The conclusion of the Albanian mob arc.
Tropes
- Am I Just a Toy to You?: Albi's new boyfriend wonders if he's just Albi's sloppy seconds when he finds Flutura's passport. Confirmed later when Albi calls him a "little bitch" while holding him hostage.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Flutura and Albi have some really heartwarming scenes in this episode that show that despite their mutual infidelity, they really do care for one another.
- Becoming the Mask: Stabler relives some of the moments he had undercover, and we're left to wonder if he really does miss the action while undercover. He does shave the beard at the end of the episode.
- Failed a Spot Check: Somehow, Agnes is able to smuggle a loaded gun into a courtroom. Granted she concealed it in a pocket under the seat of her wheelchair but metal detectors still should have picked it up well before she was wheeled in for her arraignment.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Kosta leaves the body of the dead court reporter in his office which the OCCB finds. Jet recognizes her as the one who took Agnes's testimony, which leads to her witness protection being revoked.
- Important Haircut: Stabler shaves off the Beard of Evil he grew for his undercover stint at the end of the episode, signifying the return of Elliot Stabler.
- Love Theme: The Benson Stabler love theme plays near the end of the scene where Stabler shaves his beard off.
- Meaningful Titles: The episode's title is "Ashes to Ashes", which also refers to Eddie Wagner's nickname "Ashes".
- One of Us: The teenager of the house Albi breaks into is only alive because he is Albanian.
- Playing Sick: Agnes pretends to have a coughing fit in order to pull a gun hidden under her wheelchair and kill Stabler. Fortunately, thanks to her brain condition, she misses Stabler (and misses everyone else at court).
- The Reveal: Nova becomes one of five vice presidents of the Marcy Killers. She also hears from Senator Kilbride himself that he's fostering a relationship with an up-and-coming police sergeant (aka Bell).
- Secret-Keeper: Despite not having any real reason to keep Albi's orientation a secret anymore, Stabler nonetheless maintains it, keeping it from Flutura (and even to his own teammates)
- Witness Protection: Reggie is relocated to an unknown location all by himself. The only clue is that it's somewhere cold.
