Writing is taut, intelligently crafted and what is said by some of the characters leaves one in shock at what they're hearing and at how anybody could think like let alone say what is said. The direction lets the drama breathe while making sure that the tension and emotion never slipped. The music is not too melodramatic and is not used too much, even not being too manipulative in revelations. The production values are still slick and suitably gritty (without being too heavy in it).
This is a strong example of an episode where everything about it works. To me, this is still a brilliant episode and one of the best of Season 7. That's why the episode has such a big shock factor, not to mention that it is a case that leaves one reeling more than once. But it is not the episode or the writers that are being hateful or discrimatory, "Raw" is an episode that features very bigoted characters and is about the truly frightening extent at how such a hate group act and think. It is understandable as to why some will not think so, with a lot of hateful terminology being used that really shocks one to the core.
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"Raw" actually does manage to do that, while having full impact. It also dealt with one of the most difficult subject matters of Season 7, with it being quite hard to make something in good taste out of a subject that will leave many feeling a lot of anger and disgust due to the extreme bigotry of the supporting characters. On first watch "Raw" blew me away, with very few 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit' episodes shocking or terrifying me this much. Great to see that there are others also in love with "Raw", having seen more mixed reviews elsewhere. A deep and emotional episode with a huge bunch of crazy twists.
I loved how her story arc would continue through a few more episodes through the series, including the heartbreaking 'Secrets Exhumed" episode (And pretty much every case Elliot would end up getting hurt or shot being around her, like a jinx). You don't see it coming, and it's so brutal and chilling as violence spews through the courtroom.and the shocker of 'Star's' true identity came completely out of the blue. The 2nd is in the infamous shoot-out, which still awes me to this day.
The look on Munch's face when she makes a very racist comment on his race was so incredibly hateful that you thought that he would lose his cool, even after she slaps him. Two particular scenes with her stand out: When we first see her, she's a woman named "Star", who's a member of a White Supremacy group that maybe behind the shootings. The episode also starts a story arc with Marcia Gay Harden's FBI agent Dana Lewis. This episode of "Law and Order:SVU" shows how deep racism poisons society in such an incredibly scary way that there are times that I often wonder if we as a human race will ever accept tolerance in any way, shape or form.