Benson’s Squad Just Got a Shake-Up With Detective Jake Griffin on Law & Order: SVU
None of the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit detectives have ever had an easy first day on the job, but it’s safe to say that Season 27 newcomer Detective Jake Griffin is getting a run for his money as Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) whips him into shape.
Viewers are in for a jolt as a mysterious new detective enters the mix, and he’s not used to playing by the SVU’s usual rules. Television star Corey Cott delivers a dynamite performance as Detective Griffin, applauded for his previous roles in series like Filthy Rich, The Good Fight, and even a 2016 guest appearance on SVU. Benson has crossed paths with dozens of passionate detectives in her nearly three decades at the helm of SVU, but already, Griffin has cemented himself as a scene stealer as he joins Benson’s squad under a cloud of mystery.
Detective Griffin has friends in pretty high places, so Benson was on high alert as she met her new detective for the first time in Season 27, Episode 2 (“Waiver of Consent”).
Who is Detective Jake Griffin on Law & Order: SVU?
Detective Jake Griffin, one of Benson’s Season 27 squad members, is a man surrounded by precinct rumors and known on the streets as “Batman” — a nickname he earned on the street for his ruthless efficiency in criminal takedowns. Benson was hesitant to bring on such a lone wolf, but as viewers learned, Griffin was assigned to the SVU by her new boss, Chief Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumazweni).
Griffin has a long personal relationship with Chief Tynan, who took Griffin under her wing after his father passed. Tynan assigned Griffin to Benson’s unit so that he could sharpen his skills as a detective. From the jump, Griffin emerges as an efficient, instinctive, and whip-smart investigator, but his tendency to work alone complicates Benson’s squad room harmony.
Detective Jake Griffin assured Benson he was “not a spy”
On his first day, Griffin didn’t waste time addressing the elephant in the room: his longstanding connection to Benson’s boss.
“You know, I know how my new assignment might look to you,” Griffin told Benson in her office.
“Well, how do you think it might look?” Benson asked.
“Like I’m some sort of spy,” Griffin shrugged.
Benson laughed, asking what he planned to uncover at her precinct, but Griffin maintained he had no plans of acting as some mole for Chief Tynan. That wasn’t what the Chief asked him to do — she’d asked him to learn under one of the best bosses in the department.
After touching on Griffin’s glimmering reputation as an officer for robbery units, Benson briefed Griffin on the SVU way. She wasn’t interested in recruiting a detective with an agenda; she needed a “victim-centric” team member who could connect with survivors and keep her in the loop.
“I can promise you the only agenda I have is to learn,” Griffin promised Benson, thanking her again for the opportunity.
The rest of the detectives echoed some of Benson’s concerns, claiming they did not need some Superman complicating their cases. Captain Renee Curry (Aimé Donna Kelly) warned her colleagues to quiet down — Griffin had powerful friends, so they needed to be careful.
Even if Griffin claimed he had no interest in spying on the squad, the entire SVU’s guard was up.
Benson wasn’t sure if Detective Griffin was a good match for the SVU
Griffin was soon recruited to help investigate a sex club that was secretly trafficking women. One of the requirements to join the club was signing an illegal NDA claiming they’d never report misconduct — leading to a trail of silenced victims and a serious legal rodeo for Benson to navigate. Along the way, Benson’s concerns about Griffin were actualized.
While visiting the victim in the hospital with Benson, Griffin secretly took photos of the victim’s QR code tattoo, later showing Benson after it yielded evidence of the sex club’s website. This irritated Benson, so she reminded Griffin: she needed transparency. After uncomfortably trying to block a victim from leaving the hospital, Benson was forced to remind Griffin that his job was working with victims who struggled to open up. Griffin’s job was to empathetically “figure it out anyway.”
After Griffin and Detective Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane) investigated inside the sex club, Griffin noticed a woman being sexually harassed. Despite Benson dismissing the squad for the night, Griffin decided to go back to the club by himself to further investigate.
Benson was furious after finding out, reprimanding Griffin for his series of mistakes. Benson found Griffin’s actions unacceptable, telling him that she didn’t know if the assignment would work out. But Griffin’s investigation was fruitful: he saw the woman again, and she was willing to testify to what was happening inside the club.
Griffin might struggle to work with others, but he yielded fantastic results. While connecting with the woman at the diner, Benson became impressed with Griffin’s empathy and unyielding commitment to the victims.
Benson decided to welcome Griffin to the SVU
After a thrilling courtroom showdown that ended with the club owner imprisoned, Griffin visited Benson’s office to apologize for his series of screw-ups. Griffin knew that he’d blown it, admitting that he’d never really questioned his police instincts until he worked with Benson’s elite squad.
Griffin felt weird struggling with something that had come so naturally, but Benson softly reminded him that the SVU was a learning curve and that not everyone was cut out for the gig. Griffin told Benson he understood if she wanted to reassign him, but Benson had changed her mind. Benson reminded Griffin that he had empathetically connected with a victim and created a safe space.
“You can’t teach that, so here’s the deal: as long as we are all on the same team, you may have a home here,” Benson told an elated Griffin.
“Thank you, and I understand chain of command, OK?” Griffin assured his Captain. “I promise I will never go behind your back.”