Law & Order Organized Crime “Unforgivable” Recap, Review, Discussion

 

Things continue to get messier with Stabler and Bell’s undercover operation.  People continue to get caught in the figurative crossfire,  one of them someone who is not even involved in the crimes. We find out a bit more about Flutura’s early life, and she is also become more suspicious of “Eddie Wagner.”   Bell may also be suspicious of Nova when she sees Nova exiting Kilbride's office, who was being told to deliver something to "her boss", and that there was more where that came from.  Kosta is showing his gruesome side again, apparently graduating from lopping off fingers to cutting out a tongue and impaling it on a wall.  (I’m not a big fan of gore so I could have done without that scene.) And in a tense action scene, Stabler breaks his cover in order to alert Teddy Garcia, a candidate for mayor, that his life is in imminent danger from Reggie.  Reggie is blitzed from drinking and drugs  in order to get through the job. This is one of those times that Stabler is unable to save the day and Reggie’s blotto state of mind has him kill the wrong person.  During all this heavy drama, the real son of “Eddie Wagner” shows up, and knows Stabler is not who he claims to be.   This series has done an excellent job this season in weaving a tense and tight storyline that continues to build each week. With the mayoral candidate now putting the criminals on notice, and Kosta still ordering hits on people,  the stakes for the undercover operation are even higher, and Stabler will be in even more danger.

Here is the recap. 

While Stabler and Flutura are alone in the bar, he starts asking her some questions about her “prostitutes”, a term that causes Flutura to bristle.  She then explains that when she was young she was also being trafficked – sold by her father.  Albi “saved” her while on she was on the boat to America, after she was ravaged by many men.  

Their private “party” is interrupted by a noise outside and Stabler chases after someone lurking outside.  Despite Jet’s efforts to pick an undercover persona for Stabler (Eddie Wagner), it seems Eddie had a son – Louis Chinaski -  who had tracked down Stabler and was the person watching. This incenses Stabler because it threatens his undercover identity. Eddie also seems to not only be an arsonist,  but he was a child abuser.  

Stabler’s son Eli is still in trouble for stealing his grandmother’s meds,  and Stabler has apparently imposed some restrictions on him. 

Teddy Garcia is running for mayor, and during a campaign speech, he calls out organized crime and specifically mentions Edmund Ross getting caught in a sex trafficking ring, run by a “ruthless Albanian mafia outfit known as the Kosta organization.” This displeases Sergeant Bell and Brewster and the team. They decide to keep their focus on Kosta, not Albi or Reggie,  as Kosta’s organization is the end game. 

Bell interrogates Edmund Ross, with Stabler assisting in another room, speaking to Bell via an earpiece.  Of course Edmund denies everything.  But Bell brings out the black book that Benson pulled out of the fire to encourage Edmund to talk. 

Bell later meets with Teddy Garcia about calling out the criminal organizations by name and explains the risk to their investigation and the risks to him. He seems to think he’s got good enough security.

Jon Kosta, however, is quietly livid about Garcia calling out his organization.  Kosta looks for someone in his immediate circle who is disloyal, even pointing the finger at Flutura and Albi.  But he singles out James, and, saying his grandfather said you could tell by the shape of a person’s tongue if they are a liar,  asks James to open his mouth. James complies and Kosta cuts out his tongue and uses the knife to impale it on the wall as James screams in agony. Of course, Jon admits he can’t tell if he’s a liar or not. 

Later, Kosta speaks with Albi, who’s worried Kosta may not trust him.  Kosta speaks to Albi and Stabler about killing Garcia, calling it “gjakmarrja” – a blood feud.  He tasks Stabler with trying to find out who tipped the police off to Edmund Ross and to convince Kosta it wasn’t Stabler himself. 

Flutura, meanwhile, speaks with Reggie’s mom about what she saw in “Eddie’s” coffee grounds in an attempt to see if Stabler is the rat.  Of course her findings are inconclusive when she indicated Stabler saved someone, and it could be Flutura (from being arrested) or someone else. 

Bell meets Stabler at a laundry and tips her off that Kosta wants to kill Garcia, and tells her about the guy’s tongue. He tells her he’s still working on getting Louis to go away. 

Bell and Brewster again try to convince Garcia to get better protection as Kosta put a hit on him.  He is still unconvinced and says he will continue to call out the criminals. 

At the gym, Stabler tries to make Louis go away but Louis explains Flutura was asking questions about him.  Stabler gives him a job to get a giant can of lighter fluid and bring it back to his place in an hour – he knows Louis knows where he lives. 

Bell and Denise meet with Kilbride about Denise’s nephew Damien’s lawsuit, and while waiting, they see Nova walking out of his office and hear Kilbride and tells her to give something to her boss and tell  him there is more where that came from.  Bell looks concerned and Nova sees her when she walks out of the office and looks equally uncomfortable. 

Kilbride says the NYPD is offering $750,000 to Damien as the settlement and offers that they will make an apology statement saying it would have never happened had he not been a young black man. Bell says she is happy if Damien and Denise are. 

Meanwhile, Stabler and Reggie are drinking and Stabler makes sure Reggie is well lubricated.  Reggie explains Kosta chose him for a special job and he has to do it but it is high risk and not sure he can pull it off.   Stabler offers to help because Reggie has done a lot for him.  Reggie says he was taught to trust only family. Stabler says he has more family feelings for Reggie than for Louis. 

Bell gets the team ready as Stabler alerted them that Reggie is going to do the hit.  

Reggie pops a pill and is driving around looking for Garcia. Garcia is leaving a campaign event and Bell alerts him to the imminent hit.  He still doesn’t buy into it. But Stabler approaches his car, restricts his security man, and explains he is a cop and the real danger in real words he can understand.  He tells him to call his wife and tell her not to go home.  Stabler gets in Garcia’s call and takes the wheel as Reggie drives around and Garcia tries to call his wife.  Reggie gets to the Garcia home and his wife has just arrived.  Garcia calls his wife but she doesn’t answer.  Reggie, blitzed in the head,  thinks Garcia went into his house, but it was his wife.  Reggie gets to the front door with a fake package to deliver and rings the bell, and Garcia’s wife answers the phone just  as she goes to open the door.  Garcia tells her not to open the door but it’s too late. She opens the door and Reggie turns and shoots, and she drops to the ground.  Garcia hears the shot.  Reggie realizes the error and is beside himself and flees while Garcia arrives and runs to his wife’s aid. Police are close behind. It is too late, she is dead.  Stabler has to walk off and blend into the background as to not be seen there as Garcia screams for help.   

Later, Kosta, with Albi,  watches the news coverage of Diana Garcia’s murder and is actually pleased it worked out this way, thinking Teddy will suffer even more with her death rather than suffer his own.  Albi says next time there won’t be a mistake as he’ll do it himself. Kosta also thinks Edmund Ross is making a deal and wants Albi to take care of it too before Edmund gets in front of a judge and wants no mistakes. Albi gives him his word. 

Garcia holds a press conference, with Bell and Brewster present,  outside his home and put the murderers on notice. 

Reggie in the bar getting even more buzzed and as he’s getting ready to pick a fight, he thinks he sees “Eddie” but it’s not. It’s Brewster, along with Bell, and they place him under arrest. Outside, Stabler watches from nearby. 

Stabler gets back to his camper and Louis is there with the lighter fluid.  Stabler wants him to use it to put on the coals and light it for burgers.  But Louis wants him to show him “Eddie Ashes” stuff.  Stabler says some other day, and Louis says no,  not until he keeps his promise.  Stabler says not every kid needs to grow up like their father,  and Louis doesn’t want that as his father was an abusive sociopath. He wants to grow up like Stabler, telling him he knows he is not really Eddie Wagner.