Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Chat Room (2000) User Reviews

Hard to Watch

[wrenleung · 9/10 · 16 August 2020]

This episode was very hard to watch, but it's a great episode. Every time a perp talkEd about children I wanted to throw up.

It's also interesting that none of the guest stars who played ADA's in Season 1 were promoted to main cast. Jenna Stern in this episode comes to mind. She's fantastic. Interestingly, the actress was later casted as Judge Barth who recurs in many seasons.

Internet of horror

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 6 November 2019]

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

The Yachtsman

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 15 September 2014]

This was an interesting episode where the squad is dealing with internet porn. As is pointed out cyber sex crime was a brand new field and law enforcement was making it up as they went along. It's still a learning process and as is also shown various agencies aren't always on the same page.

A young woman makes an on line date with a man whose cyber handle is The Yachtsman. At what he does which is entice young girls for rendezvous this guy is the best. When he's trying to make a deal The Yachtsman explains his modus operandi in some detail to Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni.

In the end the prize becomes a lot bigger than this one lone individual though Dann Florek gets into a nice turf war with the uncooperative Feds.

A learning experience for all including the viewer.