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Return Of The Prodigal Son

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"Return Of The Prodigal Son"
← SVU, Episode 22.09 →
Production number: 22009
First aired (US): 1 April 2021
First aired (UK): 30 July 2021
First aired (CAN): 31 March 2021
First aired (AUS): 8 April 2021
  th of 502 produced in SVU  
← th of 502 released in SVU →
  th of 1271 released in all  
Written By
Warren Leight & Julie Martin

Directed By
Juan José Campanella

Summary[]

The Special Victims Unit rallies around former Detective Elliot Stabler to find a suspect who has been threatening his family.

Plot[]

Benson is driving through the streets while talking to Fin, as she is late for her own awards dinner (he had congratulated her for the award in the previous episode). She says she is held up as she received a notification of a case. She arrives to see paramedics bringing in a woman who she recognizes. Benson calls out to the woman who is revealed to be Kathy Stabler, but she is unconscious and unresponsive. As she gazes upon Kathy, a voice calls out to her, and Benson turns to see a familiar face: Elliot Stabler. Shocked to see her old partner, Benson walks up to him and he states someone tried to kill Kathy.

At the hospital, Elliot tells Benson that Kathy is undergoing surgery for her injuries. Before they can talk further, Dickie and Kathleen arrive and ask their father for an update while he tries to take them inside. The Stabler siblings are soon surprised to see Benson after ten years.

Much later, Stabler catches up with Tutuola and they discuss his recent developments. Stabler reveals that he rejoined the force after a few years and is working on new cases. He inquired on Benson and is told that she moved on having a couple of relationships and reveals she now has a son. Stabler is happy with the news.

At the hospital, Kathy has regained consciousness and expresses happiness to see Benson again, apologizing for making her miss the ceremony, but Benson is not bothered. After a little talk, Kathy remarked that it was good seeing Benson and Elliot together again. She soon inquired if they really had not spoke in a decade. Benson replies she did not even know that Stabler was back on the job until tonight and Kathy says she had always assumed her husband was lying about that.

When Kathy started to rest, Elliot was worried but Kathy assured him she was fine and told Benson on what she could remember.

After Kathy fell asleep, Elliot apologized to Olivia for leaving her 10 years earlier (after the events of "Smoked" and revealed in the episode "Scorched Earth"). After a brief conversation, however, Olivia was called back to the station.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

Benson: What happened here?
Uni #1: Car bomb. We're taking the vic to Mercy. Doesn't look good.
Benson: [recognizing the victim] Kathy? Kathy. Kathy?
Stabler: Liv!
Benson: Elliot. Oh, my god.
Stabler: They tried to kill her. They tried to kill Kathy.
Dickie Stabler: What the hell happened?
Elliot: Um, we're not sure right now. Um, she's alive, and she's in surgery, and that's what we know, so let's go upstairs. Come on.
Kathleen Stabler: Olivia, you're here.
Olivia: Of course. I-I'm just here to help. Whatever you need.
Garland: I heard what happened. How's the victim?
Benson: Seriously injured, but hanging on. So you know, the victim is the wife of my former partner, Detective Elliot Stabler.
Garland: So I was told. I thought he left the force.
Benson: He did, but apparently he's NYPD's man in Rome now.
Garland: Any idea why he's in town?
Benson: Department meetings, I don't know.
Garland: Local precinct on the scene?
Benson: They are, and they're doing everything they can, but you know there was a riot tonight.
Garland: I'm aware. Cops were targeted. Uh, were the Stablers driving an NYPD vehicle?
Benson: It was a rental, and, um... I'm close with the family. I was hoping that we could take the lead on this.
Garland: Family. He's got kids?
Benson: Five. I've known them all since they were in diapers.
Garland: I'll put a call in to 1PP.
Benson: Thank you.
Garland: To be clear, you're running the investigation, not him.
Benson: Of course.
Benson: Jacob Peters, unemployed, five arrests in the past year all for protests, including D.C. January 6, for arson, vandalism, brandishing a gun, and punching reporters.
Tamin: Well, he wasn't wrong about Big Brother. I was able to pull his Google search history, and he has been going down a rabbit hole of YouTube conspiracy videos for 10 to 12 hours a day for the last five years.
Benson: Oh, yeah. He believes that COVID is a hoax, the election was rigged. I mean, he shows up at these rallies in paramilitia garb and just tears it up.
Carisi: And he thinks he's a patriot. He hasn't asked for a lawyer?
Benson: Not yet.
Carisi: Good. Better, anything put him near Kathy Stabler's blast?
Tamin: No, but he was IDed by multiple UCs tonight as an instigator, and they found explosives, zip ties, and a taser in his backpack.

Background Information and Notes[]

  • Stabler returned in this episode after a ten-season absence, following his departure after the twelfth season finished airing.
    • It also marked the return of the Stabler family, with Dickie, Kathleen, and Kathy returning.
    • This marked the final living appearance of Kathy Stabler and her final appearance on SVU.
    • Stabler is revealed to have rejoined the police force after it was stated that he put in his retirement papers in the Season 13 premiere "Scorched Earth".
    • Benson recounts how Stabler shot a teenage girl, Jenna Fox, and how that caused him to leave, which happened in the episode "Smoked".
  • A flashback is shown with Olivia and Kathy in an ambulance from the episode "Paternity".
  • This episode was originally intended to be the season's seventh episode, but it was pushed back due to production of both the pilot episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime as well as this episode not being completed in time for the original airdate.
  • This episode started a two-part crossover event, which concluded with the Law & Order: Organized Crime episode "What Happens in Puglia".
  • Fin reveals Phoebe Baker was married before they got engaged.
  • In Australia, this episode aired before "The Only Way Out Is Through", most likely due to Law & Order: Organized Crime premiering the following week.
  • This is the only episode in the twenty-second season not to be ripped from the headlines.
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