Law & Order: Organized Crime recap: The Wheatley arc comes to a wild end

The Wheatley-Stabler battle came to a stunning conclusion.

After Wheatley blacked out New York City, the stage was set for the grand battle between him and Stabler, which ended in a way no one could have seen coming as Law & Order: Organized Crime wrapped up a major plotline in …Wheatley Is to Stabler.

Wheatley makes his move

Bell warned the cops outside the power station not to go after Wheatley, given he was in control, blacking out all of New York City except for his old neighborhood.

Wheatley called up the city officials to make his “requests”: A private jet ready to go; Richie released from prison and brought to him; and “I want Elliot Stabler to pay for his transgressions.” 

While Brewster assumed Wheatley meant Stabler’s badge, Wheatley clarified, “I want him to pay with his very soul.”

The cops were forced to bring McClane in to try and fix what Wheatley did, Adam being a total fanboy gushing over the hacker. McClane admitted he’d come up with the code years back, but it had been altered by others since to make it nearly impossible to override it. He did suggest using an old power plant in Staten Island as a possible backdoor to Wheatley’s system.

Stabler stopped to check in on his mom with Miles there (the rest of the family was in New Jersey). Miles assured Stabler he’d take care of Bernadette, who chastised her son “you’re not the boss of him.”

Garcia and the mayor discussed what to do, with Stabler stating that giving up Richie would be feeding Wheatley’s power. They eventually agreed with Richie being brought to the power station to meet flunky Gunther. 

When Stabler showed up, Wheatley grinned “I’ll get to you soon enough.” Richie was brought before his father, who, to the shock of everyone, shot his own son dead. 

Things get more personal than ever

Nova and Hugo met Webb, noting how the city was in chaos. Hugo assumed Webb wanted them to take advantage to kill a rival, with Webb upset as he merely wanted the community to know the Marcy Killers were there to help. He was soon passing free food and supplies to neighbors, building up a trust he planned to use later. 

Jet and Adam found the old station with McClane talking them through firing up the generator. The cops planned to raid the station with Stabler warning them Wheatley was ready for anything. 

Miles and Bernadette shared some tea before a dance outside with some local musicians. Wheatley stated Stabler was going to “pay penance.” The cops below the station triggered a booby-trap which also shut off power to a nursing home, Wheatley putting it all on Stabler.

At the apartment, Miles realized he couldn’t go through with using Bernadette after a kiss and her gushing on falling for him. When thugs broke in, he tried to fight them off, only to be beaten down. 

Wheatley finally told Stabler to head to City Hall, where reporters would hear Stabler’s “confession” of framing Wheatley among scores of “crimes” committed over his career, such as ten shootings.

Jet and Adam managed to get the system running with Adam trying to get her to admit she felt an attraction to him, and in moments, they were sharing hot kisses. McClane threw cold water to say the system was up as they tried to focus on the job. 

Wheatley continued to play his games, trying to get Stabler to confess to framing him, only for Jet and Malachi to upload the program and restore the power. Just as the cops were heading in, Wheatley played his trump card: a video of Bernadette held captive somewhere in the city begging for help.

Taking the final plunge

Wheatley and Stabler faced off between a fence, with Stabler boldly stating, “I still fear no evil.” Angela showed up to pick up Wheatley as he warned Stabler not to follow him or Bernadette would suffer.

When Stabler asked Angela for help, she responded she was sorry “the women in your life end up collateral damage.” Stabler tried to give her a chance as Wheatley related Miles worked for him. Stabler tried to get Bernadette to give some clues. 

Jet and Adam’s happiness returning was ruined by news of the kidnapping. They joined McClane in trying to track the video’s signal to Bernadette’s location. Both McClane and Adam were taken aback Jet somehow recognized the background of a specific BDSM club. 

The cops raided the club to rescue Bernadette. Miles was found injured, apologizing to a heartbroken Bernadette before he was arrested. 

With his leverage gone, Stabler and half the NYPD were on Wheatley’s trail. Stabler called Angela as the pair raced toward the airport, Wheatley convinced he and Angela were about to fly off happily. 

Stabler pressed Angela to give up and revealed Wheatley had killed Richie. Wheatley tried to deny it, but Angela knew the truth. A tearful Angela reminded Stabler of her words of sharing grief, and when she said it got better, “I lied.”

Driving onto a side road, Angela drove the car right off a cliff, sending her and Richard plunging into the river far below. Stabler arrived in time to see the car sink under the cold water. 

McClane was being taken by the feds, telling Adam and Jet, “don’t screw it up.” Bell told Stabler they’d found Angela’s body but not Wheatley’s. She also said the department was going to investigate Stabler after the media attention to his past. 

At a bar, Stabler met Detective Frank Donnelly (Denis Leary), whose father was friends with Stabler’s dad. He stated he’d talked to Benson and figured Stabler “could use a brother right now.”

Thus, the Wheatley arc finally comes to its conclusion, even if his final fate is mostly unknown but ready to send Law & Order: Organized Crime in a new direction.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.