As Bell and the squad come up with a plan to bring the Westbrook case officially into their jurisdiction, Chief Bonner struggles with unanswered questions about her past and her beloved town. Stabler learns the outcome of his IAB investigation.
Chief Meredith Bonner is grateful Stabler opened her eyes to the truth. Everything she knew about her family was a lie. Her brother was a serial killer. Her father killed her mother. Corruption runs rampant throughout Westbrook. It's not an innocent seaside community where neighbors look out for one another. The powerful have built their legacies on the suffering of innocent lives. Stabler arrived in town in search of a missing woman. He uncovered a vast murder plot. And now, he exposes a corruption ring that profited to the tune of billions of dollars annually. Bonner has been forced to do things she never imagined before. That's the power of the truth. She reckons with it. She can no longer be blind to what has long defined her family. She ran away from the turmoil in the past. She must stand firm in the present. Now, the time is ripe to take down her father for the corruption he has prospered under for decades. He did everything in the pursuit of family. He ultimately lost it all because he could no longer control those around him. Even then, he's unwilling to take everything away from his daughter.
Moreover, the story finally provides a proper justification for the organized crime task force having jurisdiction over this matter. Sure, the unit doesn't operate out of their office. They continue to meet in their respective apartments. They each make the journey to Westbrook to be active on the ground. It's more personal for Stabler. He cares more about this than the internal affairs investigation against him. It's up to others to fight on his behalf. He depends on that advocacy despite the numerous rules he breaks. He's not operating under any official capacity in Westbrook. And yet, he proves himself to be a trustworthy partner. He believes in the truth as it all comes to light. He fights to free innocent lives who have been sentenced to prison for years. Judge Bonner abused his power to silence anyone who threatened the life he created. It seems impossible that he was in the dark about his son's activities. The press doesn't believe that. The audience knows better. Meanwhile, Chief Bonner offers true sincerity. She was oblivious. That allowed her to thrive to a certain extent. In the end, anything more required the truth being known and addressed. She is willing to accept any consequences that may come next. She now has the opportunity to build a new legacy.
Stabler and Bonner's lives are in danger momentarily too. That presents as the only viable way for the criminal cabal to handle this threat to their livelihoods. Judge Bonner is hardly the only power player trying to preserve his standing in the community. Others have a vested interest in the outcome as well. He managed those competing egos. He invited them into the prosperity. He feels empowered to take it away. When they go after Meredith, he kills all of them. The task force didn't believe they could arrest the judge for the murder of his wife. They went after him for different crimes. However, he's still ultimately charged with murder. Stabler and Bonner stumble upon the latest gruesome scene. They diffuse the situation. It's still a violent conclusion. Other co-conspirators escaped. They will all be held accountable. The proper amount of justice is applied. Stabler and Bonner operate with that established trust. That's hardly the only relationship where Stabler leans on others to produce results. Captains Cragen and Bell handle the IAB investigation for him. Again, the truth exposes where the misguided feelings truly belong. Stabler is now back on the job. He never truly left. This journey still maintains a personal connection despite his commitment to the work.
Stabler always had a complicated history with his family. Others yearn for a better relationship with him. That also requires secrets to be revealed. Randall previously shared that their father was abusive. Once that statement was made, it's easier for Randall to detail how covering it up shaped many memories for Stabler. They had dramatically different childhoods. Stabler idolized his father. And now, Joe Jr. idolizes Stabler. Of course, everyone recognizes that something is off with the youngest sibling. He's become addicted to heroin. That's a concern for the future. Right now, the conversation shifts to how the family patriarch actually died. It was suicide. He was a dirty cop. Stabler made those discoveries previously. He chose to hold them close as a way of honoring the memory. He isn't the only person tasked with carrying the truth. Randall held the family secrets for years. He unburdens himself here. Bernie is still around to offer these revelations too. Stabler must grapple with that. Everything has become so personal for him. He deflects with the job. And yet, the parallels were strong between his life and Bonner's. They were each blind to the truth. Once they know precisely what happened, they can never go back to that bliss. They have to find a new way to thrive with that understanding. It's hard. They have the tools and support to make it work. They just have to trust in those instincts.
