Charles Grodin was FANTASTIC! He was so buttoned-up and cold it was scary. Elliot Gould was extra fine in this as well. So good to see some of my favorite actors in this great series? This episode dealt with child abuse and I have friends, grown men, who fight with this issue today. I really thought the show portrayed these adult survivors with dignity. I am beginning to "get" the new abrupt DA his humanity showed in this episode despite his matter-of-fact attitude. Olivia's passion is so contagious This season has been especially good. I am watching each with love and dread as the series comes to an end. The big question is who does Olivia end up with? I do so believe she has so much love to give. Ahhh see what a great series? It's like the characters are REAL people. A testament to the writing and the actors. Bravo and brava.
5 Reviews
Cover Up
anitalansing22 November 2012
The episode, "Lessons Learned" is one of the most superb TV episodes of any show I have seen in years.
The episode was poignant, blunt, truthful, realistic, and well written. In real life, so many prestigious universities and schools cover up the abuse of their students to avoid tarnishing their reputations and losing tuition dollars or Federal funding. Lives are destroyed. Emotional pain occurs. I have seen first hand how closely guarded secrets can destroy. A child tells his parents how an uncle or next door neighbor abused him and the child is dismissed. The abuser continues on harming more children and the emotional pain ensues for the rest of his life. What can society say to him, except that society accepts child abuse if it's nicely packaged and presented to us with a pretty bow.
Excellent episode. Law & Order SVU continues to have story lines that blows its audience away!! Superb!!
The episode was poignant, blunt, truthful, realistic, and well written. In real life, so many prestigious universities and schools cover up the abuse of their students to avoid tarnishing their reputations and losing tuition dollars or Federal funding. Lives are destroyed. Emotional pain occurs. I have seen first hand how closely guarded secrets can destroy. A child tells his parents how an uncle or next door neighbor abused him and the child is dismissed. The abuser continues on harming more children and the emotional pain ensues for the rest of his life. What can society say to him, except that society accepts child abuse if it's nicely packaged and presented to us with a pretty bow.
Excellent episode. Law & Order SVU continues to have story lines that blows its audience away!! Superb!!
Powerful lessons learned
TheLittleSongbird12 July 2022
"Lessons Learned" was one of the episodes from Season 14 with the most vivid memories had from first watch. And in an extremely positive way. 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' since and especially before covered a lot of sensitive and controversial issues and this one is one of the most harrowing and most relevant. The beginning and Elliot Gould's performance were particularly memorable on first watch. Season 14 was an inconsistent season.
Of which "Lessons Learned" is one of the best episodes from and one of not many outstanding ones from the season. Felt that way on first watch, and my feelings are the same and even better. It handles a difficult topic incredibly well, while the topic is not a new one for 'Special Victims Unit' this is one of the fresher, most tactful (no one-sided-ness, conclusion jumping or victim blaming) and most powerful episodes to tackle it of the latter seasons.
First and foremost, the production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is impeccable.
The writing is tight yet also sensitive, more than appropriate with this subject. A subject that could have been approached in too heavy-handed and one-sided a way, and where the writers would make too much of a judgement. Actually thought it was handled with tact, and it was also uncompromising and thought provoking without being soapy.
It further benefits from a hard hitting and poignant story that is also incredibly courageous, with real potential to inspire anybody else abused in the past to come forward and get closure. The regulars are excellent, especially the scene stealing Raul Esparza who turned out to be one of the show's best additions of the latter seasons. While Charles Grodin and Gould are in meaty roles and are unsettling in them, while Gould was more memorable on first watch Grodin this time around was even more skin crawling than remembered.
Concluding, fantastic and infintely better than the disappointing previous two episodes. 10/10.
Of which "Lessons Learned" is one of the best episodes from and one of not many outstanding ones from the season. Felt that way on first watch, and my feelings are the same and even better. It handles a difficult topic incredibly well, while the topic is not a new one for 'Special Victims Unit' this is one of the fresher, most tactful (no one-sided-ness, conclusion jumping or victim blaming) and most powerful episodes to tackle it of the latter seasons.
First and foremost, the production values are fine, have always liked the photography's intimacy and grit and the look of the show has come on a good deal over-time (and it was good to begin with). The music doesn't intrude and has a haunting quality, have not always remembered to say that the theme tune is easy to remember and holds up. The direction is impeccable.
The writing is tight yet also sensitive, more than appropriate with this subject. A subject that could have been approached in too heavy-handed and one-sided a way, and where the writers would make too much of a judgement. Actually thought it was handled with tact, and it was also uncompromising and thought provoking without being soapy.
It further benefits from a hard hitting and poignant story that is also incredibly courageous, with real potential to inspire anybody else abused in the past to come forward and get closure. The regulars are excellent, especially the scene stealing Raul Esparza who turned out to be one of the show's best additions of the latter seasons. While Charles Grodin and Gould are in meaty roles and are unsettling in them, while Gould was more memorable on first watch Grodin this time around was even more skin crawling than remembered.
Concluding, fantastic and infintely better than the disappointing previous two episodes. 10/10.
Apologize
yazguloner24 July 2021
The strongest parts of Svu is an amazing story that I will put in my box and keep.
High stone-walled schools that imprison students who are sexually abused by their teachers. Hard-hearted rulers who mute their voices for the sake of dignity. It is as if you are in a medieval seminary painting.
It's a giant with the flawless acting of Charles Grodin (Brett Forrester). Forester carries the identity that comes into being with the principles protected by those stone walls very well. It was a performance to be applauded.
Frank Wood (Andrew Lennox) transforms into a theatrical powerhouse with performances by Elliot Gould (Walter Thompkins).
Olivia and Forester talk about school; Forester's conversation with his son; final closing speech... marvelous...
High stone-walled schools that imprison students who are sexually abused by their teachers. Hard-hearted rulers who mute their voices for the sake of dignity. It is as if you are in a medieval seminary painting.
It's a giant with the flawless acting of Charles Grodin (Brett Forrester). Forester carries the identity that comes into being with the principles protected by those stone walls very well. It was a performance to be applauded.
Frank Wood (Andrew Lennox) transforms into a theatrical powerhouse with performances by Elliot Gould (Walter Thompkins).
Olivia and Forester talk about school; Forester's conversation with his son; final closing speech... marvelous...
The training ground of the rich and privileged
bkoganbing5 December 2013
The SVU steps into the training ground of the rich and privileged when decades old rumors about sexual abuse of the students surface from as early as the 70s. But a whole lot of people have reputations to protect, a whole lot like when those allegations surface against a religious institutions.
We've even got one former teacher played by Elliott Gould who admits to the allegations. Of course he admits that he only did it with kids who were over the age of majority at 18 and that's not illegal. Still he proves to be an invaluable asset in uncovering the abuse.
The scary one is the current head of the board of trustees and alumnus of the school Charles Grodin. The school's reputation must be saved at all cost and in the end it costs him plenty.
I'd check this one out.
We've even got one former teacher played by Elliott Gould who admits to the allegations. Of course he admits that he only did it with kids who were over the age of majority at 18 and that's not illegal. Still he proves to be an invaluable asset in uncovering the abuse.
The scary one is the current head of the board of trustees and alumnus of the school Charles Grodin. The school's reputation must be saved at all cost and in the end it costs him plenty.
I'd check this one out.
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