New recruits always get under Benson’s skin, but Jake Griffin could be different.
Griffin did all the wrong things for all the right reasons on Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 2 and almost got himself booted out in record time.
He was a bright spot in what would have been a solid episode if only SVU hadn’t also engaged in some creative rewriting of its recent history.
Are We Supposed to Pretend The Season 26 Finale Never Happened?
Law & Order: SVU Season 26, Episode 22 featured Velasco leaving the unit after he received a promotion.
It was a huge deal, both in terms of the story and behind the scenes.
On air, Velasco got a series of flashbacks and an emotional goodbye from Benson, while behind the scenes, fans complained about his hasty exit.
Now he’s back as if none of it ever happened, and that lack of continuity is a huge distraction.
His reappearance was more acceptable on Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 1 because he was helping Fin out, so my headcanon was that he had returned temporarily for that reason.
Now, though, he has an on-screen undercover mission that dovetails with his regular work for SVU, which makes no sense since Benson already came to terms with him leaving the unit.
Maybe Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Takes Place Before Season 26.
That would explain why Benson learns that Stabler is in the hospital at the end of “Waiver of Consent” when her visit to his hospital room on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Episode 2 took place seven months ago.
Just kidding! I know that this was inserted so that her visit would make sense to viewers tuning in to the rerun of Law & Order: Organized Crime on NBC.
I know I’m not the only one who notices every detail of my favorite shows.
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It should have been explained when it originally happened, but better late than never, I guess.
Still, it is weird for SVU to play catch-up now, as if the Stabler hospitalization storyline hadn’t already happened.
It was a throwaway line meant to encourage people not to turn off the TV after SVU, but it still irritated me.
I wonder if there will be more follow-up on SVU as the season progresses.
It seems like the new writers are more Benson/Stabler-friendly, or at least, willing to acknowledge that Benson and Stabler exist in the same universe.
Enough Beating This Dead Horse. Let’s Talk About The New Guy
Benson has had plenty of new recruits before, but it’s never felt so much like she’s training an intern.
Griffin seemed to be having trouble transitioning from robberies and general anti-crime protocols to the sensitivity required by SVU.
His attempt to brief the team about the victim was painful to sit through. He gave the police blotter details in a monotone, the same way he probably reported the initial facts about an armed robbery.
His insistence on raising his hand was mildly amusing, but his maverick behavior was as predictable as it was annoying, and Benson was more than patient with him.
Griffin: I know, and I’m sorry.
Benson: You’re sorry? Sorry means you made a mistake. I told you three times that in this unit we work as a team. I don’t think this is going to work out. In fact, I’m going to call Chief Tynan right now and tell her I don’t need a cowboy who does whatever he wants on his own.
It was only because his disregard for Benson’s orders led to a break in the case that he got another chance, and that was really more than he deserved.
What’s your take on the newest member of SVU?
Hit the comments with your thoughts and let’s talk.
He should have been booted when he tried to stop the victim from leaving.
That’s predator-like behavior, no matter how well-intentioned, and shouldn’t be acceptable in a unit that works with rape victims (or anywhere, really, but especially not there.)
Benson having to constantly explain everything, as if she were his training officer, was annoying, so I’m glad that, in the second half of the episode, that mostly went by the wayside.
I’m trying to figure out why he annoyed me so much. It’s not like Benson hasn’t had unruly and insubordinate detectives working for her before.
Rollins used to do her own thing when she first joined SVU, and Benson was constantly getting aggravated with Grace Muncy during Law & Order: SVU Season 24.
Maybe it’s that this guy was foisted on her, and the rest of the unit was skeptical that he deserved to be there.
Hopefully, he’ll grow during the course of the season and become less annoying.
The Case Was More Interesting Than The Last One, But Still Seemed Like The Least Important Part of The Hour
SVU should be focused on supporting survivors. That’s the show’s mission.
This time, the case was more interesting and original than on Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 1.
We even got a significant trial aspect, which doesn’t happen very often, and I love that Carisi is now sharing his ADA duties with CJ Jones.
Still, at times, it seemed like the case got lost in the shuffle while SVU focused on Griffin adjusting to being in the unit and Velasco’s undercover assignment.
The latter is not necessary to have on-screen.
This isn’t the type of cop drama that has multiple investigations and storylines in each episode, like Chicago PD or Blue Bloods.
I’d rather it stay that way so we can focus on the victims rather than going off on tangents with unrelated undercover assignments.
Your Turn, Law & Order: SVU Fanatics — What Did You Think?
Your voice matters. Without your thoughts and opinions, we’d be stuck talking to ourselves.
Hit the comments with your thoughts and vote in our poll to rank the episode.
If you love Law & Order, check out our Law & Order: Organized Crime reviews. We also already have news and opinions about CBS’ Boston Blue before it premieres, so if you like cop shows, that might be for you.
Law & Order: SVU airs on NBC on Thursdays at 9/8c and streams on Peacock on Fridays.
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