Mea Culpa

Expectations were mixed before rewatching "Mea Culpa", an episode that didn't do much for me on first watch. The story did have some potential despite traps and have no issues with the cast, but 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' have a very variable track record with mixing cases with personal life drama. And generally up to this still early stage of Season 20 had not done a good job with the personal life drama aspect, particularly with Stone and the way his way his dealing with his sister's death has been written.

"Mea Culpa" doesn't quite work. As far as the first half of Season 20 goes, this is one of the weaker episodes. There are a few of the usual strengths, but also some faults that have been issues for a few seasons as well as Stone still not being a well written character. "Mea Culpa" is not an awful episode and has its good things, but it also could have been so much better than it turned out and is one of the lesser episodes of Season 20 in general. To be seen for 'Special Victims Unit' complest sake, but not an awful lot more. It certainly does very little, if anything, to change my negative feelings on Stone.

There are good things here. The production values as ever are slick and with the right amount of muted grit, the photography doesn't try to do anything too fancy or gimmicky while not being claustrophobic and keeping things simple. The music doesn't overbear with the theme tune still memorable.

Peter Scanivino does a great job making Carisi's material work and makes the absolute most of it. Mariska Hargitay is also commanding.

However, too much of the SVU are underused. Excepting Olivia, who is used too prominently and is not much different than how she has been for a few seasons. Carisi has the best and most interesting material by far but deserved a good deal more material than he got. Especially considering that this is a milestone episode for him (his 100th).

Furthermore, "Mea Culpa" felt like an attempt to make Stone interesting, but it fails in this aspect. The episode doesn't build on him and basically reiterates what we already know about him, so he is still very under developed. Phillip Winchester is bland and looks like he's walking through the role. The main issue is that the story just didn't grab me. The episode goes at a dull pace throughout, the truth is never really in doubt, it is very contrived and far too reliant on silly coincidences. The script has too much soap opera.

Overall, rather lacklustre. 4/10.

The episode was a disaster, soo predictable and the acting was just laughable. watching a couple of episodes of season 20 i believe this show is over. no new ideas and no one shall expect that after hundreds of episodes

This episode is telling people that as long as you speak first, you will be believed without skepticism. After all, who wants to go through the ordeal of telling 'their story' over and over again? Who wants to tell the world that they were 'weak' in the face of circumstance and power over not power with? And if the nature of the crime is heinous enough, then that alone in itself is proof that the preyed upon, the victimized is telling the truth, with all other additional information void, insignificant and certainly nonprobative.

-Carlos D. Montemayor 05/19/2020

First error was arresting Stone or investigating a 12-year old rape case. Statutory limitations on rape is 5 years, in every single rape case they've aired. The writers and Mariska Hargitay, who directed this one, should be embarrassed. Hard to believe anyone kept a straight face.