Spoilers below!
Ripped right from the headlines, Law & Order SVU gives the audience bits of real pop culture drama. An NBA player accused of rape is reminiscent of Kobe Bryant back in the early 2000's. There was the racist older gentleman who was recorded speaking poorly about African Americans was channeling Donald Sterling. There was a fight in an elevator that was similar to the Solange attack on her brother-in-law, Jay-Z. Mix that all together, and you have a very entertaining episode.
It's not uncommon for SVU to use real life news, and use it loosely in an episode. This weeks episode "American Disgrace" centered around a very successful retired black basketball athletic, Shakir "The Shark" Wilkins. After an appearance, Shakir gets on an elevator with some of his business associates, and that's when the Solange like attack happens. A female employee attacks Shakir and cries rape. Shakir adamantly denies ever raping the employee. But things go from bad to worse when more girls come forward and state that he also raped them.
The women were very convincing. Open and shut case, it did not look well for Shakir. Later in the episode, we learn he did indeed sleep with the women, but it was consensual sex. It was part of his "player" ways, and a way of dealing with his divorce and custody battle. He hid the truth of sleeping with the women because he did not want the information to be used against him during custody battle.
One victim in particular, Tiana, who Orion Bauer, the Donald Sterling of the episode calls "black girl," is the one that shades light on the case. Since the case goes to trail, Barba and Rollins are prepping her. Her attitude suddenly changes. She was no longer the scared victim, but more edgy and agitated, even asking to be compensated for her time. She then tells them that she got paid half what the white girls got paid. Bauer paid her and the other girls to fake the rape accusations against Shakir.
The women that had come forward accusing Shakir of rape were paid to say he raped them. But why? By who? Orion Bauer found out his daughter, Cordelia, and Shakir had a relationship. Not only did they have a sexual relationship, but she is currently pregnant with Shakir's child. When Cordelia confronts her father about finding out about the bribes, he says "you are lucky you didn't get the AIDS." When referring to the baby not as his grandchild but as a bastard and black baby, Orion goes on to rant about how "these people come into our homes, they come into our families they are animals". Cordelia records the conversation and hands the tape over to Barba.
Cordelia is there at the hearing when all the charges are dropped against Shakir. Shakir is willing to move on with Cordelia and the baby. But Cordelia aborted the baby when she thought he was guilty of raping those women. It is a sad ending. No one really wins. He is clear of the charges, but the stigma of being an accused rapist will follow him. Cordelia turned on her own father and aborted a baby based on lies.
The Verdict.
Seeing that SVU pulled real life news, and the way they transitioned the events were very tight and seamless. They pulled it togther very well enough to give this episode a rating of 9.
