“Carve your successes in stone and write your failures in the sand. Try to think of the ones you saved.”
This was the third hour of the three-way crossover between Chicago Fire, SVU, and Chicago PD. If you didn’t watch the other episodes, don’t worry. All you really missed is the introduction to the case and some Lindsay/Halstead moments. In a nutshell, the team is investigating a child prostitution ring that goes between Chicago and New York. Erin’s brother, Teddy, was a victim of the ring, and he is now helping the team.
We pick up right where SVU left off. Someone working within the organization is killing off the loose ends. A police officer, Ross McCadden, is killed in the process, and it turns out he was one of Ruzek’s instructors at the Academy. We all know and love Platt for her wit, sarcasm, and no-nonsense attitude. But she really struggled with McCadden’s death, as she gave him the overtime he requested to stand guard at the hospital. Platt is arguably the most loyal cop at the district, and she truly shined in this episode.
Ruzek and Amaro speak with a woman whose daughter, Matilda, works for the Department of Children and Family Services. When Halstead and Antonio go to check out her apartment, she’s dead on the floor. Another loose end tied up. She was funneling kids through the DCFS to New York to the prostitution ring. Olinsky and Atwater speak with Matilda’s superior, who can’t believe she would be involved in such a thing. Hmmm….
After noticing the shooter’s weird ear issue (fighter’s ear?) on the hospital camera, Roman and Burgess set out to gyms across the city to find the killer. I’ve said it before, but I really like this partnership. I think Roman has helped Burgess realize a bit that the work they do is just as important and fulfilling as that of the investigation unit.
Lindsay and Rollins check in on Teddy’s foster parents, who are still fostering two kids (Amy and Chris) today. They get a call from Ruzek, who says the mom has been dead for quite some time...something’s up. When the women confront Sam (the dad), he says he’s overcome with guilt (he is involved in the prostitution ring) and says he’s sick. Instead of giving them information about the prostitution ring, he shoots himself.
They finally find the shooter, and a chase ensues. I never get tired of these chases (you go, Halstead). They get the shooter on a roof and before the team can stop him, he jumps off, catches a ledge, and then falls to his death. The other half of the team finds the girl, Amy, who instantly bonds with Erin. Erin insists on letting Amy stay with her, refusing to let her go in the system.
This new Commander Fisher gives me the creeps. Fisher tells Voight that he has 24 hours left with the case, and then it will be handed over to Major Crimes. Shoot! But seriously, this guy is weird. With the clock ticking, Voight calls in SVU Sergeant, Olivia Benson. If you missed the SVU hour of the crossover, you missed these two going from butting heads to working surprisingly well together. Is that a spark I detect…? Guys, Voight flirted. It was…strange.
Erin, Teddy, and their mom have a family reunion of sorts, and I hope we see more of these three. Teddy seems like he might stay in Chicago for a while, and Erin seems to be on slightly better terms with her mom. Teddy is reluctant to help with the case, as it brings up horrible memories and everyone who has helped or was involved has ended up dead. Teddy is a fantastic character, and I really want him to stick around for a while.
When Erin brings Teddy up to Investigation, he’s clearly reluctant to be there. He looks at the board of employees at the DCFS, and identifies the kingpin in the organization, Matilda’s boss. Olinsky and Atwater arrest the guy, and he is subsequently thrown in the cage (obviously). Surprisingly, it’s Benson, not Voight, who makes him give up information about Chris’ location.
In what ended up being a surprisingly emotional scene, all of the officers at the district gather outside to salute the fallen Officer McCadden as his family leaves. Even Platt is almost brought to tears.
Teddy is sticking around! He’s staying with Mama Lindsay, which makes me think we haven’t seen the last of him. Erin pulls some strings, and Amy and Chris will have family who wants them. Amy is pretty attached to Erin, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see her again.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t crazy about the idea of an SVU crossover with the Chicago shows. The Chicago shows crossover seamlessly, and I was convinced SVU would feel forced. I was pleasantly surprised, as the SVU detectives worked very well with PD. The crossover was a huge success, and I’d bet we’ll have another three-show crossover event this spring.
Other thoughts: I’ve said before how fantastic this cast is, but I was reminded again this week. This episode was case-heavy, so we didn’t have much time with the characters outside of it. I love the way the show is set up; we get a great case and backstories in believable doses for a few characters each week. I know it’s still early in the series, but I feel like we don’t completely know these characters yet. How about Halstead’s military background? What about Ruzek’s dad, and how he worked closely with Voight and Olinsky? I just want to know things!
What did you think of the episode? Do you want to see more of Teddy?
