This article's content is marked as Mature The page Mature contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
“ | If you think you're leavin' me, you're dumber than I thought. | „ |
~ Munson threatening his wife. |
Gary Munson is the main antagonist of the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes "Intersecting Lives" and "Heartfelt Passages". He is a corrupt corrections officer at Riker's Island who extorts sexual favors from female inmates, and rapes them if they do not give in. He is also responsible for the death of Special Victims Unit Sergeant Mike Dodds.
He was portrayed by Brad Garrett, who also portrayed Joe Bulo in Fargo.
Biography
Munson is a veteran corrections officer at Riker's Island, where he mostly supervises female inmates. He abuses his authority to extort sexual favors from the inmates, threatening to harm them and their families if they do not comply, and if they still refuse, he rapes them. He commits these rapes in the prison chapel, where there are no security cameras. His fellow corrections officers look the other way at his crimes, particularly his subordinate Orita Wilkins, who falsifies his time cards in return for extra vacation days to spend with her daughter.
He and his wife, Lisa, have two young children, Tommy and Annie. His father-in-law, Bob O'Brien, is the head of the NYPD Corrections Department, and got Munson his job despite personally disliking him. Munson's wife and children have no idea what he does behind closed doors, as on the surface, they appear to be an ideal family.
"Intersecting Lives"
When one of Munson's victims, Charisse McCabe, is granted parole, he stalks her and threatens to send her back to prison unless she has sex with him. Charisse complies, but afterwards tells her social worker Ken Randall what Munson did to her. Randall then tells his father, Special Victim Unit detective Fin Tutuola, Fin and Sergeant Mike Dodds investigate Munson under the pretense of trying to bust a prostitution ring run from within Rikers, and gather enough evidence to make a case against him for rape.
To keep Charisse from testifying against him, Munson has her and her boyfriend arrested on a fake charge, and then threatens to kill her if she tells on him. Charisse testifies anyway, however, with support from SVU Lieutenant Olivia Benson. Munson is arrested, but his fellow corrections officers uniformly refuse to help the prosecution, and even hire a hit man to threaten Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba, who is prosecuting the case.
"Heartfelt Passages"
On Benson's advice, Lisa gets tested for sexually transmitted diseases Munson may have picked up from the inmates; when the results come back positive, she calls a divorce lawyer and asks for Benson's help in getting her and the children out of their house before Munson hurts them. On the day they are supposed to leave, however, Munson threatens to kill Lisa if she tries to leave.
Benson and Dodds arrive at the Munson home, and Benson gets the children to safety, leaving Dodds alone to deal with Munson. When Lisa tries to leave with Dodds, however, Munson puts his service weapon against her head. Dodds tries to talk him down, but Munson resists, saying that, even if his life is over professionally, he refuses to give up his family, as well. When Dodds tries to take Munson's weapon, they struggle, and it goes off, hitting Dodds in the chest; he dies of his injuries later that day. Munson is then arrested and imprisoned for life for rape and murder.
External Links
- Gary Munson on the Law & Order Wiki