LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: ‘People VS Richard Wheatley’ Recap

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the Thursday, December 9 hour of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, the first hour of the SVU-ORGANIZED CRIME crossover.]

It was a battle of the courtroom titans on the Thursday, December 9 episode of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, as Carisi (Peter Scanavino) faced off against Barba (Raúl Esparza) as the State tried to make their case against Richard Wheatley (Dylan McDermott), who was on trial for the death of Kathy Stabler.

Things started off really well for the defense: Barba pushed his former colleague, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), about her decision to allow her former partner/the husband of the victim Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) interrogate a past suspect in the bombing. He similarly went after Stabler’s current partner, Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt), bringing up the lawsuit Bell’s wife’s family had against the NYPD.

But with Angela (Tamara Taylor) on the cusp of testifying, Richard decided to have a bit of extra fun, summoning Benson to see him. Wheatley warned Olivia that Stabler’s kids might not want to hear what Angela had to say about her relationship with Elliot—and Olivia might object to it, too.

Stabler was waiting for Benson after her meeting with Richard, and pushed him about what Richard actually meant. Initially, Elliot tried to push back, insisting nothing had happened, but when he asked why she even cared, it was enough to make Olivia (finally) snap. She pointed out that since his return, their relationship had been fairly one-sided, with him not appearing to care what had happened to her in the decade he was gone; he gave her a letter he didn’t even write, and then came to her home while drugged out of his mind. Stabler finally acknowledged he didn’t really know where to start—and Benson agreed.

Unfortunately for the prosecution, it got two nearly-fatal back-to-back blows: Angela, who was still recovering from her poisoning, fell apart while being cross-examined, and Richie (Nick Creegan), Wheatley’s son, changed his testimony, claiming he didn’t hear Richard plotting to kill Kathy.

With their backs against the wall, the prosecution managed to get a bit of an unconventional win. Prior to Elliot testifying, he was warned to keep his cool by Baptiste (Teagle F. Bougere). Carisi quietly told the detective there was no reason for Richard to testify—Stabler needed to find a way to get into his head. So Elliot lost his cool on the stand and got cited for contempt…which allowed him to orchestrate a meeting with Wheatley in the bathroom, where Stabler goaded him about Angela. Naturally, it riled up Richard enough to make him offer up his testimony when he returned to court.

To make things even more uncomfortable, Olivia brought Angela back to court in time for that testimony…and Barba realized he got played. Of course, Wheatley had a few tricks up his sleeve: He insisted not only was he innocent, but Angela was, too. Instead, it was all Izak’s doing, he claimed. But Carisi managed to get under Wheatley’s skin, and Richard threatened him in open court.

Unfortunately for Carisi, it wasn’t quite enough…the jury was deadlocked. And Barba successfully argued for a mistrial rather than continue on—the corrupt judge agreed.

As if that wasn’t enough bad news for the Stabler family, Elliot got a blow right as the verdict was about to be read: his young son, Eli (Nicky Torchia), was missing. To be continued on the OC hour of the crossover…

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC

RELATED:

• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’s Peter Scanavino Previews Carisi’s Battle Against ORGANIZED CRIME’s Wheatley—and Barba
• LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME: ‘The Christmas Episode’ Photos
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: ‘People vs. Richard Wheatley’ Photos
• LAW & ORDER: Ilene Chaiken and Danielle Moné Truitt Preview Wheatley’s Return in the SVU-ORGANIZED CRIME Crossover
• LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME: Ilene Chaiken Teases a ‘Very Christmas-y’ Crossover Hour, Stabler Family Drama
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Jason Biggs to Guest Star
• LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME’s Danielle Moné Truitt and Ilene Chaiken Preview Bell’s Career Ambitions, New Dynamic with Brewster
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Donal Logue to Return
• NBC Boss Teases Potential LAW & ORDER and ONE CHICAGO Crossovers
• LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME Post-Mortem: The Team Breaks Down ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and What Didn’t Make the Cut
• LAW & ORDER: Raúl Esparza Sets Return for SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT-ORGANIZED CRIME Crossover
• LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME’s Ilene Chaiken Teases the Next Step in Elliot and Olivia’s Relationship
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Promotes Octavio Pisano
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: How Did the Show Say Goodbye to Kat and Garland?
• Demore Barnes on His LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Exit
• NBC Teases LAW & ORDER Block with New SVU and ORGANIZED CRIME Promo
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’s Jamie Gray Hyder Confirms Exit: Season 23 ‘Got a Lot Less Colorful’
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Peter Scanavino Reflects on Carisi’s Season 22 Courtroom Arc
• NBC Teases LAW & ORDER Thursdays with New Benson and Stabler Posters
• LAW & ORDER Stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni Weigh in on a Potential Benson/Stabler Relationship: ‘It Just Has to be Earned’
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT and ORGANIZED CRIME Bosses Share How They’ve Crafted a Shared Universe
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Post-Mortem: Will Henry Return?
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Warren Leight Explains the Cut Crossover Diner Scene
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Post-Mortem: Peter Scanavino on What’s Next for Rollisi
• LAW & ORDER: SVU and ORGANIZED CRIME: Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni Break Down Olivia and Elliot’s Messy Reunion

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