Gary Schmidt, a parkour enthusiast and wheelchair user with multiple sclerosis, loves to spend his weekends binge-watching “Law & Order: SVU.” The show is currently in a season number that is higher than the human counting system can accommodate. (For simplicity’s sake, we’ll call it season 𓅓 𓂀𓀐.)
While watching season 𓅓 𓂀𓀐, episode 15, Schmidt received a pleasant surprise.
One of the characters looked just like him and had MS just like him. Even better, the two have the same wheelchair: “The Big Rig,” known for its gigantic wheels and sleek exterior. Schmidt was, by every definition of the word, absolutely ELATED.
In the episode, the cops were searching for the murderer by following tire tracks that were oddly placed in and around the crime scene. The wild goose chase lasted 46 minutes (one hour with commercials — no, I will NOT ask my doctor about Ozempic, thank you very much!), until the cops discovered the truth: Those weren’t car tire tracks as they had assumed.
“I really hope the man with my disability and wheelchair is NOT the next victim or the murderer!” Schmidt said, laughing but knowing it could go either way. After all, disabled people are known to be both disproportionately victims of violent crime AND wrongfully incarcerated at high rates.
Well, we can’t always get what we wish for.
Somehow, in the episode, the Schmidt lookalike had used his wheelchair as a getaway vehicle, jumping between the tops of skyscrapers. That explained the strangely placed tracks. A little bit of a stretch for the writers’ room there, but can you blame them? After all, it IS season 𓅓 𓂀𓀐.
“At least the blood on the wheelchair wheels looks badass.” Schmidt shrugged.
When asked why HIS wheels had red liquid on them, he declined to comment.