The near-climax of the Angus farm story was full of violence, but it served a higher purpose.
On Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 Episode 11, Stabler had to choose between his mission and saving a fellow officer's life.
He might have gotten the upper hand for now, but this story is far from over.
The best stories entertain while also making important points about things like justice and loyalty, and this was no exception.
Trish nearly met a violent end, and Stabler not only blew his own cover but turned his gun on Angus to stop another unnecessary murder. Angus didn't realize it until after his arrest, but he and Stabler were cut from the same cloth.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Was All About Doing the Right Thing
Angus has always been a more sympathetic villain than most. He's the kind of guy who does the wrong thing for the right reasons, making him the type of villain that we love even though we'd never hang out with him in real life.
That was more clear than ever after this episode. Loyalty was so important to Angus that he was willing to kill a fellow Marine for being a "traitor" to his cause, yet he hated what he'd gotten into because of his loyalty to Redcoat and just wanted out.
Stabler kept trying to warn him that he was falling into Emory's trap, but Angus wasn't having any of it. He couldn't see past Trish's being an undercover agent.
I don't get it. He says you have a mole but he's giving you one last job. I think he's setting you up.
Stabler
Stabler was, of course, 100% correct. Emory wanted Angus locked up and out of his way, and it seemed like he was hoping to kill him in jail to solve the problem permanently.
He used Angus' sense of loyalty against him. If only Stabler had been able to dispose of Trish's phone before the guards found it, his plan would have failed, but Angus was too determined to find out the truth about Trish to let that happen.
Still, Elliot Stabler is likely the biggest flaw in Emory's plan. Stabler has been motivated all along to bring this operation down because of Joey's involvement, and now Emory is making Joey his new right-hand man.
That doesn't seem smart, especially since Randall knows that Sam was killed at the warehouse where Joey works. Emory might be brilliant at mind games, but he didn't see this one through.
Emory Didn't Consider Stabler's Integrity... or Did He?
The raid on the farm probably wouldn't have gone down that way if Emory hadn't decided to execute Trish. As Stabler tried to tell him, attacking a federal agent was a bad idea.
Emory probably realized that much since he wanted Angus arrested. He might have recognized "Hank" when Stabler and Angus visited his plane.
Still, did he know that Stabler would bond with Angus over their shared desire not to lose any more Marines to heroin addiction?
Stabler's discussion of Sam's death and his desire to prevent any more needless deaths is what got Angus to cooperate.
Now that he knows that Joey's involved, Stabler will likely stop at nothing to end Emory's reign of terror.
Stabler's Willingness to THrow The Case Away Demonstrated His Integrity
Although Angus considered Stabler a traitor, Stabler demonstrated that he was the opposite. He was willing to throw away the case, along with his own safety, to ensure Angus didn't kill Trish.
The selfless cop is somewhat of a tired TV trope, but Stabler pulled it off perfectly.
His willingness to sacrifice is probably what attracted Angus to him in the first place and likely why Angus was willing to talk to him after his arrest.
Angus was pissed off that Stabler lied to him and likely was kicking himself for not seeing that both Stabler and Trish were undercover plants, but he knew there was more to Stabler than being a cop who wanted to shut his business down.
The Interrogation Scene -- The Best Part of a Tense Hour
That interrogation scene again demonstrated why Organized Crime is one of the best shows on television. In the hands of lesser writers and actors, it could have easily turned into a stereotypical confrontation between a cop and a criminal.
Organized Crime is never typical, though, and the brilliance shone through every word of dialogue and every interaction between the two men. Angus' impassioned speech drove home the point that he was a guy who wanted to help and got in over his head with some bad actors, making him sympathetic.
Stabler's countermove was equally brilliant. He was right that he and Angus had a common enemy, and he knew that Angus hated the heroin trade and Emory enough to switch sides.
For all of his bravado about hating traitors, Angus would have done just about anything to end Emory's evil empire, and Stabler didn't even have to use Mama Boone as a bargaining chip.
Bell's On the Hot Seat... Again
Bell's absence was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. Shah said that IAB would grill Bell again about Sam's death, and then she'd be back.
This could be set up for a retaliation story that could continue once Law & Order; Organized Crime moves to Peacock.
A corrupt IAB agent recently tried to get Stabler, and Bell wasn't about to let her top detective get less than a fair shake, so the timing of Bell's interrogation is suspicious.
Considering that last skirmish, IAB might not be inclined to treat her fairly. I hope this conflict plays out on-screen rather than Bell opping back in to take her squad back from Shah for the second time.
Bell needs to get back there fast, though Shah made herself useful for once. Someone needs to straighten out Vargas -- how did he miss the flashing lights that Stabler used to signal help?
He should have realized something was wrong without translating the Morse code. If Stabler was using Morse code at all, he was in trouble.
Vargas is not the type of minor character that is criminally underused, especially since he seemed so incopetent this time.
It was funny when Stabler didn't recognize his first name and Randall had to call him "the guy with the little car," though.
Your turn, Law & Order: Organized Crime fanatics.
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Law & Order: Organized Crimeairs on NBC on Thursdays at 10/9c. New episodes drop on Peacock the day after they air.