Law & Order: SVU Kills Off An Original Cast Member In Season 27 Premiere — Read Recap
It's the end of an era for Capt. Olivia Benson & Co.
Thursday's Law & Order: SVU premiere opens with Liv attending a wake for Capt. Donald Cragen, who was her boss for many years — starting with the series' very first episode. (Don't worry: Dann Florek, who played Cragen as recently as SVU's 23rd season and Law & Order: Organized Crime's fourth, is still alive.)
"In the Wind" is a bittersweet hour that brings back several familiar faces, forges new ground in a key relationship (a LOT more on that here) and sets up some intriguing new moves for Season 27. Read on for the highlights.
RIP, CAPT. CRAGEN | Liv walks into a bar, where she's greeted by a large floral wreath bearing a portrait of the retired cop: It's our first As if sensing an emotional disturbance in the force, Dr. Huang suddenly appears and hugs her. She's instantly teary and he offers to talk, but Benson stays true to form and politely yet firmly brushes him off as she moves deeper into the room and runs right into... Cassidy. He assures her he's leaving, but she says he doesn't have to, and they hug and get verklempt together for a hot minute before she keeps it moving.
Rollins, Carisi and Fin are there, too. Liv stops to watch a video that's playing in the corner, of Cragen giving a speech at his retirement party, and Carisi approaches. "He was the best boss that I ever had," she says. "Everything I know about being a captain, I learned from him."
The night continues its maudlin meandering. Fin admits that he's thought about hanging it up, which surprises his commanding officer. "I mean, not, like, tomorrow," he says in response to Liv's shocked look. Later, on her way out, Benson runs into Kathryn Tynan, the new chief of detectives, who is effusive with compliments in a way that rattles Liv just a little. "You're the standard I'd like everyone else to meet," Tynan says. Rollins rolls over a moment later, expositing that Tynan was originally with the New York Police Department but has been working in Philadelphia for the past decade. "I'm hearing some things," she says, fixing a wary eye on Tynan as she departs. "I think changes are coming, so just be careful."
'SHIP HAPPENS | Benson gets a call from Curry so she leaves... only to find Stabler, in a suit, skulking by her car. He doesn't want to go inside, because who loves funerals?, and she commiserates. "I just feel like we're entering into our 'all our friends are dying' era," she observes sadly. He's in a contemplative mood as they both lean against the vehicle. "Not that you can go back, and not that I'd want to, but we had a pretty good run there for a minute," he says, referring to their SVU partnership. "We still do," she says, gazing at him fondly, "just different." Then she hugs him — and it's a GOOD one — before she jokes that it's time for him to get off her car, go inside and say hello.
She climbs into the driver's seat, and as he moves to close the door, he says, "Love you. Goodnight." (If those three words hit you as hard as they did me, please join me over here so we can go DEEP.)
FIN KEEPS A SECRET FROM LIV | After the wake, Fin walks home along the water and winds up getting beat up by some thieves who trick him into thinking he's helping an assault victim, only to become one himself. They make off with his gun and leave him bleeding; when Bruno and Velasco rush to the emergency room to see him, he lets them know about the weapon that's gone missing, and there's a tacit agreement that they'll work to get it back. Fin does not share this info with Liv, who shows up later and makes sure that her sergeant gets preferential treatment by the hospital's staff.
Velasco and Bruno work the case and wind up talking to a guy named Fat Jimmy at a bar. They bring Fin via FaceTime; Fin knows that Jimmy, who is shady, knows the streets well, and "I'm hoping you can help me find something I lost." Bruno and Velasco eventually retrieve the firearm but hide it from Benson; she finds out when Rollins, who knows about everything because an Intelligence officer was in the bar at the time.
So Liv returns to the hospital to confront Fin, who claims he was only keeping quiet to protect her — but they both know that's a weak excuse. He apologizes and she suggests that he should retire if he's willing to throw away the relationship they've built over all these years. He says he's not ready to quit "until I earn your trust back"... and then she's summoned to One Police Plaza.
AN OFFER SHE CAN'T REFUSE? | Before we deal with that, though, how about a moment for the case of the week? This one is the rape of a woman staying in an AirBnB-type rental apartment. The building's super proves pivotal to her case, and he decides to testify even though he's in the country illegally and Immigration and Customs Enforcement is dogging him at every turn. Eventually the apartment's owner is found guilty of the assault (yay!) but then ICE swoops in and drags the super away (no!).
When Benson arrives in Tynan's office, the chief of detectives proudly announces that she pulled some strings to get the super released from a detention center and on the path to citizenship. Then she offers Liv a promotion to be a deputy chief, stationed at 1PP and overseeing a centralized SVU for all five boroughs. Tynan pitches it as a great last act, especially if Benson is thinking about wrapping things up; Liv says she's not planning to stop working anytime soon.
Cool, Tynan says, then sweetly informs Liv that she's going to get a new SVU detective to help ease the workload while Fin is out of commission. Benson tries to say she doesn't need the extra hands, but Tynan makes it clear that this is happening. Then, as Olivia leaves, Tynan casually says, "I'm glad Fin got his gun back." OH THIS WOMAN KNOWS ALLLLLLL.
WHAT IS VELASCO UP TO NOW? | In the hour's final moments, Velasco is walking on the sidewalk at night when a car approaches; something about the situation makes him reach for his gun. "Det. Velasco, get in," a voice commands. Velasco does. Wait, what?
Now it's your turn. What did you think of the premiere? Grade it via the poll below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!