Natalie Relais (Betty Gilpin) is the main villainess from "Learning Curve," episode 13.21 of Law & Order: SVU (airdate May 9, 2012).
Backstory & Introduction[]
She was a teacher Millicent Fawcett School and was romantically involved with her co-worker Joanne Parsons. The kept their relationship mostly meeting up at Parsons' home, in secret. At some point, they broke up.
Eventually, Relais took an interest in teenage student Luca Gabardelli and seduced him into a sexual relationship. During one of their encounters, they were caught by Parsons in the library and Relais was confronted on her deplorable by the latter. Relais promised to stop but in reality, she and Luca continued the affair. After Luca's grades go down, she convinced him to frame new teacher Rick Sims as a sexual predator. This led to Sims being attacked by BX9, a vicious street gang who was hired by Luca's vengeful father Ray.
Heel Turn[]
When SVU detectives investigate and find the facts don't add up, they realize Luca was lying and Relais betrays Parsons by convincing Luca to accuse her and even provides details of Parsons' body and home to make it believable. As a result, Parsons suffers a breakdown and has to be hospitalized. She reveals Relais was the one who assaulted Luca and reveals she walked in on them and Relais deceived her into thinking she'd stop, which caused her to withhold this news. Natalie was questioned and she fervently denied the accusations, stating she was an educator. However, the detectives were not convinced and the truth reached Luca's father who was in fact proud of his son because of Relais' attractiveness.
Climax and Death[]
The detectives were closing into arrest Relais, but she ends up murdered by Luca, who enters a standoff with SVU. Luca revealed to Det. Nick Amaro that he approached and Relais to run away with him to escape the police. However, she revealed that she was ending the relationship because she was actually engaged to a man in L.A. and was only using Luca and Parsons as flings, before she married her fiancé. Luca pleaded to her, but she laughed at him and grabbing a knife, he flew into a blind rage and killed her by stabbing her repeatedly. Staring at her body, a guilty Luca surrendered to the cops who took him away.
Post-mortem, her death exposed all her crimes and exonerated all those who were accused.