Stabler works with Isabella to reveal who is behind the Camorra before there's an all-out war. Reyes goes undercover with Los Santos as they seek revenge.
Stabler, Eli and Becky were shot at on the street in front of their apartment. It's the latest traumatic event Stabler has endured this season. He has been in and out of the hospital. His family is worried about him. The department needs him to talk to someone before returning to duty. The process has been much faster here than in the past. It's important for him to be working. That provides his life with purpose. He devotes all his time and energy into it. He's thrown by the frequency with which Eli shows up at various crime scenes too. He worries about his job. Stabler believes he has mastered compartmentalization. He doesn't take the time to process all that has happened to him. He understands that danger is part of the job. His reaction to this trauma is seen. He wasn't the only person present for it though. Eli and Becky are moving out. It's played off as Randall finding an apartment for them. It's not a reaction to being shot at. Yet that trauma obviously lingers. It informs the final moment for Eli. That highlights the ways in which the lives of these families are connected. It started back in Italy and traveled to New York. They can never outrun the past. Nor can Stabler and Isabella prevent generational trauma from being passed down.
Law enforcement looks to the task force for information about the new power player in the city. Bell and Vargas are still gathering information. Stabler has an informant to exploit. He also treads carefully not knowing what Isabella's true intentions are. It overwhelmingly seems like Roman invited this disaster onto their family once more. Isabella was genuine in her desire to get out of the Camorra. She escaped to a better life. She provided opportunities to her grandchildren. Roman only sees all that was taken away. Now, he strives to restore that family in his new home. He takes advantage of the power vacuum. He doesn't need to abide by the code that has defined organized crime in this city for so long. The task force has done an effective job in arresting these criminals and disrupting their operations. Los Santos struggles under new leadership. That created an opening for Reyes to infiltrate. He could quickly go undercover and be trusted. Everyone acts carefully. Reyes couldn't tell the task force ahead of time about the pending ambush. Both sides of this war were ready. Lives were lost on both sides. As such, it's impossible for either to truly present strength. Instead, the narrative strives to uplift the ideals of what these organizations try to offer. It's the suggestion of family while still fundamentally being about one person's pursuit of power.
Pietro takes the recent deaths hard. He saw them as family. Roman positioned them as soldiers. They had a job to fulfill. They were successful. Their deaths aren't significant. He appreciates having as many men serving him as possible. However, they are largely expendable. Pietro is desperately trying to prove himself to his older brother. Stabler picks up on that. Everyone is right to be concerned about what's going on with him. It's too late to turn back. He made his choices. The narrative tried to protect him. Reyes didn't kill Pietro when he had the chance. He let the kid go. The task force understands the players in this conflict. They still require backup from their fellow officers. With Jet gone, the office looks more empty than ever before. New blood isn't coming in to offer a fresh perspective. Instead, the narrative relies on what each of these characters do best. That's comforting to a certain extent. At times, it feels like the story playing out exactly how it has in the past. The only difference is that the characters get to swear now that the show is a streaming exclusive. That's notable. The underlying narrative remains largely the same. Stabler identified one person close to the case with conflicted views. He gets close. That creates complications. It still promises to have a lasting impact because Eli shoots and kills Pietro.
Roman escapes the final showdown. Sure, he's been shot too. His injuries will need to be addressed. However, the more daunting emotional concern comes from Stabler realizing what his son has just done. Eli is immediately in shock. He doesn't have a personal connection to the Spezzano family. Stabler and Isabella know the personal details of each other's families. Eli knew who Isabella was when she visited the apartment. Stabler was frustrated with his son for reporting the interaction. He wants to keep his personal and professional lives separate. That's impossible in this case. Isabella feels a close bond with Stabler even though they can't tell each other everything. Stabler is determined to prevent the Camorra from getting a foothold in the city. It means causing more pain and suffering for Isabella. She has already lost multiple members of her family through this lifestyle. That's why she wanted to escape. The desire for family and protection remained strong in the next generation. It's alluring. Similarly, Eli sees the structure policing can provide especially for an expecting family. Yet he must now endure the psychological trauma of being responsible for someone else's death. Stabler doesn't always cope with that decision well. He remains on conditional release as the therapist wants more sessions with him. The drama doesn't stop while he works on himself. He's been through this process countless times. No one can offer any meaningful insight he hasn't heard before. But now, his son is going through the exact same thing. His life will be changed as a result of the decision Eli fears he had to make.
