Stabler is forced to work on a serial killer case with an abrasive detective who has been on the case for months and would prefer to work alone. However, Stabler discovers that the detective's motivation is not glory and recognition.
A turf war ensues when Stabler and Tutuola link an artist's murder to a serial killer, and the detective assigned to that case focuses more on their involvement in an investigation he believes belongs solely to him than on identifying the killer.