All I can say is this episode made me cry. How can anyone harm children in this way?! I'm glad that they caught the bad guys in this one situation, but it won't make what they are doing really stop. Heartbreaking!
5 Reviews
These people are monsters
brueggemanntami1 November 2019
"Don't you know Lincoln freed the slaves"
bkoganbing3 December 2014
A truly monstrous crime is being investigated by the SVU squad in this episode. How monstrous the squad has no idea about until the trail leads them to a slavery ring.
A young boy whom they later discover was from Nigeria is found dead in Central Park his body laid out like a victim of a Santeria sacrifice. Even though officially that religion hasn't sanctioned it in almost 200 years.
It was not of course, but it was made to look that way by someone with a familiarity of the ritual so that they could cover up pedophilia, a crime more in the SVU jurisdiction. What else is uncovered is a ring that essentially supplies slave labor to wealthy households. Young black children from Africa who are given a corner to sleep, sustenance food and nothing else.
Sullivan Walker the Nigerian who is in charge of the ring is one loathsome and monstrous villain. He's only in the last few minutes of the show. So too is Diane Kagan the Society Sal who keeps a young Nigerian child as a slave.
Ice-T stands out in this episode and it's interesting to see Christopher Meloni, more likely to lose it with suspects pull Ice-T off the back of Walker. Good thing his weapon wasn't drawn.
A young boy whom they later discover was from Nigeria is found dead in Central Park his body laid out like a victim of a Santeria sacrifice. Even though officially that religion hasn't sanctioned it in almost 200 years.
It was not of course, but it was made to look that way by someone with a familiarity of the ritual so that they could cover up pedophilia, a crime more in the SVU jurisdiction. What else is uncovered is a ring that essentially supplies slave labor to wealthy households. Young black children from Africa who are given a corner to sleep, sustenance food and nothing else.
Sullivan Walker the Nigerian who is in charge of the ring is one loathsome and monstrous villain. He's only in the last few minutes of the show. So too is Diane Kagan the Society Sal who keeps a young Nigerian child as a slave.
Ice-T stands out in this episode and it's interesting to see Christopher Meloni, more likely to lose it with suspects pull Ice-T off the back of Walker. Good thing his weapon wasn't drawn.
Sickening start turns out to be only the beginning of a much more intolerable crime...
godgirl28 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
What seems to be a Santeria ritual sacrifice of a young boy whose body is discovered dismembered in a park turns out to be only the beginning of the story for the team as, in their pursuit of the boy's killer they discover a much deeper and more sinister crime underpinning the boy's very presence in the city.
Ice T's character Det.Tutuola seems especially emotionally enraged due to the horrifically depraved and wicked crime hiding behind a veil of lies and blind eyed privilege.
Seems the writers are onto something - his character shows a greater depth of emotion than in previous episodes and perhaps the more touchy-feely veneer of the lead detectives characters are finally being balanced out....
Ice T's character Det.Tutuola seems especially emotionally enraged due to the horrifically depraved and wicked crime hiding behind a veil of lies and blind eyed privilege.
Seems the writers are onto something - his character shows a greater depth of emotion than in previous episodes and perhaps the more touchy-feely veneer of the lead detectives characters are finally being balanced out....
Sacrificial monstrosity
TheLittleSongbird10 December 2020
Monstrosity does not refer to the quality of the episode itself. "Ritual" is actually as the complete opposite as one can get. It's referring instead to the nature of the crimes, monstrous doesn't begin to describe them, and the subject, a bold one and one that would hit anybody hard. Season 5 of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' really was on a roll with its tackling of very heavy, difficult and controversial themes and subjects and executing them in a far from sugar-coated manner.
The subject for "Ritual" is one of the season's heaviest and most difficult, would not consider it a controversial one though as a vast majority of people would find the way the victims are treated and suffer "recoiling in absolute horror" worthy. "Ritual" does an absolutely wonderful job with the story it tells, of a season that was filled with hard-hitting and emotionally powerful episodes it is in the top 5 easily of its most harrowing and heart-wrenching.
"Ritual's" production values as always for 'Special Victims Unit' are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough without being leaden, while having enough momentum to make the drama sing in its atmosphere.
On top of that, the script is one of the tightest, most layered, most thought-provoking and most emotionally varied ones of Season 5. It is one of the most serious ones of the season, but considering the subject that was appropriate and to me the only right approach, doing so without being dreary. The story is not at all for the faint hearted, and is both frightningly disturbing and emotionally devastating. The details of what entails are unspeakably horrific and the amount of anger, shock and emotion felt when more is revealed exceeds breaking point. By the episode's end, there were tears down my cheeks.
All the SVU are on top form, especially Fin in his meatiest episode of the season. It is always great to see his softer and caring side in alternative to the tougher one often seen, and the episode does so well in showing how much such a horrific case affects him to the point that he is tipped over the edge at one point. It was interesting to see Stabler be the one to stop him from going further when the way Fin reacts is something that Stabler does frequently, not a criticism at all but merely an observation that intrigued me. The perpetrator outdoes that in "Hate" in the truly loathsome department.
Have no issue to be had with the cast, Ice-T gives one of his best performances here in a very emotionally charged and charismatic performance. Showing that he really shines when he's given major and meaty material. Michael Emerson does splendidly in a role with characteristics that he often excelled in. Sullivan Walker is quite unforgettable in a role that screen time-wise is quite small but somehow his presence is felt throughout.
In conclusion, outstanding episode but be warned to be very disturbed by its end. 10/10
The subject for "Ritual" is one of the season's heaviest and most difficult, would not consider it a controversial one though as a vast majority of people would find the way the victims are treated and suffer "recoiling in absolute horror" worthy. "Ritual" does an absolutely wonderful job with the story it tells, of a season that was filled with hard-hitting and emotionally powerful episodes it is in the top 5 easily of its most harrowing and heart-wrenching.
"Ritual's" production values as always for 'Special Victims Unit' are solid and the intimacy of the photography doesn't get static or too filmed play-like. The music when used is not too over-emphatic and has a melancholic edge that is quite haunting. The direction is sympathetic enough without being leaden, while having enough momentum to make the drama sing in its atmosphere.
On top of that, the script is one of the tightest, most layered, most thought-provoking and most emotionally varied ones of Season 5. It is one of the most serious ones of the season, but considering the subject that was appropriate and to me the only right approach, doing so without being dreary. The story is not at all for the faint hearted, and is both frightningly disturbing and emotionally devastating. The details of what entails are unspeakably horrific and the amount of anger, shock and emotion felt when more is revealed exceeds breaking point. By the episode's end, there were tears down my cheeks.
All the SVU are on top form, especially Fin in his meatiest episode of the season. It is always great to see his softer and caring side in alternative to the tougher one often seen, and the episode does so well in showing how much such a horrific case affects him to the point that he is tipped over the edge at one point. It was interesting to see Stabler be the one to stop him from going further when the way Fin reacts is something that Stabler does frequently, not a criticism at all but merely an observation that intrigued me. The perpetrator outdoes that in "Hate" in the truly loathsome department.
Have no issue to be had with the cast, Ice-T gives one of his best performances here in a very emotionally charged and charismatic performance. Showing that he really shines when he's given major and meaty material. Michael Emerson does splendidly in a role with characteristics that he often excelled in. Sullivan Walker is quite unforgettable in a role that screen time-wise is quite small but somehow his presence is felt throughout.
In conclusion, outstanding episode but be warned to be very disturbed by its end. 10/10
Santería
angelicflirts8 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I am a fan of Law and Order SVU and this was an interesting episode. It was important to shed light on modern day child-slavery. However, the portrayal of Santería I found misrepresenting. In the episode Santería is said to be from Nigeria, as well as all of its followers. That is not accurate. Santería is a religion that originated in the Caribbean - more specifically Cuba - where Yoruba traditions were combined with Catholicism. While Yoruba people are found in Nigeria, Santería did not originate in Nigeria. It is an Afro-Cuban religion practiced by numerous Cubans and Cuban Americans. As a Law and Order fan I was disappointed in the ignorance and clear lack of research when producing and writing this episode.
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