Law & Order Organized Crime “Change The Game” Recap, Review, Discussion

In “Change The Game”,  there were a lot of balls juggling in the air and thankfully none were dropped.  It was a tense episode which appeared to sow the seeds of mistrust with some of the key players, which likely ramps up the danger for those working undercover as they go forward. 

Stabler agrees to help Preston Webb – of all people – to recover guns stolen from Webb, along with a sculpture meant for Cassandra Webb’s gallery.  It’s a job that Frank Donnelly appeared willing to walk away from, but Stabler, now Donnelly’s #2, agrees to the job for $50K.  Stabler’s biggest concern is getting the guns off the street.  Donnelly, of course, just wants the money.  But things don’t go as Stabler plans when Donnelly bails out at the last minute, and Stabler must go it alone.   Thankfully Stabler has Bell and the team to back him up, because the recovery job takes a bad turn when the man who has the guns doesn’t trust Stabler and a fight ensues.   Bell and the task force save the day and recover the guns.  Webb isn’t thrilled to hear that the guns have been confiscated by police, but seems to soften when he sees Stabler DID recover his wife’s sculpture.  And Cassandra is warming up to Stabler, and she and Webb both are starting to have doubts about Donnelly.   

Donnelly bailing out made Bell wonder if it was a set up, and I thought the same thing.   I’m even questioning whether Donnelly having another woman on the side is just cover for something else he has going. He likely wouldn’t have made Stabler his #2 man if he didn’t trust Stabler, but I still don’t trust Donnelly.  Not all members of the Brotherhood appear to trust Stabler, and this could mean trouble for Stabler. 

With Stabler’s work on the stolen guns, he helped to shut down the whole chain that was moving Webb’s guns through.  The big question is will Webb be looking even more closely at his own organization to see who gave the police the lead about the smuggled weapons and will this put Stabler, and maybe even Nova, in more danger?  

Stabler also helps Santos to throw Bell a bone about the operation, and, with some pressure put on him by his wife, Santos gives them the location of a body that Donnelly had buried…in a cemetery, where Donnelly said is the best place to hide one. 

Stabler also helped Donnelly’s wife get to the hospital in time to deliver the baby. He also reconnected with his past with his father by looking at old home movies, something that made him, and his mother,  happy.   Eli still questions the tattoo of the playing cards and the 10-3 on his father’s  back, and hopefully Eli won’t do too much digging on that issue.   

Here is the recap:

There is a gathering at Frank Donnelly’s and Donnelly and his pregnant wife Bridget are hosting. He jokes around about her impending delivery of Frank Junior.  Stabler chats with Bridget and she talks about Frank and Stabler talks about his experiences with his wife being pregnant.  She says at least Stabler was there when it counted.

Later, the members of the Brotherhood are inside discussing Santos possible talking.  Donnelly says he owns Santos and he has leverage and Santos won’t say a word.  One of the guys says these things didn’t happen before Stabler showed up.  Stabler explains that he was the only one there for Santos and  when Stabler sounds upset, Donnelly calms him. He then talks about succession,  makes Stabler his #2, to the surprise of the other members.  He ends the party. 

Meanwhile, Cassandra is at her gallery talking to a potential buyer. She gets  a call and then excuses herself.  Hugo and associate are with Webb, unpacking some of Cassandra’s art, and guns are hidden in the crate.  Cassandra approaches and Webb tells her  one of the crates is not here, and she says he is saying one of her sculptures is missing.  He explains someone ripped them off, and she tells him she told him this was a bad idea.  She gets in his face and whispers, “Fix it.”

Later,  Stabler and Donnelly are at Webb’s.  After a slight testy introduction of Stabler to Webb, he brings them in and explains someone stole from him and his wife.  Donnelly gets a bit mouthy and when Stabler speaks with Webb, he explains that someone stole guns and his wife’s art. When Donnelly blows him off, Webb pulls out a gun and fires. They come back in and Webb says he’s testing a new supply chain and someone got greedy.  To Donnelly’s surprise, Stabler says they will take the job, for a price - $50 thousand for the guns.  Webb wants the thief, and points to his watch to indicate quick results.

Outside, Donnelly asks Stabler why he said they’ll take the job,  adding he made him his #2, not his #1, clear? Stabler replies clear and Donnelly says to get the guns and make that $50K.

In the Task Force interrogation, Bell question Santos about Hurley, the jewelry, and wants him to give up Donnelly.  Santos is silent.  She asks about the Brotherhood and he plays dumb.  She says it’s like Donnelly taught him, shut up and take the fall.  She warns him he could go down for the whole Brotherhood.  He remains silent.  Bell gets a text from Stabler telling her to come outside – important.  She tells Santos to make the smart choice, and she exits. 

Stabler explains to Bell about the stolen guns – “game changers”  and things got testy with Webb and he pulled his weapon on them.  Bell announces to the rest  of the task force about the stolen guns, Stabler adding how dangerous they are.  They explain the shipment originated in East Africa and was smuggled with art for Cassandra Webb’s gallery; the need to focus on the Africa trail and the art gallery process. They need to find the guns before the street finds them. 

Stabler enters Cassandra’s gallery and he shows his shield and gets in to see Cassandra.  They make small talk about art and she thinks he’s a man with taste. She continues to flatter him.   He wants the name of the shipping company and when she comments to ask her husband, Stabler explains their last conversation got a bit salty.  She explains she uses Escher O’Hara, Norman Escher is the best in the business.  As he leaves he wishes her luck with the show and she wishes him luck with his search. 

Later,  Escher is in his home and sees Stabler and Donnelly already in there. When they press him for information, Donnelly starts to break things and cut into the art.   Donnelly tells them they are police and asks where is the crate he stole from Webb, and he mishandles an expensive vase. Escher claims his innocence and says he is using a new security company – Corda. They have connections at ports of entry.   Donnelly tosses Escher the vase and thanks him and they leave.  When they walk out the door, Stabler says he knows the outfit – it is a big side hustle for Port Authority cops – there’s a good chance they are looking for a cop.  Donnelly comments cop or no cop, Webb will kill him. 

At home, Eli asks his father about the tattoo on his back. Eli knows it is 10-3 a radio code to stop transmitting, and he knows it means to keep silent.  Stabler says he will talk about it some other time. Eli thinks the tat is creepy and to let him know what time is good for him, he’ll see if it works for him. He storms out.  Bernadette says he is like Stabler at his age, and when she brings up his dad, Stabler doesn’t want to talk about "pops".  She goes on about how his father loved him and he said it would have been nice to hear it from his mouth.   She tells him to learn how to let go of the past or he won’t be free of it. He says he is working on it and she complains there are no photographs around including the photo albums she made. She made them for Eli as much as for him. 

Later, Stabler and Donnelly are in a parked car outside a motel.  Stabler asks about Bridget and they discuss her pregnancy and Donnelly feels bad about fooling around on her.  Stabler says you’re not a cop until you’re on your second marriage. They talk about growing up with a dad on the job and talk about what they would have been as a civilian.  Stabler would have been an architect. Soon after they break down a motel room door where Office Harkins is there in bed with a woman.  He says he is on the job.  They bring up Corda and when Stabler takes money out of Harkin’s wallet to pay the hooker, Harkin gets pissed that he already paid her and Stabler says he’s now tipping her. Harkins punches Stabler but now Donnelly has a gun on Harkins and asks where are the guns.  They begin to fight and Donnelly puts a pillow on his face and fires the gun close by.  Stabler tries to pull him away and the gun fires into the ceiling.  Stabler holds the gun on him and then Harkins explains that they are with Braden, the customs broker. He thinks Webb wasn’t paying him enough.  Stabler tells Harkins he has a flesh would and to apply pressure. He throws the gun back and keeps the cartridge. Outside, Donnelly says he thought they were doing bad cop, bad cop, and Stabler said he felt like being good cop. 

Back at home, Stabler calls in and gives them a name – Braden, a customs broker at JFK. He tells them to run it and tell them what they find. 

Later, Stabler is at a storage locker and  opens the door.    He looks through some of his old things. He finds a family photo album and films.  He talks a box back with him.  Back at the task force, he gives a bag of the movies to Jet and asks her to digitize them, they are home moves. He thanks her, saying it means a lot to him.  He asks where is Bell and Jet says she brought in Santos’ wife, thinking that will make him talk.  In the interrogation room, Rosario Santos speaks with her husband to try to get him to talk but he won’t.  They put him back in a cell.   Stabler whispers for him to come over to talk to him and Santos sees a camera but walks over anyway.  Stabler stands in the shadows and when Santos asks what he’s doing there, Stabler says he used to work here and he told them he had some stuff to get out.  But he really came to see him.  He asks what he told him and Santos says nothing. Stabler says it’s not good they have him here, he should be uptown in Metro. The task force  means they’ve got something on him.  Santos asks what should he do, and Stabler suggests he has to give them something. Santos says he knows he can’t. Stabler says he can’t watch him go down.  Stabler implies to give up Donnelly, and Stabler says he has 5 kids and he’d let the world burn to protect any one of them, but that’s just him.  

Afterwards, Bell asks Stabler how it went, and he replies he gave him something to think about.  They discuss the  night’s operation: Customs broker – a middleman -  Victor Braden has Webb’s guns.  Donnelly has reached out to negotiate but Webb won’t have that so they are going to go there tonight and tell him if he wants to live, he must give them the guns. 

Stabler arrives at the location and Donnelly calls him and says he can’t make it, it’s a long story. He tells Stabler to take it.  Stabler wonders if he is good with him going solo and Donnelly says it is a piece of cake then says he has to go. Stabler calls Bell who is nearby in a truck and says Donnelly bailed.  Bell worries he’s being set up and she doesn’t feel good about it and wants to abort. But Stabler doesn’t want the guns getting on the street and says he will be in an out, no problems. 

Stabler enters the building and eventually finds Victor Braden who seems slightly confused and  crazed.  He doesn’t know Stabler, he asks for the money which Stabler says is in his car. Braden doesn’t like it or Stabler, and he has one of those guns. He tells Stabler to put his gun on the ground and Stabler complies.  Stabler tries to calm him and Braden wants to see the money and then Braden punches him. A fight ensues and Bell and the team wait but are concerned. Bell hasn’t got a signal to go in but they hear shots and they decide to go in.  They enter and announce they are police and tell him to drop the gun, distracting him so Stabler can disarm him.  They cuff Braden and find the guns.  Bell says it was way too close, but Stabler is glad they got the guns.  Bell adds now they know the players in the supply chain so they will get the rest.  Cho says they will start vouchering the guns. 

Stabler goes to Donnelly’s home and he is not there but Bridget is in labor. He rushes her to the hospital. Later, Donnelly arrives and is happy he saw the birth.  He thanks Stabler. Stabler brings out cigars but a nurse tells them to  put it out.  They head into the bathroom with the cigars and Donnelly says he got an SOS from the chick he was seeing on the side.   He says he will talk to Webb and make it right but Stabler says he will talk to him,  Donnelly should be with his wife and baby.   Stabler gets a call from Bell, saying Santos gave them Hurley – at Archmore Cemetery. Donnelly buried him in someone else’s tomb. They are digging up the body. Donnelly bragged about it to Santos, saying no one looks for a body in a graveyard.  Stabler tells her he can’t talk right now, pretending it’s Eli.  He hangs up. Donnelly thanks him for this and that he was like a brother.  He hugs Stabler, saying it means a lot. Stabler says he is a little embarrassed, then tell him to see his bride.

Webb is eating a massive steak and Stabler comes in with a box.   He explains Donnelly missed the meet because of the baby and the guns were confiscated.  Webb asks where did the 5-0 come from and Stabler says he has no idea.  He adds  Webb’s new supply chain sucks; maybe he has a leak there and Braden is out of his mind. Webb asks Hugo if he hears that – mission unaccomplished.  Hugo grins.  Stabler suggests it is only one crate of guns and to chalk it up to breakage.  Webb pulls out a sharp knife, saying it will cut through bone like paper. Hugo tells him to say the word, but Stabler  points out the box he brought for Webb.  Webb slices it open and looks in and when Stabler asks if they are good, Webb says nothing. Stabler says from now on Webb deals with him.  Stabler walks past Hugo and out the door. 

Later, Harkins is being arrested.

At home, Webb explains Donnelly didn’t get the guns but one of  his guys brought back the sculpture. Cassandra is thrilled and knows it was Stabler. She says is a smart cop. She says Donnelly is getting unreliable and is unstable and he scares her. Webb thinks Donnelly should be scared of her.  

At home, Stabler watches some old home movies of him and his dad that Jet has digitized.  Bernadette walks in and sees this. She puts her arms around him and they watch together and they both smile as we cut to black.