Spousal Privilege: Law and Order: SVU

What a strange episode “Spousal Privilege” was. Let’s start with the title. Well, no, let’s start with Ray Rice — that’s what got “ripped from the headlines” here and the inspiration even got mentioned, not as the inspiration but as another case. (That case was in New Jersey, by the way.)

The episode began with Det. Nick Amaro having a big argument with his ex-wife Maria over their daughter Zara and Thanksgiving visitation. Everyone in the squad room can hear it and it ends with Amaro punching the wall so hard that his injured hand is the first thing Sgt. Olivia Benson notices upon arrival. Fin, Rollins and Amaro come across some video footage online showing a celebrity athlete named A.J. Martin abusing his wife, Paula, in a stairwell. You think it’s his wife anyway but she’s not — yet. The A.J. stands for Antwan Jarrod.

As Paula is going up the stairs, A.J. punches her from behind. Then there is footage of him dragging her out to the car, looking unconscious. A patrolman shows up. By now Benson has joined the viewers and instructs the detectives to find out what happened from the patrolman. They find out the case is being dropped and that pisses Benson off. A.D.A. Barba is not particularly interested in pursuing it which also pisses Benson off. He tells her to find the tape of what happened in between and lo! and behold, a scandal site paid for it and uploaded it and there is big ol’ A.J. punching Paula in the face.

So Olivia and Fin pays a visit to the Martin household where they observe that she is well used to playing the role of happy wife, though she is scared out of her wits and so is her 8-year-old son, A.J., Jr.

Now Liv is on a mission to break down Paula’s defenses and save her and her son, but Paula is more than uncooperative. She marries A.J. So that is where you think the spousal privilege is going to come in, right? But it never does and in fact, when the case goes to trial, Paula asks to take the witness stand and tells Barba to eff off. It’s her choice to stay with A.J. Nobody ever tells Paula that she is making that choice for her boy, too. Maybe there was a small chance Paula would have cracked if Benson had a chance to do so, but she seemed very determined not to rock the boat.

All A.J. is charged with is reckless endangerment anyway, not assault. He is convicted and we are told will “probably” get two years (unlike Ray Rice, who got Pretrial Intervention). Paula goes off on Benson after the hearing even though her man totally ignored her while being hauled off to jail. Loyal to the end.

This was one where the detectives where divided over whether they were doing the right thing, too. Amanda Rollins didn’t think they had the right to interfere, so much so that she went and got drunk and deliberately tried to provoke Amaro into assaulting her. Fin also didn’t seem to understand the new “we are not going to let you beat your wife and kids even if it is okay with them” mentality, as he and Rollins shared memories of getting your own switch and getting your ass beat with fists.

Cast of “Spousal Privilege”
Meagan Good – Paula Bryant (later Martin)
Chad L. Coleman – A. J. Martin
Sabastien J. Antoine – A.J. Martin, Jr.
Elizabeth Marvel – Rita Calhoun
Leslie Odom, Jr. – Rev. Curtis Scott
Lisa Kron – Judge Robin Schaeffer
Brian Richardson – Jury Foreperson
Jefferson Mays – Dr. Rudnick
Jeb Brown – Sgt. Gerbic
Korey Jackson – Brian
David Dinkins – Judge Chet Baker
Hoda Kotb – herself
Ian O’Malley – League Official
Nik Walker – Former Teammate