‘Law & Order: SVU: Why Detective Munch Once Walked Down the Street Screaming About Conspiracy Theories – ‘Brainwaves!’
There have been a number of popular characters over the years in Law & Order: SVU. One of those is certainly John Munch (Richard Belzer), who works his way up the ranks to Sergeant. Although he eventually retires, he’s in the series regularly from season 1 to season 15.
There have been many memorable scenes with Munch in the past, and he once walked down the street screaming about conspiracy theories. It’s truly a memorable scene, and we have all the information you need to know.
Detective John Munch
Munch worked for the Baltimore Police Department as a homicide detective in the series Homicide: Life on the Street. Upon leaving Baltimore and retiring, he decided to move to New York City, and he found himself a detective once again in SVU. He has three partners over the years – Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters), Monique Jeffries (Michelle Hurd), and Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice-T).
However, one partnership seems to be preferred by fans over all the rest, and that’s the one Munch and Fin share for seven years. From season 2 in 2000 to season 8 in 2007, these two had each other’s backs. Although they didn’t always get along at first, they end up being great friends that constantly rip on each other, but it’s all in good fun. Munch and Fin were always going back and forth with witty banter and constant jokes.
In season 15 in 2013, Munch retires as a Sergeant from the department, and he’s now employed as a DA investigator. But he does make an appearance In season 15, episode 24 called “Spring Awakening” and season 17, episode 20 called “Fashionable Crimes.”
Munch once went undercover as a homeless person in a memorable scene
In season 10, episode 6 called “Babes,” Munch has to go undercover when a homeless person, who happens to be a schizophrenic, is killed after being set on fire after also being castrated, according to the episode’s Fandom page.
Munch plays the part in hopes of drawing out the perpetrators when the detectives think it could be people terrorizing and attacking the homeless called “Street Cleaners.”
“So we just introduce them to the laziest, filthiest bum they’ve ever seen,” Fin says referring to Munch. Next, viewers see Munch walking down the street shouting, “They’re watching us! The CIA! Brainwaves!”
Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) watches alongside Fin and says, “I gotta say, the man does crazy good.”
However, Fin informs him that Munch says stuff like that all the time. “Good? This is the same old crap he says every day only louder.” He also admits it doesn’t seem to be working. It’s true that Munch is known to believe in conspiracy theories, and it’s a popular topic of conversation for him.
“The Illuminati are after us, or after you!” Munch continues shouting as he continues down a street. “Nobody’s after me. Is anybody after me?”
Suddenly, Munch is ambushed and attacked by the Street Cleaners. Although he’s hit with a bat, he seems to be OK, and the other detectives move in. But it turns out the members of the group aren’t actually involved.
What happens in the episode?
The detectives track down a group of girls in a pregnancy pact together when the evidence (an electric match) leads them to a high school. It turns out the victim who was killed, Josh Galli, had intercourse with a girl in the pact named Tina Bernardi (Brittany Robertson), who is pregnant. Her brother, Alec Bernardi (Phillip Ettinger), killed Josh thinking he sexually assaulted his sister.
There’s another element to the case though. Fidelia Vidal (Jessica Varley), the one who started the pact, dies in what appears to be a suicide after the arrest of the adult man who got her pregnant. But it was her ex-boyfriend, Max Matarazzo (Jesse McCartney), who killed her by strangulation.
Tina and Alec’s mother is charged after she sends hateful and taunting e-mails to Fidelia, but then they’re dropped when the truth comes to light. But she is then taken to jail for assault after attacking ADA Kim Greylek (Michaela McManus) in court.
However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tina is connected with Josh’s father, Tom Galli (Michael Badalucco), through Stabler. Tom will help Tina with her child despite her mother and brother going to jail.
The episode will always be a memorable one because of Detective Munch’s undercover role as a homeless person.
