Law & Order: SVU season 20 episode 11 review: Secrets of a plastic surgeon

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Tonight, Law & Order: SVU season 20 episode 11 brought us an episode that was, in so many ways, disturbing. It was a story about a prominent plastic surgeon in Heath and his girlfriend Sadie, two people who were accused of assaulting a young woman named Ava. This situation was horrific enough, and that’s before a number of other atrocities rose to the surface.

Before we get too far down the rabbit hole of what happened here, let’s start by noting how Heath and Sadie initially tried to spin the situation — by noting that the two have an extremely active sex life that includes being with other people all the time. Beyond just that, they tried to claim that Ava was a willing participant who decided after the fact that she wanted to spin the story for publicity. That wasn’t true, but that was just scratching the surface of everything that unfolded.

The longer that this episode went along, the more it started to become clear that Heath was a monster who did monstrosities for a rather long time. The case escalated when Fin and Carisi were able to go to a former residence of his, one where there was a dead body of a young girl hidden within those walls. They also were armed with a surveillance video featuring Heath with another young girl named Cece. Here’s when the biggest twist of the night came around — it just so turned out that Sadie actually was Cece, just with a different name and with a slightly-different look. Piecing all of this together helped to make it a little more clear what exactly happened to her. Cece was exploited by a man who wielded power and influence on her for years, someone who felt so vulnerable and insecure that she was forced to adhere to whatever he wanted to feel beautiful or special — including allowing other women into their bed. She was a tough nut to crack but eventually, the SVU team was able to do that and allow for there to be some sort of justice for Ava and the deceased within that home.

It was not easy, but it feels as though Heath is going to be locked up for many years moving forward.

CarterMatt Verdict

SVU season 20 episode 11 was a story about a surgeon who could never be satisfied and, beyond that, about a case that was more twisted than anyone could have first imagined. Mark Feuerstein played a role very much against type in here in Heath, as slimy an individual as they come and someone who tried to mask his horrific nature under the guise of trying to help other people.

The takeaway from this episode is wherever there’s a will, there’s a way and Olivia Benson is going to find it.

What did you think about Law & Order: SVU season 20 episode 11 overall? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments. (Photo: NBC.)

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