The following contains spoilers for Law & Order: Organized Crime, Season 2, Episode 21, "Streets Is Watching" which premiered Thursday, May 12, on NBC. This article also contains descriptions of assault.
A Very Self-Important man is about to enter a fancy building when he's interrupted by reporters asking about his family and company's ethical violations. He, like all Very Important men, doesn't care to respond and continues inside the building -- where he is expecting to meet with a masseuse but instead is greeted by a stealthy bullet to the head. Back at the Organized Crime precinct, Detective Elliot Stabler brings those old bullets from the tree by his childhood home to Detective Jet Slootmaekers. He wants info on the gun in his quest to determine if his dad was a crooked setter-upper. Just then, Sergeant Ayanna Bell enters; Nova has something big to report. Preston Webb has ordered a hit on none other than Stabler himself.
Frank Donnelly is doing some frantic and deep digging in his yard. He tells his wife Bridget it's for a hot tub but really he's digging up his "rainy day" needs. At the Stabler home, Eli and Grandma Stabler are concerned that Stabler's having them leave for a couple of days. He tells them there's a threat, but doesn't want to elaborate. Though Stabler's got a full detail of protection watching from afar, that's never deterred the Marcy Killers. So who's behind all this? Who allowed the robbery at the Ulrich mansion to happen? The squad talks to a member of Ulrich's team... who points to a picture of Donnelly as the man who asked him to steal back the cash.
Back at his Brotherhood precinct, Stabler pulls Donnelly aside to talk about the heist. Frank looks annoyed even before Stabler accuses him of knowing the safe would be empty ahead of time. Donnelly says he bribed Ulrich's head of security as a Plan B, so Stabler asks a good question: why did they break in then? Donnelly says it was a test for Stabler. Why did Donnelly use his credit card to rent that felon's van? Donnelly blames Moss for picking Stabler to be a fall guy. They're brothers; why is Stabler accusing him? Stabler plays it off like he believes him yet again and "jokes" that he would've shot Frank if he had set him up. Later that night, Grandma Stabler begins having a slightly rambling manic episode and Eli calls his father. While Stabler is on the phone, a sniper takes a shot at his head -- just barely missing.
Back at her undercover role, Nova meets with Webb to report on the money laundering operations. But there's a knock at the door: it's a pissed-off-looking Stabler. Webb orders everyone but Nova out of the room as Elliot confronts Webb about the misguided hit he's placed on him. He asks Webb to call off the hit, as he's got a lead on who really stole the money. Webb doesn't care though. Bell isn't happy to learn that Stabler walked into the lion's den, but he tells her things are too complicated. There's nothing concrete to check him on, other than a tip from their undercover agent. But then Jet gets a hit: the bullet matches ballistics from a shooting that took out the cocky arms dealer in New York at the beginning of the episode and is linked to multiple other high-profile crimes. Who is this guy?
Donnelly calls an emergency meeting of the Brotherhood because he has an important announcement: in light of his latest baby, he wants to be a better father and so he's stepping back from the organization. He's out -- and Stabler's in; he's putting him in charge. The reactions from the Brotherhood are frustrated at best as Stabler is stunned. He chases after Donnelly and tells him he's not ready but Donnelly's mind is made up. He tells Stabler that leading the Brotherhood is the closest he'll ever get to being God. Lord, don't tempt Stabler with a good time. Speaking of God, Nova's pastor brother Derrick is praying to the lord over his dilemma about having that illicit gun.
Jet has grainy street cam footage of whoever took a shot at Stabler while the detective himself calls Bell to report his new appointment. They're both confused about what Donnelly's strategy is. Jet works her techie magic and enhances the footage, learning a surprising new detail: Stabler's would-be hitman is a hitwoman. Her name is Natalie but she goes by Belladonna and comes from Italy. Does she have a longer vendetta against Stabler, given his ten years in Rome? Her history shows her serving in Afghanistan before going AWOL and signing up with mercenaries.
Jet's magic works again as she links up Stabler with covert tracking technology. He drives through the streets, Jet guiding him to Natalie's location. As Stabler approaches, Bell reminds him to wait for backup but -- of course -- he enters the building anyway and uses Jet's fancy scanner addition on his phone to unlock a high-tech locked door. Stabler bursts in as Natalie runs for it. An intense foot chase through the street ensues and she gives him the slip. But Stabler's made a scary discovery: Natalie's been casing his entire family, including taking photos of Eli at school. Jet tells him she has a hit on Natalie at a fashion show nearby and Elliot tears after her in a truly madcap chase, but she gets away again.
Elsewhere, Derrick's come to meet with Webb because he believes Webb can tell Derrick why he murdered his father. He pulls a gun on Webb, but Webb says he doesn't even know who his father was. Nova, in a panic, rushes in and tries to disarm Derrick. But Webb now thinks she's in on it too. Is this why she joined Webb's company? Nova has to do some quick thinking -- so she shoots her brother in the leg, saying both of their lives.
Grandma Stabler is becoming more flustered and upset, unsure why she's not at home and briefly forgetting her husband has been dead for decades. It's like Rebecca from This Is Us has wandered into Organized Crime. Stabler's back at his apartment, expecting the worst; he slams open the door into the gun-holding arm of Natalie. The two engage in another intense fight and frankly destroy his home before he finally knocks her out.
It's interrogation time. Stabler begins to question Natalie, kindly letting her know that speaking to him is her best protection against an army of federal agents who have more serious consequences in mind for her. She has something he needs and he'll help her if she cooperates with his investigation. What does she know about Preston Webb? She gives him and Bell everything they need to take down Webb and the whole Marcy Killer squad. The only person left, then, is Frank Donnelly.
But first, speaking of Webb, Nova goes to visit Derrick in the hospital who tells her he wishes she'd let him kill the other man. She tells him he's a man of God but he says he turned to the church out of pain; he's no Godly man. Nova apologizes for getting Derrick involved in this and asks him to leave Webb to her as she gives him a ticket back home to Chicago.
At the Donnelly residence, Frank's rainy day fund is complete: $2 million. Bridget is annoyed that he's planning to escape out of the country. She doesn't want to leave her family and life here, and she's not interested in getting away clean. Frank's on-the-run lifestyle isn't for her and their kids. Frank promises he'll get them back for Christmas, though.
Stabler visits his daughter Kathleen, with whom Eli and Mama Stabler have been staying. He says he's sorry for scaring everyone and oh, also, Eli? There's a gaping hole in your bedroom now. Elliot checks in with his mom, who's always happy to see him, though she playfully ribs her stubborn son. She just wants to go home, please, where they all belong. Once they've made it there, Jet arrives and marvels at the damage his fight with Belladonna did to his apartment. But it's not just a personal call; she has news. The slugs in the tree -- the ones Stabler shot from his father's partner's gun -- do indeed match the slugs pulled from his dad's leg decades ago. That all but confirms his dad did indeed stage a fake shooting to cover up dirty behavior. Though deep down he knew, it doesn't hurt any less and he sobs as Jet leaves the apartment.
New episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime air Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.