What Was in Stabler’s Letter to Benson? (RECAP)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Law & Order: SVU Season 23 Episode 3 “I Thought You Were on My Side” and Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 Episodes 2 “New World Order” and 3 “The Outlaw Eddie Wagner.”]

“I require you,” Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) tells his previous associate, Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), in the hottest SVU and Structured Criminal offense crossover, but how accurately did he necessarily mean it?

The three-episode crossover has a lot of ground to cover. In addition to a scenario so major Stabler actions away from his undercover perform, Ellen Burstyn returns as his mom, Bernadette, who is bipolar. (She received an Emmy in 2009 for her visitor spot on SVU in Year 10’s “Swing.”) The promos have been teasing Stabler and Benson last but not least addressing that letter he wrote her and a thing it’s possible happening concerning them when he stops by her apartment. Did it dwell up to the hype? (Certainly, yes it did.)

“I Considered You Had been on My Side”

SVU is brought in right after Gabe (Rhys Coiro) sexually assaults a singer, Tara (Herizen Guardiola), and slaps her down the stairs at his club. But he’s well-connected — with cops and the DA’s office (nine arrests in 7 decades, all charges dropped) — and the other attendees declare they did not see anything. Tara manages to get him to threaten her for the duration of a contact, and the squad arrests him for rape and attempted murder.

As they shortly learn, Tara’s not Gabe’s 1st sufferer. But just as she’s prepared to testify and ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) is heading to carry it in advance of the grand jury, Sergeant Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) calls. “You’re not going to like this,” Stabler, who’s been MIA up until finally now with his undercover get the job done, tells Benson. And since Sergeant Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) awkwardly slipped into dialogue with Benson earlier that Phoebe needs to established Stabler up with her sister, let us do that listed here, also.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Gabe is an advisor to infamous intercontinental fugitive and Russian mafia boss Anton, and he’s ready to give him up (for what, Stabler simply cannot tell Benson yet). But SVU will be aspect of the takedown, the captain insists. Her previous companion promises he has her again, “trust me.” Her reply? “I guess I’ll have to.” That turns out to maybe be the incorrect shift, as for the duration of the takedown, Gabe pulls his gun, and Stabler shoots him in the shoulder. Was that aspect of them striving to make it glance fantastic? Benson cannot enable but ask. Was it part of a strategy? Possibly, because when Carisi goes to arraign Gabe at the medical center, the US Marshals have currently taken him into custody. Did Stabler lie?

He statements he didn’t know Gabe was remaining put into WitSec when he phone calls Benson right before likely back undercover. Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) is furious about the switch of functions and isn’t sure Stabler even cares about the victims, even though Benson reminds her he was in SVU even prior to she was. Having said that, as Rollins factors out she “used to” know him. She could possibly not anymore.

“New Environment Order”

Stabler returns to his undercover lifestyle as Eddie Wagner, and he burns down a warehouse and can’t prevent Albi (Vinnie Jones) from killing a gentleman he suspects of location fire to his small business. But the extra intriguing section of this op stays the Stabler and Bell scenes, in this situation when they meet up with in a confessional in a church. He hesitated when Albi pulls his gun because he felt like he experienced to show his loyalty, he confesses. Bell reminds him what he informed her when Gina died: from time to time they eliminate a couple to help you save a ton. But neither rather thinks that anymore. She gives to just take him out, but he insists he’s fantastic.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

The most fascinating aspect of the episode, of program, comes with Bernadette, who is arrested just after she slaps a young boy, imagining he’s her son. With Stabler undercover, Bell picks her up and brings her again to her place of work. When he joins her (with “hi, mama”), Bernadette doesn’t figure out him at 1st. Then it usually takes her a minute to remember he lived in Rome, he and Kathy frequented, and that his wife is lifeless. She meant to attend the funeral, she states, but she experienced an episode. She adjusted her products mainly because she felt Alright. “Your stunning bride,” she states, inquiring, “How was Olivia’s funeral?” He does not right her.

Stabler, his daughter Kathleen (Allison Siko), and his son Eli (Nicky Torchia) bring Bernadette dwelling. She refuses to go again to the hospital and says she’d fairly continue to be in her area and die if she has to. But “I’m 82 many years outdated, I just just cannot determine ordinary,” she admits. Arrive keep with her family members, they urge her. “I guess I’m not doing so nicely, am I?” Bernadette asks as Burstyn provides yet another Emmy-worthy efficiency. “You could be performing better,” Stabler tells his mom.

The greatest surprise has to be that Nova, the exact Marcy Killer prompt as another person they could probably transform, is a UC and has been for a extensive time. But why didn’t Sergeant Brewster (Guillermo Diaz) share this with his process power co-commander, Bell? “You could not hold your very own UC alive,” he states. Very low blow, Brewster!

Bennett Raglin/NBC

“The Outlaw Eddie Wagner”

Bridging the two Structured Crime episodes are the Albanians celebrating a gain and Stabler’s role in it — and he manages to get himself into the interior circle even just after he’s been drugged (by means of a kiss from a lady). He retains it jointly right until he finds himself at Benson’s condominium door. (That “I have to have you”? He requires assistance inside of.) And then it’s time for the instant everyone’s been waiting for: What was in the letter?!

“We never ever talked about what occurred,” he claims as she assists him settle in her living place. “I didn’t write the letter.” Benson is as stunned as we are, specifically when he reveals Kathy, his spouse, did. “It was her plan. … I tried, I tried using, and Kathy helped dictate.” So all the things about how “what we were to just about every other was hardly ever genuine and that we received in the way of each and every other remaining who and where we necessary to be?” Benson asks. Kathy. “And if there was a male in my daily life, you hope he’s the type, devoted, devoted man I deserved?” Kathy.

“But in a parallel universe, it will always be you and I,” Stabler says. “I wrote that. I slipped it in there ahead of sealing the envelope.” He begins toppling above, she stands to help him, he reaches up … and wakes up on Bell’s sofa the up coming morning. (Smart go, Benson.)

Will Benson and Stabler chat about what happened? As we around the conclude of the episode, it’s searching like there may well not have the possibility. Just after all, Albi caught Stabler subsequent him to a gay bar, took him out to the woods, and gave him a shovel. What generally happens subsequent: someone’s about to dig their own grave. But Stabler talks Albi out of killing him (“All I’m inquiring for you is my life, and in return … I will shield your key with my life”).

By the stop of the episode, the former partners have not related yet again, but Stabler is pretty substantially section of the interior circle, invited to be a part of Albi, Reggie (Sprint Mihok), and Kosta (Michael Raymond-James) into the personal conferences. So he receives a earn, but we’re caught waiting to obtain out in which this leaves Stabler and Benson.

Legislation & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC

Legislation & Order: Structured Crime, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC