Eli is thrown into the deep end on his first NYPD raid, putting him at greater odds with Stabler and his family. Stabler's investigation forces the Camorra's leader to come out of hiding and leads the team into mortal danger.
Stabler helped Isabella escape a dangerous situation. He offered her the opportunity for a better life. He could only keep her safe for so long though - a recurring pattern for him. He was grateful for her prior cooperation. She helped him find his footing during his time in Italy. That was crucial for his development as an officer. He reached out for support once more. Their families were connected in ways that became destructive. Eli killed Pietro. He feared the suspect was going to shoot. More experienced officers believed Pietro was going to lower his weapon. Eli is told how to respond in this situation. Stabler wants to help. Eli follows protocol. Isabella is left devastated upon learning another member of her family has been taken by the Camorra. She appreciates Stabler's help. However, he can't reliably protect her all the time. She decides to take action to secure her own life. She doesn't require his approval to do so. Her interests don't necessarily align with his. Of course, that creates some dynamic twists for the conclusion of this particular story. The narrative sets up a new big bad who was truly pulling the strings this entire time. It's a case of urgency bring prioritized over consistency. As such, it's difficult to say if the resolution is actually earned and rewarding. It simply provides a glimpse of Stabler knowing precisely what happened. He has no reason to feel like he let his confidential informant down.
Roman was previously seen as the head of the Camorra in New York. He led with confidence. Pietro idolized him. He convinced plenty of people to follow his orders. And yet, Isabella refused to believe he was the criminal mastermind. That's how he was presented previously. Everything was taken from him. His life changed because of his grandmother's actions. He strived to restore the dignity and legacy of their family. That motivation changes completely after he is shot. Instead, it's revealed that Rocco is no longer in prison. He escaped. Now, he and his other sister Lucia are in town destroying lives. Roman sacrificed himself in order to protect Isabella. He understood the decisions she made. He wanted to save her from the ire of her siblings. In doing so, he nearly lost everything. He trusted the parish priest. Roman is delivered to the family. His secrets are protected. Yet the true villains still loom over this world. They operate with complete confidence and certainty. Isabella, Roman and Gia have a plan after Stabler warns them about what's coming. They take down the criminals who wish to kill them. Stabler arrives at the scene to provide backup. He's all by himself. It's a solo mission for him. That's how much of the stakes of the narrative operate. He doesn't have to go at it alone in this job. That's how he frequently behaves though. That's always dangerous.
These actions obviously take a toil on Stabler and his family. The latest shooting is meant to be seen as more serious than everything else Stabler has done this season. The show only wants to treat the use of lethal force as a serious matter when Moses Warren from Internal Affairs shows up. He presents himself as an unlucky detective who gets assigned to cases involving members of the Stabler family. In reality, he asked to be the lead detective. He sees the danger that lurks within Stabler. He believes he is creating the next generation of bad police. Stabler has contempt for Eli being placed in that situation after only three weeks on the job. He doesn't believe he was properly prepared for the situation. Eli risked everything in the name of pleasing his dad. It's up to Becky to actually deliver that message. It's effective. But again, it was obvious that Eli wasn't passionate about joining the force. It was simply something he was doing to provide for his family. His dad made it work. He believed he could too. Bernadette sees two potential roads for him to go down. Eli could be an officer like his father or his grandfather. Of course, Stabler doesn't believe those are the only two options. The choice shouldn't be so binary for Eli. Yet he forces it on himself. He needs to prove how tough and honorable he is. Stabler worries about him. He's proud even though he doesn't always show it. He can't allow himself to be vulnerable. Doing so will only invite more pain in.
A final decision hasn't been made about Eli's future on the force. That remains unclear. Meanwhile, Stabler fears Isabella was killed because he had to handle another issue. The task force had to send out an alert for Lucia. The final beat shows that Isabella and Lucia traded places somehow. The unrecognizable body belonged to Lucia. Isabella made her escape to freedom once more. She lost a finger in the process. Yet she remained cunning enough to take advantage of this situation. Of course, she leaves her grandchildren behind. They had to fend for themselves. They succeeded in doing so. However, they were the key motivation for everything she did. It's odd to suggest that she would abandon them now. Sure, it's reasonable to assume that no one else can promise her ongoing protection. She can't rely on Stabler. She must take ahold of her own fate. The immediate threat is gone though. She escapes despite her siblings being dead. She made that happen. It's a conclusion. The story has nothing more to offer. The narrative pivots to the ongoing search for Joey. Randall and Vargas track him down to Amsterdam. That's progress. The rest of the task force will need to be brought in now. That's the future. Stabler sees the damage of the past. That doesn't prevent him from making the same mistakes all over again.
