Lauren Bray

10/ 10/ 2015

Assignment One Revision
Observations
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Figure World: A general, big-picture social structure that is vastly defined by its social
norms and behaviors, otherwise known as rules and conventions.
With my anticipation for Season 17 debuting on September 23rd at an all-time high, I
have decided to observe the most recent season (Season 16) to show my appreciation for how far
the show has come and how each of the actors within my figure world have grown. The setting
and atmosphere of Law & Order: SVU can be best described as professional and skillful. When
the detectives arent initially observing a crime scene, most of the figure world takes place in the
NYPD SVU department office, where they question suspects and gather information while
working together as a team. This elite team speaks intelligently and use logical terms within a
criminal justice profession. In this figure world, the actors involved rarely use high volumes
when speaking nor do they yell or become a nuisance. The actors involved in SVU make up the
community of practice within the figure world, where investigations of sexually heinous crimes
and providing justice to those involved acts as their domain, and investigating until they find the
person deemed guilty is the practice. Such a community involves different types of work from
each actor- there is the captain, the sergeant, the detectives, the doctors, and the assistant district
attorneys. It is vital to understand the role that each actor plays and comprehend the difference
between actors in a community of practice. With various actors in the community, multiple
responsibilities take place and we must consider that different actors will be performing different
tasks- investigating a crime scene, questioning a witness or suspect, examining a deceased body
of the victim, or following up on leads.
Actors: Within a figure world, there are actors that fulfill a purpose and add significance to
a community. Vital actors within my figure world are Sergeant Benson, Detectives Rollins,
Tutuola, and Amaro.
Sergeant Benson: Olivia Benson worked as a detective before taking over the SVU department
and has always shown a true passion and dedication for the department. Throughout previous
seasons, her character is one that is completely career-oriented, but recently she has allowed
herself to become close to a victim on a personal level. In season 15, Benson adopted baby Noah,
who was the child of a victim who was murdered. To me, this season that I am observing is
significant because we see Benson transform from someone who has solely focused on her work
for a majority of her life to someone who now has a young child to care for. Her job has
prevented her from developing long-lasting relationships, but she now has a relationship with a
young life who she loves more than her career and we can observe that throughout this season.
Detective Rollins: Amanda Rollins joined from Georgia where she worked for PD. Rollins has
many family issues that are shown subtly throughout the show, significantly with her sister, who
is a drug addict. Rollins has always tried to be her sisters hero and shows such a passion and
connection to the victims while working in SVU because she experienced rape. When working in

Georgia, Rollins slept with her boss in order to have charges against her sister dropped. After
things went too far and he crossed boundaries, she joined SVU in hopes to provide justice for
everyone who experiences such a situation. She is known as a character who becomes extremely
emotionally connected to victims and vehement in her work. In this season, Rollins is slowly
growing and not allowing her sister to take advantage of her.
Detective Tutuola: Former narcotics detective and partners with Rollins, Tutuola is emotionally
detached. Unlike many of the actors in SVU, he looks at his job in a black-and-white, objective
manner, constantly in denial that his career does affect him. Tutuola rarely shares personal
experiences and doesnt have a strong relationship with his family. His military background and
the way he believes justice should be served (in a non-judgmental manner) allows him to add
diversity to this community of practice and new ways of thinking and teachings for his
colleagues.
Detective Amaro: Amaro, unlike the others, has difficulty controlling his emotions and in the
past has had strong feelings of anger and urge to be violent towards the criminals involved in
cases. With the help of Benson, he learns to adjust and remain calm. Amaro has always felt the
need to protect women especially. After his actions get him suspended from the department in the
previous season, Amaro plays a significant role in season 16 when he is allowed to join the
department again after other actors show their concern and love for him as a co-worker.
Artifacts: This may mean either physical or symbolic objects that add emphasis to the
purpose of the figure world.
Family Issues: In Law & Order: SVU, not many physical objects have significant meaning,
mainly because its a series that focuses on the harsh realities of the world. Within the
community of practice, one main factor that relates the actors is their background and what they
are dealing with at home. While they havent experienced the same things, the point is made that
they each have experienced situations with family and loved ones that have impacted who they
are today and sometimes affects their performance at work.
Communities of Practice: A community of multiple people who not only share the same
interests, but also learn from each other.
Domain: The shared interest within a community of practice. For example, in this series,
the shared interest will be serving for the community and working to achieve justice for
victims and families of victims that have been effected. The domain is the reason that each
actor works and performs so adequately, providing new ideas and different perspectives
from life experiences. The variety helps to provide different reasons for their passion for
their job.
Literacy Practices: The ways or methods in which the actors in your figure world
communicate, whether it be technology used or body language. In my figure world, actors
must be very detailed when speaking to each other. While technology does play a large role
in finding suspects and certain locations, communication between the team is key to
pursuing a case and providing justice. We can observe that when actors become irritated
with each other, they have no choice but to fix the issue because things dont work as

smoothly when they cant communicate well. For example, when they question suspects or
witnesses, it is vital that actors remain on the same page and know when to give each other
respect or when to allow the other to take over. Their communication is dependent on the
case and having respect for their co-workers.
Observation One:
2:10min: The show uses flashback to last season in order to show us the importance of this case
to Sergeant Benson. The flashback shows us the final court decision from a case that was
handled by the detectives last season. When a mother was killed and left behind her baby to be in
foster care, Sergeant Benson realized she cared about the baby and the mother, thus resulting in
deciding to take on custody of the child. This scene shows us Sergeant Benson in a new state of
mind- she is thinking deeply, she is concerned about a young life and wants to help to her best
ability.
8:40min: Here, we see the questioning process of the SUV unit. Sergeant Benson is working with
her new detective, Carisi, to get answers from a 16 year old girl who has been trafficked from
Mexico and is afraid to talk at the risk of her life being taken. While detectives have no intention
of charging the minor-aged girl for a crime, they must get her to talk in order to find out more
about her pimp and his connection to Noahs (Sergeant Bensons adopted son) mother. While
Sergeant Benson has her own way of questioning and urging victims to snitch, she quickly
realizes that Detective Carisi is choosing intimidation as his method and promising Luna that he
can grant her citizenship to the US, while he has no intentions of doing so. Benson gets nervous
about his method, but after Luna realized how poorly she was living and that she is living by the
rules of her pimp, Benson puts trust in Carisi and they receive an address to follow up on. The
next scene shows us the department working together, meeting and discussing information
gathered and they continue to decide the next step to take.
17:04min: Officer Amaro who has been suspended, works with his team to set up the pimp in
order to get information out of him involving details of the case. He pretends like he holds anger
towards the department for suspending him and wishes to gain revenge, when in reality there is
still respect and love between him and his team. This allows the pimp to feel a sense of relation
to Amaro and discuss things with him that he normally wouldnt. The team then meets up once
again in office. It is confirmed that the pimp now trusts Officer Amaro and will meet up with him
to discuss who is going to snitch. After a raid of the pimps house, girls who have been trafficked
and put to work are being questioned and detectives are going through their phones. They notice
that the girls use the same car service to get to where theyre going for their work- Quickride.
Detective Rollins and Detective Tutuola go to the Quickride company to speak directly to who is
in charge, in order to see if he can pull information about who may be calling to transfer the girls.
The man pulls a name from the system, Tino Aguilar, who happens to already be behind bars for
rape and murder.
23:00min: Every potential witness that could have stood on trial against their suspect is now
found killed, leaving a challenge for the team because it is difficult to win a case without
efficient witnesses. After the unit gets notice that there has been a killing spree, Sergeant Benson
calls her babysitter to check on baby Noah and alert her to stay inside. Their criminals that they
are working to prosecute know that Benson has adopted Noah and have threatened to come after

him if the department pursues the case. The babysitter goes onto say that they arent at home,
that they are at the park. While on the phone, a drive-by shooting takes place at the park and the
phone is dropped, causing Benson to panic and send backup to the local park immediately. Once
she confirms that everyone, including Noah, is safe, the team meets up again where Benson tells
fellow detectives to arrest both Amaro and the pimp, who is potentially the man behind these
several murders. Benson and Carisi go back to Quickride to question how the girls were traveling
in order to be murdered, but the owner refuses to talk after his building has been trashed.
26:00min: After the man who was housing these several girls was taken into custody, he makes a
comment during questioning implying that it isnt safe for Benson to mess with him considering
she has baby Noah now. This triggers something inside of Benson, infuriating her to the point
where rather than backing down from the situation, she gets right in his face to warn him that she
isnt afraid and she will eventually find out who is responsible for the murders of young girls
who have been trafficked and sold. Benson is now ten times more motivated as she goes to visit
Tino to find out who his boss is. On the way, they run into Tinos mother who is worried about
his safety and doesnt want him speaking to detectives in fear that his life will be taken. Once
Benson tells his mother that he has no choice but to speak, she does it for him instead, giving
them information about a second-hand man, Selena, who teaches the girls to prostitute and is
easy to find, enabling detectives to more easily find their main man.
Observation Two:
15:40min: At this point in the episode, detectives are questioning professional athlete and suspect
in a rape case, demanding the need for a DNA sample to match with a semen stain on underwear.
The detectives have spoken to Wilkins manager and each girl who claims to be a victim, totaling
three. Each woman has cried and admitted to being raped by Wilkins, but in this specific scene,
we see Wilkins admits to having sexual encounters with the women while being married, but
denies any case of rape. He says that the consensual sex was hidden because he was still in a
marriage and also fighting for custody over his son. He also openly discusses his issues with
commitment and anxiety, not being able to sleep at night. When detective Rollins asks if he has
been prescribed an antidepressant such as Xanax, he answers yes.
17:45min: Detectives and Sergeant Benson meet back in the office to discuss the case and what
information they have on the investigation. Detective Carisi and Tutuola are having a difficult
time believing that they can take this to trial. They have a gut feeling that the women are out for
money, considering they have lack of evidence right now. When they realize theyre in need of
an outcry witness, Sergeant Benson suggests Wilkins manager, who they have on witness
bribery charges because he paid the women in order for them not to speak. They go meet with
him and try to compromise by telling him they will drop charges if he drops Wilkins and testifies
against him. His daughter, and also attorney, convinces him to accept the deal.
28:40min: After the first trial, Rollins and Barba are practicing testifying with the AfricanAmerican woman who will be on stand next. When they are asking questions, she becomes very
irritated and expresses her worry about expenses. She continues to say Just tell me what you
and Mr.Barr want me to say. Instantly Barba shows interest in her comment and questions her.
She gets very angry, telling them that Wilkins manager only paid her half of what he paid the
other women. Confused by her behavior, Barba asks about the payment. She finally admits that

she got paid to say she was raped, not paid to keep quiet. Rollins walks away, obviously irritated,
baffled, and frustrated.
29:20min: The judge orders a continuance for the trial. Back at the office, Carisi has pizza
delivered for the team, He sits back, very casually, still interested and participating in the talk of
the case. When he shows no sympathy for the women involved in this case and refers to it as a
joke, Sergeant Benson is curious to know why he joined SVU. His answer surprises everyone
and this is the first time of the season that the audience can observe a deeper, more meaningful
side of the new edition. He explains that after working homicide, it was always the deceased
women in cases that bothered him. When a woman is found dead with hair and makeup done, its
always the husbands/boyfriends that committed the crime. He shows us deep thought in this
answer and his eyes are drifting off while his colleagues are studying him in shock. This reminds
me of a family rather than solely co-workers.
28:00min; Cordelia, daughter of Wilkins manager, sets her father up. She withdrawals as being
his attorney and while he is talking down to her for having sexual relations with Wilkins, she is
recording the whole thing and the SVU department is listening. Her father admits to paying the
girls to testify that they were raped after he found out that his daughter was pregnant with a
mixed child. The SVU department accepts their failure and drops all charges against Wilkins,
who has now been ruined publicly.
Observation Three:
7:40min: In the investigation of a young actress gone wild, who has been caught with DUIs
several times, Amaro has been wrongfully accused of sexual assault against her. Everyone in the
SVU department has long been awaiting Amaros return from being on probation and in this
particular scene, we observe Rollins urging Benson to get him back to his regular work. She
argues that they can show the dash cam footage, in which Amaro did no wrong against the young
girl, in order to prove that he is worthy of being awarded his job back. Benson also wants Amaro
back, but doesnt want to make any promises. She goes to the director and directly asks him
when they will have Amaro back. She shows him the footage. He tells her she will have to be
patient.
11:40min: Here, Nick Amaro is visiting Benson and her son, Noah. This gives the audience an
idea of how close the team is, along with outside of work. Amaro calls himself Uncle Nick,
further suggesting that the team is a tight family always looking out for each other. As a surprise,
Benson notifies Amaro to be ready for work the following morning. He is caught off guard, not
sure what she is implying and is telling her that he can take care of himself. She respects that, but
says that she has already gotten the approval after showing the dash cam footage. This comes as
surprise for not only Amaro, but also the audience. She begins talking to him about work and the
case he will be working on as if he was never gone and his face brightens up.
18:40min: This scene is significant because the young actress gives information about her
childhood to the SVU department that helps them to better understand why she is acting out the
way she is. She tells Benson and Rollins that at as early as age twelve, her producer and his
friends were having sex with her and in exchange she got awarded an acting role. She talks about
the subject so casually that we can see the discomfort in Rollins eyes. The department realizes

that the girl has been traumatized and is now suffering mental illness because of past
experiences. Both Benson and Rollins look hurt by her stories, as if they can physically feel her
pain also.
24:45min: After following up on the producer who allegedly has sex with underage actresses, the
detectives, Benson, and the District Attorney in charge of the case meet up to discuss. D.A.
Barba needs to know if they have gotten any hard evidence or anything he could use to argue his
case, but other than suspicious activity, their suspect is intelligent with crime. Fairly new
detective, Carisi, impressed everyone when he comes up with new information about a former
charge against their suspect involving the death of a 15 year old girl. He alerts them that the girl
had ecstasy and alcohol in her system and died in the pool, at the producers home.
Interview Questions
1. In your own opinion, based off of what you observe on the show, tell me why you believe the
NYPD SVU department is so successful in their field of work.
I think the SVU team is so successful in their work because they work together and each
member of the team has their own way of thinking. The members of SVU pay attention to the
community and the victims involved in the crimes and do their best to bring justice.
2. Describe how Sergeant Benson has made significant changes from previous seasons compared to
this season and how it is affecting her work.
Olivia Benson has brought more personal life to work than she has before. She is now
sergeant and also a mother. Benson has adopted a boy who she encountered during her day to
day job. She is definitely more of a mother figure now and shows more concern for team
members and her son.
3. Give an example of how different characters within the SVU department commit to their roles
and have helped to provide justice in a case.
Olivia Benson aids to the case by keeping the team on task.
Det. Amaro is quick to respond to hectic situations.
Det. Rollins is the level headed one out of the bunch when it comes to questioning
victims and suspects to find a motive and evidence for the ADA.
Det. Tutuola is a personal favorite and he has the most street smarts and can foresee a
criminal's actions.
Det. Sonny is the newest member and he brings that new perspective energy to the group.
ADA Barba does the best he can to ensure that the victim gets justice.
ME Warner examines the victims thoroughly to determine what crimes were committed
against the victim or to determine cause of death and help put the initial pieces to the puzzle out
on the table so to speak.
4. Please explain your favorite part of the series and why, whether it be something general or
something specific within season 16.
Generally speaking episode 2 became my favorite very quickly because the story line was
already shown as a constant that would be throughout the series. The battle that Sergeant Benson
has with taking in her now son and dealing with the bad guys keeps you on your toes.
5. Do you believe that the show does an adequate job at displaying how the criminal justice system
works? Please elaborate and discuss.
As the daughter of someone who was in law enforcement for almost 30 years, including
detective work, I know first hand how hard it can be for someone in that field to cope with things

outside of work that are work related. The show does a pretty good job of showing the
commitment the detectives make to the job and the citizens. I also think the justice system is
shown well because not all episodes end where the bad guy gets locked up and it's a happy
ending. I think it's important to show viewers that not everything in life is peas and carrots and it
doesn't always work out the way you hoped and planned but you have to deal with the hand you
are given and move forward in life.
Ashlyns Feedback
Lauren- Good work on this assignment; your observations were highly detailed and easy for me to
follow throughout.
Give us a bit more context about the person that you chose to interview for this project.
In a short summary at the beginning of the interview (3-4 sentences max) tell us who you
interviewed, why you chose this person, and how this interview impacted your
observations.
Include some sort of specialized vocab list. This is a police show, and therefore some of
the terminology may not be immediately familiar to all readers.
Definitely add some photos of the significant characters/action throughout the show.
While I was reading your observations, I kept picturing some of these scenes, so having
a visual reference would be really useful. You may consider using the slideshow feature
in Wix to add a running selection of relevant photos; this will add both to your
assignment one and the overall course portfolio.
One thing really stood out to me: this is the 16th season, and I am wondering as a reader
what is it about this show that has allowed it to run so long? I would answer this
somewhere in the beginning of your assignment.