A woman's murder appears to be the result of a professional hit, when her fiancé receives death threats, apparently resulting from his CIA career. Elliot, investigating this, finds that the man may not be all that he seems.

A woman's body is found murdered in a park alongside a man with a bullet in his head - Benson and Special Agent Cooper join forces and suspect "The Woodsman", a serial killer Cooper has tried to catch for years. Lake and Benson begin to question Cooper's true motives when the male victim is later identified as "The Woodsman".

After investment banker Jeremy Haynes is found dead, suspicions turns to his boyfriend Lincoln Haver, a professional football player who could lose everything if the truth of his sexuality became public. When news of Haver's sexual orientation comes out, Benson comes under fire for her relationship with a reporter.

Stabler is shocked when his daughter, Kathleen, becomes the suspect in an investigation to catch a trespasser. He seeks his estranged mother's help in dealing with his daughter's case.

Stabler goes undercover to infiltrate a rare animal smuggling operation.