Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series)
Redemption in Her Corner (2020)
Mariska Hargitay: Captain Olivia Benson
Quotes
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[first lines]
Olivia Benson : You grew a beard?
Rafael Barba : I'm in Iowa, trying to blend in.
Olivia Benson : [amused laugh] Well, good luck. Why are you there?
Rafael Barba : Election fraud. We're living in a dystopian nightmare. Enough about me. How are you?
Olivia Benson : Mm.
Rafael Barba : I heard about Tucker.
Olivia Benson : You know, it's been rough. A lot of loss lately. Time is just... flying by.
Rafael Barba : Every day. I'm back after the primary. Dinner? On me?
Olivia Benson : I'd like that.
Rafael Barba : Oh, oh, oh, before I go, happy birthday.
Olivia Benson : You're early.
Rafael Barba : I wanted to be the first. Regards to the squad. And Noah.
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Olivia Benson : Carisi.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : I was in the neighborhood. Um, my mom made you soup. Ribollita.
Olivia Benson : Oh, um, thank you. I'm-I'm... I'm fine.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Oh. Listen. It's my mother's. All right? Take the soup.
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Olivia Benson : What was that about?
Katriona Tamin : I knew it! He told me to throw that overhand right, and he told her that it was coming.
Olivia Benson : So he set you up.
Katriona Tamin : It was a message. To shut up about whatever happened between him and Cami.
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Olivia Benson : Everything all right?
Katriona Tamin : I'm not sure. When you first got here, did you start seeing predators everywhere?
Olivia Benson : I did. I know it takes a while to get your bearings. What's this about?
Katriona Tamin : Before my fight, I went in to see the head trainer, Romeo. His door was locked, and then Cami, another fighter, 16, came rushing out, and Romeo was tying his sweats.
Olivia Benson : Okay. Anything else?
Katriona Tamin : He claimed he popped her shoulder back in, but Cami had no idea about that. It kept me up all night.
Olivia Benson : Well, if your gut is telling you that something's off, you gotta trust that.
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Katriona Tamin : Okay, so I didn't approach her as a cop. I-I went to visit her as a friend.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : At Rikers. After she invoked. No, Kat. Her lawyer needs to be there.
Olivia Benson : She understands that, counselor.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Does she? Because if Esperanza would've said something probative, then you would've tanked this whole case.
Katriona Tamin : Well, good news is she didn't say anything too probative.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : [sarcastic] Oh, so it's just a little probative.
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Katriona Tamin : [after visiting Esperanza at Rikers ex parte] She insists Romeo did not touch her, but when I mentioned Santos, she bolted from the room.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : So you're inferring that Esperanza's father abused her. So why would she go off and punch Romeo?
Katriona Tamin : Romeo called her damaged goods. If he was taunting her about her father's abuse, then that's mitigating, isn't it?
Olivia Benson : Hold up, Kat, she hasn't accused her father. And we would need corroboration.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : And aside from that, you should be talking to her defense attorney and not me. Whatever you do, Kat, do not go back to Rikers without a lawyer.
Katriona Tamin : [watching him leave] He gets stuck, doesn't he?
Olivia Benson : Well, that's all men, actually, but Kat, he's right. If she doesn't disclose...
Katriona Tamin : How about I take a run at Santos?
Olivia Benson : Are you kidding me? Kat, I can't trust you right now.
Katriona Tamin : So, what, I'm benched?
Olivia Benson : You can't do *anything* without me.
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Olivia Benson : Barba sends his regards.
Amanda Rollins : How's he doing?
Olivia Benson : He's in Iowa, uh, tilting at windmills. Where's Kat?
Odafin Tutuola : Oh, I let her out early so she could warm up for a boxing match. We're all going, remember?
Olivia Benson : Oh, I totally forgot. Um... uh... I-I have an appointment.
Odafin Tutuola : An appointment?
Amanda Rollins : Let it go, Fin. Meet us after.
Olivia Benson : You know what, I can't. Noah has a rehearsal, but wish Kat good luck for me.
Odafin Tutuola : [watching her leave] She just needs time. She'll be okay.
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Dominick Carisi Jr. : That's the, uh... that's the guy who runs Kat's gym, right?
Katriona Tamin : Romeo Solis. When I got back into boxing a year ago, everyone told me he was the best.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Ah. But?
Amanda Rollins : He may be sexually involved with an underage boxer.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Great. So what's his story?
Odafin Tutuola : No record. Box full of awards and honorary degrees.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Who's the complainant?
Olivia Benson : Well, she hasn't disclosed yet.
Amanda Rollins : So what do you have?
Katriona Tamin : I interrupted her and Romeo behind a locked door. They weren't working out.
Odafin Tutuola : He also set Kat up. He tipped off her opponent to Kat's fight plan.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : So that's why you got tagged.
Katriona Tamin : Look, I might've lost anyway, but he was pretty pissed when I called him out. Had her do his dirty work.
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Katriona Tamin : So, Romeo's good for this, right?
Olivia Benson : Slow down, Kat.
Katriona Tamin : The grandmother just described grooming, and the shoulder was just an excuse.
Olivia Benson : Maybe, but there are two scenarios. One, he's a predator, and two, he's a trainer that cares about his girls.
Katriona Tamin : So now you're telling me not to trust my gut.
Olivia Benson : No, now we dig deeper. Who else can we talk to from the gym?
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Odafin Tutuola : That's not love. That's just rape.
Katriona Tamin : So now we arrest him?
Odafin Tutuola : Well, no. Now we get Romeo's side of the story. You good with that?
Olivia Benson : Yeah, go. Also, I'm gonna need a warrant for their cell phones, his office...
Dominick Carisi Jr. : I got you covered.
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Katriona Tamin : Esperanza was protecting Cami.
Amanda Rollins : Okay. Let her tell it. Esperanza, you can follow me.
Esperanza Morales : She knows why I did it. You guys weren't doing anything.
Katriona Tamin : [Benson approaches] Okay. She confronted him about Cami and she lost it.
Olivia Benson : Did she say that Romeo made an admission?
Katriona Tamin : We didn't get that far, but I can find out.
Olivia Benson : Okay, listen, I know that you're worried about her. Let us talk to her.
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Migdala Vega : Romeo's a good man. Before him, Cami didn't have a father in her life. Now she does. Tiene un buen corazon.
Olivia Benson : "Good heart." How so?
Migdala Vega : Every time they work or train late, he drives her home.
Olivia Benson : What time does she get home?
Migdala Vega : He wants her to be a champion, so he trains her like one. She's so tired, she goes straight to bed.
Katriona Tamin : How's her shoulder?
[seeing Migdala doesn't know]
Katriona Tamin : She injured it. Did she see a doctor?
Migdala Vega : No. She's fine. She does a hundred push-ups every morning.
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Amanda Rollins : So, let's rewind. You talked to Cami.
Esperanza Morales : Yeah. Like your captain said, if Romeo was molesting her, I had to know.
Amanda Rollins : Right.
Esperanza Morales : She's my girl. Like a sister.
Olivia Benson : Good. Good, and what did... what did she say?
Esperanza Morales : First she denied, but I pushed, and she spilled it all. She showed me Romeo's texts. He's sick. And she thinks it's love. She doesn't know it's rape. I mean, she was only 14 the first time they...
Olivia Benson : We're aware.
Esperanza Morales : I did not know about her and Romeo. I mean, he looked out for me when no one else did.
Amanda Rollins : So Romeo never crossed a line with you?
Esperanza Morales : No. He's always treated me like a daughter.
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Cami Vega : Esperanza grilled me. That's the only reason I'm here. So you get the truth from me and not some jealous lies...
Olivia Benson : The truth?
Cami Vega : It's actually none of your business, but Romeo and I are in love.
Olivia Benson : Okay, so it's... it's more of a relationship.
Migdala Vega : No, you don't understand. He's been sleeping with her... for two years.
Olivia Benson : I get it. And-And Cami, you're... you're 16?
Cami Vega : I'm old enough to know what I want.
Migdala Vega : No, you're not. Show her your texts.
Olivia Benson : All right. I would like to see those, and I would like to hear more.
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Olivia Benson : Esperanza, is there anything that you remember that could justify this as self-defense?
Esperanza Morales : Um...
Katriona Tamin : What about the other girls who were there? Maybe they heard or saw something?
Esperanza Morales : No. They didn't see anything.
Olivia Benson : Give us a minute.
[she and Kat leave]
Katriona Tamin : She's hiding something.
Olivia Benson : Clearly. How many witnesses were at the scene?
Katriona Tamin : A dozen, at least.
Olivia Benson : So, see if anyone knows what happened.
Katriona Tamin : If it's self-defense, they'll drop the charges, right?
Olivia Benson : One step at a time, Kat.
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Esperanza Morales : You know, growing up, I always told myself that I'll rise above the narrative they have for people like us, but here I am. All because I assaulted that mañoso.
Katriona Tamin : Esperanza, it's no longer assault.
Olivia Benson : There was a complication with the injury. Romeo died this morning.
Esperanza Morales : I didn't mean to...
Olivia Benson : I know. But for now, The D.A. wants to charge manslaughter.
Esperanza Morales : Did you tell them it was an accident?
Olivia Benson : They are aware, but it may not matter. So I have to ask you again, did Romeo ever do anything to you?
Esperanza Morales : No. I already told you, never.
Olivia Benson : Okay. Is there anyone that we can call for you before arraignment?
Katriona Tamin : Your father mentioned getting you a lawyer.
Esperanza Morales : No. No. I don't want anything from him.
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Katriona Tamin : I know, I know. I screwed up.
Olivia Benson : Yeah, you did.
Katriona Tamin : It's just, her dad's upset, and I wanna help Espe. I-I'm scared for Cami.
Olivia Benson : I get that, but it's hard to be objective when you're too close to a victim.
Katriona Tamin : You bond with victims all the time.
Olivia Benson : I do, and I've had to learn to... to see things with perspective. My old captain used to warn me. He said, "If you're too close to a case, you're not helping the victim."
Katriona Tamin : Okay. Speaking of helping the victims, when do we arraign Romeo?
Olivia Benson : He's in the hospital. They're running some tests. When he went down, he hit his head.
Katriona Tamin : He's faking injury in order to buy time.
Olivia Benson : I'll pass that on to Carisi.
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Olivia Benson : Damaged goods? Jealous? I mean, it sounds like Romeo was abusing Esperanza.
Amanda Rollins : Maybe, but we don't know that, and she won't admit it.
Katriona Tamin : I don't see what difference it makes. If she was protecting Cami, I mean, wouldn't a jury be sympathetic to that?
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Emotionally, yeah, but technically, you can't just kill someone because you don't like the way they're treating someone else.
Odafin Tutuola : But if we can prove he's abusing her?
Dominick Carisi Jr. : Well, that changes the case. You know, she gets a good lawyer, she could do a variation of the battered wife defense. An abused teen snaps when she's taunted by a predator.
Katriona Tamin : She's a boxer. She'll never admit to it. She's got her rep to protect.
Olivia Benson : Or she's scared, or in denial.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : If she and her lawyer come to me with her admission, I can convince Hadid to make a deal. Good luck.
Amanda Rollins : Bail's set at 10 grand?
Odafin Tutuola : She won't be able to make that.
Katriona Tamin : How about I go over to Rikers and talk to her?
Olivia Benson : She's under arrest, Kat. None of us can talk to her without a lawyer present.
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Amanda Rollins : So, you went to the gym to confront Romeo.
Esperanza Morales : Yeah, he was coaching Sasha, and I told him we needed to talk. I asked him, how could he be having sex with Cami?
Olivia Benson : And how did he react?
Esperanza Morales : He said I was crazy, and that I should mind my own business.
Katriona Tamin : [entering with a knock] Sorry. Uh, Esperanza's father's here.
Olivia Benson : Oh, Kat, we're... we're still talking.
Esperanza Morales : Santos? He does not need to be here.
Katriona Tamin : He wants you to get a lawyer.
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Katriona Tamin : Esperanza, you did great. You got a confession.
Esperanza Morales : Then why do I feel like I lost?
Olivia Benson : Trust me, you didn't. The hard part is over, and you're still standing.
Counselor Marame Touissant : My client did what you asked.
Dominick Carisi Jr. : And I'll do what I promised. Assault two, two years.
Counselor Marame Touissant : Stay out of trouble, and you'll be out sooner than that.
Esperanza Morales : Okay. But what about Santos?
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Santos Morales : To see my own kid, I gotta sit here with glass between us? Breaks my heart.
Esperanza Morales : You're lucky I'm even talking to you at all.
Santos Morales : Your sister called me. She's nervous about you running your mouth.
Esperanza Morales : She is? Or you are?
Dominick Carisi Jr. : [watching the security camera feed] Nice counter. Make this about Santos.
Santos Morales : You better be nice.
Olivia Benson : That's all he cares about.
Santos Morales : I took two subways and a bus to get here. Two hours.
Katriona Tamin : [sardonic laugh] Point proven.
Santos Morales : You know, since, uh, your whole gym turned on you, I mean, you got no one but me.
Esperanza Morales : I'd rather have no one.
Santos Morales : Stubborn as a rat. You know, you wanna survive in here, you gotta toughen up. Yeah, let go of whatever grudge you're holding.
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Counselor Marame Touissant : Just to be clear, my client is here to discuss the events leading up to the tragedy, but nothing she says will prevent her from claiming self-defense.
Olivia Benson : And we understand, and we're here because we want to help you.
Esperanza Morales : Too late.
Katriona Tamin : Something triggered you. Was it about your father?
Counselor Marame Touissant : [seeing her refuse to talk] Esperanza. You have to give the jury a reason to understand how we got here.
Esperanza Morales : I'm not gonna talk about him. I'm a fighter. I can't look weak.
Olivia Benson : Telling your story isn't weak. And whatever happened to you doesn't define you.
Katriona Tamin : For now, it's just us. We can keep it a secret if you want. No one ever has to know.
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Esperanza Morales : Jesus.
Katriona Tamin : What?
Esperanza Morales : That's what he'd whisper when he crawled into my bed.
Olivia Benson : Your father.
Esperanza Morales : Santos... was a mean little drunk when I was little. At night, I'd hear his footsteps, and... that's how I knew he was coming for me.
Olivia Benson : Coming for you?
Esperanza Morales : He'd get under my covers... move on top of me... hold me down... eventually, I just gave in.
Katriona Tamin : And Romeo knew about this?
Esperanza Morales : First time I met him, I told him I needed to protect myself. Took one look at Santos. He knew why.
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Olivia Benson : Esperanza, what did Romeo do when you confronted him about Cami?
Esperanza Morales : First, he called me a liar. And then he said, "You're just jealous because I never wanted your papi's sloppy seconds." I should've known, and I should've protected Cami.
Olivia Benson : Like you should've protected your sister.
Katriona Tamin : Your father got to her, too, huh?
Esperanza Morales : What do you know about Graciela? You talked to her?
Katriona Tamin : Graciela's alive?
Esperanza Morales : As far as I know.
Olivia Benson : And when was the last time you saw her?
Esperanza Morales : Two years ago, panhandling near the Port Authority. I gave her everything I had. Made her promise to call me, but she never did.