Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)

Competence (2002)

Lois Smith: Rebecca Tolliver

Quotes 

• Katie Tolliver : [When Rebecca takes Katie to have an abortion]  Is it gonna hurt?

  Rebecca Tolliver : No, Katie, it won't hurt.

  Nurse : You'll be asleep, honey.

  Katie Tolliver : Mom says I snore.

• Alexandra Cabot : [to Rebecca]  You're jeopardizing the rape case.

  Rebecca Tolliver : Oh, no, you are. You and Scott Lucas. You should be talking to him.

  Alexandra Cabot : Lucas will drop his challenge to your guardianship if you agree not to terminate Katie's pregnancy.

  Rebecca Tolliver : I can't do that. Katie needs this abortion and to have her tubes tied so that this doesn't happen again.

  Alexandra Cabot : What about what Katie wants?

  Rebecca Tolliver : I know that you think I'm cruel, Miss Cabot, but I love my daughter. Maybe I should have let Katie take sex education, but I knew she couldn't understand.

  Alexandra Cabot : Why do you need Katie to be so dependent?

  Rebecca Tolliver : I have sacrificed everything to be a good mother.

  Alexandra Cabot : Including Katie's right to lead her own life.

• Rebecca Tolliver : She can't keep this baby.

  Katie Tolliver : Why?

  Rebecca Tolliver : Why what, sweetie?

  Katie Tolliver : Why can't I have my baby?

  Rebecca Tolliver : Katie, I can't take care of both of you.

  Katie Tolliver : Why can't I be a mommy?

  Rebecca Tolliver : We're not gonna have this conversation now. Here. Here's the address. You meet us there and you'll get your DNA sample.

  Katie Tolliver : [as she and Rebecca are leaving]  I want my baby. Mommy, please don't take away my baby.

• Rebecca Tolliver : When I found out I was pregnant, I dreamed of graduation, a wedding, someone to take care of me when I got old, even grandchildren. I'm 67. I just can't handle taking care of two completely dependent children.

  Elliot Stabler : Well, the director at Katie's day center says that she has a lot of potential.

  Rebecca Tolliver : Scott Lucas thinks you can teach anybody anything. I let Katie out in the world. Look what happened.

• Elliot Stabler : [to Rebecca]  You said you wanted to find out who did this.

  Rebecca Tolliver : Without having to put Katie through this again. She's too fragile.

  Elliot Stabler : Ms. Tolliver, with all due respect, who are you trying to protect here?

  Rebecca Tolliver : If you're saying that this is about my guilt...

  Elliot Stabler : I am not saying it's your fault that Katie was raped.

  Rebecca Tolliver : Everything bad that's happened to Katie and to me, it's my fault because 22 years ago, I chose to have a child with Down syndrome rather than to have an abortion, and it destroyed my marriage. She's my whole life and I have to protect her.

  Elliot Stabler : Then make sure this doesn't happen to her again. Let us talk to her at the day center. We'll make it so she's comfortable, she's familiar with the surroundings. Our Assistant District Attorney will be there to talk to her, so Katie doesn't have to keep repeating herself over and over. Please.