Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021) s04e01 Episode Script
Memory Lane
1
In the nation's largest city,
the vicious and violent
members of the underworld
are hunted by the detectives
of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.
These are their stories.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GUNSHOTS]
- Officer down!
- Officer down.
- Officer down. I repeat.
- Can't feel my legs.
Jamie, calm down.
What are you talking about?
The bullet went through his spine.
We're gonna need another medic now.
I can't live like this.
- [SUSTAINED TONE]
- [GUNSHOT]
[PANTING]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[HORN HONKS]
Hey.
What's up?
Something wrong?
No. Nothing.
Look at me.
Look at me.
You take something?
I'm freaking out, man.
I'm good. I can drive.
Tweak, we screw this
up, I can't save you.
All right? We're almost there.
I know. I know. I got it.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
Come on, man. Don't
look at me like that.
Well.
I already got a dad that hates my guts.
You listen to him as
much as you listen to me?
Less.
Here he comes.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
When we get to the lab,
you stay in the truck.
What? Why?
Just listen to me. Do as I say.
♪
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
You're the one who's late, my man.
Come on, man. Not
this voodoo crap again.
Hey, this guy got me from Santo Domingo
to the United States and
through every job I ever had.
He stays.
♪
So, Espinoza, I noticed the hazmats.
What are they for?
I thought we were the ride.
Trust me.
You're going to want them.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
Cuidado. Cuidado.
[CROWD YELLING]
Please step back.
Whoa! Hold up.
Those are ICE agents.
Go around them.
They're not looking
for us. Just sit tight.
This is my head if we're late.
Jump the curb and go around them.
I I can't. There's
people there. Wha
Tweak.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Oy!
♪
[HORN HONKING]
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
♪
- Hey!
- Police!
Don't move! Don't move!
Drop the gun!
Drop the gun! Drop the gun!
Up against the truck.
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
My system not only analyzes
vast amounts of data
in a fraction of the
time that you or I can,
it is capable of using that information
to forecast where and when
criminal activity will occur.
Artificially intelligent
policing isn't the future.
It's already here.
[APPLAUSE]
So is this Skynet or HAL?
Shh.
The algorithm also allows agencies
to allocate resources more effectively,
saving money without cutting corners.
- I mean, it sounds impressive.
- It is impressive.
Until it sends someone
back in time to kill you.
It's just a tool.
It doesn't make decisions. We do.
Honestly, I'm surprised
you're down for this.
What? Allocating resources
efficiently is my jam.
You know what I mean.
You're talking about bias?
The data is only as good
as the people who feed it.
Better us feeding it than someone else.
Now, I'm not gonna convince everybody.
I get that.
When technology leaps instead
of steps, it can be scary.
But I promise you this.
AI will not only save
time, it will save lives.
[APPLAUSE]
If this does even
half of what he claims,
this man's gonna
revolutionize policing forever.
Didn't know you were such a fangirl.
Change can be a good thing.
What have you got? Anything?
Not everyone thinks so.
I'll handle Stabler.
You guys get back to work.
God, I love not being the boss.
You got the report, right?
DEA said they were gonna send it to you.
We've gotta find Espinoza
before Los Santos does
or this entire operation
is just completely shot.
Welcome back, Detective.
I missed you too.
Can we take a breath and try that again?
I was this close.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
We'll get him.
You're damn right I'm gonna get him.
How are they doing?
Jet's sharp edges are
more like razor blades.
She's keeping everything
close to the vest.
And Reyes is throwing himself
into work a little bit too much.
Reminds me of you.
Not in a good way.
♪
Jamie left a big hole.
- You know, this operation not that he
- Operation was a choice.
- You made your choice.
- Yeah. And?
And there's a lot more healing
you need to do yourself.
In more ways than one.
But first, let's
finish what you started.
DEA is bringing us in?
- Yeah, that was the easy part.
- Right.
Getting them to share information,
whole nother nightmare.
They're the DEA.
Okay, the lab is still out there.
And unfortunately,
Espinoza is our only way
in and up the ranks.
Last year the numbers
made a massive jump.
Fentanyl now accounts for
81% of the overdose deaths
in New York City alone.
It's not how we usually
think about an outbreak,
but when one middle school
loses 11 students in one week,
I don't know what else to call it.
Middle school?
I mean, what the hell
is going on out there?
You have these guys to thank for it.
Los Santos.
They're the top fentanyl
distributors on the eastern seaboard.
Pretty much every
overdose in New York City
over the last six months,
you can thank them for it.
They did it by taking
out the competition
and by keeping the location of their lab
the tightest secret since Area 51.
Area 51, I knew it.
Pretty much why you
haven't seen me for a while.
I've been trying to find
the lab, shut it down.
Thanks to Stabler's CI,
we were able to get close
through one of the gang's
lieutenants, Miguel Espinoza.
According to this guy, Espinoza,
they're moving the
fentanyl using 18-wheelers
marked up as grocery delivery trucks.
Clever way to blend in.
This morning we were
supposedly on our way
to pick up a shipment from the lab
until all hell broke loose.
Hey, don't be so hard on yourself.
Odds might not have been in your favor.
I was worried that donuts might offend.
Did I overcorrect?
Dr. Vargas, you're early.
Several days early.
I thought it couldn't
hurt to get started.
I'm gonna get you a new security system,
because that one, that
one was way too easy.
- Hey, not that desk.
- BOTH: No!
Why don't you guys set up over there?
Thanks.
Detective Stabler,
this is Dr. Kyle Vargas.
His firm was contracted
by the mayor's office.
To do what?
Make your lives wondrously more simple.
To do what?
Pilot program using AI analytics
to aid in investigations.
That's artificial intelligence.
- I know what AI is.
- Okay.
He's integrating his system into ours.
It's a trial run.
We're the department's beta testers.
We're the guinea pigs.
This is Detective Reyes.
Mm.
And our resident expert in your field.
Jet Slootmaekers. Nice to meet you.
Actually, we've met
before at a conference.
Webster Hall. No, I remember.
It was data clustering,
modified algorithms?
Yeah, that's the one.
Wait a minute, is he staying?
He's a part of the team.
What?
For how long?
Look, uh, Detective, I'm
I'm just here to level
the playing field.
Okay, as criminals get
smarter, so must the NYPD.
No offense.
A little taken.
- Do you mind if I
- Make yourself at home.
♪
Who approved this?
I did.
You've been gone, remember?
You think things just stop
when you're not around?
We've been hemorrhaging.
Not just people but resources.
Thanks to this program,
we've been handed the keys to the bank.
Always about the money.
It's about getting it right.
Shadowerk case?
Vargas and his team used
it as proof of concept.
They uploaded our files,
ran it through their system.
They found our guy a
lot faster than we did.
Look, you don't have to like it.
Good, 'cause I don't.
But I need you to live
with it for a little while.
♪
This thing he built
just give it a chance.
Maybe it could have saved Jamie.
♪
Of course there's no stick to light it.
♪
[PEOPLE SPEAKING SPANISH ON TV]
This is loud.
[TV MUTES]
Mama?
Antonia! Antonia!
- Antonia, where's my mother?
- What? Uh.
She's she's sleeping.
Wrong.
- What?
- Uh
Mama!
Mama!
Hey.
- [GASPS]
- What happened to your face?
Nothing. It's nothing.
It doesn't even hurt. What
are you doing out here?
It's freezing.
Oh.
But that doesn't look good.
Well, I'll put some ice on it.
Better?
I'm gonna be right outside
if you need anything, okay?
Okay.
What's the matter?
With me? Nothing. I'm fine.
Don't lie to your mother.
- I'll be fine. Get some sleep.
- No.
[STAMMERS] But wait.
Um
When is it?
When's what?
When am I leaving?
You said I was leaving.
Oh, no, um.
That was me.
I'm the one who left, Mama.
I told you I was
undercover, but I'm back now.
No, but you found a
place or two places for me.
Yeah, no, no, there's no hurry.
There's no hurry.
I'm back. We got time.
No.
No. [STAMMERS]
I'm not gonna stay here.
I mean, I just refuse to be a burden.
What are you talking
about, being a burden?
You're surrounded by
family, people who love you.
I want you to stay here.
They want you to stay with them.
Yeah, well, I don't
wanna be passed around
like a bunch of old leftovers.
Ah, Mama.
No. That's it.
I've made up my mind.
I have made a decision.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
[ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
Call now before it's too late.
- Again, that number is 1-800
- [ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
Would you like to
extend your car warranty?
[ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
Hello? This is Rita Lasku.
I'm looking for a Detective Stabler?
I hope this is you, my
Count of Monte Cristo.
Call me back if you can.
[ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
This is Olivia Benson.
Leave me a message and
I'll get back to you
- as soon as I can.
- [MACHINE BEEPS]
Hey, Liv, it's me.
I just got back. Um
I got a message from someone,
an old case of ours, and, uh
I I don't know, maybe I
just wanted to hear your voice.
Um
Call me.
Bye.
[PHONE RINGS]
- Yeah?
- Got Espinoza.
Where?
He just used his mother's credit card
to hole up in a crap
motel in Morris Heights.
It's always Mom's credit card.
If they really loved their mothers,
they'd stop making them accessories.
Crap motel, Morris Heights. The Utopia?
- That's the one.
- Yeah. All right.
Stay put. I'll be there when I can.
I'll let you know when I'm on my way.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- Police! Don't move!
- Hey, stay right there!
- Show us your hands!
- Don't you move!
Don't you dare.
Get your face down on the bed now!
♪
Let me see your hands.
You miss me?
I'm not talking.
You killed my CI right in front of me.
You think I need a confession?
It's obvious that
you're not understanding
the situation right now.
I am your best friend.
I am your only friend.
- I got friends.
- Who? Los Santos?
No, you're dead to them.
I'm gonna tell you why.
Because you panicked
and you killed a man,
exposing their operation to
not only me, but the Feds.
You don't have anyone.
Even your own mother is done with you.
We just charged her.
We picked her up at her knitting class.
Por qué? She doesn't know anything.
You shouldn't have used
her credit card then.
That makes her guilty
of aiding and abetting.
That's a five- to ten-year bid,
maybe four years if she
knits the warden a scarf.
[METAL BANGS]
Yeah.
You did this to yourself.
You're not ready for the big time.
Okay, what happens now?
Well, you know, the usual.
You go to Rikers.
We make sure everyone knows
what cell block you're on.
So they kill me.
Who's your best friend now?
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
They don't tell us everything.
They just tell us enough
to get our job done.
So you tell me enough.
Who's the boss man?
I don't know.
Who runs the lab?
- I'm not that high up.
- No. No.
- [SPEAKS SPANISH]
- No.
I'm not.
Okay, so what do you think
they're gonna do right now?
Our truck never showed up.
They've gotta know something's wrong.
They lay low?
No, they can't.
The horario.
Oh, yeah, the schedule.
Gotta deliver death on time.
Well, they ain't moving too far.
We know what their trucks look like.
So you think.
They reskin them before
they send them out.
Where's the shop?
[ENGINES REVVING]
You can't even open the door for me?
Babe, you're driving.
It looks weird.
How's the view?
Outstanding.
Sorry.
It's my first time.
And your last.
I'll shut up.
Promise.
Now, remember, if it looks like
they're moving cargo through there
GTFO. Got it.
This is nasty stuff. Raw fentanyl.
One whiff and it's good night.
♪
We've got the largest selection
of wraps this side of the Pacific.
Now, this is where it gets good.
Using a 3D image of your vehicle,
you can try out different skins.
I guarantee you'll find one you like.
- May I?
- Go for it.
And I just can scroll here, right?
Just tap it?
See that?
I have to make some calls.
He's all yours.
You have a bathroom?
Down the hall to the right.
Do you have camo?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Be careful.
I'm always careful.
♪
[LAUGHTER, CHATTER]
I'm going in.
There should be an electronic
logbook mounted on the inside
that you can connect to.
If you can pull data from it,
my system can perform a link analysis,
cross-check any common locations.
It should narrow down
where your fentanyl lab is,
if not pinpoint it exactly.
[DEVICE CHIRPS]
What about this one?
Eh, It's too subtle.
[METALLIC CREAKING]
Ooh, this one's lit. Do
you have it in orange?
Well, our printers can
do any color you want.
Just slide that bar there.
- This one?
- Yeah.
You could sample the whole spectrum.
You seeing this?
Yeah, I'm seeing it.
Guys, I'm pulling plug.
Walk away now.
Walk away. Jet?
I'm almost there. I just need a minute.
You don't have a minute. Out, now.
I hear you.
You know what?
I can't do this by myself.
I need my lady. Bae.
Reyes, stand down. Reyes.
Babe?
Baby.
I am literally traumatized.
That was the most disgusting
bathroom I have ever seen.
I'm so sorry, babe.
Hey, they don't even have
a tiger fighting a dragon.
- Let's get out of here.
- Yeah.
Hey, can you grab our car?
You all right?
Yeah. Fine. Just a headache.
I tagged it with a geotracker,
but we're not receiving any data.
Guys must sweep their trucks
before they take them out.
They don't miss a trick.
So we don't know where they
are or where they're going.
What do we have?
Coordinates for every
place the truck stopped
for at least 10 minutes
in the past 12 months.
Which in theory should
give the system enough data
to pinpoint your most probable
location of your fentanyl lab.
But in practice, we got
two dozen gas stations,
a handful of strip clubs, and a
whole lot of empty parking lots.
But we can check them out.
I can't help you there.
Software doesn't have legs.
Although it does have eyes.
Surveillance cameras.
CCTV why go when we
can just sneak a peek?
Do it.
Are you all right?
I'm fine. I'm fine.
A little woozy.
The headache is worse, like very worse.
Since when?
Um, the skin shop.
Get her to the ER.
Tell them potential fentanyl poisoning.
What?
From the cab of the trailer.
How is that possible?
Look, this whole time
we've been thinking
the trucks were just transport,
but what if the entire
operation is mobile?
The truck that we're looking
for isn't going to the lab.
The truck is the lab.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[TIRES SQUEALING]
♪
I don't like this.
Six victims total, all
employees of the skin shop.
Killed execution style from
what appears to be a machete.
Talk about overkill.
Yeah, but there was a reason for it.
They were either
feeling the heat from us
or they thought this
place was compromised.
Yeah, but how are they gonna do business
without the skin shop?
That's exactly right.
Only the boss man would
have given an order for this.
Do you think Espinoza tipped them off?
From a lockup?
Doesn't seem likely.
And this truck, it
could be anywhere now.
We could follow the skins if we
could get data off that printer.
Well, the DEA kicked us off the premises
as soon as it confirmed that
there was fentanyl present.
Their TRU unit is securing it now.
So there's no way for us to
get anything off that printer?
Already did.
- Hey.
- Hey, yourself.
Oh, this old thing?
I always keep one in the trunk.
For parties.
Run it.
How you feeling?
Hangover from hell, but I'm good.
You sure?
Yeah, I swear.
According to the printer data,
they're using the same skins as
trucks from Green Grocer stores.
Green Grocers?
So there are about 50
in the tri-state area.
What, 500 trucks?
1,800 nationwide.
So we're looking for one
specific truck in a huge fleet.
'Cause we're not asking
the right questions.
- Toner levels.
- Toner?
I had a side hustle in college
designing party posters
for fraternities.
Color's a finicky thing.
Even if they did everything right,
the skins printed at that shop
would contain slight tonal
differences than the real ones.
It still seems like a
needle in a haystack.
Well, my system has a
built-in color detection
algorithm that can identify
specific pixels in an image.
It can spot even the slightest variance
and tonal density, something
our eyes couldn't pick up on.
And if we feed it the printer data,
we can tell it exactly what to look for.
See, this kind of thing,
this is exactly why I'm here, right?
It's not about just getting
the result more quickly.
It's about getting the right result.
Taking human fallibility out of
the equation does exactly that.
No offense.
[PHONE CHIMES]
- Huh.
- What?
- This is interesting.
- Mm-hmm.
Espinoza.
What about him?
DEA brought him in.
He's an informant for them now.
Got it.
Interstate 87 heading north.
- Road trip upstate?
- Guess we are.
I'll let the DEA know
that we're on point.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Reyes, how's that feed
from the DEA looking?
A lot of hazmats.
They turned a trailer
into a transformer.
I don't think they're
delivering groceries.
We got a vehicle approaching.
♪
They're unloading boxes.
Boxes are labeled with
Chinese characters.
What's that about?
According to Espinoza, the
fentanyl is coming in from China.
90% pure powder form.
Los Santos just adds their heroin to it.
That's where they press them
into pills for distribution.
Why don't you just go in?
Because they haven't done jack yet.
Probable cause.
Right now it's just
a trailer in a field.
We gotta get someone in there.
And how are we gonna do that?
Let me think about it.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
What's going on?
Why do you have on that hazmat suit?
So I can blend in.
No one can really see
my face or my body cam,
which Vargas is connecting
up to as we speak.
Actually, we're connected.
- All systems are go.
- Turn that down.
You're just gonna
walk into that beehive?
That's the plan.
Hey, give me one of
those. I'll back you up.
No. We already have one too many.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
You're getting all this?
Getting it.
I can literally feel the
adrenaline coursing through me.
Is it always like this?
Every time.
My guys are in position.
♪
And we're not the only
ones that know that.
We've been made.
Stabler.
Stabler!
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[GROWLS, GRUNTS]
♪
I got two coming out!
[GUNFIRE]
♪
[GUNSHOT]
[BREATHING SHAKILY]
[COUGHING, CHOKING]
Show me your hands. Show me your hands!
Put 'em up! Put 'em up!
Get your hands up!
He's with me! That's our guy.
[WHEEZING]
I need Naloxone now.
Thank you, thank you.
Reyes.
Reyes.
[GRUNTS]
[GASPS]
[PANTING]
[WHEEZING]
You should have worn a hazmat.
Thanks for saving me.
Any time.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Neither life nor death
nor things present nor things to come
shall separate us from God's love.
Fear not, for I am with thee.
Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.
I will strengthen thee.
I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness.
Amen.
Go in peace.
♪
[CRYING]
Mr. Torres.
Your son would have
wanted you to have this.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
I wish I had
He was a good man.
♪
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Hey.
- Hey.
[SOFT MUSIC]
I just needed to make
sure you were okay.
I'm fine.
Should you be drinking?
Probably not.
Huh.
♪
I thought we agreed we
weren't gonna do this again.
We did.
♪
Of course there's no leftovers.
Tanya Garcia went missing from
Paramus, New Jersey, over a year ago.
But thanks to the tireless
work and dedication
of the NYPD and the Bergen County SVU,
she is reunited with her mother.
Now, I'd like to point
to Captain Olivia Benson,
in particular, whose unwavering resolve
has brought Tanya home.
Randall.
Oh, no.
No.
Oh, God.
Mama, what's wrong?
What's the matter?
I I can't.
They should be here.
Help me look, will you, Randall?
I'm Elliot.
What are you looking for?
The tickets.
I can't find them.
You don't need tickets.
We're not going anywhere.
We already discussed this.
You're staying here with me.
No, no, no. I have to go.
You don't have to go anywhere, Mama.
Well, don't just stand there.
Okay, all right.
- Help me.
- I'm helping you.
I'm gonna help you
look for your tickets.
Where are you going?
Um.
Um.
Sit down a minute.
Don't touch me.
I don't need you.
I need Randall.
I need your brother.
Where is Randall?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]
In the nation's largest city,
the vicious and violent
members of the underworld
are hunted by the detectives
of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.
These are their stories.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[GUNSHOTS]
- Officer down!
- Officer down.
- Officer down. I repeat.
- Can't feel my legs.
Jamie, calm down.
What are you talking about?
The bullet went through his spine.
We're gonna need another medic now.
I can't live like this.
- [SUSTAINED TONE]
- [GUNSHOT]
[PANTING]
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[HORN HONKS]
Hey.
What's up?
Something wrong?
No. Nothing.
Look at me.
Look at me.
You take something?
I'm freaking out, man.
I'm good. I can drive.
Tweak, we screw this
up, I can't save you.
All right? We're almost there.
I know. I know. I got it.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
Come on, man. Don't
look at me like that.
Well.
I already got a dad that hates my guts.
You listen to him as
much as you listen to me?
Less.
Here he comes.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
When we get to the lab,
you stay in the truck.
What? Why?
Just listen to me. Do as I say.
♪
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
You're the one who's late, my man.
Come on, man. Not
this voodoo crap again.
Hey, this guy got me from Santo Domingo
to the United States and
through every job I ever had.
He stays.
♪
So, Espinoza, I noticed the hazmats.
What are they for?
I thought we were the ride.
Trust me.
You're going to want them.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
Cuidado. Cuidado.
[CROWD YELLING]
Please step back.
Whoa! Hold up.
Those are ICE agents.
Go around them.
They're not looking
for us. Just sit tight.
This is my head if we're late.
Jump the curb and go around them.
I I can't. There's
people there. Wha
Tweak.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Oy!
♪
[HORN HONKING]
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
♪
- Hey!
- Police!
Don't move! Don't move!
Drop the gun!
Drop the gun! Drop the gun!
Up against the truck.
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
My system not only analyzes
vast amounts of data
in a fraction of the
time that you or I can,
it is capable of using that information
to forecast where and when
criminal activity will occur.
Artificially intelligent
policing isn't the future.
It's already here.
[APPLAUSE]
So is this Skynet or HAL?
Shh.
The algorithm also allows agencies
to allocate resources more effectively,
saving money without cutting corners.
- I mean, it sounds impressive.
- It is impressive.
Until it sends someone
back in time to kill you.
It's just a tool.
It doesn't make decisions. We do.
Honestly, I'm surprised
you're down for this.
What? Allocating resources
efficiently is my jam.
You know what I mean.
You're talking about bias?
The data is only as good
as the people who feed it.
Better us feeding it than someone else.
Now, I'm not gonna convince everybody.
I get that.
When technology leaps instead
of steps, it can be scary.
But I promise you this.
AI will not only save
time, it will save lives.
[APPLAUSE]
If this does even
half of what he claims,
this man's gonna
revolutionize policing forever.
Didn't know you were such a fangirl.
Change can be a good thing.
What have you got? Anything?
Not everyone thinks so.
I'll handle Stabler.
You guys get back to work.
God, I love not being the boss.
You got the report, right?
DEA said they were gonna send it to you.
We've gotta find Espinoza
before Los Santos does
or this entire operation
is just completely shot.
Welcome back, Detective.
I missed you too.
Can we take a breath and try that again?
I was this close.
[PENSIVE MUSIC]
We'll get him.
You're damn right I'm gonna get him.
How are they doing?
Jet's sharp edges are
more like razor blades.
She's keeping everything
close to the vest.
And Reyes is throwing himself
into work a little bit too much.
Reminds me of you.
Not in a good way.
♪
Jamie left a big hole.
- You know, this operation not that he
- Operation was a choice.
- You made your choice.
- Yeah. And?
And there's a lot more healing
you need to do yourself.
In more ways than one.
But first, let's
finish what you started.
DEA is bringing us in?
- Yeah, that was the easy part.
- Right.
Getting them to share information,
whole nother nightmare.
They're the DEA.
Okay, the lab is still out there.
And unfortunately,
Espinoza is our only way
in and up the ranks.
Last year the numbers
made a massive jump.
Fentanyl now accounts for
81% of the overdose deaths
in New York City alone.
It's not how we usually
think about an outbreak,
but when one middle school
loses 11 students in one week,
I don't know what else to call it.
Middle school?
I mean, what the hell
is going on out there?
You have these guys to thank for it.
Los Santos.
They're the top fentanyl
distributors on the eastern seaboard.
Pretty much every
overdose in New York City
over the last six months,
you can thank them for it.
They did it by taking
out the competition
and by keeping the location of their lab
the tightest secret since Area 51.
Area 51, I knew it.
Pretty much why you
haven't seen me for a while.
I've been trying to find
the lab, shut it down.
Thanks to Stabler's CI,
we were able to get close
through one of the gang's
lieutenants, Miguel Espinoza.
According to this guy, Espinoza,
they're moving the
fentanyl using 18-wheelers
marked up as grocery delivery trucks.
Clever way to blend in.
This morning we were
supposedly on our way
to pick up a shipment from the lab
until all hell broke loose.
Hey, don't be so hard on yourself.
Odds might not have been in your favor.
I was worried that donuts might offend.
Did I overcorrect?
Dr. Vargas, you're early.
Several days early.
I thought it couldn't
hurt to get started.
I'm gonna get you a new security system,
because that one, that
one was way too easy.
- Hey, not that desk.
- BOTH: No!
Why don't you guys set up over there?
Thanks.
Detective Stabler,
this is Dr. Kyle Vargas.
His firm was contracted
by the mayor's office.
To do what?
Make your lives wondrously more simple.
To do what?
Pilot program using AI analytics
to aid in investigations.
That's artificial intelligence.
- I know what AI is.
- Okay.
He's integrating his system into ours.
It's a trial run.
We're the department's beta testers.
We're the guinea pigs.
This is Detective Reyes.
Mm.
And our resident expert in your field.
Jet Slootmaekers. Nice to meet you.
Actually, we've met
before at a conference.
Webster Hall. No, I remember.
It was data clustering,
modified algorithms?
Yeah, that's the one.
Wait a minute, is he staying?
He's a part of the team.
What?
For how long?
Look, uh, Detective, I'm
I'm just here to level
the playing field.
Okay, as criminals get
smarter, so must the NYPD.
No offense.
A little taken.
- Do you mind if I
- Make yourself at home.
♪
Who approved this?
I did.
You've been gone, remember?
You think things just stop
when you're not around?
We've been hemorrhaging.
Not just people but resources.
Thanks to this program,
we've been handed the keys to the bank.
Always about the money.
It's about getting it right.
Shadowerk case?
Vargas and his team used
it as proof of concept.
They uploaded our files,
ran it through their system.
They found our guy a
lot faster than we did.
Look, you don't have to like it.
Good, 'cause I don't.
But I need you to live
with it for a little while.
♪
This thing he built
just give it a chance.
Maybe it could have saved Jamie.
♪
Of course there's no stick to light it.
♪
[PEOPLE SPEAKING SPANISH ON TV]
This is loud.
[TV MUTES]
Mama?
Antonia! Antonia!
- Antonia, where's my mother?
- What? Uh.
She's she's sleeping.
Wrong.
- What?
- Uh
Mama!
Mama!
Hey.
- [GASPS]
- What happened to your face?
Nothing. It's nothing.
It doesn't even hurt. What
are you doing out here?
It's freezing.
Oh.
But that doesn't look good.
Well, I'll put some ice on it.
Better?
I'm gonna be right outside
if you need anything, okay?
Okay.
What's the matter?
With me? Nothing. I'm fine.
Don't lie to your mother.
- I'll be fine. Get some sleep.
- No.
[STAMMERS] But wait.
Um
When is it?
When's what?
When am I leaving?
You said I was leaving.
Oh, no, um.
That was me.
I'm the one who left, Mama.
I told you I was
undercover, but I'm back now.
No, but you found a
place or two places for me.
Yeah, no, no, there's no hurry.
There's no hurry.
I'm back. We got time.
No.
No. [STAMMERS]
I'm not gonna stay here.
I mean, I just refuse to be a burden.
What are you talking
about, being a burden?
You're surrounded by
family, people who love you.
I want you to stay here.
They want you to stay with them.
Yeah, well, I don't
wanna be passed around
like a bunch of old leftovers.
Ah, Mama.
No. That's it.
I've made up my mind.
I have made a decision.
[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]
♪
[ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
Call now before it's too late.
- Again, that number is 1-800
- [ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
Would you like to
extend your car warranty?
[ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
Hello? This is Rita Lasku.
I'm looking for a Detective Stabler?
I hope this is you, my
Count of Monte Cristo.
Call me back if you can.
[ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS]
This is Olivia Benson.
Leave me a message and
I'll get back to you
- as soon as I can.
- [MACHINE BEEPS]
Hey, Liv, it's me.
I just got back. Um
I got a message from someone,
an old case of ours, and, uh
I I don't know, maybe I
just wanted to hear your voice.
Um
Call me.
Bye.
[PHONE RINGS]
- Yeah?
- Got Espinoza.
Where?
He just used his mother's credit card
to hole up in a crap
motel in Morris Heights.
It's always Mom's credit card.
If they really loved their mothers,
they'd stop making them accessories.
Crap motel, Morris Heights. The Utopia?
- That's the one.
- Yeah. All right.
Stay put. I'll be there when I can.
I'll let you know when I'm on my way.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
- Police! Don't move!
- Hey, stay right there!
- Show us your hands!
- Don't you move!
Don't you dare.
Get your face down on the bed now!
♪
Let me see your hands.
You miss me?
I'm not talking.
You killed my CI right in front of me.
You think I need a confession?
It's obvious that
you're not understanding
the situation right now.
I am your best friend.
I am your only friend.
- I got friends.
- Who? Los Santos?
No, you're dead to them.
I'm gonna tell you why.
Because you panicked
and you killed a man,
exposing their operation to
not only me, but the Feds.
You don't have anyone.
Even your own mother is done with you.
We just charged her.
We picked her up at her knitting class.
Por qué? She doesn't know anything.
You shouldn't have used
her credit card then.
That makes her guilty
of aiding and abetting.
That's a five- to ten-year bid,
maybe four years if she
knits the warden a scarf.
[METAL BANGS]
Yeah.
You did this to yourself.
You're not ready for the big time.
Okay, what happens now?
Well, you know, the usual.
You go to Rikers.
We make sure everyone knows
what cell block you're on.
So they kill me.
Who's your best friend now?
[TENSE MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
They don't tell us everything.
They just tell us enough
to get our job done.
So you tell me enough.
Who's the boss man?
I don't know.
Who runs the lab?
- I'm not that high up.
- No. No.
- [SPEAKS SPANISH]
- No.
I'm not.
Okay, so what do you think
they're gonna do right now?
Our truck never showed up.
They've gotta know something's wrong.
They lay low?
No, they can't.
The horario.
Oh, yeah, the schedule.
Gotta deliver death on time.
Well, they ain't moving too far.
We know what their trucks look like.
So you think.
They reskin them before
they send them out.
Where's the shop?
[ENGINES REVVING]
You can't even open the door for me?
Babe, you're driving.
It looks weird.
How's the view?
Outstanding.
Sorry.
It's my first time.
And your last.
I'll shut up.
Promise.
Now, remember, if it looks like
they're moving cargo through there
GTFO. Got it.
This is nasty stuff. Raw fentanyl.
One whiff and it's good night.
♪
We've got the largest selection
of wraps this side of the Pacific.
Now, this is where it gets good.
Using a 3D image of your vehicle,
you can try out different skins.
I guarantee you'll find one you like.
- May I?
- Go for it.
And I just can scroll here, right?
Just tap it?
See that?
I have to make some calls.
He's all yours.
You have a bathroom?
Down the hall to the right.
Do you have camo?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Be careful.
I'm always careful.
♪
[LAUGHTER, CHATTER]
I'm going in.
There should be an electronic
logbook mounted on the inside
that you can connect to.
If you can pull data from it,
my system can perform a link analysis,
cross-check any common locations.
It should narrow down
where your fentanyl lab is,
if not pinpoint it exactly.
[DEVICE CHIRPS]
What about this one?
Eh, It's too subtle.
[METALLIC CREAKING]
Ooh, this one's lit. Do
you have it in orange?
Well, our printers can
do any color you want.
Just slide that bar there.
- This one?
- Yeah.
You could sample the whole spectrum.
You seeing this?
Yeah, I'm seeing it.
Guys, I'm pulling plug.
Walk away now.
Walk away. Jet?
I'm almost there. I just need a minute.
You don't have a minute. Out, now.
I hear you.
You know what?
I can't do this by myself.
I need my lady. Bae.
Reyes, stand down. Reyes.
Babe?
Baby.
I am literally traumatized.
That was the most disgusting
bathroom I have ever seen.
I'm so sorry, babe.
Hey, they don't even have
a tiger fighting a dragon.
- Let's get out of here.
- Yeah.
Hey, can you grab our car?
You all right?
Yeah. Fine. Just a headache.
I tagged it with a geotracker,
but we're not receiving any data.
Guys must sweep their trucks
before they take them out.
They don't miss a trick.
So we don't know where they
are or where they're going.
What do we have?
Coordinates for every
place the truck stopped
for at least 10 minutes
in the past 12 months.
Which in theory should
give the system enough data
to pinpoint your most probable
location of your fentanyl lab.
But in practice, we got
two dozen gas stations,
a handful of strip clubs, and a
whole lot of empty parking lots.
But we can check them out.
I can't help you there.
Software doesn't have legs.
Although it does have eyes.
Surveillance cameras.
CCTV why go when we
can just sneak a peek?
Do it.
Are you all right?
I'm fine. I'm fine.
A little woozy.
The headache is worse, like very worse.
Since when?
Um, the skin shop.
Get her to the ER.
Tell them potential fentanyl poisoning.
What?
From the cab of the trailer.
How is that possible?
Look, this whole time
we've been thinking
the trucks were just transport,
but what if the entire
operation is mobile?
The truck that we're looking
for isn't going to the lab.
The truck is the lab.
[TENSE MUSIC]
[TIRES SQUEALING]
♪
I don't like this.
Six victims total, all
employees of the skin shop.
Killed execution style from
what appears to be a machete.
Talk about overkill.
Yeah, but there was a reason for it.
They were either
feeling the heat from us
or they thought this
place was compromised.
Yeah, but how are they gonna do business
without the skin shop?
That's exactly right.
Only the boss man would
have given an order for this.
Do you think Espinoza tipped them off?
From a lockup?
Doesn't seem likely.
And this truck, it
could be anywhere now.
We could follow the skins if we
could get data off that printer.
Well, the DEA kicked us off the premises
as soon as it confirmed that
there was fentanyl present.
Their TRU unit is securing it now.
So there's no way for us to
get anything off that printer?
Already did.
- Hey.
- Hey, yourself.
Oh, this old thing?
I always keep one in the trunk.
For parties.
Run it.
How you feeling?
Hangover from hell, but I'm good.
You sure?
Yeah, I swear.
According to the printer data,
they're using the same skins as
trucks from Green Grocer stores.
Green Grocers?
So there are about 50
in the tri-state area.
What, 500 trucks?
1,800 nationwide.
So we're looking for one
specific truck in a huge fleet.
'Cause we're not asking
the right questions.
- Toner levels.
- Toner?
I had a side hustle in college
designing party posters
for fraternities.
Color's a finicky thing.
Even if they did everything right,
the skins printed at that shop
would contain slight tonal
differences than the real ones.
It still seems like a
needle in a haystack.
Well, my system has a
built-in color detection
algorithm that can identify
specific pixels in an image.
It can spot even the slightest variance
and tonal density, something
our eyes couldn't pick up on.
And if we feed it the printer data,
we can tell it exactly what to look for.
See, this kind of thing,
this is exactly why I'm here, right?
It's not about just getting
the result more quickly.
It's about getting the right result.
Taking human fallibility out of
the equation does exactly that.
No offense.
[PHONE CHIMES]
- Huh.
- What?
- This is interesting.
- Mm-hmm.
Espinoza.
What about him?
DEA brought him in.
He's an informant for them now.
Got it.
Interstate 87 heading north.
- Road trip upstate?
- Guess we are.
I'll let the DEA know
that we're on point.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Reyes, how's that feed
from the DEA looking?
A lot of hazmats.
They turned a trailer
into a transformer.
I don't think they're
delivering groceries.
We got a vehicle approaching.
♪
They're unloading boxes.
Boxes are labeled with
Chinese characters.
What's that about?
According to Espinoza, the
fentanyl is coming in from China.
90% pure powder form.
Los Santos just adds their heroin to it.
That's where they press them
into pills for distribution.
Why don't you just go in?
Because they haven't done jack yet.
Probable cause.
Right now it's just
a trailer in a field.
We gotta get someone in there.
And how are we gonna do that?
Let me think about it.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
What's going on?
Why do you have on that hazmat suit?
So I can blend in.
No one can really see
my face or my body cam,
which Vargas is connecting
up to as we speak.
Actually, we're connected.
- All systems are go.
- Turn that down.
You're just gonna
walk into that beehive?
That's the plan.
Hey, give me one of
those. I'll back you up.
No. We already have one too many.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
You're getting all this?
Getting it.
I can literally feel the
adrenaline coursing through me.
Is it always like this?
Every time.
My guys are in position.
♪
And we're not the only
ones that know that.
We've been made.
Stabler.
Stabler!
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
[GROWLS, GRUNTS]
♪
I got two coming out!
[GUNFIRE]
♪
[GUNSHOT]
[BREATHING SHAKILY]
[COUGHING, CHOKING]
Show me your hands. Show me your hands!
Put 'em up! Put 'em up!
Get your hands up!
He's with me! That's our guy.
[WHEEZING]
I need Naloxone now.
Thank you, thank you.
Reyes.
Reyes.
[GRUNTS]
[GASPS]
[PANTING]
[WHEEZING]
You should have worn a hazmat.
Thanks for saving me.
Any time.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
Neither life nor death
nor things present nor things to come
shall separate us from God's love.
Fear not, for I am with thee.
Be not dismayed, for I am thy God.
I will strengthen thee.
I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness.
Amen.
Go in peace.
♪
[CRYING]
Mr. Torres.
Your son would have
wanted you to have this.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
I wish I had
He was a good man.
♪
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Hey.
- Hey.
[SOFT MUSIC]
I just needed to make
sure you were okay.
I'm fine.
Should you be drinking?
Probably not.
Huh.
♪
I thought we agreed we
weren't gonna do this again.
We did.
♪
Of course there's no leftovers.
Tanya Garcia went missing from
Paramus, New Jersey, over a year ago.
But thanks to the tireless
work and dedication
of the NYPD and the Bergen County SVU,
she is reunited with her mother.
Now, I'd like to point
to Captain Olivia Benson,
in particular, whose unwavering resolve
has brought Tanya home.
Randall.
Oh, no.
No.
Oh, God.
Mama, what's wrong?
What's the matter?
I I can't.
They should be here.
Help me look, will you, Randall?
I'm Elliot.
What are you looking for?
The tickets.
I can't find them.
You don't need tickets.
We're not going anywhere.
We already discussed this.
You're staying here with me.
No, no, no. I have to go.
You don't have to go anywhere, Mama.
Well, don't just stand there.
Okay, all right.
- Help me.
- I'm helping you.
I'm gonna help you
look for your tickets.
Where are you going?
Um.
Um.
Sit down a minute.
Don't touch me.
I don't need you.
I need Randall.
I need your brother.
Where is Randall?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]