#and she doesn't have romantic feelings for assistant noah

[assistant-of-drama]

"I got it! Team 'Noah is a Cutie Pie'!"

"NO!"

[agentcable]

Law & Order Special Victims Unit Season 23 Ep. 22 "A Final Call at Forlini's Bar"

A victim of domestic violence finds themselves at the defendant's table. Rollins surprises Carisi with the formidable opponent Rafael Barba. Benson struggles to forgive Barba for defending Wheatley and grapples with her own feelings.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Benson reports that therapy is going well, but she wakes up feeling anxious and unhappy. She coped well during the pandemic, but now feels a lack of closure due to the many changes that have occurred in the past year. Additionally, she has not had closure with Barba. During therapy, her therapist inquires about Stabler.

In another scenario, a woman requests a lock change for her apartment as she is attempting to escape an abuser.

Benson expresses happiness for her co-workers in relationships and states that she does not require a romantic relationship between Noah and work. She questions whether he believes she has intimacy issues. He suggests that she and Stabler should determine if there is potential for a relationship or move on.

Later, the woman from earlier calls and demands that the superintendent replace the lock. She discovers her abuser sitting in a chair.

Fin is playing a shooter game on his phone. He doesn't mind that Phoebe is running late.

Carisi and Velasco play basketball together. Velasco asks Carisi how he knew that Rollins was the one.

During therapy, Benson expresses confusion about feeling sad despite having a happy life. Her therapist explains that many people are experiencing depression and encourages her to reflect on what she deserves, which is happiness.

The woman beats a police car with a baseball bat. A group of police officers rush towards her with guns. Rollins intervenes and convinces them to put their guns away so that she can talk to the distraught woman and persuade her to drop the bat.

At the hospital, Rollins discovers that the woman is a rape survivor who wanted to be arrested so that Ty couldn't hurt her. Rollins decides not to arrest her. Benson instructs the police officers to arrest Ty.

Ty claims he came over because Deliah wanted him to. He was arrested but later released. Deliah called Rollins for advice on modifying her order of protection. The police can tell she's in danger. Ty asked Deliah when she would see the judge and refused to leave, resulting in his second arrest. Deliah insists that Ty did not rape her, but the police accuse him of doing so. Ty denies the accusation and claims that Deliah became irrational. He also states that he needs to take care of her, or she will suffer.

Deliah speaks with the police, and Benson offers to assist her in finding a new apartment. Rollins and Benson suggest that only solution to remove Ty is to charge him with rape. Benson becomes irritated when Carisi brings up Barba. Carisi defends Barba's representation of Wheatley.

During the arraignment, Carisi requested remand, but the judge set bail at 50K and ordered Ty to wear an ankle bracelet. Carisi instructed Deliah not to contact Ty, but Deliah believed she did not deserve their help. Benson reassured her that she deserved freedom. The police dropped Ty off at a motel and warned him to stay away from Deliah.

Rollins is unable to assist Deliah. Benson sends her home and inquires about Carisi. Rollins inquires about Stabler but is interrupted by Deliah's call. Deliah confesses to stabbing Ty in the back. She claims to have gone to his place to retrieve her phone charger, but he prevented her from leaving.

Rollins visits Deliah in jail where she feels safe. her lawyer is present as Deliah makes her statement. She explains that she needed her charger, but he refused to give it to her. He then attempted to rape her again, and after that, the events become blurry. Her lawyer advises her to tell the authorities what she had told him. Deliah felt the need to escape, so she grabbed a knife from the counter and stabbed him to get past. She had to wait for her phone to charge. The lawyer wishes to negotiate a deal with the DA.

Maxwell criticised Deliah's record, but Benson argued that Ty was worse. Carisi opposed the idea of self-defence in this case. Benson highlighted that the woman had been terrorised for over 10 years. Maxwell mentioned that she had escaped an abusive marriage herself.

Benson searched for a lawyer for Deliah, but unfortunately, no one else was available to take the case, not even Ellis. Rollins suggests calling Barba. Benson meets Barba to express gratitude but declines to stay and talk, despite his admission of missing her.

During the court hearing, the ME testifies and Barba cross-examines. The arresting officer initially struggles to understand Barba's use of the term "affect", but eventually comprehends. Benson testifies next. She does not want to admit that Deliah expressed her desire to be free. Barba questions Benson about domestic violence victims and battered wife syndrome. Carisi objects when Barba asserts that he knows Benson dislikes doing this.

Carisi is surprised to hear that Rollins was the one who called Barba. He walks off angry.

Deliah testifies and later complains of a headache. During the cross-examination, Carisi argues that Ty was not an immediate threat to Deliah. He questions her about why she didn't stay home and get a replacement charger later, pushing the point hard. She admits to being happy that Ty died. She appears to be having difficulty walking. Barba reports that Deliah has been discharged from Bellevue. He now has an expert who will discuss a neurological defect. She has CTE from years of traumatic injuries, which can cause memory loss.

During the trial, Deliah testifies that Ty repeatedly hit her in the head. Barba is seeking a plea that does not involve jail time.

Rollins confesses her love to Carisi.

Benson meets Barba to express her gratitude for his actions. Deliah is receiving extensive therapy and Ty's settlement for his construction accident. The individuals attempt to communicate. Barba explains that he sees Stabler differently due to his own experiences with bullying. He also notes that Benson loves Stabler unconditionally, and he reciprocates that love. Benson admits to missing Stabler as he walks away.