Written By Jonathan Greene
Directed By Rick Wallace
Per policy, Recaps are Spoilers Off and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
During a case involving the son of an ex-partner supposedly guilty of attacking a classmate, Stabler gets suspended and decides to consult a shrink, seeking to discover the source of his anger issues.
Tropes
- Abusive Parents: The main theme of the episode.
- Elliot reveals that his father would constantly call him a failure and even beat him with a belt after young Elliot moved a figure in his shoebox diorama for school. Elliot got an F because his father destroyed the project in his rage.
- Luke's father is revealed to be abusive, which ultimately led Luke to steal his steroids, which altered Luke's state of mind to physically assault another classmate.
- Armor-Piercing Question:Dr. Hendrix: How many times have you thought about eating your gun?
Stabler: Suicide's a sin.
Dr. Hendrix: So is divorce. - Big Damn Heroes: Elliot ends up saving Luke's life after the preliminary hearing due to Pete beating him up in a men's room. He intervenes and gives Pete a beating himself to stop him.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Subverted, since the family isn't big, but the Breslin family is left in shambles due to father Pete essentially being Married to the Job, his steroid use and his overall hardass attitude. His wife left him a year ago since she could no longer deal with him (and can't be bothered with keeping in contact with Luke, either). His son begins taking steroids to keep up with his various sports activities and gain his father's approval and once their secrets come out, Luke tries to kill Pete with his service pistol, which the latter, ashamed of himself for his role in their broken relationship, tries to package it as a suicide to spare his son any further pain.
- Bungled Suicide: Subverted: Elliot finds Pete lying on the floor with a gunshot to the head and his mumbling to himself how he screwed up even trying to kill himself, although he survives. It's later revealed that Luke was responsible for the shooting during a physical argument between the two.
- Drugs Are Bad: Steroids in this case, which has lasting, dire consequences for Luke and Pete.
- It's Personal: For Stabler, who realizes that the prep is the son of his former partner, Pete Breslin.
- Manly Tears:
- Elliot sheds them in his therapy session whilst recalling the past abuse at the hands of his dead, abusive father.
- Pete cries while making up with his son after spending the episode browbeating him.
- Platonic Life-Partners: Luke and Pamela have been lifelong friends, which made his actions of kissing then punching her all the more shocking. Moreso, in spite of this, her parents likely no longer trusting him and he holding her hostage at the end of the episode, she still loves and cares about him.
- Sorrowful Stutter: After beating up Pete to stop him from killing Luke, Stabler visits Dr. Hendrix. Speaking about his abusive, long-deceased father, he talks about how the man beat him for crying over him stepping on a school project they made together and stutters before crying again when discussing how his father stated that only "pansies" cry.
- Surprisingly Happy Ending: No one dies and in spite of the troubles facing Luke and Pete (the former's likely to be expelled for attacking Pamela and the steroid use while the latter's likely to be kicked off the force and lose his pension due to his own steroid use and is left with heart damage from it), the two men reunite thanks to Stabler's help and tearfully embrace, with the father genuinely apologizing to the son.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Luke Breslin, who is constantly browbeaten verbally and physically by his father Pete.
- What the Hell, Hero?: When Elliot basically tells the assault victim's parents that they shouldn't pursue justice against Luke, Olivia and Cragen appropriately call him out.
