A cartel kingpin lands back on the streets of New York City, leaving bodies in his wake. Stabler teams up with a friend from his early detective days to track him down, but they encounter more questions than answers in the search.
A lot of violence has happened to Stabler. He has been responsible for a lot of violence inflicted on others too. He knows how to compartmentalize the demands of the job. He's been faced with new worries now that Eli is on the force as well. He loves him. He knows everything will be alright eventually. Right now, plenty of darkness has come into their lives. It's full of uncertainty. It could easily lead them astray. Yet they have each other. That's the resounding message that occurs during the final moments of this episode. It comes after an hour in which Stabler is forced to interact with the darkest possible outcome of this mindset. He reunites with a former friend on the job. It comes after another several of their former colleagues have been killed. ADA Frasier and Detective Tommy DaSilva were trying to get the head of the Mexican cartel, Miguel Olivas, to confess to every crime he has ever committed. Instead, they are ambushed during their session. They are brutally murdered. Stabler seeks justice for their families. Meanwhile, the NYPD strives to apprehend one of the most dangerous criminals who is suddenly free once more. The drama and stakes are heightened. However, the episode structure revolves around every plot point being relevant at some point. And so, the narrative must create circumstances that are important even if they don't consist of what has previously occurred.
Reyes has been assigned to a different task force. He believes he is making progress in busting stash houses throughout the city. He knows he's chasing something big. He knows someone on the force is tipping off the El Salvadorians. He can't connect all the pieces together. Instead, Stabler and McKenna are the ones who realize DaSilva had been working for the cartel. He was killed to cover up all loose ends. He accepted this work in order to better provide for his family. That was more important. The people on the job are hardened based on what they've experienced. Stabler remains haunted by what he has done. He's even encouraged to openly break the rules and embrace violence to catch Olivas. Bell can't tolerate McKenna's behavior within her unit. He crosses the lines openly. He threatens the family of Olivas' girlfriend to coerce his escape plan out of her. It's effective. It's incredibly compromising too. That's even more apparent when it's revealed McKenna was responsible for the deaths of Olivas' wife and daughter. It's a tragic backstory. Again, it highlights the grim nature of the job. It's not as if the show was upbeat and optimistic before this moment. This all fits in the overall tone of the narrative. It serves as a contrast to what Stabler could become if he remains jaded. It's simply a bit jarring given how condensed all of this becomes.
The escaped fugitive plot only lasts for this episode. Stabler must get to know who McKenna is now. That's the only way to figure out this mystery. McKenna is a mess. He carries the shame of what his actions caused. He thought he could control the situation. He was obsessed with the hunt for Olivas. Ultimately, he was just as villainous. He can't move on from that moment. Nothing can offer him peace. And so, he lives a sad life in a small apartment with no expression of himself outside of work. The walls are covered with details of the case. McKenna was direct with his accusation against DaSilva. Stabler was reminiscing over the past. His life was saved by his fallen friend. So much has changed since then. They are all still on the job. The consequences of this work have caught up to each of them. Stabler is positioned as the most stable. That's shocking considering all that he has endured and his reluctance to address it. It could always get worse. That's the reassuring message conveyed here. It's awkward because it doesn't offer much consistency. It simply suggests that Stabler still functions perfectly fine. He doesn't have to grow. In fact, he's the hero because he saves Olivas' life. He didn't give in to the violent urges everyone else was encouraging. He has changed working alongside Bell. That's evident. But again, the narrative paints a bleak picture of what the job truly is for so many. No one feels heroic because they can't be violent any more. That's not the only way to function. Stabler proves that. He finds peace. It remains elusive to others.
