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“ | The hottest sex you can have is with the widow of the man you just killed. | „ |
~ Robert Flynn bragging about killing a man and seducing his widow. |
Robert Flynn is the main antagonist of the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Video Killed the Radio Star". He is an arrogant, misogynistic radio host who rapes his business associate's wife and, 12 years earlier, murdered his business partner.
He was portrayed by Jake Weber, who also portrayed Karl Atwood in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Biography[]
Early life[]
A former corporate lawyer and Iraq War veteran, Flynn is an arrogant womanizer who is notorious for groping the wives and girlfriends of his business associates and forcing himself on them even when they say no. Several women have accused him of sexual harassment and assault, but he uses his legal skills to get himself out of trouble.
While still practicing law, Flynn formed a partnership with fellow corporate attorney Ken Cross, and became friendly with Cross and his wife Lola Simenon, unaware that they were both con artists with a history of defrauding their business associates. When Flynn found out that they were planning to scam him, he shot and killed Cross and made it look like a mugging. He then coerced Lola into sleeping with him by threatening to expose her to the police if she turned him down.
Flynn ultimately quit his law practice and became a satellite radio talk show host, specializing in right-wing commentary criticizing political correctness. His show becomes an overnight success, pulling in dozens of advertisers, including Mitch Kaplan, the CEO of a company that sells sleep apnea products.
"Video Killed the Radio Star"[]
Flynn runs into Kaplan and his wife Ellen at a benefit dinner, making several inappropriate comments to her right in front of her husband and groping her from behind when he is not looking. He then corners Ellen in a back room, where he overpowers and rapes her. She tells Kaplan about Flynn groping her but does not say anything about the rape.
The next day, Kaplan and Ellen go to the NYPD's Special Victims Unit and report the groping to Captain Olivia Benson, who had been at the benefit and noticed that Ellen seemed upset as she was leaving. When Kaplan is out of earshot, Ellen tells Benson about the rape, but says she does not want to press charges, as she fears that Flynn will ruin her husband's business. Nevertheless, the SVU team looks into Flynn's history of sexual abuse, determined to build a case against him.
Detective Amanda Rollins goes undercover to one of Flynn's book signings, and flirts with him to get him talking so she can record him saying something incriminating. When he tries to undress her, she fights him off, but is stunned to hear him brag about killing Cross. Thinking quickly, Rollins says that she is a private investigator hired by Kaplan to get dirt on him so they can sue. She then offers to spy on the Kaplans for him if he triples their price, to which Flynn agrees.
After they find evidence linking Flynn to Cross' murder, Detectives Fin Tutuola and Joe Velasco question Simenon about whether Flynn was involved. Simenon denies it, but then calls Flynn to warn him about the police looking into him, fearing that he will testify against her if he is arrested in order to get a lighter prison sentence. Flynn meets with Rollins and accuses her of telling the police about him, but she eases his suspicions by offering to connect him with a hit man to get rid of Simenon.
The following day, Rollins introduces Flynn to Velasco, who is posing as the hitman, and they agree in code to set up the hit, with Flynn giving a $10,000 down payment. Rollins and Velasco secretly record the meeting, but Assistant District Attorney Dominick Carisi Jr. tells them he cannot prosecute without proof of Flynn's motive. They make a deal with Simenon to confess to the scam she and Cross pulled on Flynn in return for a lenient sentence, thus providing the SVU team with everything they need to put Flynn in prison.
Knowing that criminal charges are imminent, Flynn tries to get ahead of the scandal by telling his audience that he and Ellen had consensual sex, and that the Kaplans are conspiring with the NYPD to frame him for rape and murder. Just then, however, Mitch Kaplan storms into Flynn's studio with a gun, having just learned the truth about what Flynn did to his wife. Flynn is not fazed and introduces his "guest" and belittling him, saying he does not have the guts to shoot anyone. Kaplan proves Flynn wrong, however, by shooting him twice in the chest, killing him. Kaplan is later charged with and imprisoned for Flynn's murder.
Trivia[]
- Flynn's arrest from a fake hitman sting is inspired by the Jack Lee Harelson case.
- Flynn's shooting by Kaplan is inspired by the fatal duel between Archibald Cunningham and Rob Roy in the namesake film Rob Roy.
External Links[]
- Robert Flynn on the Law & Order Wiki