William Lewis takes his own life, but Benson remains under the microscope when some people don't believe her version of what happened since nobody can corroborate her story.William Lewis takes his own life, but Benson remains under the microscope when some people don't believe her version of what happened since nobody can corroborate her story.William Lewis takes his own life, but Benson remains under the microscope when some people don't believe her version of what happened since nobody can corroborate her story.
- Detective Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola
- (as Ice T)
- ADA Rafael Barba
- (credit only)
- Bronwyn Freed
- (as Sarah Bisman)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsWhen the show opens, you see the table that Detective Benson is tied to and it is perfectly clear of anything. When Lewis turns the radio on to let the squad know that they are playing Russian Roulette and he is "Sliding the gun" to Benson, you can clearly see a white rope on the table. In the very next scene, when she picks the gun up, the rope is no where to be seen for the rest of the show.
- Quotes
Ed Tucker: Which hand was Lewis holding the gun in?
Olivia Benson: Lewis had two guns. He had a Glock that he kept pointed at either Amelia or myself, and he had his revolver.
Ed Tucker: Now, when he shot himself with the revolver, which hand was that gun in?
Olivia Benson: His left hand.
Ed Tucker: Even though he's right handed?
Olivia Benson: Lewis deliberatley switched hands. He forced me to play Russian roulette. In the first round, he held the gun in his right hand. And on the final round, with one bullet left in the chamber, he switched it to his left hand. He pointed the gun at me, and then he turned it on himself.
Ed Tucker: [stopping the recording] Hold on one second. Let me get this straight, Sergeant. With seconds to live, one bullet in the revolver, the rest of your squad rushing to your aid. You're unarmed, you're tied to a table. He points the gun at you, but instead of firing, he turns the gun to his head and ends his own life?
Olivia Benson: That's exactly what happened.
Rita Calhoun: What's going on?
Ed Tucker: Rita, please. Look, we have no problem with Lewis being dead. But your insistence on telling us that this was a suicide makes it start to sound like a bad cover story.
Olivia Benson: And I'm telling you the truth.
Sergeant Cole Draper: The GSR, the prints, the fact that he was shot in the left temple, all consistent with your having shot him with your right hand.
Olivia Benson: [emphatic] I didn't shoot Lewis!
Ed Tucker: I mean, is it possible that there was a struggle for the gun? You were trying to save the little girl?
Olivia Benson: That's not what happened.
Ed Tucker: If there was a struggle for the gun, and you pulled the trigger to save your life or the life of the little girl. That's a case IAB can close.
On the most part, "Post Mortem Blues" is done well and is a lot more interesting than it sounds. It is not one of the best episodes of Season 15, could easily have been shorter and a couple of the characters could have been written better, but it is not one of the worst. Structurally, it is one of the more interesting episodes of the season and stands out. Also gained a lot of respect for one character and rooted for Olivia in a difficult situation.
The best aspect is the acting. Mariska Hargitay in particular does does traumatised, vulnerable, steely and conflicted so intensely and movingly. The rest of the acting is very good, Donal Logue being another standout especially in his defense of Olivia. Had so much respect for Murphy here, some normally wouldn't like what he does but he proves here that he can be trusted, is loyal and is sympathetic when nobody else was. His outburst is particularly powerful. Regardless of Strauss being one of those love or hate it characters strictly speaking professionally his point of view is the right one.
Furthermore, Olivia's character writing is realistic for somebody having undergone so much trauma and struggling to cope with not enough support. The structure of the episode is cohesive and doesn't come over as simplistic or disjointed. It is a slickly made episode, the editing especially having come on quite a bit from when the show first started (never was it a problem but it got more fluid with each episode up to this stage). The music is sparingly used and never seemed melodramatic, the theme tune easy to remember as usual. The direction is sympathetic enough without being too low key. The script is thought provoking.
Against all this, "Post Mortem Blues" could have been better. It feels over-stretched from having quite a thin story that could easily have done in a shorter length, so it drags at times.
Some of the character writing disappoints and was disappointed and surprised at how little support Olivia got, Amaro comes over as too bratty and Rollins is usually one of those take no prisoners and strong minded characters but instead clams up. The treatment of Olivia came over as too extreme.
In summary, interesting but not flawless. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Aug 4, 2022