Law & Order: Organized Crime: An SVU Pal Returns To Help Stabler Realize He’s Been Hoodwinked — Read Recap

Courtesy of NBC
Do I wish SVU alum Tamara Tunie were in more of this week’s Law & Order: Organized Crime? Of course! That woman, and that character, is a GEM. Will I settle for her being around for the exact moment a very important penny drops for Stabler? I will!

Read on for the highlights of “Lago D’Averno.”

Eli’s field training officer Sgt. Hunt preps him for talking to the police department’s Internal Review Board, by which he says he’s been questioned by four (!) times. “Whatever the hell happened is between you and your god, nobody else,” he advises. Hunt shuts down Eli’s thoughts about having his union rep there, then Eli screens a call from his father as Hunt slaps him on the shoulder and says he’s proud of him.

And, oh look who’s questioning him? Moses Warren, the IAB guy who hates Elliot. A very nervous Eli says he hasn’t discussed the shooting with anyone, not even his dad, because it’s “against protocol.” Becky calls a couple of times, but Eli doesn’t answer — even though Mean IAB guy tells him he probably should. Eli reasons that it can’t be important, because their baby isn’t due for another six weeks.   

About that! Stabler is at the morgue with Isabella as she identifies Pietro’s body. “The police might have shot him, but it was my brother who killed him,” she says… though I feel like she’ll change her mind about assigning blame the minute she learns the last name on the offending officer’s badge. But pretty soon, Elliot is called away to the hospital — where Becky has just delivered his grandson, with Eli nowhere in sight. The good news is that, despite the baby’s early arrival, both he and his mom are OK. Eli eventually arrives, and Elliot sits with him in the waiting room and tries to reassure him that everything is going to be fine.

Rocco, Is That You?

Courtesy of Peacock
Stabler goes to Isabella’s home, where she is greatly relieved to hear that the police believe Roman is alive, though missing. But she’s convinced that her brother, Rocco, is no longer in prison in Italy and instead is in the United States, pulling Roman’s strings. And when Stabler has Vargas hack into the Italian jail’s security cameras, they see that another man appears to be posing as Rocco — meaning the murderous Spezzano is on the loose.

Father DeLuca, the shady priest from the previous episode, summons Stabler to his church. While Elliot waits to talk to DeLuca, someone in a nun’s habit watches from the balcony but scurries away when El looks up. That’s totally Rocco in a nun’s habit, right? When DeLuca approaches, he gives some fake story about wanting to help the kids in his parish, but all he really wants to ask is if they’ve found Roman. Stabler says he can’t discuss the case, and leaves.

Outside, Becky texts Grandpa Elliot — and his pause to look out his phone is the only thing that saves him from being closer to his car when it blows up!

Randall swings by later that day to bring his brother, who is remarkably fine after nearly being cooked over easy. They talk about Randall intercepting the call he thought was from Joe Jr. “I’m telling you,” he says to Elliot, “I got a feeling about this.” They agree that Randall will let Elliot know the next time a call comes through.

Father DeLuca finds Roman, shivering in an alley from the fever resulting from his infected gunshot. He speeds the young man to Isabella’s, where she lays him out in the barn to treat him. “Rocco is here,” he says, gasping. “So is she.” Isabella immediately knows who her grandson is referencing — a woman named Lucia — and she comforts him as he babbles that Rocco and Lucia came to the house, looking to kill Isabella, so he promised to help them in order to stave them off.

OK so maybe I was wrong about Rocco hiding by wearing a nun’s habit around the parish. The person we saw earlier is a woman — Sister Mary — but PSYCH! she’s really Lucia, Rocco’s sister! Turns out, Rocco is hiding in the back of the church, where they’re torturing Father DeLuca until he gives up Roman’s whereabouts.

Showdown at the Horse Farm

Courtesy of Peacock
Stabler meets with IAB and it gets heated when Warren says that Eli’s FTO reported that Stabler had told Eli to “get out” after shooting Pietro. Elliot clarifies that he told Sgt. Hunt to take Eli outside, just to give him some distance from the firefight he’d just been in. “If you’re chasing a bad cop, you might want to look into Sgt. Hunt,” he says.

While that’s happening, Bell gets a warrant to search the church, and they wind up finding Father DeLuca dead in a secret room. Stabler calls Isabella to warn her; without even picking up the phone, she knows that Rocco and Lucia are on their way. So she arms herself and her granddaughter and greets Rocco and Lucia and their henchman when they show up.

She refuses to hand over Roman, so Lucia ties her to a chair and cuts off her finger while the men search the grounds. Stabler arrives on the scene and calls for backup, then runs in when he hears Isabella’s screams. He cuts her free and returns her gun to her, telling her to keep it on Lucia while he heads to the barn.

But before he can arrive, Rocco finds Gia and Roman in a stall. He’s not afraid of Gia, even though she’s wielding a gun, and he gently tells her to put down the weapon. But before anything else can happen, Roman — who appeared unconscious — shoots his uncle dead using the family pistol. Stabler skids onto the scene after it’s all done, then they hear two gunshots coming from the house. When Elliot runs up to the room he was just in, Lucia is gone, and Isabella is dead. Her face is completely shot off, and because we’re on Peacock now, they show us EVERYTHING. Huh. I really thought this show was going to have her find out Eli shot Roman, then have her be the villain of the rest of the season. What the heck do I know?!

Lucia gets away. Roman, who is headed to the hospital, wants to turn state’s evidence against the Camorra. And El is called to the hospital, where Randall reports Bernie is “freaking out.”

‘A Cop Like You?’

Courtesy of Peacock
In Bernie’s defense: She’s agitated because she suspects her kids are keeping something from her, and she’s right! Elliot sits her down and explains that Eli was part of an officer-involved shooting. She wonders whether the kid will be “a cop like you, or a cop like your father?”

Stabler is still thinking about that when he stops by Becky’s room a short while later. Becky sends her man to the vending machine so she can have a chat with Elliot: She hopes the police department kicks him out, she confesses, because she’s pretty sure Eli doesn’t actually want to be a cop. “I feel like he does it for you, or some family thing that he feels that he has to do.” Stabler is already tearing up, then she adds, “He just really loves you. He just doesn’t want to disappoint you.”

At the end of the episode, Stabler stops by the morgue, where Chief Medical Examiner Melinda Kickass Warner is looking at Isabella’s body and gleaning whatever info it can give them. Our first hint that something hinky is going on is when Stabler mentions signs of torture, and Warner is like, “Uh, nope.” GUYS. Then he asks if she got DNA from “the finger” and she has no idea what he’s talking about.

He lifts the sheet to see that the corpse has all of her digits. IT’S LUCIA, which means Isabella is currently in the wind! “Nevermind,” he says.

Elsewhere in the episode, Vargas remotely helps Randall determine whether the restricted number that’s been calling is Joey’s. Eventually, Vargas uses the cell tower location and geotagging to figure out that Joe Jr. has been frequenting (or working at) a night club in Amsterdam. And in the social media photos he finds, we can see that Joey has Guy Fieri’d his hair. Welcome to Flavortown, my man!

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

Read More: https://www.tvline.com/recaps/law-and-order-organized-crime-season-5-episode-5-1235447290/

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Season 1, Episode 9 Recap and Revelations From ‘Straight to Hell’

by Eric Diaz

Apr 17 2025 • 6:49 AM

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The season one finale of Daredevil: Born AgainOpens in a new tab is officially out. This episode gives us an amazing and brutal Punisher x Daredevil fight scene, a welcome return from an original cast member, and the goriest violence to ever grace Disney+ to date. Here’s how the first season of Born Again came to a conclusion.

Vanessa Fisk and Bullseye: The Truth Revealed

The episode opens with a flashback to one year prior. Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet ZurerOpens in a new tab) visits Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel) in the mental hospital, and explains that the FBI’s involvement in Wilson’s case, and its exposed corruption, resulted in her husband’s acquittal after season three. This finally explains why Fisk hasn’t been in prison all this time since the end of the original series. She says that a client of Foggy Nelson’s could expose her criminal empire and its ties to Red Hook Point, and she wants Poindexter to eliminate him before he does. She promises him an early release if he does this one thing for her. A desperate Bullseye signs on the dotted line.

FALLOUT: Season 1 Recap

Matt (Barely) Survives Taking a Bullet for Fisk

We cut back to the present, in the aftermath of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) getting shot to save Mayor Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Matt wakes up in the hospital with Heather GlennOpens in a new tab (Margarita Levieva) and Kirsten McDuffie at his bedside. As he comes to, he mistakenly thinks that Heather is his old love Karen Page for a moment, which visibly stings Heather. Kirsten says, “It’s the drugs,” but Heather realizes it’s more than that. Matt tells Kirsten that Vanessa Fisk ordered the hit on Foggy, and begs her to get him access to his old case files. It’s clear Heather thinks Matt is delusional, and Kirsten is just about right there with her.

Wilson Fisk Becomes the Kingpin Again

At the Fisk’s mansion, the Mayor and Vanessa recover from his assassination attempt. Matt Murdock’s blood covers his formerly pristine white shirt. It doesn’t get more on-the-nose symbolic than that. Wilson admits to Vanessa that he knows that she ordered the hit on FoggyOpens in a new tab. And he doesn’t seem to care or feel betrayed. He said he ran as Mayor to “Save the city,” but he clearly wants back in the criminal game. He tells Vanessa she used Red Hook to funnel millions, but as Mayor, he can use it to funnel billions. Vanessa gives a sly smile to her husband, realizing that the Kingpin of Crime is officially back.

Mayor Fisk Throws Rule of Law Out the Window

In his office, Mayor Fisk furiously rants after his attempted assassination. He screams that his Anti-Vigilante Task Force is “Going to hunt down all vigilantes, not just Poindexter. There will be no body cams, no due process, no warrants!” Police Commissioner Gallo (Michael Gaston) reminds him that it’s totally illegal. But Fisk sees himself as above the law. The corrupt cops of his task force smile, now allowed to become the monsters they’ve always wanted the authority to be. Fisk says he’s not just condoning the use of lethal force, he’s encouraging it. Sheila (Zabryna Guevara) agrees that a lone gunman attacking a mayor is a serious affront. However, it’s not enough of a threat to public safety to shut down the city, closing all bridges and tunnels. It goes in Fisk’s ear and out the other.

Mayor Fisk Orders Matt’s Death

As his rant continues, it’s clear to everyone that Fisk sees himself as the most important being in the universe, and his will dominates. The actual law is irrelevant. Fisk dismisses his staff, except for Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan). When the two are alone, he asks how Matt Murdock is doing in the hospital, and Buck tells him he’s stable. He also tells him that going after him now may “Confuse the optics of things.” But Fisk sees a perfect opportunity, and essentially asks Buck to go kill Matt in the hospital via poison, so it looks like the brave lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen died trying to save his life. He thanks the man who saved him by sending someone to kill him in his hospital bed. “A dead hero is better than a live vigilante.”

Gallo Tries to Make an Alliance With Sheila

Fisk is alone with Sheila, and tells her that the city just needs the right push to have everyone fall in line. He says that she knows who in his staff is loyal, and who is not. He asks her to dismiss anyone who is not completely on board with his personal agenda. Sheila knows that betraying a monster is not good for her survival chances. As she tries to leave his office, she’s confronted by Gallo. He knows Sheila is aware of what’s going on, and how flagrantly unlawful it all is. He says, “There are still sane people in the building, and I am betting that you’re one of them.” Gallo says that he’s going to try to convince the state governor in Albany of what’s going on, and he needs her support. Only the governor can remove Fisk from office. Sheila agrees.

The Punisher Returns

As Matt lies in his hospital bed, he hears Buck Cashman walk in. Matt is smart enough to know what he’s there to do and how. Cashman pulls out a syringe, ready to take care of Fisk’s Daredevil problem for good, and just as he does, the power goes out in the city, thanks to Fisk’s control over the power company. Matt uses the confusion to escape the hospital, and Buck’s plans to kill him are thwarted. Matt goes back to his apartment in his hospital gown, and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) is there waiting for him. He reprimands him for not having a functioning coffee maker, but Matt claps back that not everyone lives in a fallout shelter like he does.

Matt asks Frank directly what brought the Punisher out of retirementOpens in a new tab. He says he got a phone call from a friend who made him promise to get Matt out alive. Frank tells him there’s a ton of his “fanboys” out there as they speak, ready to come into his place and take him out, and he’s ready to use lethal force against them. And he’s doing it whether St. Matt is ok with it or not. Frank asks Matt about Fisk “Why would you take a bullet for that asshole?” Matt doesn’t really have an answer for him.

Daredevil and Punisher Take on Fisk’s Goons

As the two talk, Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force pulls up to Matt’s apartment, getting ready to raid the place and bring him down. As a small battalion of officers enters his place, guns loaded, Matt, as Daredevil, busts in from the skylight, using non-lethal force to take out one cop after another. The Punisher, however, has no problem killing these guys, even though Matt begs him to stop. And given how many of these cops wear the Punisher emblem, he has zero problem killing his own fanbase… sometimes with a large knife to the throat.

Matt Learns Who Killed Hector Ayala

One office that survived is Cole North (Jeremy Isaiah Earl). Punisher recognizes the bullet casing from his gun, and it is the same one that was used in the murder of Hector AyalaOpens in a new tab. Despite having the temptation to kill him, Daredevil refuses, knocking him out instead. The Punisher tries to goad him on, saying, “Do it, Red.” But Matt won’t go there. As the two argue over the morality of killing these officers, Matt senses a grenade launched into the apartment. The two vigilantes then jump off the roof and land on a cop car. As they stand alone on the street, a car pulls up. Out of it comes none other than Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), who helps them escape the scene.

Daredevil and Karen Page Reunite

Karen takes both men to Frank’s safehouse, where she tries to stitch them up. Karen confesses that once she heard Bullseye escaped, she called Frank and hopped on a plane to New York. Matt is visibly hurt that she called Frank first. Karen says that Fisk going after Matt Murdock and not Daredevil is bold, even for him. This is when Matt tells her that Vanessa Fisk ordered the hit on Foggy. He realizes there is evidence in storage that can prove it, but he needs Karen’s help to find it. Punisher says he’s not into playing detective with them, choosing to stay behind. Karen thanks him for his help saving Matt. She also reminds him that she can see through his tough guy bravado and knows that he actually cares.

New York City Falls Into Chaos

At a special midnight meeting with the city council, Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) tries to get everyone to endorse Fisk’s “Safer Streets” initiative. One council member calls it insane. But then Daniel starts dropping his knowledge of different dirty dealings and secret bank accounts each member holds. He threatens to expose them unless they fully endorse Fisk’s plan to turn New York into a police state. As the blackout continues, riots break out all over the city, and there’s looting. One looter, clearly a teenager, gets caught by the cops, and one of them shoots him even when he surrenders. A more sympathetic officer realizes “he was just a kid.” But the officer who shot him pulls his cap around his eyes, and says “No, he was a masked vigilante.”

Matt and Karen Discover Why Vanessa Had Foggy Killed

In Matt’s storage facility, he and Karen look for the files Foggy filed a year earlier. Karen finds the file, which has a photocopy of documents from 1855. It declares Red Hook as a free port, not officially part of the state of New York, or even the United States. No crime committed there is actually on U.S. soil or subject to American laws. Matt realizes that Vanessa Fisk has been using Red Hook as a port to launder money legally for years. Now, her husband is building a development project there. And under the Red Hook Charter, he could conduct all kinds of illicit activities there legally and rake in billions. Foggy accidentally stumbled on this, and Vanessa wanted him silenced.

The Punisher Gets Captures By His Own Fans

Frank is listening to police radio, and realizes that both Karen and Matt are in danger. He goes to Red Hook Point, where he finds a ton of his fanboys, all part of Fisk’s militia. He handily slaughters them all like he’s Jason in a Friday the 13th movieOpens in a new tab, but is captured alive. Meanwhile, Sheila betrays Gallo, and plays  a recording of her conversation with him for Fisk. She breaks down crying, knowing what she’s doing is  wrong, but that fear for her own safety pushed her to make the evil choice. As Gallo gets into his car, a young officer with a fresh Punisher tattoo is his driver. He realizes he’s been betrayed and is being taken somewhere he likely won’t come back from.

Now zip-tied to a chair, the Punisher meets with his #1 fanboy, Officer Powell (Hamish Allan-Headley). The worst of the bad apple cops says he lost a lot of guys today at his hands, and he hopes it was all worth it. He tries to get Frank to join their side, saying Frank can do what he does with impunity as part of Fisk’s personal army. Frank then calls them all a bunch of clowns for admiring him, and reminds them they can never know his pain or his loss. One by one, each of the cops wearing Frank’s emblem proceeds to punch him brutally.

Fisk Brutally Murders Gallo in Front of His Task Force

Gallo is taken to a tent in Red Hook, where Fisk is flanked by members of his task force. Gallo says the truth out loud to Fisk; “You never stopped being the Kingpin. You can’t stop.” Either because of his insolence, or just because he knows he’s right, Fisk punches Gallo in the throat, and then crushes his head like a grape in front of his task force. (Anyone remember when Disney+ wasn’t going to have R-rated content?) “Any questions?” Fisk asks those around, and his militia stands silent. If they had any questions, they sure aren’t going to voice them after that gory display.

Daredevil Declares War, “We Need an Army”

Daredevil and Karen go to Red Hook Point, and the place is now crawling with Fisk’s task force. Matt says he going to go in, but Karen reminds him that if he goes in there, he will die or kill someone. This isn’t the time to make any rash moves. Especially as he’s still hurt from the shooting and the fight earlier that night. She convinces him, but Matt assures her that he can beat Fisk, and they can take back the city. But Matt tells her to do that, “We need an army.” The next morning, the power comes back on in New York, and Heather Glenn meets Fisk in his office. Fisk offers her the job of “Commissioner of Mental Health,” and she accepts the offer. Whether she believes in Fisk or is spying for Matt is unknown.

Mayor Fisk Declares Martial Law

Fisk does a televised address to the city, where he lies to the public and says Gallo “chose to resign.” He officially enacts his Safer Streets Act, declaring all vigilante activity illegal, and sets a citywide curfew for 8 pm. He also declares martial law in the city, and when this manufactured crisis is over, he will restore “the pursuit of life and liberty” in the city. “Never forget,” he says, “I love New York.” Matt hides out in Josie’s Bar, and he confesses to Karen that ever since Foggy died, he didn’t know who he was anymore. Karen says that Foggy knew both the light and dark inside him and accepted him for who he was. This gives Matt the strength to put back the Daredevil mask, and he meets with his allies within the police force at Josie’s, among them Cherry (Clark Johnson) and Angie Kim (Ruibo Qian.)