Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Disabled (2010) User Reviews

Hits home

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 12 May 2022]

Being disabled myself, "Disabled" really hit home with me on first watch, though have never gone through anything like the victim goes through, and continued to do so on the other re-watches. Yeah it is that great an episode that despite being such a tough subject it is warranting of multiple viewings. You know an episode is good and powerful, when you feel every ounce of sympathy for the victim and absolutely detest the ones that hurt her in such a horrible way.

"Disabled" struck me as a wonderful, powerful episode on first watch and in all my previous viewings, and it still is. It is one of those outings that truly broke my heart and made me feel angry, which 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' in its prime did so well. Along with "Shadow", "Disabled" is the closest the now uneven Season 11 comes to evoking the spirit of prime-'Special Victims Unit' and what it is all about. All about the case, the victim and those involved in her situation, complete with two of the greatest guest turns not just of this season but also of the show's mid period.

My only issue with "Disabled" is Teddy Sears, who comes over as too bland and arrogant and the character of Blaine doesn't have the charisma or personality of the previous DAs. So far he is just there and not much more.

So much is fantastic. For one thing, we have two truly amazing guest performances. Including one of the most hateful supporting characters in 'Special Victims Unit' history in Janice, embodied by a truly chilling Jill Scott as you've never seen her before. Lisa Arrindell is absolutely heart-wrenching as a vulnerable person that was immediately easy to relate to and root for, demonstrating the power of conveying so much emotion while saying nothing (which is not easy to do). The regulars are very good indeed, particularly Mariska Hargitay, but this is another one of the Season 11 episodes where the supporting cast are even better.

The case is one of the season's most emotionally powerful in a way that made my blood curdle, clap my hands over my mouth and brought tears to my eyes. This time it is all about the case, which as said is thoroughly absorbing, not obvious at all and so rich in emotion, and the victim and her circumstances. With no over-heated SVU regular soap opera and for the first proper time this season to have the SVU behaving dilligently.

Furthermore, as always at this point of the show, it's 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 on the whole. It is very thoughtfully and uncompromising scripted, with no sugar-coating and to me it wasn't over-dramatic.

Overall, wonderful. 9/10.

Brilliant performances from all parties concerned

[garrard · 9/10 · 24 March 2010]

Though NBC touted this episode for the appearance of "The Blindside's" Quinton Aaron, he is not the only "most valuable player" in this emotionally-charged episode. Lisa Arrindell Anderson is equally memorable as Aaron's quadriplegic aunt who has suffered sexual as well as physical abuse. Singer Jill Scott is riveting as Arrindell's sister who herself has a lot of baggage that she carries. All three deliver in an episode that explores not just the abuse but the "limits" that are placed on the handicap, sometimes robbing them of their own dignity.

As always, regulars Chris Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Dann Florek, and B.D. Wong "come up to the plate" and bring their own acting mettle to the forefront.

"Star Trek: Voyager's" Jeri Ryan makes a welcome return as a defense attorney.

Unfortunately, Teddy Sears as the new ADA just doesn't come close to filling shoes of either Stephanie March, Diane Neal, or Christine Lahti in the role.

"Baby Jane" Without The Camp

[cchase · 9/10 · 26 March 2010]

L&O: SVU is pretty much consistent when it comes to solid writing and getting really good performances from its cast and the revolving roster of guest stars, but this episode really hits it out of the park. The promos made as much as possible out of the appearance of THE BLIND SIDE'S Quinton Aaron, and his character does indeed play an important role in the story. But R&B singer Jill Scott, whom I've never seen act until now, had me wanting to climb into my TV set and THROTTLE HER! I haven't seen PRECIOUS, but I think her performance in this is probably every bit as good as Mo'Nique's will be when I do. Here, Scott plays the bitter, angry and physically abusive sister of a former opera diva (the equally stunning Lisa Arrindell Anderson) stricken with a particularly cruel and aggressive form of MS, who besides being abused, has now also been raped.

If you don't wince with horror at certain scenes in this one, check your pulse for signs of life. Where WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? mined its take on a toxic sibling relationship for shock and camp value, "Disabled" takes the subject seriously, not pulling away from the indignities and the cruelty that disabled, chronically ill and handicapped people must face every day, more often than not at the hands of loved ones.

Not to take anything away from Quinton, who is perfectly fine as Scott's sympathetic son, but it's Scott herself and Anderson who truly deserve the kudos, receiving solid support from the cast regulars. Another outstanding episode.

Powerfully Educating & Emotional

[synash-79487 · 10/10 · 16 May 2021]

Lisa Arrindell, Quinton Aaron and Jill Scott. My goodness! SVU, as usual, struck a nerve with me.

Lisa Arrindell is Aunt Cara, a former opera singer who has MS. She is under the care of her bitter sister played powerfully by Jill Scott. Cara's nephew, played by Quinton Aaron, disapproves of his mother's treatment of Aunt Cara, but is forced to choose between his love for both. Aunt Cara's MS is aggressive and has left her paralyzed and unable to communicate with the exception of blinking (once for YES; two for NO) and a very powerful finger. She has been sexually assaulted by by an attendant and is the only one who can testify against him.

I was wowed by Jill Scott's performance as the evil sister; I'd never seen her perform outside of avTyler Perry movie. She gives all of her in this episode. But I have to give the highest praise to Lisa Arrindell! She said not one word and deserves an ovation. Her "words" were communicated by her eyes so filled with a range of emotions.

My Mom passed December 1, 2019. She was in and out of short hospital stays, but then had a month-long stay at a rehabilitation center after she'd suffered a stroke which made her unable to walk or use her right hand. She also had dementia. My fear was always that someone would harm her and she couldn't fight back or recall. My sister and I would spend nights and she had a stream of visitors all day. I felt for aunt Cara as I did my mother and wished I could change the script so that I would have been Aunt Cara's caretaker. No harm would have come to her. Once COVID restrictions are fully lifted, I think I'll adopt a nursing home and visit the unvisited. Someone should have the residents' backs.

A bad hand in life

[bkoganbing · 3 June 2016]

Lisa Arrindell has been dealt one terrible hand in life. In the last stages of multiple sclerosis she can only communicate by blinking once for yes and twice for no. She certainly did not physical abuse and rape in her life.

I could certainly relate to this particular SVU case. In my working life at NYS Crime Victims Board the oldest claimant I ever had was a 102 year old woman. Would you believe she was sexually abused?

When disabled ambulance drivers find her looking disheveled and injured forensics determines she was raped. Her abuse is not long forthcoming and it's been long term. What Benson and Stabler determine that both were not from the same person.

With the most minimal of dialog (zero) Lisa Arrindell steals the show as one frightened victim.

Opera

[yazguloner · 10/10 · 3 July 2021]

Turning the RB star into someone who gets jealous of her sister because her voice isn't not.

I like how svu transforms the guest players with text. It's like playing the most famous stars as rapists and villains.

The works of the writing world and the show should be radical in this way. Celebrities must transcend personality patterns. The texts should also embroider the other option.

I think that's the real empathy.

Powerful without the politics

[gring0 · 7/10 · 19 April 2010]

Wow, what a powerful episode! It brought back memories for me as a care assistant years ago for people with MS, so perhaps despite the melodrama I was deeply moved. All too often L&O lathers it a bit thick making the plots overly trite. Such is the case here where Jill Scott portrays the diabolically evil sister, whose the son's feebleness jarred with the measures he took against his aunt's attacker. At least I feel I wasn't subjected to another soapbox rant! As always for me, what stands out is the acting by the ensemble, and the scene showing the video of abuse was absolutely raw; it is hard to remember ever seeing such a scene on a television drama in some time. I would be curious as to the veracity of the Connecticut case involving Westlaw and LexisNexus. www.tracesofevil.blogspot.com