Here are my thoughts on Jessica versus Tara, and why it played out like it did :
1) Jessica is holding back. She had JUST got done trying to reach out to Tara, and she didn't look like she was necessarily trying to go all out and stake someone. She really only confronted Tara in the first place because she still has feelings for fakkit ass Hoyt (*sigh*). She went in on Newlin because he was genuinely threatening Jason. Maybe Jessica could pound Tara if it came to it.
2) Tara is a trained UFC fighter, and a (small) strength increase isn't going to beat tactical proficiency. Newlin is a fakkit, not a MMA fighter, so Jessica can body him.
3) The writing sucks, as it pretty much always had, and continuity doesn't mean jack shyt....
Let's not pretend that this show is a beacon of writing quality.
4) Black Excellence...
5) Bloodlines, as others have been pointing out. That Godric line is....
; that Lorena line is....
They haven't really made it clear whether the older=stronger is a mystical thing, like the same way that makers can control their children, or whether it is just a general time based growth, like, you're muscles just get stronger as you age. Or a mixture of both somehow.
Oh and, I'm pretty sure Stabler is dead. This dudes head looked like silly putty, and they showed a blood splatter on Russel's face.