Stabler struggles to keep his rank as part of the farm's inner circle when his biggest ally is questioned. The team discovers the identity of their top target but are too late to stop the arrival of his newest shipment.
Trisha spent months undercover earning Angus' trust and becoming one of his top lieutenants. Meanwhile, Stabler comes in and accomplishes that same feat in just a matter of days. The show really doesn't have the adequate time to analyze the gender dynamics of that disparity. It's just important for Stabler to make quick progress. That's viewed as the energy necessary to keep the narrative moving forward. The two undercover operatives have different protocols as well. Trisha makes contact with her ATF colleagues at scheduled intervals. Meanwhile, Stabler is left on his own for long stretches of time. The task force isn't even aware of the shootout until they visit the crime scene and gather the evidence. They still reliably provide backup when it's necessary. However, Stabler must be more creative in making contact. Even then, people have to be receptive on the other end. Vargas cracks the morse code signal eventually. That doesn't quite make up for him missing it in the middle of the night. That allowed Trisha to come to the brink of death before the cops came in making their arrests.
Angus only learns he has a government mole because his boss provides him with nearly all the evidence. Julian Emery is the true target of Trisha's investigation. Infiltrating Angus' group was the only opening to exploit. She saw an opportunity to get close. And now, she has to rely on Stabler to get that information. None of it is readily available either. Angus proclaimed he was ready for war. The compound is on lockdown. No one can come in or out. Instead, Angus and Julian meet to negotiate the final terms of their partnership. Angus wants out. He believes he can walk away after paying back the initial loan that was given to him with interest. Julian wants him to complete one last job. He doesn't even provide any details about what must be done. He only exposes Trisha's true identity. That's enough to create chaos. The narrative quickly proves Julian has the vast resources and influence to essentially do whatever he wants. He operates with top-grade technology. He has contacts within the government. He's evaded the law for a long time. And now, it will require everyone to work together to take him down.
Angus doesn't want to kill a marine. However, he will do so if Trisha is proven to be a traitor. Stabler tries to help. He doesn't remove her phone though. He continually insists they should make a run for it. They need to both escape now. They can't wait. She's still beaten. Angus prepares her death. He can't abide by the government trying to interfere with his business. He isn't anti-government. He feels great honor towards his military service. That provided him with purpose. Now, he channels that energy in providing a community to help his fellow veterans. His morality was corrupted by money. That provided more resources. He simply made a bad deal in order to make it happen. He must now deal with the consequences. He's forced to do things he never would have accepted previously. It's the only way out. It's really only because of his trust of Stabler that lives are saved. Even then, it's devastating for him to realize he has been fooled yet again. Two moles were operating within his organization. They each gained his trust and used him for information.
Angus still has a way out of this dire situation. Stabler informs him they have a common enemy. Julian remains the true target. He's responsible for killing Sam. Of course, that also requires Stabler to reckon with him deeply embedded his own family is within this investigation. He took the case because of the corruption it brought onto Joey. It was a way for Stabler to be proactive. Yet he was in the dark about how involved Joey has been with Julian. Randall shares everything his brother has missed over the last few days. That even includes a cryptic tease from Eli. Family has always been important to Stabler. It's still way too easy for him to get lost in the demands of work. That's true now despite all the personal growth he has shown over the course of the series. This season has made him confront his relationships with family. Joey is in trouble. He boards Julian's plane as a co-conspirator now. Stabler was in that location too. Their paths didn't cross. Joey insists he knows what he's doing. He's more than just the troubled younger sibling. Yet the continued pain he causes has wrecked so much damage on this family. Randall and Elliot are united. They haven't worked in tandem since their failed intervention though. Instead, they took different paths that still haven't saved Joey from this mess.
