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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
S15.E12
All episodes
All
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Jersey Breakdown

  • Episode aired Jan 22, 2014
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 42m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
740
YOUR RATING
Alana De La Garza and Raúl Esparza in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jersey Breakdown
Play trailer1:23
1 Video
9 Photos
CrimeDramaMystery
As SVU fights for justice for an underage rape victim who was working illegally in a strip club, they find themselves stonewalled by corruption in the New Jersey legal system.As SVU fights for justice for an underage rape victim who was working illegally in a strip club, they find themselves stonewalled by corruption in the New Jersey legal system.As SVU fights for justice for an underage rape victim who was working illegally in a strip club, they find themselves stonewalled by corruption in the New Jersey legal system.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
740
YOUR RATING
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jonathan Herron
    • Writers
      • Dick Wolf
      • Céline C. Robinson(teleplay by)
      • Julie Martin(story by)
    • Stars
      • Mariska Hargitay
      • Danny Pino
      • Kelli Giddish
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jonathan Herron
    • Writers
      • Dick Wolf
      • Céline C. Robinson(teleplay by)
      • Julie Martin(story by)
    • Stars
      • Mariska Hargitay
      • Danny Pino
      • Kelli Giddish
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews

    Videos1

    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jersey Breakdown
    Trailer 1:23
    Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jersey Breakdown

    Photos9

    Stefanie Scott in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
    Raúl Esparza and Andrea Bianchi in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
    Chazz Palminteri and Mariska Hargitay in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
    Ice-T, Chazz Palminteri, and Kelli Giddish in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
    LAW & ORDER: SVU
    LAW & ORDER:SVU
    Stefanie Scott in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
    LAW & ORDER: SVU

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mariska Hargitay
    Mariska Hargitay
    • Olivia Benson
    Danny Pino
    Danny Pino
    • Nick Amaro
    Kelli Giddish
    Kelli Giddish
    • Amanda Rollins
    Ice-T
    Ice-T
    • Odafin Tutuola
    • (as Ice T)
    Raúl Esparza
    Raúl Esparza
    • Rafael Barba
    Alana De La Garza
    Alana De La Garza
    • Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Rubirosa
    Dayton Callie
    Dayton Callie
    • Judge Daniel Dolan
    Stefanie Scott
    Stefanie Scott
    • Clare Wilson
    Bill Sage
    Bill Sage
    • Bobby Masconi
    Mckean Rand
    • Jeff
    • (as Mckean Rand)
    Geoffrey Wigdor
    Geoffrey Wigdor
    • Tommy
    • (as Geoff Wigdor)
    Chazz Palminteri
    Chazz Palminteri
    • Perry Cannavaro
    Andrea Bianchi
    Andrea Bianchi
    • A.D.A. Gina Masconi
    Scott Decker
    • Detective Moore
    Monica Wyche
    Monica Wyche
    • Warden Gert Marmer
    Shwayze
    Shwayze
    • Elton Teague
    Alli Caudle
    • Erin Fogarty
    Adam Heller
    Adam Heller
    • Arnie
    • Director
      • Jonathan Herron
    • Writers
      • Dick Wolf
      • Céline C. Robinson(teleplay by) (story by)
      • Julie Martin(story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Olivia Benson still uses her old desk, although she has got Captain Donald Cragen's room in the previous episode.
    • Goofs
      In the squad room, Mariska Hargitay is wearing her actual wedding ring on her left ring finger. The character, Olivia Benson, is not married, and does not wear a ring on her left hand at any other time, including in any other scene.
    • Quotes

      Nick Amaro: [to Olivia] We're short-staffed and I'm not good with the desk duty. I want my gun back.

      Olivia Benson: It's just a few weeks since the shooting, Nick, okay? You don't know what could startle you.

      Nick Amaro: And you think I'll shoot somebody else.

      Olivia Benson: Or you could hesitate. PTSD is real, Nick. It's a process. Don't rush it.

      Nick Amaro: Let me try one tour, all right? I'll know.

      Olivia Benson: It's not just you that I have to think about. This entire squad is my responsibility now.

    • Connections
      References Law & Order (1990)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Soapy corruption
    "Jersey Breakdown" didn't leave me that impressed on first watch when it first aired. It struck me as a well acted episode, lead and supporting, and showing the ugliness of the theme explored in an unflinching way. It also suffered from being too derivative, as a result of having a familiar premise and having nothing to make it stand out, and from being too personal drama dominant. It didn't strike me as a terrible episode, but just felt too bland and soapy.

    My very conflicted to meh opinion on "Jersey Breakdown" is still pretty much the same, in overall reaction and for the same reasons positive and negative. Again, it is a watchable effort and is not terrible, but with the premise actually being an intriguing one despite its familiarity it could have been a lot better than it transpired. Season 15 was a very mixed bag of a season, with a fair share of episodes falling in both extremes of good and lacklustre at best and also plenty in between. "Jersey Breakdown" fits low down in the in between category.

    Am going to begin with the good things. The acting from all the regulars is great with no exception. It is a case though of the supporting cast making an even bigger impression, Chazz Palminteri and particularly Stefanie Scott being terrific guest stars. Scott is very affecting and Palminteri proves again that he can do loathsome expertly.

    Furthermore, as usual the production values 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 ugliness of corruption is shown in an appropriately unflinching manner.

    However, against all this, "Jersey Breakdown" could have been much better. There is too much focus on the team's personal life drama. It is fine if it concerns one character and not featuring prominently but doing it for most of the regulars and not at minimum is overkill. Especially Rollins. After the previous two seasons doing very well with him generally, Amaro's character writing this season was pretty patchy and this episode makes him borderline creepy. Did find the dialogue very soapy at times, especially with Amaro.

    Despite the theme being done well in enough places, the case is very predictable and lacks tension and suspense with a particularly formulaic first third. Wasn't surprised by anything here. The corruption theme is not new territory for the show, it was done before notably in "Poison" and "Crush" (the latter having a quite unique ending). Watching this was like watching "Crush" times two except with a different corrupt character and different setting, with one of the oddest deaths in 'Special Victims Unit' history being the one slightly unique thing.

    Overall, watchable but not particularly good. 5/10.
    helpful•0
    0
    • TheLittleSongbird
    • Aug 3, 2022

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 22, 2014 (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Wolf Films
      • Universal Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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