Peak, Classic, Cabot, Greylek, Brainmelter Josh Duggan Peak, Classic, Cabot, Greylek, Brainmelter Josh Duggan

Episode 148: The Post-Micturition Dribble (S10E15 Lead)

What happens when a trusted pediatrician is found to have extra-medically milked many young boys urethras over the years? Well in SVU, he is brutally beaten to death by one of his former victims who himself was doubly victimized as his Pica led him to eat the lead paint off of cheap toy cars which permanently stunted his development and planted the seeds of his rage. Come for Alexandra Cabot's jaw dropping Season 10 return, stay for Kim Greylek's unceremonious act 2 poochie'ing, and go home with a delightfully detailed breakdown of what exactly blood alcohol content means and whether or not the arrogant rich guy could have blown a 2.2 and kept driving.

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Pre-history, Brainmelter Josh Duggan Pre-history, Brainmelter Josh Duggan

Episode 147: Knowing that Layla Is in Finance Only Tweaks Munch’s Kink-Sensing Nips More (S1E9 Stocks & Bondage)

This week the Munchie Boys travel back into the Pre-History of SVU, before it knew what it was but when it definitely knew what it wanted to be: salacious, outrageous, and just a little bit pervy. "Stocks & Bondage" marked the show's first dalliances into the world of BDSM, and it wastes little time getting weird as hell. So come along for the ride, and get familiar with The Human Ashtray, comely leather salespeople who seem to have an interest in Cassidy (and who Cassidy is decidedly into), and Tennesseans who should never have been let out of the state. And if we're talking finance, as the episode's title implies, you know things are going to get pretty dark in this one, so strap on--I mean, strap in.

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Brainmelter, Classic, Cabot Josh Duggan Brainmelter, Classic, Cabot Josh Duggan

Episode 146: He Keistered Her Entire Collection of Pens (S2E19 Parasites)

Season 2 SVUs typically mean one thing, and that is bonkers plots stacked on plots with bizarre flourishes stuffed in, and in that regard, this frantic ride does not disappoint. We talk underground hydrangea markets and age-progression specialists, correct the record vis-à-vis erotic versus autoerotic asphyxiation, meet Martin's obscure Amis brother, and find out just who is leaving their rare orchid pollen on our victim's panties.

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Episode 145: They’re Wasting No Time in Letting Logue Brogue (S15E17 Gambler’s Fallacy)

If there is an episode of SVU featuring a worse version of Bad Amanda Rollins, the Munchie Boys have yet to come across it. Gambling Amanda gets in Dutch with an improbable art forgery/gambling outfit who use her massive debts to them to get her to be their evidence-disappearing cop on the take. Rollins do so much to warrant her immediate firing that it's shocking she made it another decade past this. More than that, for a solid half-hour, we're left to think she was forced to blow Declan while he's undercover in his first appearance. Dark, bad stuff is afoot, but don't worry, we also take plenty of detours into improbable names paired with nonsensical accents, Logue going full brogue, and how being an art history major from an Ivy makes you immune from the heat.

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Brainmelter, Peak, Classic, Pantheon Josh Duggan Brainmelter, Peak, Classic, Pantheon Josh Duggan

Episode 144: He’s Wearing a Pedo Sweater (S12E4 Merchandise)

Helen of Troy might have had the face that launched a thousand ships, but this gem of a Season 12 SVU is the problematic hellscape that launched the Munch My Benson ranking system. Kids are never safe in SVU, and in this episode we see kids casually listing their prostitution fees, kids getting Meet-Joe-Blacked outside of a farmers' market, kids getting chained up and forced to drink cyanide, and kids destroying a bespoke, heirloom blueberry compote. This is one hell of a ride. Enjoy!

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Brainmelter, Pre-history, Livisode Josh Duggan Brainmelter, Pre-history, Livisode Josh Duggan

Episode 143: Whatever, We’re Just Gonna Leave This Dangling (S1E8 Stalked)

SVU takes on Big Realty this week, so Adam and Josh strapped in for a wild ride from pre-historical Season 1, where reason--and any future plotting with a big, bad bogeyman--goes to die. Liv ends up in the perp's crosshairs for the first of so, so, so many times, but not until a child and his grandfather are scared away from frisbee in the park forever, a corpse with a shocking hole in the middle of its head is shown to the delicate sensibilities of network TV viewers, and Munch idly wonders if it actually wasn't a coincidence that the (faked?) moon landing was scheduled to distract the public from Chappaquiddick. Season 1 eps can be quite the fever dream, and "Stalked" is no exception.

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Brainmelter, Carisi, Late Josh Duggan Brainmelter, Carisi, Late Josh Duggan

Episode 142: I'm Not Gonna Kink Shame a 12-Year-Old (S23E11 Burning With Rage Forever)

In our first brush with Season 23, the Randomizer (episode.lol) gifted us with the sight of that precious little Baby Boy Doe himself locked in a cage being forced to eat dog food by one of his friends. This kind of depravity only happens on SVU, folks. Of course, the madness only begins there as we are treated to a truly bonkers world where no child is ever, EVER safe. Along the way, the Munchie Boys go way off the rails with loads of esoteric content. Fans of that stuff will really enjoy the unedited Patreon edition which features an additional 40 minutes of fun.

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Episode 141: Tension’s Building in the Amandolas Relationship (S16E8 Spousal Privilege)

Josh and Adam--both of whom are pretty big fans of Cutty in The Wire--are forced to watch an episode this week where Chad L. Coleman is seen Ray Rice-ing his special lady friend, played by the wonderful Meagan Good. That's not fun to watch, but it's also not fun to watch the SVUs acting against the victim's vehement wishes. It's even less fun to watch after Amaro (who is just back from beating a perp to within an inch of his life) blows up in the opening scene of "Spousal Privilege" (Season 16, Episode 8), making the audience wonder just what qualities in outburst-prone people determine that they get a second chance.

Don't worry, the Munchie Boys also use this episode to revel in RedChanIt, take notice of how many of the SVUs were abused as children, and dive deep into the life of NYC’s first black mayor, David Dinkins, who randomly had two lines in this episode.

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Stunt-casting, Pantheon, Perfect 10, Classic, Peak Josh Duggan Stunt-casting, Pantheon, Perfect 10, Classic, Peak Josh Duggan

Episode 140: It's Sub-Tropical Water Not Dom-Tropical Water (S12E22 Bang)

We let the Munchies pick this week's episode, and by god did they pick an all-timer. Everybody's favorite cool uncle, John Stamos, shines as a reproductive abuser, and Lori Singer is but the most famous of his many, many victims. This one really has everything we here at Munch My Benson are looking for out of this unique series. Thank you for this marvelous choice!

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Finisode, Kenisode, Brainmelter, Classic, Novak Josh Duggan Finisode, Kenisode, Brainmelter, Classic, Novak Josh Duggan

Episode 139: We Might’ve Seen Peen, Everybody (S7E5 Strain)

The Munchie Boys are dealt an SVU episode with super-AIDS and methed-out party boys running roughshod all over the gay party scene. This one is chock-full of problems, in all the best ways. How far does it go? Well, let's just say that if you have to wonder whether you're seeing hand or dong on a posed nude corpse, you found yourself in a pretty wild place.

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Episode 138: There's No Freezer Burn In That Hair (S20E10 Alta Kockers)

Have you ever heard the old joke about the longest-running scripted drama in television history doing a bizarre ripped-from-the-headlines episode about two aging, hoarder brothers as a convoluted excuse to say nasty slurs on primetime TV? Oh, you haven't? Well, after you've seen "Alta Kockers," you will have. Oh, and one of these brothers, who hasn't left his mother's house since 1976, somehow becomes the literary voice of the present generation via his anonymously published novel. Sure.

This one is about as absurd as SVU gets, but thankfully wonderful moments from legends Judd Hirsch and Wallace Shawn, and some truly standout background acting prevent this from being an all-time stinker.

Plus: Special Contibutor Natalie graciously joined Josh with a dissenting opinion to tell us why our ranking of 'Service" (S19E18) which we covered in MMB 119 - No, Rollins Is A Tactile Detective was unfair.

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Late Josh Duggan Late Josh Duggan

Episode 137: I Have Known People Who Served; They Do Talk Like Humans (S18E12 No Surrender)

What happens when a trailblazing female Army Ranger is sexually assaulted, jeopardizing a nationwide media blitz? The Munchie Boys found out this week, and whatever it was, it wasn't fun. Or good. Or memorable. Go along for the ride as they investigate Army guidelines for haircuts, bizarre Army propaganda, full pressers out of nowhere, and false accusations undercutting our victim's status as sympathetic figures.

Also find out how Adam liked his leaf-peeping that possibly infected an entire train full of yahoos, get more Hudson Fjord talk, and follow along as Adam and Josh wonder from what universe this truly unprofessional episode of SVU came.

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Late, Stone Josh Duggan Late, Stone Josh Duggan

Episode 136: They Really Shared a Moment Over Those Chickpeas (S20E13 A Story Of More Woe)

Both Josh and Adam were a little sick when they recorded this one, but not nearly as sick as the twisted minds inside Michael Chernuchin’s SVU writers’ room who crafted this byzantine scheme wherein a 13-year-old girl convinces her 15-year-old sister to murder their own father, so she can become adopted by and live with the love of her life, a 30-something weirdo who lives down the hall who reads Shakespeare with her. Obviously, the Munchie Boys are forced to confront The Bard among many, many other topics including the real reason no one on SVU orders food at the Square Diner and the many spellings of “Catherine.”

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Episode 135: Only SVU Is Able to Backdoor in Some Kiddie Porn (S17E3 Transgender Bridge)

To say Law & Order: SVU's historic treatment of the transgender community is fraught with problems is an understatement of epic proportions, and this week's episode--S17E13 Transgender Bridge--makes, ummm, progress? Of course, it's incremental at best, and much of the ground gained is immediately lost by jamming the episode full of racial stereotyping that plays rough.

This week's episode pushed the Munchie Boys so far out of their comfort zone that they brought in reinforcements in the form of a guest segment (for Munchies, this will be as an entirely separate Bonus Episode) with gracious trans listener Summer, who hopefully makes up for the two cishet honkies who host this weekly show and is more qualified to speak on how this episode still had a lot of work to do to get things right.

Hold onto your butts. This is a long one.

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Cabot, Cabotisode, Peak, Classic, Brainmelter Josh Duggan Cabot, Cabotisode, Peak, Classic, Brainmelter Josh Duggan

Episode 134: This Overreach Isn’t Going to Assuage Your Guilt, Alex, but Maybe Dripping Candle Wax on Benson Will (S3E18 Guilt)

When a sting to catch a groomer pedo goes sideways in a New Jersey train station, Alexandra Cabot disregards due process, civil rights, and decades of precedents in the pursuit of a conviction. We see the SVU debut of everyone's favorite legal hard ass, Elizabeth Donnelly, we learn about a particularly outlandish purchase that Josh is contemplating, and we definitively answer that age old question: Who's the boss? Those wanting Adam's airport rankings or our views on the relegation system in world football are encouraged to sign up for the Munchies tier on our Patreon. Enjoy!

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Brainmelter, Cabot, Peak, Classic Josh Duggan Brainmelter, Cabot, Peak, Classic Josh Duggan

Episode 133: Elliot Can’t Get Drinks Because He Might Have HIV (S2E13 Victims)

The Munchie Boys tackled a tough one this week, as Stabler is forced to investigate the murder of an admittedly odious perp he'd locked up previously. If ever there were an episode that wallowed in the "you can't choose your victims" edict, it's this one. "Victims" also has some pretty big names in it to go along with some pretty rough pre-9/11 fashion and a Guardian Angels storyline that gives Adam a bit to talk about.

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Episode 132: I Just Assumed He Was Bald Because of the Fanny Pack (S24E2 The One You Feed)

This week we meet a pair of new detectives, a new showrunner, and a perfect family from Ohio who have the worst possible trip to the Harry Potter store in Union Square. We have way too much stuff to talk about, including Josh's various brushes with death and Pavement, Adam's exotic transit options, why you wouldn't want John Edwards summoning your dead family members, Fin's rapidly expanding consciousness, and, of course, how to wear a fanny pack without becoming a mark for ne'er-do-wells. We also meet a minor character who expands the greater Munchiverse exponentially. Until we rolled this one, we weren't even sure our Randomizer could pick from the latest season, so here's a big plug for the best episode spinner on the web: episode.lol

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Cabot, Amaro, Pino Years, Brainmelter Josh Duggan Cabot, Amaro, Pino Years, Brainmelter Josh Duggan

Episode 131: Any Teenager Getting off a Bus at the Port Authority Is Going to Get Turned out (S13E10 Spiraling Down)

Why do any non-New Yorkers even bother coming to the big city? They're just gonna get turned out within minutes. Of course, that might give them the chance to service a john of Broadway Joe's caliber. This one does quite the about-face halfway through, making the wild left turn from teens being forced into prostitution fresh off the bus at the Port Authority into a dive into the unending effects of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and how it’s downing our sports idols. Obviously it was going to end up there, right? This is SVU, after all.

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Barba, Late Josh Duggan Barba, Late Josh Duggan

Episode 130 - They Put a GoPro on a Dog and Let Him Run Wild (S17E4 Institutional Fail)

While SVU's attempts at sad morality plays about the children who slip through the cracks when publicly funded institutions are stripped to the bone to pay for advanced cod-pieces for our police forces don't always land, we at Munch My Benson always have plenty to discuss. When five-year-old Bruno wanders the streets in search of some tasty treats, did the store clerk try to get him arrested for shoplifting? When Benson goes hobnobbing with the hot stuff downtown, did her wardrobe match her pension status? Did Dodds just force Dodds upon the unit. Also, Rollins is ultra pregnant, and Whoopi Goldberg works a lot.

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