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Girls Disappeared: The first time ADA Rafael Barba lays eyes on Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. all he can focus on is his mustache and ill fitting clothes. Regardless, he’s entranced by him. Meanwhile, a ride sharing app isn’t what it seems.
American Disgrace: An American basketball player is accused by several girls of rape. The charges are dropped but he ends up losing anyway.
Producer’s Backend: A girl drowns at a party. Ruled accidental. A teenager is raped. The statute limitations has expired.
Holden’s Manifesto: Male entitlement turned deathly.
Pornstar’s Requiem: The judge fails the victim. ADA Barba storms off furious. Carisi considers going after him. But it’s pointless.
Glasgowman’s Wrath: It’s so, so much worse than it appears to the naked eye.
Chicago Crossover: Someone from Lindsay’s past is involved in an illicit pornography “club”. Carisi takes some time off, for his own sake. SVU is nothing like Homicide.
Spousal Privilege: “Did he really love her?” Carisi asks Barba when he tells him about the case at a cop bar, “No,” the ADA says, “he just owns her”
Pattern Seventeen: The rape kit backlog stalls the investigation.
Forgiving Rollins: Barba goes against Rollins’s former boss. She has to learn to absolve herself.
Agent Provocateur: Regardless, it never ends well for the young girls.
Padre Sandunguero: Amaro can’t forgive his father, and neither can Barba.
Decaying Morality: Fathers defend their daughters.
Intimidation Game: Violent delights lead to violent ends.
Undercover Mother: A mother takes drastic measures to find her stolen daughter.
December Solstice: Carisi meets one of his idols, while Barba deals with a difficult decision and at the end, loss. He cries on the solitude of his apartment. Ever so empty.
Parole Violations: Carisi has never liked his little sister’s fiancé. So when he says he’s been assaulted, Carisi lets his judgment prejudice his job.
Devastating Story: ADA Barba knows it’s hard to go against one perpetrator, let alone five.
Granting Immunity: Detective Carisi swears he’s getting a fever after the entire ordeal. He asks Barba to feel his forehead. Barba does, and he calmly tells him he’s gonna be okay.
Daydream Believer: Carisi thinks about Barba an inappropriate amount of time.
Perverted Justice: With SVU cases, you can never truly say everything is okay.
Parents’ Nightmare: Anything goes in a custody battle.
Surrendering Noah: A case that makes each of them lose something.
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Devil’s Dissections: Nobody can believe when one of their own is accused.
Criminal Pathology: Carisi figures out how to win the case, it’s the first real time Barba shows a hint of respect towards him.
Transgender Bridge: A case forces Carisi to confront some of his personal battles.
Institutional Fail: Carisi is impressed by Barba’s willingness to defy authority to do what he believes is right.
Community Policing: Carisi’s admiration turns to something else when Barba goes against his own kind.
Maternal Instincts: Tensions between the Rollins family, and Sergeant Mike Dodds arrives to the 16th precinct.
Patrimonial Burden: A famous religious family enters dangerous territory when it’s revealed their 13 year old daughter is pregnant.
Melancholy Pursuit: Carisi and Dodds Jr. bond on the job.
Depravity Standard: Much to his disgust, ADA Barba agrees on mentoring Detective Carisi. And much to his surprise, he enjoys the younger man’s company a lot.
Catfishing Teacher: Barba and Carisi begin talking by text. Mostly about the law, naturally.
Townhouse Incident: Benson puts herself in danger.
A Misunderstanding: At the stand, Carisi says something that makes Barba notice him even more.
Forty-One Witnesses: Carisi can’t control how angry he feels. He relies on Dodds Jr. and their friendship grows stronger.
Nationwide Manhunt: Rudnick escapes, and Rafael loses it.
Collateral Damages: Barba tries his best. But there are no winners here.
Star-Struck Victims: When a case is going awry, Rollins games matters into her own hands.
Manhattan Transfer: A case involving the Catholic Church makes things hard for Carisi. But he’s focused on justice.
Unholiest Alliance: Carisi brings the men of the clergy into the courthouse, eliminating any personal bias he has. Barba uses his anger to give his best case. They work well together.
Sheltered Outcasts: Carisi goes undercover, Barba doesn’t show up. He can’t handle it, regardless of what he tells himself.
Fashionable Crimes: Barba invites Carisi for drinks after work. He pays their tabs and hopes Carisi gets the clue.
Assaulting Reality: Their constant back and forth texting continues. And they each wonder if anything else will happen.
Intersecting Lives: Carisi learns he passed the bar, he calls Barba and he promises they’ll celebrate it. “See? I told you you would do it,” Barba says. Carisi is over the moon. Meanwhile, a case involving a corrupt CO gives the entire squad a migraine. And Rafael offers his home address to an individual threatening him. Carisi doesn’t learn this until later.
Heartfelt Passages: It’s Dodds Jr. last day with the squad. So he decides to take on one last task. He doesn’t know it’ll be his downfall. Barba is once again threatened. Dodds wounds up dead, even after Carisi gives him his blood. At his funeral, Barba and Carisi cheer, and Barba is not worried, not here. They go home together.
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Terrorized: Carisi and Barba still have yet to discuss the terms of their relationship.
Making a Rapist: Carisi snaps at Barba, and they don’t talk for a few weeks.
Imposter: They both focus on their respective jobs, rather than try to make their thing work.
Heightened Emotions: After one particular turbulent case, Carisi talks to Barba again. They decide to retake it where they left off.
Rape Interrupted: Carisi once again finds himself waking up next to the ADA. “We should disclose,” the older man says. Carisi just mods.
Broken Rhymes: A hate crime case pushes Carisi to disclose.
Next Chapter: With Barba and Carisi’s disclosure, Benson considers whats next for her.
Chasing Theo: Barba gives Carisi keys to his apartment. Carisi returns the favor.
Decline and Fall: Carisi takes Barba to meet his parents. It doesn’t go too well. Regardless, they hold each other that night.
Motherly Love: Barba takes Carisi to meet his abuela on the graveyard. Carisi introduces himself and says he’ll take care of Rafael. Barba cries and kisses Carisi with all the intention in the world.
Great Expectations: A junior Hockey league incident forces Carisi to revisit some dark memories. Barba takes him to his favorite restaurant.
No Surrender: Barba offers Carisi a vacation to the Caribbean. “Cuba?” Carisi asks with a cheeky smile, “No,” Barba says, his expression cold.
Genes: Carisi can’t deal with how distant Barba appears. The tension results on him going off at him at the courthouse.
Net Worth: Carisi and Barba spend some time apart. It’s for the best.
Know It All: “He claims he can blackmail me,” Barba says, scoffing, “I have too much to hide, but I’ll be damned when I’m scared of a man like that,”
The Newsroom: Carisi apologizes to Barba. Barba promises to be more open and Carisi promises to let him go on his own rhythm, he’s been hurt enough.
Real Fake News: “Do you want to move in together?” Barba says, Carisi smiles and nods enthusiastically.
Spellbound: Barba is more open about his past, and Carisi’s heart feels heavy. He understands so much now.
Conversion: A case about corrective rape boils their blood, “That’s not what the church should be about,” Carisi says. Rafael hisses at this. He wishes his church experience could be as positive as Carisi’s was. They talk about it in bed.
American Dream: “Yknow, growing up I had this fear of being deported,” Barba says. “Me too,” Carisi replies, and Barba can’t help but chuckle.
Sanctuary: After the case is over, Carisi and Barba allow themselves to go on vacation.
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Gone Fishin’: Barba and Carisi recklessly flirt in front of Benson, “Why don’t you get married already?” she teases, Barba tilts his head at Carisi, and he smiles.
Mood: Barba hunts for a ring. Excited about the possibilities.
Contrapasso: Carisi swears he fell in love again after Barba’s closing statement.
No Good Reason: “Is this what teenagers face nowadays? In my days I’d just get shoved into a locker” Barba says. “I’ve told you Rafael, you’re an old soul,” Carisi replies. Barba swats him with his hand.
Complicated: Barba continues pondering on when to ask Carisi to marry him.
Unintended Consequences: “Do you think this job ruins people?” Barba asks Carisi, “Only if they were broken to begin with.” Carisi says.
Something Happened: A woman can’t remember, and Benson does what she does best: help her.
Intent: Barba and Carisi buy an apartment suited for both of them. Carisi is tired of having to crutch down to fit through doors. Barba is tired of getting on his tip toes to reach his mugs.
Gone Baby Gone: Noah goes missing, and Barba is terrible at comforting his friend.
Pathological: Barba visits Benson’s house. Tells her about his plans of proposing.
Flight Risk: “You don’t have to save everyone,” Carisi says. “If I don’t, who will?” Barba replies, Carisi stays quiet.
Info Wars: “Do you ever feel this job made you into a different version of yourself?” Barba asks. “Why do you keep asking that?” Carisi replies, scoffing.
The Undiscovered Country: “Don’t come to the trial. Just don’t.” Barba tells Carisi. He sits on the very back of the gallery and only lets himself breath when he’s declared Not Guilty. Barba won’t regard him, “I’m a monster,” he says. “You’re human,” Carisi simply replies. They hold hands and talk about what’s next.