"Intimidation Game" is the fourteenth episode of the
sixteenth season of the
police procedural television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
''
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''. The episode aired on February 11, 2015 on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. In the episode, which was loosely inspired by the
Gamergate controversy
Gamergate or GamerGate (GG) was a loosely organized online misogyny, misogynistic online harassment campaign and a right-wing backlash against feminism, diversity, and progressivism in video game culture. It was conducted using the hashtag "# ...
, a female video game developer is harassed and threatened by a group of misogynistic cyber terrorists. The episode featured guest appearances from
Logan Paul
Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American media personality, podcaster, actor, and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is inactive due to a knee injury. He has over 23 m ...
,
Toby Turner,
Jack Vale and
James Ciccone
James Ciccone is an American actor. He appeared in three seasons as mob boss Carmine Patriccia in the HBO television drama '' The Deuce''.Deadline HollywoodMargarita Levieva To Star In HBO Drama Pilot ‘The Deuce’; Two Others Cast./ref>TV Wo ...
.
Synopsis
Video game developer Raina Punjabi (
Mouzam Makkar
Mouzam Makkar is an Indian-born American actress.
Early life and education
Makkar was born in Kerala, India, and raised in the United Arab Emirates. She moved to the United States when she was twelve. She graduated from the University of Illino ...
) ignores warnings from online predators as the release date of her game arrives. When a female employee is soon assaulted at a game convention, the detectives ask Punjabi to halt the game's release. When she refuses, Fin and SVU must race to protect her from technically skilled predators that want to see Punjabi out of the gaming business.
Reception
Critical response
Announced on January 29, 2015 and aired on NBC in the United States on February 11, 2015, the episode received negative reviews for its portrayal of
gaming culture and
sexism in video games
Sexism in video gaming is prejudiced behavior or discrimination based on sex or gender as experienced by people who play and create video games, primarily women. This may manifest as sexual harassment or in the way genders are represented in ...
.
Ratings
According to
TV by the Numbers
TV by the Numbers was a website devoted to collecting and analyzing television ratings data in the United States that operated from 2007 to 2020. It was a part of Nexstar Media Group's Zap2it television news/listings site.
History
An Internet a ...
, the episode's original broadcast was watched by 6.12 million viewers and acquired a 1.4 rating/4% share in the 18–49 demographic.
References
External links
*
''Law & Order: SVU''–Episode Guide–Intimidation Game
{{Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes
2015 American television episodes
Internet memes introduced in 2015
Television episodes directed by Jean de Segonzac