I had a lot of problems with this episode. I knew instantly that Mia was lying about the first rape. Yet all the SVU people automatically sided with her because that's what you do: the woman is always right and the man is always the criminal. As Eli points out, "All it takes is one girl to say you looked at her funny and that's it. It's all over."
Then Carisi tells her, you can make this right. Any reasonable adult would have then scheduled a formal meeting between Mia and Eli in a neutral place with parents and university representatives present. But he doesn't do that. Instead, he leaves Mia to her own devices, which have her calling Eli up and inviting him to her dorm room to talk. Geezum Crow.
I simply don't believe at that point that Eli would have done anything wrong. He's a bright, intelligent guy. Sure, he's been hurt in an unfair and reprehensible fashion, but I doubt that his anger would have gotten the best of him. Notice how he had accepted his fate and kept on telling his parents to do the same.
The episode ends all touchy-feely way with the women all happy and the future doctor's life in ruins. Now that's reprehensible.
N. B.: That was going to be the end of my review. As I thought about it, I remember one thing Eli said on the witness stand: She set me up. I'm thinking about his anger and Mia's lie that got him kicked out of the university. It does now feel that his anger could have indeed gotten the best of him. I'm not justifying it, of course; I'm just thinking that a book-smart college kid might not use his best judgement when in that situation. He probably reasoned, My life is over anyway, so what the hell? This is what she accused me of anyway.
That still doesn't let Mia off the hook. Due to her first lie, she ruined Eli's academic career. A person falsely claiming rape can face civil or even criminal charges. And filing a false police report can put you in jail. Her only punishment? She leaves the university on her own "for a while." Geezum Crow squared. Not only did she ruin Eli's life, she lied to university officials. And this didn't get her kicked out? Geezum Crow cubed.
Bottom line: Mia should have been charged for lying about the initial rape and punished. The case should have ended there. Eli would have gone on to become a doctor. Instead, she takes some time off and he ends up rotting in prison. Nice going, SVU.
Then Carisi tells her, you can make this right. Any reasonable adult would have then scheduled a formal meeting between Mia and Eli in a neutral place with parents and university representatives present. But he doesn't do that. Instead, he leaves Mia to her own devices, which have her calling Eli up and inviting him to her dorm room to talk. Geezum Crow.
I simply don't believe at that point that Eli would have done anything wrong. He's a bright, intelligent guy. Sure, he's been hurt in an unfair and reprehensible fashion, but I doubt that his anger would have gotten the best of him. Notice how he had accepted his fate and kept on telling his parents to do the same.
The episode ends all touchy-feely way with the women all happy and the future doctor's life in ruins. Now that's reprehensible.
N. B.: That was going to be the end of my review. As I thought about it, I remember one thing Eli said on the witness stand: She set me up. I'm thinking about his anger and Mia's lie that got him kicked out of the university. It does now feel that his anger could have indeed gotten the best of him. I'm not justifying it, of course; I'm just thinking that a book-smart college kid might not use his best judgement when in that situation. He probably reasoned, My life is over anyway, so what the hell? This is what she accused me of anyway.
That still doesn't let Mia off the hook. Due to her first lie, she ruined Eli's academic career. A person falsely claiming rape can face civil or even criminal charges. And filing a false police report can put you in jail. Her only punishment? She leaves the university on her own "for a while." Geezum Crow squared. Not only did she ruin Eli's life, she lied to university officials. And this didn't get her kicked out? Geezum Crow cubed.
Bottom line: Mia should have been charged for lying about the initial rape and punished. The case should have ended there. Eli would have gone on to become a doctor. Instead, she takes some time off and he ends up rotting in prison. Nice going, SVU.