When several bodies are found in a seaside town, Stabler navigates the politics and secrets of the close-knit community to find a potential serial killer. Jet brings a witness under her protection. Tensions rise when Stabler skips his IAB meeting.
Chief Meredith Bonner is proud of the idyllic community she calls home. Generations of her family have prospered in Westbrook. They have each been trusted with positions of authority to maintain that picture perfect reality. It requires close connections amongst the people. They have to each buy into the idea of what this place is and can be. However, it's truly a hotbed for corruption. The people with generational wealth and connections continue to prosper. Meanwhile, nothing really changes for the working class who just have to accept that the people in power will largely protect their own. Nine bodies are discovered. A serial killer has used this town as his hunting ground. The parties thrown by District Attorney Noah Cahill are infamous. They are also where the killer found his victims. Stabler provides a behavioral analysis into how this guy operates. He has dealt with plenty in the past. He's also battling a town outside of his jurisdiction that doesn't want to embrace change no matter how serious the crimes turn out to be.
Chief Bonner isn't the most prominent authority figure in Westbrook either. Instead, her father, Judge Clay Bonner, controls everything. He protects the people he deems worthy. It's all a network of connections and favors. He gets things done. He does so under the vision of preserving the identity of the community. He immediately throws Stabler out of the interrogation room because he isn't welcome here. The judge knows that Stabler is suspended. He has no business offering his input in this investigation. That's in contrast to his daughter who desperately values the expertise Stabler offers. She has never had to contend with a crime like this before. She can't fathom a local being capable of this violence. Stabler highlights how the killer hides himself through distinct personalities. He wants to reassure others that they are safe. And yet, recent history has proven him incapable of delivering on that promise. He saved Rita. She still wound up dead. He asks Jet to keep Heidi safe. The killer still steps in to taunt the detective who threatens the luxury he has operated under for a long time.
All of this is happening while Stabler is under investigation by Internal Affairs. He doesn't believe he did anything wrong. He did what was necessary to protect Bell. A child was injured. The system has to look into Stabler's actions. That calls into question his pattern of behavior. It suggests that he really hasn't changed his ways after so many years on the job. He is still just as violent and insubordinate as he always was. He has simply been protected because of the results he produced. He's good at his job. He makes life more difficult for others. That's especially true now that the police have to be more careful with their actions. They can no longer get away with heinous abuses of the law. Things have worked in their benefit for a long time. That can't be tolerated. It's difficult for those systems to change. Judge Bonner still expects gratitude when he takes action. He believes his son is the killer lurking in this community. As such, he frames Cahill for the crime. Stabler and the Chief don't immediately buy into that story. It still presents plenty of people in this community as dangerous and imposing when others threaten their way of life.
People aren't well-equipped to confront the ugly realities of who they truly are. Stabler is thrown by the idea that he is just like his father. This isn't the first time those parallels have been drawn. However, his family has been heavily involved this season. He runs out of the city to explore a different case. Yet he can't escape from what haunts his past. He's still traumatized by Kathy's murder. He just lost an informant and Rita. These have each been hard losses. He is still capable of doing the job. He's trustworthy. He offers expertise when it's necessary. Yet he can't take a break to deal with his internal struggles. Reyes is taking that leave. He loves his job. His presence in the task force is making things difficult elsewhere. He recognizes that problem. He's doing something about it. He can't prevent his divorce. That has been a long time coming. He can still be there for his kids. That's his priority right now. He can't waste this opportunity. He'll be back. He wants his friends to accept this decision. They work together as a team. However, they each have their individual lives they must experience. That's easier for some than others. Many haven't balanced it well in the past. That has produced a lot of drama. It's at an inflection point for Chief Bonner and her community. She isn't the only one dealing with this new turmoil though. It remains at the heart of the entire narrative.
