What is "zebras"

n. (plural of zebra English)

"Zebras" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the tenth season of the police procedural television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the show's 224th episode overall. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the United States on June 2, 2009. In the episode, an open-and-shut case against a mentally disturbed murderer, played by Nick Stahl, is blown when a forensics technician makes a technical error. As Elliot and Olivia investigate additional murders believed to be the work of the same killer, they uncover a plot within their own department.

The episode was written by Amanda Green and Daniel Truly, and directed by Peter Leto. It was the final appearance of Mike Doyle, who had played forensics technician Ryan O'Halloran since 2003 and appeared on the show more than 50 times; the character was killed by fellow technician Dale Stuckey ( Noel Fisher) as part of a surprise twist conceived by executive producer and showrunner Neal Baer. "Zebras" also included guest appearances by Kelly Bishop, Judith Light and Carol Kane as Gwen Munch, the conspiracy theorist ex-wife of Detective John Munch; Kane had previously played the same role opposite actor Richard Belzer in a 1997 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street.

According to Nielsen ratings, "Zebras" was watched by 11.34 million viewers, making it the highest-rated show of the night and the series' most watched episode in more than a year. The episode received higher ratings than Inside the Obama White House, a one-hour special documenting one day in the White House of U.S. President Barack Obama, which aired earlier in the evening on NBC and was seen by 9.1 million viewers.