In a riveting riff on the Jodi Arias case, tonight’s SVU was smart, fast-moving, and got a lot right. It was also the rare episode where the real-life headlines were more lurid than the episode it inspired. A good chunk of the Arias trial was too explicit to air on NBC.
Recap:
Amanda finally seems to have her act together: attending AA meetings and dating a cute guy named Nate. But scratch the surface and things aren’t so pretty.
Amanda doesn’t have a drinking problem; her addiction is gambling. She’s only attending Alcoholics Anonymous to support Nate, who is also her Gamblers Anonymous sponsor. See, Nate is not only a “double winner” – dealing with both addictions – he’s a “thirteen-stepper,” using the programs to seduce nubile newbies like Amanda. Worse, Nate is sleeping with a lovely alcoholic named Lena. He doesn’t mention this to Amanda, who unwittingly befriends her romantic rival.
Lena, meanwhile, is caught in a dysfunctional relationship with a diaper salesman named Gene, who’s engaged to someone else. One night, Lena shows up at Amanda’s doorstep, crying that Gene raped her. [Read more…]