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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit S17E04, Institutional FailS17E04

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit · Season 17

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 17 episode 4: Institutional Fail

Aired 7 October 201543 minRated TV-14

8.3TMDB · 6 votesMark watched

Where to watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17 in Australia

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 17 is streaming in Australia on Prime Video (subscription), Foxtel Now (subscription), Binge (subscription) and Disney+ (subscription, listed for the whole show). You can also buy it on Apple TV from $17.99 and Prime Video Store from $19.99.

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Availability checked 16 November 2026.

What happens in “Institutional Fail”

A malnourished toddler is found wandering and leads police to another ill child from the same home. The investigation eventually lands the Department of Child Services in hot water. Meanwhile, Chief Dodds tells Benson to expect some changes at her squad.

Episode summary: TMDB.

Before you watch

  • It is episode 4 of 23 of season 17, so watch episodes 1 to 3 first.
  • It runs about 43 minutes.
  • Directed by Martha Mitchell, written by Brianna Yellen, Julie Martin and Samantha Corbin-Miller.
  • TMDB users rate it 8.3 out of 10 (6 votes).

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit trailer

The official trailer for the series (no preview of this episode has been published).

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit trailerPlay video: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit trailer

Cast and crew of this episode

Writers
Brianna YellenJulie MartinSamantha Corbin-Miller
Guest stars
Scott William Winters as Robert 'Doom' DumasJosh Pais as Hank AbrahamWhoopi Goldberg as Janette GraysonSteve Rosen as Michael GuthrieMarissa Matrone as Maria Ana DeFeceoPeter Gallagher as William DoddsJoseph Lyle Taylor as Mickey D'AngeloYvonna Kopacz-Wright as Darby Wilder

Credits: TMDB.

More from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 17

Previous · S17E03Transgender Bridge30 September 2015Next · S17E05Community Policing14 October 2015
  1. E01
  2. E02
  3. E03
  4. E04
  5. E05
  6. E06
  7. E07
  8. E08
  9. E09
  10. E10
  11. E11
  12. E12
  13. E13
  14. E14
  15. E15
  16. E16
  17. E17
  18. E18
  19. E19
  20. E20
  21. E21
  22. E22
  23. E23

Every episode of Season 17Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode guide

Episode names, air dates, runtimes, stills and ratings: TMDB. Air dates are the first broadcast anywhere; where it streams is our daily Australian check.