The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 27 finale proved that Mariska Hargitay’s Capt. Olivia Benson is correct where she must be.
Things got here to a head for the squad within the Thursday, May 14, episode — titled “Monster” — as Benson went head-to-head with Chief Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni) for one final showdown.
Earlier this season, Tynan suspended Benson from her role as SVU captain. Within the interim, newcomer Detective Jake Griffin (Corey Cott) was attempting to dig up dirt on Tynan to assist put an end to the stress. Because Tynan became a surrogate parent to Griffin after his father’s death within the line of duty, they’d an in depth relationship. Nevertheless, Griffin discovered on Thursday that Tynan helped his dad (who might need been a grimy cop) cover up a murder.
Elsewhere within the episode, Griffin got shot within the line of duty. When Tynan arrived on the hospital, Tynan threatened Benson’s job for putting her team at risk.
“I’ll have your badge for this,” Tynan told Benson. “Your profession is over, and I’m not sorry about that.”
Benson replied, “I don’t think that’s going to occur.”
It was then revealed that Griffin had recorded the conversation with Tynan regarding his father, so it was really Tynan’s profession on the road.
Benson made it clear that she had no intention of using the recording but refused to let Tynan “wreck” her profession.
SVU showrunner Michele Fazekas told People ahead of the finale that she wanted viewers to know that the tip of Benson’s profession is on the horizon.
“Mariska’s been on the show for 27 years. You’ve got to be pondering, ‘That is going to finish in some unspecified time in the future,’ and so let’s not ignore that,” she said. “Let’s go toward that.”
When crafting season 27, Fazekas wanted Benson to disclose why she’s still doing this job.
“It’s like, ‘I’m doing this because I can’t do anything,’” Fazekas said. “And so she somewhat recommits herself.”
Before SVU heads into its next season — NBC officially renewed the show last month — Fazekas wanted fans to know that “a very powerful part is that this core group” of detectives.
“I actually wanted it to come back back to that,” she told People. “They got the guy, all the stuff with Tynan has been kind of handled.”
Law & Order: SVU is now streaming on Peacock.