S4.E14

Mercy

Episode aired Jan 31, 2003
15
1h

IMDb RATING

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)

When the body of a baby girl is found inside a cooler, the detectives need to investigate just who she is and how she got there. They soon learn that the little girl had a genetic disorder k... Read allWhen the body of a baby girl is found inside a cooler, the detectives need to investigate just who she is and how she got there. They soon learn that the little girl had a genetic disorder known as Tay-Sachs disease, and that her name is Sarah Brown, and she is the only daughter ... Read allWhen the body of a baby girl is found inside a cooler, the detectives need to investigate just who she is and how she got there. They soon learn that the little girl had a genetic disorder known as Tay-Sachs disease, and that her name is Sarah Brown, and she is the only daughter of Andrea and Daniel Brown. When Andrea admits to having killed her daughter, Alex has to ... Read all

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IMDb RATING

8.2/10

1.1K

YOUR RATING

5User reviews

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9:57

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Paul Adelstein appears uncredited as a character named "Kellerman." Starting in 2005, he would begin playing the regular character of Agent Kellerman on Prison Break (2005).

Goofs
The Brown's were not wearing a "black piece of tape" to cover up a shirt logo. They were wearing black ribbons that act as a sign of mourning, it is part of the Jewish tradition of Shiva. Some Jewish denominations will wear a black arm band, and others wear a black ribbon on their lapel.

Quotes
Roger Swanson: You ever talk to me like that again, I'm going to report you to the Police Commissioner. I play golf with him.
Detective Elliot Stabler: Does he know about your handicap?
Roger Swanson: What handicap?
Detective Elliot Stabler: The one that makes you slap your wife around. Oh good, I see I got your attention. You ever lay a hand on your wife or your daughters again, I'm gonna pay you a visit.
Roger Swanson: Is that a threat?
Detective Elliot Stabler: ...Yeah.

User reviews5

Featured review

7/10

The tragedy of Tay Sachs

The SVU gets a heart breaking case in this episode. An infant is found in a cooler floating in the Hudson by two guys kayaking. The squad follows a false trail for a bit involving a teen who was getting an abortion, but Medical Examiner Tamara Tunie tests for Tay-Sachs disease which is prevalent in the Ashkenazic Jewish population according to Wikipedia.

In fact Wikipedia's article may well have been the source for this story as it describes as the episode the tragic and short life that kids with Tay Sachs have. To spare her daughter a maximum life of 4 years with a lot of pain, Elizabeth Mitchell tranquilizes her to death.

Bearing some responsibility, but not enough for a criminal charge is her pediatrician Judd Hirsch.

It might be a mercy killing although it's hard to wrap your mind around the concept of a mercy killing for an infant. It's a tough case that ADA Stephanie March is faced with.

A heart breaking episode about a heart breaking disease.