Using the alias Eddie Wagner, Stabler infiltrates an Albanian crime family.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Love Theme: The Benson Stabler theme from last season returns, making an appearance when Agnieszka Bogdani reads Stabler’s coffee grounds.Reggie: She wants to know why you don’t tell her how you feel.Elliot: [confused] Why I don’t tell her how I feel?Reggie: The person you love.
- Karma Houdini: Richard Wheatley gets all the RICO, conspiracy, and laundering charges dropped against him because of information he gave to the feds. But he's still on the hook for the murder of Kathy Stabler.
- Mob War: Averted - A member of the Marcy Killers robs the drugs of a rival Albanian gang. The KO declared war but then the war was stopped when the Marcy Killers returned the drugs and proposed a business alliance.
- Reading Tea Leaves: Reggie’s mother Agnieszka does this with Stabler, reading his coffee grounds.
- The Reveal: Angela Wheatley did survive the 2nd poisoning attack on her in the Season 1 finale, though it has physically done a number on her.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Moennig forces Bell and Sgt Brewster of Narcotics to be co-commanders of a joint task force. Brewster used to be Bell's boss when Bell was working Narcotics, and they clearly do not like each other.
- Time Skip: Enough time has passed between Richard Wheatley being apprehended and the current case that Stabler has grown a beard to fit his undercover identity as arsonist Eddie "Ashes" Wagner.
