The follow-up episode, which carries a warning for "violent images", opens with a brief depiction of the assault. It then veers from the television norm by devoting an entire hour to the immediate aftermath of the incident, as told from the survivor's point of view.
"You experience her version of the story, as opposed to how the police are dealing with it, or some other outside source," says KaDee Strickland, the actress who plays Charlotte. "You see the horror, but you also see the humanity."
Private Practice is the latest in a long line of prime-time television shows that have used rape, and its related issues, as fodder for dramatic storytelling. The teen series 90210, for example, features a character played by AnnaLynne McCord who has fallen into a downward spiral after being raped in a high-school classroom by a teacher. Two gritty cable series, Dexter and Sons of Anarchy, contain plot lines pegged to female characters who are survivors of gang rape.
And then there's the popular NBC drama Law and Order: SVU, which examines sexually based crimes on a routine basis and features a main character, Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson, who is a child of rape, and a survivor of sexual assault.
"Clearly, this subject matter still draws audiences," said Lisa M. Cuklanz, a Boston College professor and author of Rape on Prime Time: Television, Masculinity and Sexual Violence. "It's dramatic, emotionally challenging, and potentially controversial without touching on elements of party politics, as an issue such as abortion does."
Rape on TV, of course, is nothing new. The original Beverly Hills 90210 explored the subject long before its contemporary spin-off. Daytime TV also has a long tradition of examining the issue.
In recent years, Prof Cuklanz says, television has brought more nuance to its depictions of rape, and expanded its scope by examining subjects such as date and acquaintance rape. Mad Men, for example, generated talk when Joan (Christina Hendricks) was raped by her fiance during an office party.
Television, Prof Cuklanz adds, has the ability to trump the movies when it comes to plots involving rape because it can follow up on a character or case long after the initial crime, as Private Practice will do this season with the Charlotte plot line.
"This offers the potential for subtlety, changes of point-of-view, and character growth over time that are not easily accomplished in film," she said.
In portraying rape, Law and Order: SVU executive producer Neal Baer says the show strives to avoid showing the acts of violence on camera and instead focus on the "psychological aspect and complex issues" tied to a case. He says the subject will continue to be a major story thread this season.
SVU's Hargitay is a prime example of how a show's subject matter can affect one of its stars in a positive way. In 2004, she launched the Joyful Heart Foundation, a group dedicated to empowering survivors of assault and abuse. In a message on the foundation's website, Hargitay writes that her "eyes were opened" not just by the show's scripts, but by the many emails she received from viewers "disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time".
Likewise, Strickland says she has been deeply affected by the rape story line that begins on Private Practice tonight. While preparing for the role, she worked closely with RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), which put her in touch with two rape survivors.
"We did our homework. We tried to be as truthful and respectful as we could," she said of the episode written by executive producer Shonda Rhimes. "I believe survivors are going to be very pleased that they're going to be heard."
Strickland is also "thrilled" television is dealing with issues surrounding rape and sexual assault. "It's getting out there more. It's a positive sea change." And she vows Private Practice won't step "gingerly" around the subject.
"Unfortunately, there continues to be a stigma attached to it. Some people don't even want to talk about it," she said. "But this is stuff we need to hear. If we can help open a dialogue, or prompt people to go to the phone and get help, that would be awesome."
• Private Practice screens on Tuesdays at 9.30pm on TV2. Law and Order: SVU screens on Tuesdays at 9.30pm on TV3.
