The youngest Stabler brother dies in Elliot’s arms, setting the bereft detective on a path that is potentially illegal and definitely immoral.
So he makes sure Joe is present when Emery has his thug kill a man who reneged on a deal.
Stabler makes reference to his confidential informant being on the inside of whatever’s going down, but when she presses him for more information, he’s squirrelly.
But when the New York Police Department rolls in to shut it all down, it’s not quite the huge deal Joe implied.
He’s barely done speaking when Stabler makes his choice: “Let’s go for a ride.”
In this week’s penultimate episode, Joe Jr., the Stabler family tragedy that some of us feared when we saw the title of the Season 5 finale, “He Was a Stabler,” comes to pass. is shot and killed during a botched drug bust.
The bereaved detective embarks on a potentially unlawful and unquestionably immoral journey after the youngest Stabler brother passes away in Elliot’s arms. Olivia Benson, please take the wheel! (Really, could you please come fix your boy next week?).
The highlights of “Off the Books” are listed below. “”.
Emery informs Joe early on in the show that he is acutely aware of the youngest Stabler brother’s communication with Elliot. In order to ensure Joe is there, he has Emery’s thug kill a man who broke a deal. The unspoken warning: Beware of my anger. Joe follows Emery’s instructions and then destroys the place, but not before leaving his brother a small clue.
Detective. When McKenna first arrives on the scene, she discovers the foil-wrapped drug packet Joe left there. McKenna knows enough to call Elliot and inform him of their findings, even though he is not familiar with the specifics of Joe’s involvement. It’s something entirely new, and when Det. When Tanner learns that McKenna alerted Stabler, she wants to know why. She also lets him know that they are now collaborating on the case.
Stabler claims that his confidential informant is aware of everything that is happening, but he acts sly when she asks him for more details. When he finally tells her that his CI is his brother, I appreciate her reminding me that THIS IS A HORRIBLE IDEA.
WHO IS USING WHOM? | Joe calls Elliot to alert him to a significant drug deal that is impending, but once they hang up, we discover that Emery is pressuring Joe to give his brother false information. The address Joe provides to Elliot is, in fact, the location of a drug operation. It’s not quite as big of a deal as Joe suggested, though, when the New York Police Department arrives to put an end to it. Tanner soon discovers that Emery used them to eliminate his main rival in the new drug’s sales, and despite Elliot’s reluctance to acknowledge it, it appears that his brother is taking advantage of him.
“COME HOME” | In the meantime, Randall learns that Joe called Elliot — many thanks to Kathleen — and he rushes to the office to shout that he’s experiencing a hunch that their younger brother is going to suffer a terrible fate. Telling him that Joe is back in town, Elliot gives him the assignment to instruct Joe to give him a call the next time he rings Bernie’s cell.
Following Randall’s instructions, Elliot and Joe meet up on the rooftop. Joe provides El with the address where Emery will finalize a massive drug deal the following day. Joe is given a medallion by El, which is probably the same one that Bunny gave him in the season premiere. El claims that Bernie wanted him to have it. Joe is desperate for his mother to know he is clean, but Elliot tells him she never knew he was ever using heroin. As they say goodbye, Elliot gives his brother a hug and says, “Come home.”. “.”.
Joe lied to Elliott in order to keep the police away from the actual location of the deal, which is in a different borough. GOODBYE, JOE. In addition, Elliot is far smarter than his sibling with Guy Fieri’s hair. Emery discovers that Joe’s new medallion has a tracker on the back of it when the police arrive with a caravan of backup.
Elliot is frantically searching the warehouse when he receives a call from an enraged Emery, with Joe and Emery’s thug fleeing. Having a gun on Joe, the wealthy Brit makes a deal: “Remove the APB on me,” so that he can leave town free, “or he dies.”. While a helicopter circles overhead, Stabler stutters that he will work on the situation, but it is already too late. Shortly after Emery ends the call, Stabler hears a gunshot nearby.
As he runs, he discovers Joe bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest and Emery gone. With blood dripping from his mouth, the younger Stabler exclaims, “I mailed it,” as Elliot hugs him and pleads with him to stay because “Mama’s been waiting for you.”. Nevertheless, things are rapidly deteriorating. Joe mumbles, “Tell her I was clean,” and leaves. Elliot sobs while putting his face very close to his younger brother’s.
“LET’S GO RIDE” | Later, when another officer inquires as to whether Stabler moved the body, he breaks down once more. Elliot hardly escapes, sobbing as he gazes down at Joe’s blood on his hands, “I held him.”. Tanner shows up, sits down with him, and tells him to go spend time with his family. He tells Randall and Kathleen in a montage, which we see but cannot hear. (But not BERNIE, Eli, and Becky?
After that, Stabler pulls into an alley, where McKenna is waiting for him. In the trunk, Emery’s thug is restrained. “After learning about your brother, I decided to cancel my plans to book him. Thus, we have two options: either we take him in or we hitchhike,” McKenna says. He has hardly finished talking when Stabler decides to go for a ride. “.”.
