This week, Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson join forces to investigate crimes involving revenge for hire, including rape and murder. During their investigation, Benson notices that Stabler is wearing his wedding ring again, prompting him to reveal that he saw a vision of his late wife Kathy. In a touching scene, Benson encourages Stabler to confront his trauma and affectionately refers to him as "El." However, Stabler redirects the conversation back to the Suarez case.
The following day, Benson and Stabler visit Junior Suarez's prison cell, where he confesses to raping Maria and taunts them since he's already serving a life sentence. Stabler exchanges a sassy retort with Suarez before they move on to the prison library, where they encounter Oscar Papa, the gang leader who targeted Benson's son Noah. The case becomes deeply personal for Benson as Elliot's old-school instincts kick in and he physically confronts Papa by slamming him against a wall.
Maria meets with Sergeant Ayanna Bell and Detective Jet Slootmaekers at task force HQ, where she identifies Junior Suarez as her attacker. The team's initial hypothesis is that Maria's former employer, Derek, is seeking revenge for their terminated sexual relationship. However, Jet discovers that Suarez had dealings with Bitcoin, and she locates a rig on the prison library computer that was likely used to access an external hard drive. As a result, the team decides to confiscate Derek's computers. When they approach Derek's wife, Gretchen, she offers up her laptop, still upset about her husband's affair.
Gretchen's attorney presents a deal for her to provide information she has about the case. Although she doesn't know Suarez, Gretchen learned from a coworker about a dark web site called Shadowërk, where individuals can use Bitcoin to pay for the services of rapists and murderers. For the safety and image of the NYPD, Jet advises that it's best for Gretchen to remain out of the system. Using Gretchen's access to the site, the team discovers a list of completed crimes, which includes Maria's rape and the murder of the unpopular HOA president, Rachel. Nine separate users crowdfunded Rachel's murder. Furthermore, there are accompanying selfies as evidence for each crime on the list.
The Organized Crime Task Force apprehends Rachel's nine neighbors for their role in funding her murder. Elliot suspects that her next-door neighbor, Julius, may have been the mastermind behind the scheme. During interrogation, Julius reveals that Rachel was a tyrant and admits that the HOA treasurer informed them about Shadowërk. Ayanna informs Julius that he will soon have new neighbors.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team learns from Jet about a timer system that tracks claimed jobs on Shadowërk. When a hit is issued for Gary Longo, Stabler and Detective Jamie Whelan rush to intervene. However, when they inform Longo about the hit, he seems unconcerned. The detectives convince Longo to help them catch and flip the murderer. At the same time, Jet wonders about the selfies that were taken during the rapes and suspects that they were likely emailed to someone.
That evening, the police conduct a stakeout at Longo's building while Reyes engages in some quick-thinking undercover work to avoid suspicion. He manages to score half a ham sandwich from a generous teenager. Josh Conklin, the murder suspect, arrives disguised as a deliveryman, but Reyes and Whelan catch him in the act while he is eating the sandwich. They take Josh to the stakeout van, where Bell informs him that he has no future, but he can change his fate if he cooperates.
Josh insists that he was not planning to go through with the murder and only wanted to rob Longo to purchase an engagement ring. The detectives offer him a deal if he agrees to help them. At Longo's apartment, Reyes and Whelan stage a fake murder and take a fabricated selfie. They instruct Longo to remain hidden at his sister's house in Florida and drive him to the airport. Meanwhile, Benson calls Stabler to inform him that her team has arrested four individuals who were buyers in connection with the SVU rapes. Jet narrows down the location of the mastermind's IP address to Ohio. Although it falls outside the NYPD's jurisdiction, the feds owe the OCCB a favor.
Meanwhile, a university class is being taught by former Detective Amanda Rollins, who is visibly pregnant with ADA Sonny Carisi's baby. Stabler hangs out at the back of the class before the two meet up afterwards. Rollins acknowledges that she needs to call Liv, and Stabler briefs Rollins on the Shadowërk case and requests her assistance in profiling the mastermind. As Rollins breaks it down, Stabler can tell that she's no longer interested in teaching and misses working on real cases.
Meanwhile, Agent McCrary appears at the task force HQ, informing them that a federal judge - who is his personal friend - has been targeted for assassination by the Shadowërk owners, who are unhappy with the Feds investigating them. The judge is quickly murdered, and Benson arrives on the scene, noting that the mastermind is attempting to provoke someone to challenge them. Stabler informs the team of Rollins' return and they have a reunion, where she profiles the mastermind as a dissatisfied incel, setting the stage for an unforgettable crossover finale to see out the season.
