"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Theatre Tricks (TV Episode 2012) Poster

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7/10
Wow what a cast
lbowdls19 September 2019
An amazing cast of old and new and before they were famous. How many shows do you have a combo of Fisher Stevens(always fabulous in everything) Adam Driver and Kevin Pollack and Ice Ts wife in the one show and a great dramatic and interesting story to boot. No more to say except great watch!
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9/10
one of the best svu episodes
nsilva-131155 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!this doesn't get a 10 because the first 1 minute of the episode is disturbing with the rape victim being raped and yelling for help but not getting any. the end where she finds out her jealous friend is the one who set her up for rape is shocking and unexpected which makes it great. this is to date my favoirte episode since the one about a young smart girl who kills someone because she wants to be number 1 in her school because her mom encourages her to. the actress who played her is a familiar one. But back to this episode awesome, well done as always SVU
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9/10
Very good episode
queen_key27 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Idc believe what you want but Cabenson is a thing & they were just on date lol idc idc & anyways I loved the episode it was one of a kind for svu but uh hate when females do things like this to there friends or just other females period it makes me sick af & also I miss Alex on the show lol she's a fan favorite & Stephanie is so pretty it's crazy.
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6/10
Dramma giacoso
TheLittleSongbird22 June 2022
On first watch about five years back, the most memorable part of "Theatre Tricks" was the opening, which was both strange and creepy not to mention very theatrical. Definitely an opening that lived up to the episode title. At the same time, on first watch the rest of the episode was not as memorable to me. Have been rewatching all of 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit's' episodes overtime and it has been interesting seeing how perceptions have changed overtime or if they stayed the same.

"Theatre Tricks" is one of the 'Special Victims Unit' episodes that fared better on rewatch. The opening still has impact and is the scene that stands out the most, but the rest of the story, while not quite living up to the opening in quality, is thankfully less forgettable. "Theatre Tricks" is an uneven episode in my view and is neither one of the best or worst of Season 13 (mostly not a bad season at all and much better than Seasons 10-12 on the whole), but there are plenty of things done well.

Starting with what "Theatre Tricks" does well, the production values as ever have slickness and grit, with an intimacy without being claustrophobic. The music has presence when it's used but does so without being intrusive, some of it is quite haunting too. The direction is also understated but the tension never slips, the second half being full of it. The script is taut and smart with very little sign of rambling or long winded-ness.

Furthermore, the story is intriguing with plenty of plausible twists and turns. The most memorable thing about it is the opening, which is wonderfully theatrical, suitably strange (without being overly so) and very creepy. The regular and support acting, which includes an early career Adam Driver (good here but he has definitely gone onto better things), is very good with no real exception.

However, "Theatre Tricks" doesn't succeed in everything. It is predictable from most of the plot strands being familiar ground and not much different to what has been seen before in previous episodes. Everything with the emails being an example. Will say though that the ending did shock me as it was something that wasn't even considered by me on first watch. Everything with the judge and the emails didn't make sense to me, just didn't buy that someone so high up in authority was so clueless.

Rollins still doesn't properly fit in, though did like some of her conversations with Olivia. The episode also sees the return of Gilbert Gottfried and he again doesn't work here for the same reasons as "Lost Traveller". He is annoying, feels out of place and his line delivery and attempts of humour are at odds with the serious tone of the story.

All in all, not great but worth a look. 6/10.
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5/10
Interactive avant garde drama
bkoganbing10 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I have to say this, the off Broadway theater can be one mighty strange place to be making your living in. Aspiring actress Jenn Proske is appearing in an audience participation play where people simulate sex acts. Only some dude with a goat mask gets up on stage and starts really doing it. I can't quite swallow the premise of this SVU episode where the whole audience doesn't realize they're watching a real live rape in progress.

Proske with some mighty strange people. Her roommate and fellow cast member Gayle Rankin is jealous of her. The director Fisher Stevens especially with this kind of play takes a hands on interest in his company. And Proske has a possessive fan who has bugged her apartment with cameras. Naturally Adam Driver becomes a suspect.

Seeing this story who would want a career in theater?
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