Law & Order Organized Crime “I Got This Rat” Recap, Review, Discussion

A lot happened in Law & Order Organized Crime “I Got This Rat”, making for an interesting, fast-paced hour. Last week, in the episode “An Inferior Product”, Stabler heard from Izak Behker that it was Angela Wheatley that ordered the hit on Kathy Stabler. Clearly this rocked Stabler’s world, and one had to know that the fallout would be swift. “I Got This Rat” did not disappoint. This was a tightly-written episode that moved the story along with lightning speed. While the episode involves setting up a sting in which to trap Richard Wheatley, I find myself wondering if the viewers are being roped into a different kind of sting as well. Let’s be frank: everyone expected Gina to be killed at some point. But since viewers are also trained to expect a twist, is it possible that Gina is not really dead? If Izak is working with the OC team, and as he was the one who acquired the gun that Richie has to use to shoot Gina, could that shooting have been staged with blanks and blood packets for Richie’s benefit? As Izak volunteers to take care of the cleanup, it is highly possible that his only clean up is to make it look like Gina’s body has been disposed of.

The other suspicious character is Angela.  Wheatley tells Stabler not to trust her as she is still in love with him. Angela says that’s how they know Wheatley is lying.  But who knows at this point whether Angela’s motives are as pure as she says?  These suspicious are what makes this series more interesting every week.  One really doesn’t know what is true and what are lies and who to trust.   There are only two more episodes this season so we won’t have long to wait to find out.

I'm not sure how the situation with Bell's wife's nephew will play out, but it only seems a distraction at this point. 

Here is the recap:

Stabler is at Mass with his family and he appears to be having an internal struggle. 

Angela  seems to be getting reading for Stabler's arrival at her place for some intimate time. But she gets a big surprise when Stabler arrives and promptly arrests her. 

Izak tells Stabler that Wheatley is expanding his operation with Joey Raven’s crew with a new piece of business that will be a game changer.

Meanwhile, Wheatley discussed with his  daughter Dana, along with Richie, that Izak found a bug but that Dana’s team should have located it.  She’s bringing in a new team and Wheatley wants her to have the office AND house searched.   They also see Wheatley’s new,  ramped-up technological  operation with Joey Raven. Dana is the point person. Raven will be meeting with a new Russian friend.  Wheatley explains that a year from now, the COVID pandemic will have run its course and things will be getting back to normal but for the next several months only a fraction of the world will have access to the vaccine. The developing world is desperate to get a share and they can make billions. 

Back at the OC squad room,  Stabler briefs the  team on Stepan Komarov, who is Brighton Beach mafia.  He is an arms dealer and Wheatley wants to use him to peddle the vaccine.  Bell says they have a pile of evidence on Wheatley but it is all one step removed so he can evade charged. If they get him in the act making the deal he can’t get out of it.  They want to remove Komarov and replace him with another buyer – them, or someone who works for them who will wear a listening device, once that Jet can make for this occasion.

Bell speaks with Angela who is still in holding and Bell suggests she get a lawyer. Angela wants to talk to her kids.   Bell won’t let her call the kids and Bell says they have her phone and can make it look normal if Wheatley looks, to keep him from getting suspicious.  Bell also wonders, with Angela’s credentials,  why?  Angela says if Bell had children she’s realize you do whatever you can to protect your kids. 

Stabler meets with Angela and asks her why.  She  replies she was insane and inconsolable with rage and grief. She admits that Wheatley led her to believe that her son Rafiq was killed in a targeted hit led by Stabler, a faceless detective.  Wheatley asked Angela if she wanted him to die and she said no, she wanted him to suffer like she was suffering and wanted him to feel a pain worse than death. She said they were just words spoke in despair and didn’t want someone else to die.  Stabler said someone did die – someone who didn’t hurt a soul in her life.  Stabler brings  up the moment they met and he said he’d find who killed Rafiq and the whole time she thought it was him – the irony.  Stabler informs her that the truth is  Rafiq handled the illegal side of Wheatley’s business with Purple Magic. Rafiq was double dipping, taking paychecks from Angela’s ex and also making his own inferior product to compete.  Rafiq got caught by Wheatley and he had Rafiq shot. 

Bell and Stabler discuss getting Komarov off the street so they can work their op.  Bell also hears from her wife Denise that Denise’s nephew has permanent nerve damage in hand and Denise will be going forward with a lawsuit against the NYPD.   Denise knows it is complicated but she wants Bell’s support. 

Meanwhile, Angela confers with Ellsworth Lee (Stabler calls him a TV talking head law professor but Lee explains he spend year with the Brooklyn DA’s office) to help her. She wants to speak with Stabler first and explains she wants to cooperate to put Wheatley away.  Lee tells her to follow his lead,  and when Bell and Stabler enter, Lee proposes “Queen for a day” which is a bargaining chip – a proffer letter and the arresting officers don’t have to commit to anything up front and agree not to use anything they hear against her.  If the info is of value, then they discuss a cooperative arrangement.  Lee gives them 3 hours to discuss it with their ADA but Angela is impatient and just says “his ego.”  She explains that 

the only way to get Wheatley to fall for their sting is to appeal to his ego.  While Detective Morales was talking her to the bathroom she overhead them talk about their sting and she knows how Wheatley’s mind works and how to get him to drop his guard.   She asks them if they know what an oloid is, then explains it is a 3-dimensional curved geometrical object comprised of two linked congruent circles on perpendicular planes.  Wheatley was so enchanted by it he made it his first company’s logo.  She wants to help them put “Richard Sinatra” in a cell for the rest of his life. 

Back at the Wheatley home, Dana has her people sweep Wheatley’s wine cellar but if they find something not to tip anyone off. 

Stabler get a call telling him the location of Stepan Komarov.  Bell and Stabler go to a bathhouse and arrest him, but after a fight ensues. 

Back at the OC squad, they discuss the sting with Moennig and they need  him to sign off on the expenses. Stabler explains they have their best CI out of Rome – Gianluca Silvano– lined up and they have to fly him here.  They want to make it look good and they want him to fly private.  

Arrangements are made in Rome  with Silvano. 

Meanwhile, Wheatley hears from Raven that Komarov has  been arrested and they have another buy that is bigger than Komarov – Silvano.  Silvano approached them and Wheatley is reluctant.  Raven gives him an oloid from Silvano. 

Back at the OC, Jet explains to Bell how she created a beefier background for Silvano and believes it cannot be detected as a deep fake.  Jet also designed a recording device that can fit in his messed up ear that will look like a hearing aid. 

Wheatley proudly shows the oloid to Izak and says this gift means Silvano is intelligent enough to speak to him in a language that few others would  understand and thorough enough to be worth of his trust. Meanwhile they are listening to this conversation in the OC squad room and think Wheatley is buying it.  Stabler gets a call from a blocked number and says he will play, asking when and where.  He tells Bell that Wheatley wants to buy him a cup of coffee to discuss Angela. 

Stabler meets with Wheatley, who orders coffee for Stabler which he pushes away.  Wheatley brings up Angela who he says refuses to talk to him. He also mentions that Rafiq was killed in a police raid, and thinks Stabler is using Angela to get to  him and he doesn’t want any casualties. Stabler asks “Like my wife?” and Wheatley admits his comment was insensitive.  Wheatley says Stabler can’t trust what Angela says as she is still in love with him. Stabler asks why did he just kill him as he was a nuisance and he exacts revenge and gets rid of people.  Stabler shows him a photo of Kathy and says she was not a vengeful person but she will be the end of Wheatley. Wheatley says he is sorry for his loss but stay away from his wife.  Stabler retorts “Ex-wife” and leaves. Wheatley fumes.

Stabler speaks in Italian on the phone and tells them Silvano is on his way. He sees Angela returning to her cell, and he walks off. Angela asks about the oloid and Bell says it was very effective. 

Back at home, Dana tells Wheatley she needs to show him something.  While outside, Richie practices shooting Champaign bottles with Gina. He lets Gina take a shot and she misses but with a tip from him she manages to hit it.   Wheatley hears from Dana that they found from video surveillance that Gina planted a bug in the wine cellar. 

Outside, Wheatley and Dana pull Richie aside and tell him Gina planted a bug and she is a rat – a cop. Richie is in denial at first and they explains what she did with the bug.   Wheatley wants him to lure in Gina with a weekend at the family compound in Montauk but Gina will never get there.  Richie says he is not doing that but Wheatley says he has to clean it up.  Dana says he can’t do it, but Wheatley intimidates Richie and he says he will do it.  Wheatley says Izak will set him up with a clean weapon and Richie needs to disable Gina's phone and make sure she doesn’t have a chance to call in so no one tails them.  

Back at the OC,  Bell and Stabler explain the operation and that Bekher is with them.   Their buyer will make a large purchase of illegal COVID product and they have to catch Wheatley making the transaction. Jet will catch him as it is made.  They discuss support and hardware.  Captain Chambliss wants to go in hard but Bell says no.  Stabler later tells Bell she is sure Chambliss will do his job.

Richie and Gina are on their way but Richie is very subdued. 

Stabler is at the squad room and looks at a photo of Kathy and says he is sorry.  He speaks with Angela about having coffee with Wheatley and Wheatley does not know she is there.  Wheatley told him that he can’t trust Angela as Angela still loves him, and Angela says then Stabler knows Wheatley is lying.  Stabler says he knows that,  but doesn’t know she is not. He walks off. 

Richie and Gina make a stop as she wanted to see a lighthouse.  As they walk off, Gina seems to get uncomfortable and he quickly pulls a gun on her.  He confronts her about being a rat and asks her real name. She says her name is the same and she has been undercover since she was 21;  at first it was just work but she has feelings for him and is not pretending.  He explains seeing her plant the bug and she moves in closely as he looks uncomfortable. When he  hesitates, she hits him and gets the gun and points it at him.  She says she knows his father is a bad guy but knows he is not. Izak calls out and says good thing HE is, distracting Gina.  Richie goes for the gun and gets it, knocking Gina to the ground.  Izak says he will take care of her but Richie is angry and when she says she was just doing her job, he says he has to do his, and he shoots her and then shoots her again.  She lays back and dies.  Izak says Richie made his bones, he didn’t think he had it in him. He tells Richie he will clean this up.  As Richie walks off, blood streams off Gina. 

Meanwhile, a helicopter hands and Silvano steps out.  He gets in another vehicle and meets with Stabler who asks if he is ready to make a deal as we cut to black.