her completely believable.

This SVU story has Christopher Meloni investigating the murder of a child prostitute whose body was found after 2 weeks in the water.

She had a special tattoo on her spine and Tamara Tunie says that she is the third girl in the same age bracket that had one.

It all traces to Michael Kenneth Williams who plays a really dangerous and psychotic pimp who with the brand he gives his girls is practically signing his name to these murders.

The case really unnerves Connie Nielsen who is serving as Meloni's temporary partner. Has she a future in SVU?

Williams is one guy you want to see them take down.

I am a big fan of law and order and i have been watching this season and found it a little off. I think this episode put the guys back on track. great acting. I especially liked michael k williams and charlie ray. i even started to like dani. anyway if you can see this in repeat i recommend it. I liked Michael k williams from the "wire" he is a cool looking pimp. charlie ray who is actually 14 years old playing the hooker did a great job it was a very challenging role i think. Dani and Stabeler are kind of steamy in this episode and since i love stabler it is cool to see his romantic side. Okay thats all i can say without giving away the whole show. i think i will comment on these some more since i just found out about this page ha ha.