Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Turmoil (2009) User Reviews

In torment

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 10 May 2022]

Anybody who has read any of my other reviews for for example individual episodes of the 'Law and Order' shows, am slowly working my way through writing reviews for all the episodes of 'Law and Order, 'Special Victims Unit' and 'Criminal Intent' with still over halfway through to go, will know already how much admiration there is from me for anything that tackles difficult and controversial themes and issues. The one for "Turmoil" is one of the most difficult.

Yet manages to handle it extremely well, with a lot more tact, intensity and poignancy than expected. "Turmoil" to me is a great episode, one of Season 11's best and the first close to outstanding one, the rating indicates otherwise but the previous episodes were mostly good but not great with one disappointment. It is a very character driven episode, and part of me was worried with it being focused on Stabler, who was very inconsistently and problematically written from Seasons 7-12, but this is one of the better episodes to revolve around him and a major family dilemma.

Did find the truth on the rushed side. Also didn't like the treatment of Cabot, she didn't deserve the rudeness she got.

So much is good though. It is extremely well acted, with Christopher Meloni giving one of his best performances of the show. Especially in the latter stages, that show his steely intensity and also a more vulnerable side. He definitely goes about things the wrong way and lets his emotions get the better of him, but his love for his family and son is clear and his intentions are good, did like too that for the first time in a while that his flaws are self-acknowledged. Jeffrey Scapperrotta also gives some of his best acting, really cared for him and rooted for him to get out of what was a truly tough situation.

On a visual level, the episode is 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.

"Turmoil" is strongly and not too melodramatically scripted, not being over-serious while taking the tough subject very seriously. It is intelligently written too while never being exploitative. The story is intricate while not being convoluted, it has a real sense of tension and jeopardy and it is the closest the season has gotten at this point of it that feels like early 'Special Victims Unit' case-wise. The family stuff is a lot less soapy than most Stabler family dilemma episodes.

In conclusion, great. 9/10.

Meloni Is Masterful In This "Personal" Episode

[cchase · 9/10 · 28 January 2010]

Though I think in L&O: SVU's over-a-decade-long run, that the writers have done their best to "spread the love around" when it comes to the more personal stories involving the detectives, I used to bitch and complain about Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson getting the lion's share of the Emmy-worthy episodes, (and don't get me wrong - I LOVES me some Mariska.) Goodness knows that the more intimate details of these crimefighters' lives are usually meagerly doled out in service of the story, and when there is a character-rich episode, it's always a "very special two-parter", or a one-shot deal that blows the doors off.

This particular episode, putting Elliot Stabler's woes front and center for our perusal once again, is a stunner. He gets pulled off of a pretty serious rape case when something more intense happens: his son, Dickie and a ne'er-do-well former junkie pal of his come up missing, and even worse - they're connected to the very same case.

Over the course of solving this crime, Elliot is forced to deal with some issues that he has to admit he's done a less than stellar job of addressing: his temper (BIG surprise there...NOT!), his inability to connect or communicate with his son, and his own personal prejudices, which prevent him from seeing a crucial piece of the puzzle in the case, that could've prevented a senseless tragedy from occurring.

Because he makes playing Stabler look so easy, we might be tempted from time to time to forget that Chris Meloni is an actor who has a pretty damn good handle on his craft. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the closing scene of this episode, when he is faced with what has to be every father's worse nightmare: the prospect of losing their son for good. That scene alone is Emmy-worthy, in my not-so-humble-opinion, and it definitely makes up for the times when such opportunities have been few and far between for Elliot...and for Chris.

Fathers and Sons

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 16 December 2013]

Christopher Meloni takes center stage in this episode where he's having father and son issues with Jeffrey Scaperotta. As the father of now five kids with Scaperotta being the youngest and only boy until recently, Meloni has his hands full with teenage rebellion. He's got a big problem a kid that Scaperotta's been hanging out with and when both turn up missing he's quick to blame the other kid for leading his son down the garden path.

At the same time Stephanie March is answering a complaint from the Bar Association about disclosure of evidence that threatens to torpedo a her trial of a teen rapist. Not to mention her career. She's ready to blame SVU and that's going to threaten a working relationship that's been ongoing for years because even if the fault is there's, it's her butt on the line.

Scaperotta's friend turns up dead and he turns up alive and full of anger at his father. It's Ice T who finds the real perpetrator of the friend's homicide. And March gets through her difficulties as well.

Ice T's interrogation scene with the perpetrator is one of his best acting jobs in the series history.

Domestic problems continue to plague the Stabler Family

[garrard · 9/10 · 12 November 2009]

For eleven seasons, SVU has not only told riveting stories that are "ripped from the headlines", the series delves into the personal lives of the detectives. Detective Stabler (Chris Meloni) has had his share of problems, including a defiant daughter, his wife's unexpected pregnancy when they were having marital problems, and his own personal demons from childhood.

In "Turmoil" the detective not only has to work on a rape case but he most contend with his sixteen-year-old son Dickie(played since the show's inception by Jeffrey Scaperrotta)who appears have aligned himself with a "bad influence".

Both father and son almost come to blows when the son gives an off-the-cuff remark that momentarily enrages the dad. That, and trying to solve a case that seems to be unsolvable, adds to Stabler's stress level. He, his partner Olivia (Mariska Hargitay), and ADA Cabot (Stephanie March)have a conflict of interest in dealing with the case, driving a wedge between the cops and the attorney.

Meloni delivers another outstanding performance as Stabler and is equally matched by Scaperrotta, who after eleven years, is beginning to show physically similarities to his television dad.

THIS IS DICKIE'S EPISODE

[siraljames · 8/10 · 16 November 2020]

Dickie's character is developed to perfection in this episode. Elliot, as usual, is an a-hole of the first order and it costs his son's best friend his life. What amazes me is that Elliot acted like he had no idea why Dickie would stay out all night mourning his best friend whose funeral he can't attend because his father's ability to antagonize the wrong people really shined in this episode. Elliot's apology at the end was so nonchalant and robotic. Dude...your son's best friend is dead and he can't go to the funeral because of you...that's all you got is a barely audible "I'm sorry"?!! I was rooting for Dickie to get his papers signed and get out of the house (not that his Mother would have gone for it...lol)

Dickie Stabler is a prick just like dear old dad

[marysammons-42220 · 7/10 · 12 December 2019]

While the acting is good in this episode it shows just what a prick Stabler is. His treatment of Dickie's friend. It's no wonder his son is just like him and resents him. On a picky note: in the scene at the Stabler house why is Kathy carrying around a baby? Eli would be two years old. That baby looks younger than Eli did in season 10. They couldn't find a two year old for one scene?

The worst-written episode of the series up to this point

[markthurman-44228 · 4/10 · 8 April 2022]

This is the worst-written episode of the series up to this point in my opinion.

First problem: I like that Stabler has to sometimes balance his job with his home-life. But, I think the writers quite often go too far to show Stabler's short fuse. He is a seasoned detective who often appears to never learn from his mistakes when it comes to both his temper and his quickness to assume someone's guilt. We see these shortcomings on steroids in this episode. Yes, his son is involved. Even so, a veteran detective shouldn't have acted so much like an out-of-control rookie in this situation.

Second problem: A. D. A. Cabot and the prosecution are accused of suppressing a recanted statement by the alleged rape victim. And yet no one involved in the case provides any evidence regarding the mysterious recant statement. It makes no sense that the A. D. A. And SVU would be held responsible for withholding such information whenever no evidence is presented in court that the recant even occurred.

Third problem: With two cases occurring simultaneously, and with SVU having to continually allocate few resources to both cases, it makes no sense that Detective Benson would make time to formally request a new A. D. A. Be assigned to their department. That request is also inconsistent with how SVU typically handles internal problems.

The one aspect of this episode that I liked was seeing SVU have to deal with more than one serious case at a time. I enjoy this series very much. But, I've often thought that in real life there would often be more than one serious case under investigation at any given point in time. We see that in this episode and it's a rarity.

There was probably a good story here - a story that could have been much more consistent with what we saw from SVU until the past couple of seasons, which became much more inconsistent.

Didn't like how they treated Alex or wasn't focused on anything but Elliot's bad as* kid,not interested at all

[queen_key · 3/10 · 28 March 2021]

Tbh they were rude to Alex by asking for a new ada when she's supposed to basically be apart of the family & yes I love Olivia but where does she get off even acting like she cares about the victim when they've been to busy with dickie the whole episode to even be focus on what was happening.