An abhorrent web of lies and betrayal is uncovered when a woman is confronted with video of a night she can't remember. Carisi struggles to move on from his ordeal when the suspect changes his plea.
Katharine Vernon was stunned by what happens to her after taking sleeping medication. It's not just natural side effects listed by the pharmacist either. Her husband Harris was poisoning her. He was drugging her into a state so he could enjoy watching others rape her. He played out his fantasy. He did so with no consideration for his wife. Katharine believed she had a happy and healthy marriage. They've been together for many years. Yet they were only happy because the truth was being withheld from her. Harris gaslit her into doubting herself. She doesn't want to believe the truth once Olivia presents the evidence. It's damning. It's hard to believe. Yet all the facts line up. Harris wasn't being honest in any of his communications. He pretended to be his wife online in order to set up these encounters. He was deceitful in every step of the process. Others are punished for their roles in the endeavors too. It's all exposed because one woman fortunately had a private investigator following her husband and recorded the one time he visited the couple. That was all the damning evidence necessary to blow up these families.
It's such a fascinating story driven by Amy Landecker's guest performance as Katharine. That provides gravitas to the situation in a way that is sometimes lacking from the show in its advanced age. Leland Orser as Harris has less nuance and complications to portray. Yet he still provides the sinister hint that provides the monstrosity of the central act. Everything starts off in such a scandalous way. It's fairly conventional too. The couple walk outside to realize their house has been vandalized with the word "whore." At work, they are each separately given the video exposing the affair. It's more than what Annette Gallagher initially thought. Her husband is guilty of sexual assault. He will spend years in jail for going along with this scheme. He didn't stop even though it was clear Katharine wasn't in a state to provide informed consent. Harris exploited his position at work to coerce a colleague into a similar situation. That didn't have the same criminal connotations because of a lack of evidence. The detectives know how long Tommy's assault on Katharine was because of the video. The system has to accept the ambiguity as it pertains to the other encounters arranged by Harris.
All of this is channeled through the uncertainty of Carisi's mind as he returns to work. He was held hostage. The criminal case against his abductor is still pending. He and Olivia share their opinions about that. Meanwhile, Rollins shows up repeatedly just to check on him. She also appreciates Olivia and Curry giving him something to do. He is surrounded by friends who provide crucial backup. He isn't by himself in the precinct. He can rely on other professionals to enhance the case and investigate further. In the courtroom though, he's all by himself. It's up to him to present the case. He aims to convict Harris. He must lay everything out to the jury. He must prove the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The pressure is entirely on him. It's isolating. He fails to object when the defense counsel attacks Katharine on the stand. The victim has questions about Carisi's ability to protect her. In this arena, the walls are closing in. He's forced to reckon with how powerless he feels. He's right back in the deli watching people die and be assaulted. He served as a connection to the outside world. He understood how the system operates. He still needs to function within it. That engagement is crucial to secure victory.
Everything reaches its conclusion because of additional evidence Tommy and Annette provide. Harris hurt his case by intimidating a witness. He made the Gallaghers believe that if they held strong together the case would be dismissed. In exchange, he would pay off their mortgage. These two families come from different worlds. Harris tried to buy their support. When asked to do the right thing by Carisi, they step up. It's for the selfish reason of receiving a reduced sentence. Jail time is still imposed for Tommy. It also ensures Carisi doesn't have to send this case to the jury. Instead, a deal is made that plays to Harris' ego. He needs to apologize to his wife and admit to his crime in court. It has the potential to provide the same satisfaction he received when watching the crime in the first place. Afterwards, Katharine believes her entire life has imploded. Everything will be different moving forward. It's on Olivia to remind her that's a good thing. That's the satisfaction delivered. The truth was unveiled. Katharine sees who her husband truly was. She relied on the system to get justice. It worked in the end despite obstacles along the way. Meanwhile, Carisi accepts that he can lean on his family and loved ones for support as he continues to recover from what he endured.
