Law & Order: SVU season 19 spoilers: Fionnula Flanagan, Joe Piscopo, more sign on
According to a new report via TVLine, Fionnula Flanagan, Hal Linden, Anne Archer and Joe Piscopo are all poised to appear in this episode (entitled “Mama”), which is going to focus on a horrifying rape claim that happens at an assisted-living home. Flanagan (best known, at least recently, for Defiance) will be playing the victim, a patient at the home named Madeline who struggles with Alzheimer’s. After she makes the rape claim, there are questions surrounding just how serious the allegation is taken because of her diagnosis.
Meanwhile, Linden (who appeared in Barney Miller) is going to appear as a man connected to Madeline’s past, whereas Archer will be a “notorious actress” who is connected to the case. Piscopo, who is best known for his comedic work, is going to be playing the part of a Frank Sinatra impersonator who has a regular habit of being an entertainer at the home. (It is fairly common for people to come in and perform/entertain at these homes in some capacity.)
We’re not going to pretend that watching or covering this article will be easy, mostly because there are few things in this world we find as loathsome as elder abuse — or the notion that someone would not be believed as an accuser because of their condition. Nonetheless, this is the importance and value of a series like SVU — exposing some of the terrors that exist out there in America for all people. Some of the things that transpire for senior citizens in this country are unreported and quite frankly unacceptable; if this episode serves as a way to raise awareness and pay attention, it is both valued and appreciated. While SVU may be a scripted television show designed for entertainment, we’ve already stated many times over that its true value extends far beyond that.
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(Photo: NBC.)