Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Episode 12.13 Mask

The SVU is investigating the rape of one woman, Debbie and the physical attack of her partner, Ann inside their apartment. Neighbors across the street took pictures through the window and Benson and Stabler see the attacker was wearing a mask during the assault. Benson heads to the hospital to check on Ann, the woman who was physically attacked after her partner, Debbie was raped. Benson also discovers Debbie is Ann's doctor operating on her partner and doesn't have time to consent to Benson's rape kit request.

While at the hospital checking on Ann, Benson and Stabler meet her father, Cap. This is also the first time Cap has me Debbie, his daughter's domestic partner. Debbie tells Benson and Stabler about how she was surprised attacked by a man waiting in her hallway. From there, she passed out and woke up being raped by the man in the mask, who told her he'd "cure her of Falmouth." Cap immediately becomes alert when Debbie says that phrase and Stabler suspects he knows more than he's letting on.

Fin tells Stabler that the mask the rapist wore is the same mask a serial rapist in Virginia wore years ago. Cap admits to Stabler that he might know who the rapist is but being a psychiatrist, he can't reveal any more because of doctor/patient confidentiality. Stabler is shocked to find out that Cap treats sex offenders with the thought they can be cured. After all, Cap is a self-admitted sex addict, he believes is cured. Despite the fact his wife couldn't handle his addiction and killed herself when Ann was little.

Stabler probes Cap to talk more about Falmouth until he breaks. Cap admits that his daughter stopped talking to him when she was 16 and they were in Falmouth, prompting Stabler to ask him if this was the peak of his alcoholism and sex addiction. Cap can't remember and Stabler accuses him of raping his own daughter during a drunken blackout in Falmouth, explaining the estrangement. Huang reveals the mask worn by the attacker is a mythological Hindu mask for the God of Love and Redemption.

Detectives their rapist has been attacking women across the country wearing the same mask. Each attack took place next to a sex rehabilitation center. Stabler is interrupted when Cragen tells him there's been another rape by a man wearing the God of Love mask. Stabler asks if the victim if she's ever been sexually assaulted before and she says she has. She tells the police it was by her professor, and that the rapist this time told her she'd get an "A plus" after the rape.

After hearing that the latest rape victim stabbed her attacker with a knife in the forearm, Stabler decides to go undercover. He pretends to be a sex addict and head to Cap's clinic for sex addiction, in hopes of finding the rapist there, with a defense wound. Back at the hospital, Cap is by his daughter's bedside, along with Benson. Benson alerts him of another attack in which the man in the mask who believes he's redeeming past rape victims raped their latest victim. She tells Cap that if he would just divulge who he believes is the rapist, they can solve their case.

Cap tearfully admits to Benson what he remembers the night in Falmouth when he believes he raped Ann. Benson tells Cap he should use all the guilt he feels now to lead her to Ann's attacker now. Cap tells Benson that the man who's raping the women out there in the mask still deserves to be saved and not caged like some animal. Meanwhile, back at the sex clinic, Stabler meets other sex addicts, including one whom sticks out among the rest for wearing a bandage around his forearm.

Stabler's partner in the group is a female sex addict who is automatically attracted to Stabler. When Stabler is caught talking on the phone by Courtney, she tries to seduce him into sex in exchange for his phone. When he refuses, she runs away, along with the phone that has text messages from Benson. Back in the meeting, Cap is shocked to see Stabler sitting among the other sex addicts, but Cap agrees to not give up his cover, despite how many rules Stabler's breaking.

Stabler tells Cap that he believes his bunkmate, Clay is the rapist who is attacking women he feels need redeemed after hearing the stories from other addicts in the meetings. Cap admits he told Clay the story about Falmouth. Back at the SVU, Cragen tells Stabler he needs to be positive before arresting Clay for rape. Stabler points out Clay's interest in Hinduism, his self-admitted love for young women, and his apparent injury on his forearm as all the evidence he needs.

Ann's childhood friend, Linda comes by the SVU after hearing the news of her attack. She runs into Cap and Cap asks if Linda remembers more of what happened in Falmouth during that one summer. Linda admits that while visiting Ann, Cap drunkenly seduced her one night. Cap is relieved to hear it was Linda he had sex on that night and not his daughter and that the sex was consensual. Linda tells Cap that the reason for the estrangement was out of anger when Linda confessed to her friend about the encounter.

Cap is now more determined than ever to find the man who attacked his daughter. Back in the sex addiction meeting, he and Stabler continue to suspect Clay for being the rapist. But, the men are thrown when Clay's forearm doesn't reveal a wound, but a fresh tattoo, explaining the bandages.

Stabler and Cap both realize the rapist is the other therapist on staff, Brett. He is the only one that is privileged to the same patient history that Cap is. Stabler and Cap also realize that Courtney is not in the meeting that morning. Stabler uses Cap's phone to call his phone, that's still in Courtney's possession. Courtney picks up and says she's at the closed down bar waiting for him to arrive. Stabler tells Courtney to get out of the bar as fast she can, realizing it was Brett who told her to meet him there. The hone call is cut when Brett attacks Courtney and ties her up, while wearing the mask.

Cap and Stabler arrive just in time before Courtney can be raped. Brett tells Cap that he's curing women including his daughter by having sex with them. Cap has a sudden change of heart about his stance on sex offenders and tells Brett he hopes they lock him up for life. Stabler arrests Brett on the spot.

Back at the hospital, Ann is still in a comatose state. Cap tells Benson and Stabler that his clinic has been closed down due to the broken patient/doctor confidentiality and for letting a cop in. Stabler tells Cap he realizes the help he was doing for some of his patients. Cap promises the detective that when Ann wakes up, he'll be by her side, along with her partner, Debbie.