Ep 17. Surveillance

Detectives Benson and Stabler are back in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 3 episode 17, titled "Surveillance." This episode finds the team investigating a former drug addict and prostitute who's accusing her employer of rape. As the detectives dig deeper, they discover that the accused might not be the only one with a dark secret, and soon, they find themselves in the midst of a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The episode starts with a woman named Mandy being brutally raped in her apartment. Mandy is a recovering drug addict and prostitute who's been trying to turn her life around. She tells the detectives that the man who attacked her was her boss, Eugene, who runs a security surveillance company. Benson and Stabler immediately start investigating, but Eugene denies all the allegations and insists that Mandy is lying.

As the detectives look into Eugene's past, they discover that he has a history of harassing his female employees and firing them if they don't comply with his advances. However, they find it difficult to prove anything, as there aren't any witnesses or physical evidence to back up Mandy's story. So, they decide to put Eugene under surveillance in the hope of catching him in the act.

Meanwhile, Mandy starts receiving threatening phone calls from an unknown man who warns her to drop the charges against Eugene. The team decides to tap her phone and records a conversation between Mandy and the man, which leads them to a suspect named Jake. Jake is another one of Eugene's employees who has a history of violence and a criminal record. The detectives bring him in for questioning, but he denies any involvement in the case.

As the investigation continues, the team discovers that Eugene's business only exists as a front for a prostitution ring. They find evidence that he's been coercing his female employees into engaging in sexual acts with clients, and that he's been filming them without their consent. The detectives also learn that Jake has been secretly working with Mandy as a whistleblower to expose Eugene's illegal activities.

In the end, Benson and Stabler use the surveillance tape to catch Eugene in the act of assaulting Mandy. Eugene is arrested, and Jake receives immunity for his cooperation. However, the team realizes that there's more going on than they initially realized, and they start to question whether they've really uncovered the whole truth.

Overall, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 3 episode 17 is a gripping and intense episode that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. It tackles important issues of sexual harassment and prostitution in a sensitive and nuanced way, while still delivering plenty of thrilling twists and turns. Fans of the show won't want to miss this engaging and thought-provoking episode.