Chat Room
- Episode aired Apr 14, 2000
- TV-14
- 44m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
A teenager's report of being raped by someone she met in a chat room lead the detectives into the middle of a child porn ring.A teenager's report of being raped by someone she met in a chat room lead the detectives into the middle of a child porn ring.A teenager's report of being raped by someone she met in a chat room lead the detectives into the middle of a child porn ring.
Photos
Christopher Meloni
- Detective Elliot Stabler
- (as Chris Meloni)
Siobhan Fallon Hogan
- Melissa Raye
- (as Siobhan Fallon)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaKeith says that he and a friend posted nude photos of an ex-girlfriend in order to "get back at her", something that became known as "revenge porn". At the time there was no law against that, unless the photos were of a minor of course. In 2019 New York became one of the first states to pass a law making posting revenge porn illegal. On February 28, 2019 New York penal code 245.15, Unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image, was signed into law. It states that it is unlawful to post an image or video of another person who is either nude or engaged in sexual activity without their permission. Unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image is a class A misdemeanor and is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
- GoofsFBI Agent Shreck threatens to report Cragen's actions to "the boys at Langley". Langley, VA is where the CIA is headquartered. Shreck's report would go to the boys in Washington, D.C., where the FBI is headquartered.
- Quotes
[about a stash of child pornography found on Keith's computer]
Keith: They're just pictures, man.
Detective Elliot Stabler: [slamming his fist on the table] They're not just "pictures"! They're underaged girls, terrified, drugged, and being photographed without their permission!
Featured review
Internet of horror
Regardless of how the actual execution turns out to be, any episode for any show that explores a heavy or difficult theme/issue of any kind deserves a big pat on the back for even trying. Especially if it is one that is current today, let alone back then, and needs to be addressed, and there are a lot of themes and issues that are true to that and need to be addressed even more than they already are to avoid more getting hurt.
"Chat Room" is one such episode. It deals with the horrors of the internet/chat rooms and children being taken advantage of and although both would be featured a lot throughout 'Special Victims Unit's' run "Chat Room" was their first use. While it is not completely flawless, it is great and one of the remarkably solid first season's better episodes (quite a lot better than the previous episode "Misleader", which was still not bad at all). As well as one of its bravest for the subject and how it handles it.
The truth about the rape was not a surprise to me though, the way it was written and acted made it a little too obvious even in the retracing the steps scene.
Loved the execution of everything else though. "Chat Room" does so well at showing the full horrors of the internet and chat rooms with being heavy-handed, one-sided or sugar coated. It is also of good educational value in this instance and is quite insightful. It is episodes like this that makes one think hard about their positives and negatives, especially the latter (have always had quite a few moments of wariness on the internet, even on Facebook). It is all a very much current issue now, this is not trivialised or overdone either and makes me feel a wide range of emotions. There is a lot of tension here, even in the anger felt in the Feds' attitude towards the case.
Continue to have no problem with the slickness of the production values or the alert yet sympathetic direction or the never intrusive or over-dramatic music. The writing is taut and thought-provoking as ever, Munch's welcome and amusing levity not being jarring. The episode is beautifully played by all.
In conclusion, great apart from one story strand. 9/10
"Chat Room" is one such episode. It deals with the horrors of the internet/chat rooms and children being taken advantage of and although both would be featured a lot throughout 'Special Victims Unit's' run "Chat Room" was their first use. While it is not completely flawless, it is great and one of the remarkably solid first season's better episodes (quite a lot better than the previous episode "Misleader", which was still not bad at all). As well as one of its bravest for the subject and how it handles it.
The truth about the rape was not a surprise to me though, the way it was written and acted made it a little too obvious even in the retracing the steps scene.
Loved the execution of everything else though. "Chat Room" does so well at showing the full horrors of the internet and chat rooms with being heavy-handed, one-sided or sugar coated. It is also of good educational value in this instance and is quite insightful. It is episodes like this that makes one think hard about their positives and negatives, especially the latter (have always had quite a few moments of wariness on the internet, even on Facebook). It is all a very much current issue now, this is not trivialised or overdone either and makes me feel a wide range of emotions. There is a lot of tension here, even in the anger felt in the Feds' attitude towards the case.
Continue to have no problem with the slickness of the production values or the alert yet sympathetic direction or the never intrusive or over-dramatic music. The writing is taut and thought-provoking as ever, Munch's welcome and amusing levity not being jarring. The episode is beautifully played by all.
In conclusion, great apart from one story strand. 9/10
helpful•102
- TheLittleSongbird
- Nov 6, 2019
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