Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV Series) Garland's Baptism by Fire (2020) User Reviews

Good but...

[Just-A-Girl-14 · 8/10 · 10 July 2020]

This episode was good. I didn't feel like they were vilifying all religions people as they usually do. It was interesting and we got to learn more about Garland, a new character that I personally like. I just think that in reality it's completely unlikely that the camera won't catch the pastor's face. If he paid a quarter of $1 million, which is a huge amount for supposedly helping a family in need (especially since the girl was not even living at home), then the video should have been much more incriminating for him. Doing that could have also explained the wife's sudden flip and reaction. She seemed sure it wasn't him but all of a sudden changed her mind when he was speaking to the press outside the courthouse. It's also more likely he had many more victims than just three girls. They should have been able to find them.

An actors episode

[tommieadamsphoto · 9/10 · 10 December 2023]

I love the series. And every so often there is an episode where the guest stars acting is clearly of note and caught my attention. I actually wish there was an Emmy nod of this one, if anything for the pastor's wife, portrayed by. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Also of note here is def the deputy chief, with a reoccurring role by the actor, Demore Barnes. And kudos to the Pastor as well portrayed by Roger Cross. And kudos to the writers for creating these great characters.

Everything about this episode is entrancing. And ripped from the headlines without beating you over the head with it.

If you haven't already, please give this one a watch. Dare you not to be moved just a little by episode's end.

Demons in the Church

[yazguloner · 10/10 · 29 May 2021]

Roger Crooss (Delman Chase) performs so well as a preacher and manipulator that it was incredible. People really want to believe. What a great abyss to deify yourself and be deified.

Ps. Rick Fox (Edgar Goodwin) oh my goddes. If Olivia is going to have a relationship, it must be Edgar Goodwin. Never mind Stabler 🙃

Good episode!

[tynisha3354 · 10/10 · 3 April 2020]

Been watching for over 20 years (literally) and it's nice to finally focus on a new face and give us some context.

Great watch!

Hanky-panky in the church

[lor_ · 8 July 2023]

T's always a grabber when a series regular becomes directly involved in a criminal case, this time Garland, when his church and friends there are accused of sexual crimes.

Matters of trust figure prominently in this story, with the usual whodunit aspects replaced by which trusted figure in the community is really hiding some secrets that will land him or her in jail. Hush money payments, now recently in the Trump headlines, figure prominently in the investigation. And the religious angle adds meat to the bones of the fraud case and sexual accusations.

Fine acting by the ensemble punches this story across.

Filming Perspective

[garysteinweg · 10/10 · 3 April 2020]

First, I thought this was an excellent episode. I did not perceive it as "Christian bashing". But, that's just me. The main purpose of my comment here is actually quite trivial. A minor detail that most would pay no attention to, but it jumped out at me. Near the end of the episode, the minister's attorney met with Olivia, and at the end of their meeting, they shook hands. The attorney was standing on the left, Olivia on the right. The camera briefly zoomed in on their clasped hands. One hand was large and powerful looking, the other dainty. BUT, it was the hand on the right (Olivia???) that was powerful looking, and the hand on the left (much larger attorney) that was dainty. That momentary closeup must have been filmed from the other side. Like I said, trivial.

Baptism by Fire

[bobcobb301 · 6/10 · 9 April 2020]

Well, they actually did what I hoped for here. They focused on one bad guy the entire episode and didn't give us an unnecessary shift halfway through.

Still, it was just an average episode in terms of entertainment value.