On Law & Order: Organized Crime, the Stabler-Wheatley cold war is getting hot.
After being forced to work together last week, Stabler was now trying to stop Wheatley’s plot while mysterious hacker Sebastian McClane made his own unique moves in the episode As Nottingham Was To Robin Hood.
Computer chaos abounds
The episode opened by revealing that Teddy Garcia was now Governor of New York, telling reporters that the hunt for McClane was a serious concern. McClane himself was startled by Angela waiting for him outside his shower.
Wheatley talked about how New York City was one love of his life, and he intended to remarry the other. He also stated that he wanted payback on Stabler and “this whole city will burn.”
To Wheatley’s surprise, McClane turned down his offer to join forces, even adding he liked Garcia and was not interested in any plans for revenge or riches. He only owed one person and intended to repay the debt. As he was led out, Angela made it clear she would never remarry Richard as he smirked, “yes, you will.”
At the command center, Jet was annoyed by Adam’s non-stop flirting and banter about Constantine. Bell was interrogating Victoria Cartwright (Cayleigh Capaldi), who had a brief relationship with McClane years ago that resulted in a daughter. Her mother, Alyson (Debbie Campbell) said McClane would never come there.
Stabler noted that Alyson was quoting a line Wheatley used on a podcast, once more convinced he’d set this whole thing up to make himself look better. Bell warned him that they needed solid evidence first.
Adam warned them that McClane’s followers were ready to cause chaos in his name. Right on cue, computers around New York went nuts, from ATMs spilling thousands of dollars on the streets to traffic lights going off to cause accidents to ransomware demands.
As Garcia was briefed on the mess, Wheatley strolled in to talk about McClane, bringing up how “Chernbog” was hacking the Governor’s phone. He tricked Garcia into handing over the phone to “check for any bugging.”
Threats and offers are made
Stabler wasn’t happy to see Wheatley buddy-buddy with the Governor, not so subtly questioning on Wheatley and McClane knowing each other. He then dropped the subtly to tell Garcia point-blank, “you’re sitting right next to the criminal mastermind,” which ended the call.
After digging up a box of money in a forest, McClane headed to a bank with the clerk quickly realizing who he was. He insisted on opening an account for a girl named Kesha Jones but ran as soon as the clerk hit the alarm.
Stabler had been following Wheatley but was interrupted by the call on McClane. He realized Kesha was the daughter of the guard who died at the Federal Reserve because of McClane’s hacking. Amid their odd banter, Jet and Adam sent a message to McClane for a meeting to settle this.
At the park, Jet and Adam (soon joined by Stabler) heard an old-fashioned payphone ring with McClane saying he’d give himself up as long as he met the guard’s widow, Sherry Jones. Adam was then knocked over by a guy on a motorbike, dropping off the bag of cash.
Bernadette was taking a break outside when she heard someone whistling at her. She quickly called Elliot, watching Wheatley walk out of a pizza place. Stabler pulled a gun and gave Wheatley his “first, last and only warning” that if he ever came near Stabler’s family again, he’d end up with a bullet in his head.
Bernadette fretted she was more worried about her son than herself as “I look at you and there’s no light.” She told Stabler he couldn’t let Wheatley “live inside you,” and destroying himself wouldn’t bring Kathy back.
Wheatley plays a longer game
Stabler was more upset to hear Garcia wanted them to back off and let the feds handle McClane. He still arranged for McClane to arrive at the home of Sherry Jones (Simone Moore) with a score of cops watching.
Sherry wasn’t interested in McClane’s apologies for causing her husband’s death, even as he was genuinely sorry for what happened. He gave her the money for Kesha before heading out to turn himself in to the FBI. The van drove off…at which point, the real FBI agents showed up and the cops realized too late that they’d been played. McClane also discovered the “agents” were working for Wheatley as he was knocked out.
Wheatley and Garica had drinks with Wheatley trying to push the idea of Stabler being a loose cannon and using the murder of Garcia’s wife as a way to “bond.”
McClane woke up at Angela’s place with her explaining that fighting Richard was pointless and it was better to be on his side. She pressed that he could help more people with Wheatley than in jail. She gave him some food and even a kiss on the cheek while thanking him for “giving me something to believe in again.”
Jet and Adam noted how Stabler made the slip of “Wheatley” not slipping through his fingers and wondered if Adam was working with him. Stabler and Bell went to Angela, who claimed McClane just showed up on her doorstep, stole her car, and had no idea about his plans with Richard. As they left, Stabler dryly told the much healthier Angela, “keep working on that limp.”
Tracking McClane to a construction site, Stabler had a mocking call from Richard on being “2 and 0.” Stabler tracked the two to the upper levels of the building just as the lights went off. Bell joined him in time to see a helicopter fly by with the criminals obviously on it.
Once again, Wheatley is a step ahead of Stabler, and his plans involving Garcia promise to cause more trouble for the Organized Crime Unit.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.
But this feud where is interesting. It’s a miserabile and ridicol carton. The worst i ever seen.