Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 24, Episode 6 - Controlled Burn - full transcript
In the criminal justice
system,
sexually based offenses
are considered
especially heinous.
In New York City,
the dedicated detectives
who investigate
these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as
the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Human sexuality
is strange enough.
But how do you,
as future criminologists,
learn to prevent what is
compulsive, deviant, criminal?
Well, that was rhetorical,
but yeah?
Harsher laws.
Sounds good on the surface,
but criminals
don't obey laws like the rest
of us, especially predators.
And there's a lot more
of them in the world
than you might think.
Economic opportunities
like these present themselves
once in a lifetime
if you're lucky.
So gentlemen,
despite the reluctance
that your board has shown since
we shared our initial offer,
I'm prepared to put some
teeth behind my bite
and up the price 20%
to get this done.
Stop wasting my time.
Let's commit to this deal,
make some history.
Given the predator's desire
tends to overcome
all rational thought...
Hey, we're still on
for tonight, right?
Actually, something came up.
Carla, you're killing me.
Bring your wife.
I told you, she's out of town
with her boyfriend.
We're ethically non-monogamous.
I'm sorry, Spencer.
There's no limit to how far
the sexual predator will go
to satisfy his
or her compulsions.
[suspenseful music]
Maggie, how's it going?
Just working on this model
so we can
close the deal with Tectonic.
Speaking of which,
shouldn't you be
in there with the lady shark?
Yeah, look, I'm getting back.
It's just,
there's a party tonight,
and I can't show up alone.
So bring your wife.
She's out of town, and you're
the first person I thought of.
Uh-huh.
Look, I'm really busy, and I...
Don't think I'm gonna
have enough time
to go home to Jersey and...
Great, so we'll just
go straight from work.
Yeah.
All of us do things
to blow off steam
that we know
aren't good for us...
Trips to Vegas, retail therapy,
ordering a bottle
instead of a glass.
These little ways that we allow
ourselves to lose control,
they're a lot like
a controlled burn, you know,
a small fire set
to burn off the dead brush
so the whole forest
doesn't incinerate.
Now,
criminal sexual compulsions,
they tend to start off
small too.
So the question is,
how can we learn
to prevent them from becoming
a catastrophic blaze?
Let's begin, shall we?
♪ ♪
Don't wake up the girls.
Ow.
I'm sorry.
Was it too hard?
No.
Do it again.
[upbeat dance music playing]
♪ ♪
Spencer, hey.
- Hey, wait up.
- What?
Spencer, I thought you said
this was a work party.
You got your computer,
don't you?
Yeah.
Find an outlet, get on the
Wi-Fi, finish that model.
But you know what?
Take ten minutes for yourself,
have a drink.
- Live a little.
- Yeah, but where are you...
♪ Don't let the party stop ♪
♪ Dance on the rooftops ♪
♪ ♪
Oh, I didn't order that.
No, it's a gift
from an admirer.
No, no, no.
From that man.
♪ ♪
[laughter]
[cheering]
[music winding down]
[sighs]
[water running, scrubbing]
[tense music]
[inhales deeply]
♪ ♪
[breathing raggedly]
Hey, miss?
Miss.
You okay?
[coughing]
Miss.
Miss!
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Somebody's got
a pep in her step.
I told you, I had
a good night last night.
Let me get this straight,
they wanted Carisi to do
a lecture
at his old law school,
and he volunteers you
at last minute?
- [laughs] Yeah.
- I'd be pissed.
I was pissed at first,
but it was kind of fun.
Yeah, Professor Rollins
does have a ring to it.
- Uh-huh.
- Sergeant, Detective.
Hey.
What you got for us?
A real weird one.
Vic's name is Maggie D'Angelo.
Early 30s, signs of sexual
trauma, refused a rape kit.
What's the weird part?
Throat's in bad shape,
fingertip bruising on her neck.
Toxicology shows alcohol
and scopolamine.
Scopolamine?
That's rare.
Right, those put you
in a highly
suggestible twilight state.
How'd she get here?
Guy over there
brought her in.
One more thing, she pulled
this thong out of her throat.
Have the lab
run them for DNA.
I'll go talk
to our friend over there.
All right.
Is she able to speak yet?
Yeah, just asked
for the Wi-Fi password.
Okay, thanks.
Maggie, I'm Detective Rollins.
Yeah, um, I told the nurse
that I didn't need any cops.
I'm fine.
It was just a dumb party.
Okay, because someone
had to bring you here
to the hospital.
Do you remember that?
Um...
not really, but it must have
been the drinks.
I have a low tolerance.
You were drugged.
And there are signs that
you've been sexually assaulted.
That's not possible.
I had cervical cancer
a few years back,
and I never had the treatments
that would allow me
to regain sexual function.
A lot of scar tissue.
I'm very sorry.
Could you tell me
about the party?
Sorry, you don't
really understand.
My boss is on his way here.
I get it, but something
did happen to you last night.
Our company is about
to be bought for $2 billion,
which, frankly,
is a lot more important to me
than one bad night.
I didn't touch that girl.
Never said you did.
I helped her.
I picked her up,
and I took her here.
Where'd you find her?
West 10th Street, my street.
They call me West 10th Wilson.
Okay.
Was anyone with her?
Nah.
But she was being chased
by a giant crow.
Maggie, I'm here to help you.
I have a lot of work to do.
I understand that.
I get that.
Whatever you think
happened to me,
it just... it couldn't have.
Because you're covered
in bruises,
so somebody gave them to you.
Maggie has a visitor.
Spencer.
I'm assuming
you're Maggie's boss.
Spencer Lewis.
Maggie, what happened?
I tried to find you last night.
Wait, you were
at the party together?
Yeah, I thought
she went home to work
on our valuation model.
I'm almost done with that.
Where are my clothes?
I... I wasn't raped,
so you can leave now.
Maggie, I hear you.
But it's just best if we go
ahead and collect evidence,
and then maybe you'll
remember something...
I said no.
[apprehensive music]
I'm sorry, um,
help me understand.
The hospital called the cops
because they think Maggie
was assaulted?
There is evidence
of that, yes.
Well, she doesn't seem
to think so.
Maggie is in denial.
There's drugs in her system.
She doesn't remember it yet.
What can you tell me
about this party?
Uh, it was just
a Wall Street type thing,
mixed with a bunch of
Burning Man billionaires
and polyamorous tech bros.
And who was hosting?
Do you have any idea how many
parties I go to in a night?
No, I don't, but I'm sure
you have the address.
Yeah, we took a quick ride
from the office.
I know you're
just doing your job,
but I'm fine.
Okay.
I'm almost done with this.
Don't worry about that
right now.
Let's just get you home,
all right?
Maggie, listen.
Will you just take my card?
If you change your mind,
if you remember anything,
you can give me a call.
What are we looking at?
I've seen shock and denial,
but that takes it
to a whole nother level.
And her boss was in a hurry
to get out of here.
I saw the wedding ring.
I get it.
Or he's the one that raped her.
Well, he gave me
the address of the party,
West 10th Street.
Let's stop by there
on the way back to the station.
My man.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Is she going to be okay?
She thinks so.
Did he give you anything?
He's not the most
reliable witness.
He blamed it on a crow.
What?
That's all I got.
♪ ♪
How long has this place
been on the market?
Over a year.
Has it been empty
the whole time?
It's a $15 million property.
They don't go fast these days,
especially with
these interest rates.
Anyone else have a key?
Just the property manager.
So this brownstone where
the party was supposedly held
was unoccupied?
According to the realtor.
No renter, no one has access.
And the victim nor the guy
who invited her
has any idea
whose party this was?
We ran the address.
The property is owned
by some big-time
asset management company.
We're sorting through
the chain of title.
All right, and this Maggie
had a pair of underwear
lodged in her throat?
Not to mention scopolamine.
Well, that doesn't
sound consensual.
We're running DNA.
Yeah, the lab's
got a rush on it.
West 10th Street
was empty this morning.
Security camera
on the block picked up
the homeless guy and our vic,
and you're never gonna
believe this, but...
[suspenseful music]
A guy in a crow mask.
So West 10th Wilson
was telling the truth.
So maybe he wasn't
so crazy after all.
♪ ♪
Do you remember being there?
It was very dark.
There was a lot of people.
Does anything else
come to mind?
I mean, I thought it
was a work party at first,
but it definitely was not.
Can you tell me more
about that?
There was a sexual
undercurrent to everything.
Like I told you this morning,
I can't have sex.
This is a security cam
still from the street
you were found on.
Do you remember
anyone at the party
wearing a mask like this?
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
He sent me a drink.
I had a few sips.
Okay, what else do you
remember about him?
His voice.
It was gentle.
Can you tell us what he said?
He...
told me that I had a neck
like a Modigliani painting,
and that's literally
all I remember.
The drug that you were given,
it can have an effect
on your memory.
And what if
it doesn't come back?
Are you telling me I've lost
eight hours of my life?
Maggie, there was a pair
of women's underwear
that was brought in with you.
They were in your throat.
Do you remember that?
No.
The lab did find
semen on them.
Now would be a good time
to do a rape kit.
Okay.
What can you tell us
about your boss?
So you're saying Maggie
really was assaulted?
Why would I hurt her?
I'd be dead in the water
without her.
That girl's a genius
with numbers.
So you took her
to a sex party?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Let's just slow this down.
It was a business party.
You see him with Maggie?
- I was occupied.
- Yeah, I'll bet you were.
My wife and I
have a wonderful marriage.
I've been nothing
but cooperative here.
That address you gave us,
somebody cleaned it up
real fast.
We're gonna need
to see a guest list.
Rich people value
one thing more than money.
What's that?
- Discretion.
- Wanna put that to the test?
Your company's in the middle
of being acquired.
I have a friend named Leo
at IRS
that might want to look
at your books.
Nice bluff, but he
wouldn't find anything.
Yeah, but that would hit
a pause button real fast
on that deal of yours.
Okay, look,
I've got an invitation
to another party tonight.
Let me see if I can get
a plus-one.
Hate to break it to you.
It's gonna be more
like a plus-five.
And in return, I would like
to invite the inside
of your cheek to a swab party.
Okay, look, I can come down
to the station.
Shh. Say "ah."
Ah... ah.
Excuse me. Who are you?
NYPD.
- I need to see some ID.
- Oh, Henry, it's okay.
They're just doing their jobs.
I apologize. I'm Lena Hess.
We're in the middle
of acquiring
White & Jensen Equities.
It's a delicate time.
I saw that you were talking
with Spencer?
Yeah, he seemed to notice
you looking too.
Oh, we have a morality clause
in all of our contracts.
Spencer will soon be
my direct report.
If he's involved in a criminal
matter, I'd like to know.
We don't discuss
police business.
I understand.
But if there's anything
I can help with personally
while you continue
to investigate him,
a character reference
or his whereabouts
at a given place and time,
don't hesitate.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
Even her card smells rich.
So we took Spencer's samples
straight to the lab.
And?
And the DNA from your
rape kit wasn't Spencer's.
Then whose was it?
We don't know.
And it wasn't a match
to anything in our database.
There was nothing, right?
I mean, I can't have sex.
I'm sorry, Maggie.
You were assaulted.
It wasn't vaginally.
[apprehensive music]
I know that may
be hard to hear,
but considering the time frame,
we're lucky to have
collected evidence at all.
Why did I not
help you this morning?
Because you were in denial,
and that is not uncommon,
Maggie.
As a matter of fact,
it's normal.
Look, I just...
I just want to find out
what happened
during those
missing eight hours.
And so do we.
We understand from Spencer
that there's a party tonight.
Someone there may be able
to lead us
to the man who assaulted you.
- And you want me to go.
- No, no, no.
But if we do find a lead,
we are gonna need you
to help us make the ID.
Well, how am I gonna do that
if I didn't see his face?
You let us worry about that.
♪ ♪
Same crowd Maggie described
at last night's party.
Any sign of our crow?
Spencer might have
warned the guy.
Or he showed up mask less.
I don't want to take a chance
that anyone else
gets assaulted in that house.
Copy that.
Hey. Sorry, guys.
This is a private event.
We have an invitation.
[pounding dance music playing]
♪ ♪
- Drugs.
- Check.
- Young girls.
- Check.
I'll do the honors.
NYPD, the party's over.
Nobody's leaving.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
I thought you'd want to see
this, behind the furnace room.
Had to cut the lock.
Security system.
That camera's
in the bathroom.
I want all these
hard drives seized.
Yeah, I'll call Carisi,
tell him we need a warrant
so TARU can access them.
What the hell
are we looking at?
This whole damn place
is rigged up.
So your modeling
agent invited you?
Man can't get in
without woman.
Did you happen to go
to the party
in the West Village last night?
I go to all of these things.
Did you see this man there?
Guy in a crow mask?
I didn't see him tonight.
But he was there last night.
Do you know his name?
I've seen him a few times.
I recognize the mask.
I have no idea who he is.
Okay, because we have
reason to believe
that a woman was sexually
assaulted at that party.
I find that surprising.
I mean, he's got a thing
for choking.
He tried it on one
of my models once.
But when she said the
safe word, he stopped.
Yeah, well,
these things can escalate.
So how do you hear
about these things?
I just work here, all right?
I'm not actually
into this stuff.
I get it.
My fetish is green
and colored too.
Who hires you?
I couldn't even say
if I wanted to.
All anonymous,
given a time and address,
then I get paid in crypto.
You got the warrant?
You pulled the entire system
out of the building?
And the 20 hard drives,
all of the cameras.
We sent everything to TARU.
You know you'll
need another warrant
to look at that footage.
And another one for the
brownstone on 10th Street.
That one could be wired up too.
Where Maggie was assaulted.
By a man in a crow mask.
And we're still nowhere
in ID'ing this guy?
Nobody knows anything.
I mean, we made a couple
of arrests for possession,
but they've all lawyered up.
And the rest of them
are just
Wall Street guys
playing dress-up.
There's no underage girls.
All sexual activity, except for
Maggie, seems consensual.
But as far as we know,
anything
could be on those hard drives.
I'm assuming whoever
hosted those parties
put the cameras in?
These people went
to a lot of trouble
to make sure that Manhattan's
power brokers
were naked on film.
Not just naked,
but they recorded
their secret perversions.
So what are we
looking at here?
- Blackmail scheme?
- A kompromat operation.
Look, if the house
in the West Village
was wired up like this one,
that means that Maggie's
assault was recorded.
So we have a uni out front
making sure
that nobody's
removing evidence.
I'll get you those warrants.
Real Time Crime
finished tracking
chain of title
on both properties.
The company that owns them all?
Tectonic.
The woman with the bodyguard?
Lena Hess.
Her company
acquiring Spencer's.
There's $2 billion at stake.
Well, that's a hell
of a coincidence.
Or one hell of a motive
for blackmail.
[suspenseful music]
Apologies for the wait.
Nice to see you again.
We weren't
properly introduced.
I'm Sergeant Tutuola,
and this is Captain Benson.
So we understand
that your company, Tectonic,
is in the process
of buying Spencer Lewis's?
Excuse me, may I ask how
capitalism is a police matter?
It's not, but it becomes one
when your company owns
a property where
a woman was attacked.
The West 10th Street
brownstone.
So you're aware.
Well, my head of security,
Henry,
informed me that
a search warrant
was executed there today.
That's all I know.
You're saying a woman
was assaulted?
At a party held
at your property.
Do you have any idea
who threw it or who had access?
The property manager
has a key.
We're in the process
of selling it
in the Gramercy Park townhouse.
I was informed there was
a party there last night too.
Do you have any idea
how that happened?
Well, it's a breach of trust
somewhere along the line.
My head of security is trying
to get to the bottom of it.
We were hoping you could help
us get to the bottom of it.
Both the properties
are wired with hidden cameras.
We're talking about
$20 million assets.
Security is an issue.
So is blackmail.
I have been the victim
of that once or twice myself.
And my world is dog-eat-dog,
and doing business
at a scale like my own
is a never-ending game
of brinksmanship.
I can only imagine.
If someone's using
my properties
to throw illegal parties,
do you realize
the liability for me here?
I'm gonna need a copy
of that footage.
It's a police matter now.
Well, I'm so very glad
that it is.
Yeah, thank you.
You know, if we find out
that you have any connection
to this assault,
whether it's overt or implied,
I'm coming back here
with a gift.
What's that?
A pair of bracelets.
So we recovered
hidden camera footage
from the brownstone
where Maggie was assaulted.
You know those
expedited warrants
are limited in scope to the
weekend of the crime, right?
Right now,
that's all we need.
Let me guess,
Lena Hess denies it all?
Oh, yeah, she's claiming
that the surveillance
- was for security purposes only.
- Yeah, of course she does.
The class of people involved
there are Manhattan's
wealthiest, most powerful.
Yet nobody recognizes them
when they walk down the street.
That's by design.
You're not telling me
to tread lightly
because it's Lena Hess,
are you?
These people operate under
an entirely different
justice system.
Which really sucks,
doesn't it?
- Did you invite her here?
- No, I didn't.
But I certainly
admire her tenacity.
Maggie.
- Hey.
- Hey, I left you a message.
Yes, I know.
Look, I didn't want
to call you back
until I had news to share.
And?
Is it in there? Can I see it?
No, honey, it doesn't
quite work like that.
Cancer took my body
away from me once.
I just... I cannot do this again.
Okay, recovering from trauma
can be a full-time job.
But I also have a job to do.
Right?
And that job is for both of us.
So just trust me and know that
I will get in touch
with you the minute
I have anything concrete, okay?
Was that Maggie?
Yeah, she just left.
Good. We found him.
[coughing, choking]
He chokes her out completely
a total of seven times.
I'm looking at
criminal sexual act
in the first
and attempted murder.
Then he stuffs her panties
in her mouth and does this.
[suspenseful music]
We need to find
this son of a bitch.
Fido here might be able
to tell us.
That's Spencer?
You said he didn't know
the guy in the crow mask.
Well, maybe if
we show him this,
it'll refresh his memory.
- Where'd you get this?
- Those parties that you go to?
All the houses were wired up.
Oh, crap.
There's no law against S&M.
No one's threatening
legal action
against his proclivities.
But obstructing justice,
protecting a sexual predator
is a good way to find
yourself in handcuffs...
And, uh, not the good kind.
I had absolutely
nothing to do
with Maggie getting assaulted.
No, 'cause we've
got a witness saying that
all male guests
have to bring a woman
as the price of admission.
I mean, yeah,
but that has nothing...
The last I checked,
she's an adult woman
with agency and volition.
Did Maggie know what
she was getting into?
Look, what do you
want from me?
I want the identity
of this man.
Wait, that's the guy?
- Oh, so you do know him?
- I've seen him.
Well, you've seen
the footage we have of you.
I would get more specific
real quick.
What is this,
Blackmail Spencer Day?
No, no, no.
Think of it as saving you
from whoever installed
those cameras
because they clearly
intended to use that footage
as leverage of some kind.
Yeah, well,
my wife won't care.
Yeah.
You're selling your company,
though, aren't you?
Shareholders might.
Oh, look at
Mr. Blumfeld over here.
Suddenly he's worried that
the checks won't clear.
[chuckles]
Just tell them
what you know, Spencer.
We met last month.
I don't know his name,
but he mentioned
that he's a timpanist
for the New York Orchestra.
[lively drum rhythm]
Ethan Schmidt!
Hey! Ethan Schmidt.
You're under arrest
for criminal sexual act
in the first
and attempted murder.
- Come on.
- Let's go.
[suspenseful music]
Ethan Schmidt,
what do we know about him?
Two kids, married, no record.
We searched his house
and found the crow mask.
What about the twilight drug
he gave Maggie?
We found it in a drawer
in his study.
Counselor, we have enough?
A victim ID
would seal the deal.
Maggie said herself
she couldn't see his face.
No, but she heard his voice.
How did you find him?
Well, you're not the only
workaholic in New York.
We caught his face on film.
My assault was recorded?
You are gonna get rid
of that, right?
It's evidence.
But right now, let's focus
on making the ID.
All right, you heard his voice.
Yeah, I'll never forget it.
So, Maggie,
this is Mr. Carisi.
He's our ADA.
And he's gonna show you
how the voice ID works.
Yeah. Take a seat.
You'll hear seven voices
repeat the same sentence,
the one you recall
the perpetrator saying.
Now, you can hear them
as many times as you need.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Can we hurry this up?
My client's been waiting
all afternoon.
Well, he should get used
to it because where he's going,
there's not much else to do.
Here, why don't you
go slide those on?
Okay, you ready?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
♪ ♪
You have a neck
like a Modigliani.
You have a neck
like a Modigliani.
You have a neck
like a Modigliani.
That's him.
It's number three. That's him.
The jury's gonna
see this for what it is...
A phishing expedition
using an illegally recorded
consensual sex act.
The victim doesn't
see it that way.
And we have video of your
client choking a young woman
in and out of consciousness,
resuscitating her
again and again so that
he can keep going.
The only reason he stopped
is because
he thought he killed her.
What's a jury gonna say
when they see him
put her on a sheet of plastic?
And that's just the victim
he got caught for.
How many are there?
I don't understand
what's wrong with me.
It started so young
when I strangled
my sister's pet bird.
What is that, is that guilt?
No, it's, um, not guild.
Uh... relief.
I've been struggling with
this compulsion my whole life.
I just want it to stop.
♪ ♪
I'll tell you who throws
these parties
if you just get me some help.
What does my client
get in return?
I can't make any promises.
[inaudible]
♪ ♪
A donor to the orchestra.
She's one of the most
powerful women in this city.
I met her one night
after a performance.
We started talking.
What about?
[laughs]
The quasi ritenente crescendo
in Brahms' Symphony 2.
She asked me why I chose to
devote my life to the timpani.
I told her it was the
construction of that piece.
It is sublime.
She thought so too.
Who is the "she"
in that sentence?
♪ ♪
Lena Hess.
You're saying Lena Hess
threw these parties?
She created a space for me
to do what I wanted to do,
drugs to facilitate.
At first, it was...
wonderful.
But I needed more,
and I always needed more.
After a while,
I didn't just have
a compulsion.
It had me.
That's a good story.
Rather, sadly, all true.
And we will be talking
to Ms. Hess.
And my client?
We get confirmation that
she was, in fact,
behind those parties,
I'll talk to the DA.
In the meantime, your client
is going to get arraigned
for sexual assault
and attempted murder.
Ethan.
One last question, just for me.
Of course.
What could possibly be
so pleasurable for you
to choke a woman
until she's dead?
You really want to know?
It's the vibration.
It has a quasi ritenente
all its own.
♪ ♪
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
Move through and
search the entire floor.
Copy that.
Search warrant
for my office and my home.
You're not gonna find anything.
Well, we know that
you're filming these parties.
The question is why.
All your years
investigating sex crimes,
you should know better
than anyone, Captain.
Tell me, what do
the perpetrators
of all the most savage things
in the world have in common?
You can't tell me
that you don't see it.
Enlighten me.
If men disappeared tomorrow,
so would war and rape
and just about every other ill
of mankind.
Wow.
That is a bold statement.
I... I almost feel sorry for you.
But I'm raising a son
who is good
and who is kind
and who is thoughtful.
I'm sure he is.
But I'm guessing by
the lack of a ring,
that there's no male example
in the picture.
So all of this
is to get back at men,
to set them up,
to blackmail them,
for all the harm
that they've done to the world?
I don't make them
light the fire.
I simply give them
a little tinder.
They put the match
to it every time.
And victims like Maggie
get burned.
Better in my brownstone
than on the street,
wouldn't you agree, Captain?
Better for who?
Better for the world?
Or better for your portfolio?
Why not both?
Turn around.
You're under arrest.
Captain, we found something.
Hey.
40, 50 hard drives,
maybe more.
Enough for a couple dozen
high profile cases.
Well, I gotta hand it to her.
She got what she wanted.
That pair of bracelets
you promised?
No.
The potential to take down
half of the most
powerful men in New York City.
♪ ♪
It's gonna take weeks
for TARU
to go through all
of Lena's footage.
Oh, let's just hope that the
only thing criminal on them
- is Maggie's assault.
- I wouldn't be too hopeful.
The optimist in me
says that you're wrong.
And the cynic?
There's a reason that
Lena kept those tapes.
Yeah.
You know, what is Lena's deal?
There's a ton of powerful
women in New York.
She doesn't want to blackmail
any of them.
My take is that
she's been victimized
sometime in the past.
Explains her crusade
against men.
Is she wrong?
It sounds like respect.
Well, this job, what
percentage of perps are men?
All of them.
I mean, most of the time.
Yeah.
It sounds like there's a flaw
in the general design.
I'm just glad
I'm raising daughters.
- Thanks.
- [chuckles]
Noah will be fine.
I wish I could say the same
about the world.
This job will do that to you.
Hey, how's the fight going
with that monster?
I'm in a good place.
I'm figuring things out.
Whatever you're doing,
keep doing that.
On the charges of
criminal sexual act
in the first,
unlawful surveillance,
and grand larceny,
how do you plead?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
People on bail?
Ms. Hess is a flight risk.
She has considerable means
and established relationships
with influential
foreign nationals.
We request remand.
The people have
vastly overestimated
my client's wealth.
Because it's
in offshore accounts.
She has no record and is
a well-respected member
member of her community.
I'm granting ROR,
on condition
that the defendant
wear an ankle monitor
and remain under house arrest
pending trial.
She doesn't seem worried
about anything.
Yeah, well, she might
have something on the judge.
Who knows who else?
TARU's going
through the tapes.
If there is something,
they'll find it before trial.
So Lena Hess was
behind these parties.
So much for your company's
big sale.
Money doesn't matter
to me anymore.
I'm just happy I'm alive.
I am never going back
into that office again.
Yeah.
Ethan made a deal with the DA,
but he will do
serious prison time.
And the best part
of all of this
is that you will
not have to testify.
I can just go
on with my life.
The question is,
what will you do with it?
I want to finally
have that surgery
for my scar tissue.
It sounds like
a really good plan.
And when you're
through all of that,
I hope that you'll come back
and let us offer you
the resources
that we have
for healing trauma.
Yeah, I don't really want
to speak with a therapist.
[pensive music]
♪ ♪
I want to see the surveillance
footage of my attack.
Listen, Maggie, I'm
not sure that that's
the best thing for you.
Yeah, but it happened to me.
So shouldn't I have a right
to try to make sense
of this in my own way?
[knock at door]
Captain, sorry to interrupt.
We have a problem.
You've got to be kidding me.
We lost her?
Monitor signal went out
for two hours.
No signs of tampering.
Lock still sealed tight.
She just slipped it
off her ankle?
Driver found it
in the back seat.
[suspenseful music]
Hey, is... is that the woman
you were driving?
- Yeah, that's her.
- What happened?
Nothing happened.
I picked her up.
I drove her
to Teterboro Airport.
As soon as I found that ankle
bracelet, I called the cops.
All right, track the flight
and start working up
an extradition order.
We really do live
in a tiered justice system.
Yeah, and Lena's
got a penthouse view.
Uni found this in the car.
What is this?
♪ ♪
[line trilling]
Captain Benson,
you got my thank you note
for the bracelets
you were so kind to give me.
Where are you?
On my way to Brussels.
Or is it Dubai?
Either one is so beautiful
this time of year.
You trying
to make me jealous,
or is there something
that I can do for you?
You have my footage.
A woman like you
could do a lot with that.
You have no idea
what kind of woman I am.
Don't play with fire.
Well, that's no fun, Captain.
What was that?
Wrong number.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[wolf howling]
system,
sexually based offenses
are considered
especially heinous.
In New York City,
the dedicated detectives
who investigate
these vicious felonies
are members of an elite squad
known as
the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Human sexuality
is strange enough.
But how do you,
as future criminologists,
learn to prevent what is
compulsive, deviant, criminal?
Well, that was rhetorical,
but yeah?
Harsher laws.
Sounds good on the surface,
but criminals
don't obey laws like the rest
of us, especially predators.
And there's a lot more
of them in the world
than you might think.
Economic opportunities
like these present themselves
once in a lifetime
if you're lucky.
So gentlemen,
despite the reluctance
that your board has shown since
we shared our initial offer,
I'm prepared to put some
teeth behind my bite
and up the price 20%
to get this done.
Stop wasting my time.
Let's commit to this deal,
make some history.
Given the predator's desire
tends to overcome
all rational thought...
Hey, we're still on
for tonight, right?
Actually, something came up.
Carla, you're killing me.
Bring your wife.
I told you, she's out of town
with her boyfriend.
We're ethically non-monogamous.
I'm sorry, Spencer.
There's no limit to how far
the sexual predator will go
to satisfy his
or her compulsions.
[suspenseful music]
Maggie, how's it going?
Just working on this model
so we can
close the deal with Tectonic.
Speaking of which,
shouldn't you be
in there with the lady shark?
Yeah, look, I'm getting back.
It's just,
there's a party tonight,
and I can't show up alone.
So bring your wife.
She's out of town, and you're
the first person I thought of.
Uh-huh.
Look, I'm really busy, and I...
Don't think I'm gonna
have enough time
to go home to Jersey and...
Great, so we'll just
go straight from work.
Yeah.
All of us do things
to blow off steam
that we know
aren't good for us...
Trips to Vegas, retail therapy,
ordering a bottle
instead of a glass.
These little ways that we allow
ourselves to lose control,
they're a lot like
a controlled burn, you know,
a small fire set
to burn off the dead brush
so the whole forest
doesn't incinerate.
Now,
criminal sexual compulsions,
they tend to start off
small too.
So the question is,
how can we learn
to prevent them from becoming
a catastrophic blaze?
Let's begin, shall we?
♪ ♪
Don't wake up the girls.
Ow.
I'm sorry.
Was it too hard?
No.
Do it again.
[upbeat dance music playing]
♪ ♪
Spencer, hey.
- Hey, wait up.
- What?
Spencer, I thought you said
this was a work party.
You got your computer,
don't you?
Yeah.
Find an outlet, get on the
Wi-Fi, finish that model.
But you know what?
Take ten minutes for yourself,
have a drink.
- Live a little.
- Yeah, but where are you...
♪ Don't let the party stop ♪
♪ Dance on the rooftops ♪
♪ ♪
Oh, I didn't order that.
No, it's a gift
from an admirer.
No, no, no.
From that man.
♪ ♪
[laughter]
[cheering]
[music winding down]
[sighs]
[water running, scrubbing]
[tense music]
[inhales deeply]
♪ ♪
[breathing raggedly]
Hey, miss?
Miss.
You okay?
[coughing]
Miss.
Miss!
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Somebody's got
a pep in her step.
I told you, I had
a good night last night.
Let me get this straight,
they wanted Carisi to do
a lecture
at his old law school,
and he volunteers you
at last minute?
- [laughs] Yeah.
- I'd be pissed.
I was pissed at first,
but it was kind of fun.
Yeah, Professor Rollins
does have a ring to it.
- Uh-huh.
- Sergeant, Detective.
Hey.
What you got for us?
A real weird one.
Vic's name is Maggie D'Angelo.
Early 30s, signs of sexual
trauma, refused a rape kit.
What's the weird part?
Throat's in bad shape,
fingertip bruising on her neck.
Toxicology shows alcohol
and scopolamine.
Scopolamine?
That's rare.
Right, those put you
in a highly
suggestible twilight state.
How'd she get here?
Guy over there
brought her in.
One more thing, she pulled
this thong out of her throat.
Have the lab
run them for DNA.
I'll go talk
to our friend over there.
All right.
Is she able to speak yet?
Yeah, just asked
for the Wi-Fi password.
Okay, thanks.
Maggie, I'm Detective Rollins.
Yeah, um, I told the nurse
that I didn't need any cops.
I'm fine.
It was just a dumb party.
Okay, because someone
had to bring you here
to the hospital.
Do you remember that?
Um...
not really, but it must have
been the drinks.
I have a low tolerance.
You were drugged.
And there are signs that
you've been sexually assaulted.
That's not possible.
I had cervical cancer
a few years back,
and I never had the treatments
that would allow me
to regain sexual function.
A lot of scar tissue.
I'm very sorry.
Could you tell me
about the party?
Sorry, you don't
really understand.
My boss is on his way here.
I get it, but something
did happen to you last night.
Our company is about
to be bought for $2 billion,
which, frankly,
is a lot more important to me
than one bad night.
I didn't touch that girl.
Never said you did.
I helped her.
I picked her up,
and I took her here.
Where'd you find her?
West 10th Street, my street.
They call me West 10th Wilson.
Okay.
Was anyone with her?
Nah.
But she was being chased
by a giant crow.
Maggie, I'm here to help you.
I have a lot of work to do.
I understand that.
I get that.
Whatever you think
happened to me,
it just... it couldn't have.
Because you're covered
in bruises,
so somebody gave them to you.
Maggie has a visitor.
Spencer.
I'm assuming
you're Maggie's boss.
Spencer Lewis.
Maggie, what happened?
I tried to find you last night.
Wait, you were
at the party together?
Yeah, I thought
she went home to work
on our valuation model.
I'm almost done with that.
Where are my clothes?
I... I wasn't raped,
so you can leave now.
Maggie, I hear you.
But it's just best if we go
ahead and collect evidence,
and then maybe you'll
remember something...
I said no.
[apprehensive music]
I'm sorry, um,
help me understand.
The hospital called the cops
because they think Maggie
was assaulted?
There is evidence
of that, yes.
Well, she doesn't seem
to think so.
Maggie is in denial.
There's drugs in her system.
She doesn't remember it yet.
What can you tell me
about this party?
Uh, it was just
a Wall Street type thing,
mixed with a bunch of
Burning Man billionaires
and polyamorous tech bros.
And who was hosting?
Do you have any idea how many
parties I go to in a night?
No, I don't, but I'm sure
you have the address.
Yeah, we took a quick ride
from the office.
I know you're
just doing your job,
but I'm fine.
Okay.
I'm almost done with this.
Don't worry about that
right now.
Let's just get you home,
all right?
Maggie, listen.
Will you just take my card?
If you change your mind,
if you remember anything,
you can give me a call.
What are we looking at?
I've seen shock and denial,
but that takes it
to a whole nother level.
And her boss was in a hurry
to get out of here.
I saw the wedding ring.
I get it.
Or he's the one that raped her.
Well, he gave me
the address of the party,
West 10th Street.
Let's stop by there
on the way back to the station.
My man.
- Thanks.
- Thank you.
Is she going to be okay?
She thinks so.
Did he give you anything?
He's not the most
reliable witness.
He blamed it on a crow.
What?
That's all I got.
♪ ♪
How long has this place
been on the market?
Over a year.
Has it been empty
the whole time?
It's a $15 million property.
They don't go fast these days,
especially with
these interest rates.
Anyone else have a key?
Just the property manager.
So this brownstone where
the party was supposedly held
was unoccupied?
According to the realtor.
No renter, no one has access.
And the victim nor the guy
who invited her
has any idea
whose party this was?
We ran the address.
The property is owned
by some big-time
asset management company.
We're sorting through
the chain of title.
All right, and this Maggie
had a pair of underwear
lodged in her throat?
Not to mention scopolamine.
Well, that doesn't
sound consensual.
We're running DNA.
Yeah, the lab's
got a rush on it.
West 10th Street
was empty this morning.
Security camera
on the block picked up
the homeless guy and our vic,
and you're never gonna
believe this, but...
[suspenseful music]
A guy in a crow mask.
So West 10th Wilson
was telling the truth.
So maybe he wasn't
so crazy after all.
♪ ♪
Do you remember being there?
It was very dark.
There was a lot of people.
Does anything else
come to mind?
I mean, I thought it
was a work party at first,
but it definitely was not.
Can you tell me more
about that?
There was a sexual
undercurrent to everything.
Like I told you this morning,
I can't have sex.
This is a security cam
still from the street
you were found on.
Do you remember
anyone at the party
wearing a mask like this?
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
He sent me a drink.
I had a few sips.
Okay, what else do you
remember about him?
His voice.
It was gentle.
Can you tell us what he said?
He...
told me that I had a neck
like a Modigliani painting,
and that's literally
all I remember.
The drug that you were given,
it can have an effect
on your memory.
And what if
it doesn't come back?
Are you telling me I've lost
eight hours of my life?
Maggie, there was a pair
of women's underwear
that was brought in with you.
They were in your throat.
Do you remember that?
No.
The lab did find
semen on them.
Now would be a good time
to do a rape kit.
Okay.
What can you tell us
about your boss?
So you're saying Maggie
really was assaulted?
Why would I hurt her?
I'd be dead in the water
without her.
That girl's a genius
with numbers.
So you took her
to a sex party?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Let's just slow this down.
It was a business party.
You see him with Maggie?
- I was occupied.
- Yeah, I'll bet you were.
My wife and I
have a wonderful marriage.
I've been nothing
but cooperative here.
That address you gave us,
somebody cleaned it up
real fast.
We're gonna need
to see a guest list.
Rich people value
one thing more than money.
What's that?
- Discretion.
- Wanna put that to the test?
Your company's in the middle
of being acquired.
I have a friend named Leo
at IRS
that might want to look
at your books.
Nice bluff, but he
wouldn't find anything.
Yeah, but that would hit
a pause button real fast
on that deal of yours.
Okay, look,
I've got an invitation
to another party tonight.
Let me see if I can get
a plus-one.
Hate to break it to you.
It's gonna be more
like a plus-five.
And in return, I would like
to invite the inside
of your cheek to a swab party.
Okay, look, I can come down
to the station.
Shh. Say "ah."
Ah... ah.
Excuse me. Who are you?
NYPD.
- I need to see some ID.
- Oh, Henry, it's okay.
They're just doing their jobs.
I apologize. I'm Lena Hess.
We're in the middle
of acquiring
White & Jensen Equities.
It's a delicate time.
I saw that you were talking
with Spencer?
Yeah, he seemed to notice
you looking too.
Oh, we have a morality clause
in all of our contracts.
Spencer will soon be
my direct report.
If he's involved in a criminal
matter, I'd like to know.
We don't discuss
police business.
I understand.
But if there's anything
I can help with personally
while you continue
to investigate him,
a character reference
or his whereabouts
at a given place and time,
don't hesitate.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
Even her card smells rich.
So we took Spencer's samples
straight to the lab.
And?
And the DNA from your
rape kit wasn't Spencer's.
Then whose was it?
We don't know.
And it wasn't a match
to anything in our database.
There was nothing, right?
I mean, I can't have sex.
I'm sorry, Maggie.
You were assaulted.
It wasn't vaginally.
[apprehensive music]
I know that may
be hard to hear,
but considering the time frame,
we're lucky to have
collected evidence at all.
Why did I not
help you this morning?
Because you were in denial,
and that is not uncommon,
Maggie.
As a matter of fact,
it's normal.
Look, I just...
I just want to find out
what happened
during those
missing eight hours.
And so do we.
We understand from Spencer
that there's a party tonight.
Someone there may be able
to lead us
to the man who assaulted you.
- And you want me to go.
- No, no, no.
But if we do find a lead,
we are gonna need you
to help us make the ID.
Well, how am I gonna do that
if I didn't see his face?
You let us worry about that.
♪ ♪
Same crowd Maggie described
at last night's party.
Any sign of our crow?
Spencer might have
warned the guy.
Or he showed up mask less.
I don't want to take a chance
that anyone else
gets assaulted in that house.
Copy that.
Hey. Sorry, guys.
This is a private event.
We have an invitation.
[pounding dance music playing]
♪ ♪
- Drugs.
- Check.
- Young girls.
- Check.
I'll do the honors.
NYPD, the party's over.
Nobody's leaving.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
I thought you'd want to see
this, behind the furnace room.
Had to cut the lock.
Security system.
That camera's
in the bathroom.
I want all these
hard drives seized.
Yeah, I'll call Carisi,
tell him we need a warrant
so TARU can access them.
What the hell
are we looking at?
This whole damn place
is rigged up.
So your modeling
agent invited you?
Man can't get in
without woman.
Did you happen to go
to the party
in the West Village last night?
I go to all of these things.
Did you see this man there?
Guy in a crow mask?
I didn't see him tonight.
But he was there last night.
Do you know his name?
I've seen him a few times.
I recognize the mask.
I have no idea who he is.
Okay, because we have
reason to believe
that a woman was sexually
assaulted at that party.
I find that surprising.
I mean, he's got a thing
for choking.
He tried it on one
of my models once.
But when she said the
safe word, he stopped.
Yeah, well,
these things can escalate.
So how do you hear
about these things?
I just work here, all right?
I'm not actually
into this stuff.
I get it.
My fetish is green
and colored too.
Who hires you?
I couldn't even say
if I wanted to.
All anonymous,
given a time and address,
then I get paid in crypto.
You got the warrant?
You pulled the entire system
out of the building?
And the 20 hard drives,
all of the cameras.
We sent everything to TARU.
You know you'll
need another warrant
to look at that footage.
And another one for the
brownstone on 10th Street.
That one could be wired up too.
Where Maggie was assaulted.
By a man in a crow mask.
And we're still nowhere
in ID'ing this guy?
Nobody knows anything.
I mean, we made a couple
of arrests for possession,
but they've all lawyered up.
And the rest of them
are just
Wall Street guys
playing dress-up.
There's no underage girls.
All sexual activity, except for
Maggie, seems consensual.
But as far as we know,
anything
could be on those hard drives.
I'm assuming whoever
hosted those parties
put the cameras in?
These people went
to a lot of trouble
to make sure that Manhattan's
power brokers
were naked on film.
Not just naked,
but they recorded
their secret perversions.
So what are we
looking at here?
- Blackmail scheme?
- A kompromat operation.
Look, if the house
in the West Village
was wired up like this one,
that means that Maggie's
assault was recorded.
So we have a uni out front
making sure
that nobody's
removing evidence.
I'll get you those warrants.
Real Time Crime
finished tracking
chain of title
on both properties.
The company that owns them all?
Tectonic.
The woman with the bodyguard?
Lena Hess.
Her company
acquiring Spencer's.
There's $2 billion at stake.
Well, that's a hell
of a coincidence.
Or one hell of a motive
for blackmail.
[suspenseful music]
Apologies for the wait.
Nice to see you again.
We weren't
properly introduced.
I'm Sergeant Tutuola,
and this is Captain Benson.
So we understand
that your company, Tectonic,
is in the process
of buying Spencer Lewis's?
Excuse me, may I ask how
capitalism is a police matter?
It's not, but it becomes one
when your company owns
a property where
a woman was attacked.
The West 10th Street
brownstone.
So you're aware.
Well, my head of security,
Henry,
informed me that
a search warrant
was executed there today.
That's all I know.
You're saying a woman
was assaulted?
At a party held
at your property.
Do you have any idea
who threw it or who had access?
The property manager
has a key.
We're in the process
of selling it
in the Gramercy Park townhouse.
I was informed there was
a party there last night too.
Do you have any idea
how that happened?
Well, it's a breach of trust
somewhere along the line.
My head of security is trying
to get to the bottom of it.
We were hoping you could help
us get to the bottom of it.
Both the properties
are wired with hidden cameras.
We're talking about
$20 million assets.
Security is an issue.
So is blackmail.
I have been the victim
of that once or twice myself.
And my world is dog-eat-dog,
and doing business
at a scale like my own
is a never-ending game
of brinksmanship.
I can only imagine.
If someone's using
my properties
to throw illegal parties,
do you realize
the liability for me here?
I'm gonna need a copy
of that footage.
It's a police matter now.
Well, I'm so very glad
that it is.
Yeah, thank you.
You know, if we find out
that you have any connection
to this assault,
whether it's overt or implied,
I'm coming back here
with a gift.
What's that?
A pair of bracelets.
So we recovered
hidden camera footage
from the brownstone
where Maggie was assaulted.
You know those
expedited warrants
are limited in scope to the
weekend of the crime, right?
Right now,
that's all we need.
Let me guess,
Lena Hess denies it all?
Oh, yeah, she's claiming
that the surveillance
- was for security purposes only.
- Yeah, of course she does.
The class of people involved
there are Manhattan's
wealthiest, most powerful.
Yet nobody recognizes them
when they walk down the street.
That's by design.
You're not telling me
to tread lightly
because it's Lena Hess,
are you?
These people operate under
an entirely different
justice system.
Which really sucks,
doesn't it?
- Did you invite her here?
- No, I didn't.
But I certainly
admire her tenacity.
Maggie.
- Hey.
- Hey, I left you a message.
Yes, I know.
Look, I didn't want
to call you back
until I had news to share.
And?
Is it in there? Can I see it?
No, honey, it doesn't
quite work like that.
Cancer took my body
away from me once.
I just... I cannot do this again.
Okay, recovering from trauma
can be a full-time job.
But I also have a job to do.
Right?
And that job is for both of us.
So just trust me and know that
I will get in touch
with you the minute
I have anything concrete, okay?
Was that Maggie?
Yeah, she just left.
Good. We found him.
[coughing, choking]
He chokes her out completely
a total of seven times.
I'm looking at
criminal sexual act
in the first
and attempted murder.
Then he stuffs her panties
in her mouth and does this.
[suspenseful music]
We need to find
this son of a bitch.
Fido here might be able
to tell us.
That's Spencer?
You said he didn't know
the guy in the crow mask.
Well, maybe if
we show him this,
it'll refresh his memory.
- Where'd you get this?
- Those parties that you go to?
All the houses were wired up.
Oh, crap.
There's no law against S&M.
No one's threatening
legal action
against his proclivities.
But obstructing justice,
protecting a sexual predator
is a good way to find
yourself in handcuffs...
And, uh, not the good kind.
I had absolutely
nothing to do
with Maggie getting assaulted.
No, 'cause we've
got a witness saying that
all male guests
have to bring a woman
as the price of admission.
I mean, yeah,
but that has nothing...
The last I checked,
she's an adult woman
with agency and volition.
Did Maggie know what
she was getting into?
Look, what do you
want from me?
I want the identity
of this man.
Wait, that's the guy?
- Oh, so you do know him?
- I've seen him.
Well, you've seen
the footage we have of you.
I would get more specific
real quick.
What is this,
Blackmail Spencer Day?
No, no, no.
Think of it as saving you
from whoever installed
those cameras
because they clearly
intended to use that footage
as leverage of some kind.
Yeah, well,
my wife won't care.
Yeah.
You're selling your company,
though, aren't you?
Shareholders might.
Oh, look at
Mr. Blumfeld over here.
Suddenly he's worried that
the checks won't clear.
[chuckles]
Just tell them
what you know, Spencer.
We met last month.
I don't know his name,
but he mentioned
that he's a timpanist
for the New York Orchestra.
[lively drum rhythm]
Ethan Schmidt!
Hey! Ethan Schmidt.
You're under arrest
for criminal sexual act
in the first
and attempted murder.
- Come on.
- Let's go.
[suspenseful music]
Ethan Schmidt,
what do we know about him?
Two kids, married, no record.
We searched his house
and found the crow mask.
What about the twilight drug
he gave Maggie?
We found it in a drawer
in his study.
Counselor, we have enough?
A victim ID
would seal the deal.
Maggie said herself
she couldn't see his face.
No, but she heard his voice.
How did you find him?
Well, you're not the only
workaholic in New York.
We caught his face on film.
My assault was recorded?
You are gonna get rid
of that, right?
It's evidence.
But right now, let's focus
on making the ID.
All right, you heard his voice.
Yeah, I'll never forget it.
So, Maggie,
this is Mr. Carisi.
He's our ADA.
And he's gonna show you
how the voice ID works.
Yeah. Take a seat.
You'll hear seven voices
repeat the same sentence,
the one you recall
the perpetrator saying.
Now, you can hear them
as many times as you need.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Can we hurry this up?
My client's been waiting
all afternoon.
Well, he should get used
to it because where he's going,
there's not much else to do.
Here, why don't you
go slide those on?
Okay, you ready?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
♪ ♪
You have a neck
like a Modigliani.
You have a neck
like a Modigliani.
You have a neck
like a Modigliani.
That's him.
It's number three. That's him.
The jury's gonna
see this for what it is...
A phishing expedition
using an illegally recorded
consensual sex act.
The victim doesn't
see it that way.
And we have video of your
client choking a young woman
in and out of consciousness,
resuscitating her
again and again so that
he can keep going.
The only reason he stopped
is because
he thought he killed her.
What's a jury gonna say
when they see him
put her on a sheet of plastic?
And that's just the victim
he got caught for.
How many are there?
I don't understand
what's wrong with me.
It started so young
when I strangled
my sister's pet bird.
What is that, is that guilt?
No, it's, um, not guild.
Uh... relief.
I've been struggling with
this compulsion my whole life.
I just want it to stop.
♪ ♪
I'll tell you who throws
these parties
if you just get me some help.
What does my client
get in return?
I can't make any promises.
[inaudible]
♪ ♪
A donor to the orchestra.
She's one of the most
powerful women in this city.
I met her one night
after a performance.
We started talking.
What about?
[laughs]
The quasi ritenente crescendo
in Brahms' Symphony 2.
She asked me why I chose to
devote my life to the timpani.
I told her it was the
construction of that piece.
It is sublime.
She thought so too.
Who is the "she"
in that sentence?
♪ ♪
Lena Hess.
You're saying Lena Hess
threw these parties?
She created a space for me
to do what I wanted to do,
drugs to facilitate.
At first, it was...
wonderful.
But I needed more,
and I always needed more.
After a while,
I didn't just have
a compulsion.
It had me.
That's a good story.
Rather, sadly, all true.
And we will be talking
to Ms. Hess.
And my client?
We get confirmation that
she was, in fact,
behind those parties,
I'll talk to the DA.
In the meantime, your client
is going to get arraigned
for sexual assault
and attempted murder.
Ethan.
One last question, just for me.
Of course.
What could possibly be
so pleasurable for you
to choke a woman
until she's dead?
You really want to know?
It's the vibration.
It has a quasi ritenente
all its own.
♪ ♪
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
Move through and
search the entire floor.
Copy that.
Search warrant
for my office and my home.
You're not gonna find anything.
Well, we know that
you're filming these parties.
The question is why.
All your years
investigating sex crimes,
you should know better
than anyone, Captain.
Tell me, what do
the perpetrators
of all the most savage things
in the world have in common?
You can't tell me
that you don't see it.
Enlighten me.
If men disappeared tomorrow,
so would war and rape
and just about every other ill
of mankind.
Wow.
That is a bold statement.
I... I almost feel sorry for you.
But I'm raising a son
who is good
and who is kind
and who is thoughtful.
I'm sure he is.
But I'm guessing by
the lack of a ring,
that there's no male example
in the picture.
So all of this
is to get back at men,
to set them up,
to blackmail them,
for all the harm
that they've done to the world?
I don't make them
light the fire.
I simply give them
a little tinder.
They put the match
to it every time.
And victims like Maggie
get burned.
Better in my brownstone
than on the street,
wouldn't you agree, Captain?
Better for who?
Better for the world?
Or better for your portfolio?
Why not both?
Turn around.
You're under arrest.
Captain, we found something.
Hey.
40, 50 hard drives,
maybe more.
Enough for a couple dozen
high profile cases.
Well, I gotta hand it to her.
She got what she wanted.
That pair of bracelets
you promised?
No.
The potential to take down
half of the most
powerful men in New York City.
♪ ♪
It's gonna take weeks
for TARU
to go through all
of Lena's footage.
Oh, let's just hope that the
only thing criminal on them
- is Maggie's assault.
- I wouldn't be too hopeful.
The optimist in me
says that you're wrong.
And the cynic?
There's a reason that
Lena kept those tapes.
Yeah.
You know, what is Lena's deal?
There's a ton of powerful
women in New York.
She doesn't want to blackmail
any of them.
My take is that
she's been victimized
sometime in the past.
Explains her crusade
against men.
Is she wrong?
It sounds like respect.
Well, this job, what
percentage of perps are men?
All of them.
I mean, most of the time.
Yeah.
It sounds like there's a flaw
in the general design.
I'm just glad
I'm raising daughters.
- Thanks.
- [chuckles]
Noah will be fine.
I wish I could say the same
about the world.
This job will do that to you.
Hey, how's the fight going
with that monster?
I'm in a good place.
I'm figuring things out.
Whatever you're doing,
keep doing that.
On the charges of
criminal sexual act
in the first,
unlawful surveillance,
and grand larceny,
how do you plead?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
People on bail?
Ms. Hess is a flight risk.
She has considerable means
and established relationships
with influential
foreign nationals.
We request remand.
The people have
vastly overestimated
my client's wealth.
Because it's
in offshore accounts.
She has no record and is
a well-respected member
member of her community.
I'm granting ROR,
on condition
that the defendant
wear an ankle monitor
and remain under house arrest
pending trial.
She doesn't seem worried
about anything.
Yeah, well, she might
have something on the judge.
Who knows who else?
TARU's going
through the tapes.
If there is something,
they'll find it before trial.
So Lena Hess was
behind these parties.
So much for your company's
big sale.
Money doesn't matter
to me anymore.
I'm just happy I'm alive.
I am never going back
into that office again.
Yeah.
Ethan made a deal with the DA,
but he will do
serious prison time.
And the best part
of all of this
is that you will
not have to testify.
I can just go
on with my life.
The question is,
what will you do with it?
I want to finally
have that surgery
for my scar tissue.
It sounds like
a really good plan.
And when you're
through all of that,
I hope that you'll come back
and let us offer you
the resources
that we have
for healing trauma.
Yeah, I don't really want
to speak with a therapist.
[pensive music]
♪ ♪
I want to see the surveillance
footage of my attack.
Listen, Maggie, I'm
not sure that that's
the best thing for you.
Yeah, but it happened to me.
So shouldn't I have a right
to try to make sense
of this in my own way?
[knock at door]
Captain, sorry to interrupt.
We have a problem.
You've got to be kidding me.
We lost her?
Monitor signal went out
for two hours.
No signs of tampering.
Lock still sealed tight.
She just slipped it
off her ankle?
Driver found it
in the back seat.
[suspenseful music]
Hey, is... is that the woman
you were driving?
- Yeah, that's her.
- What happened?
Nothing happened.
I picked her up.
I drove her
to Teterboro Airport.
As soon as I found that ankle
bracelet, I called the cops.
All right, track the flight
and start working up
an extradition order.
We really do live
in a tiered justice system.
Yeah, and Lena's
got a penthouse view.
Uni found this in the car.
What is this?
♪ ♪
[line trilling]
Captain Benson,
you got my thank you note
for the bracelets
you were so kind to give me.
Where are you?
On my way to Brussels.
Or is it Dubai?
Either one is so beautiful
this time of year.
You trying
to make me jealous,
or is there something
that I can do for you?
You have my footage.
A woman like you
could do a lot with that.
You have no idea
what kind of woman I am.
Don't play with fire.
Well, that's no fun, Captain.
What was that?
Wrong number.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
[wolf howling]