Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14 Review: We Finally See Det. Griffin

Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14 “Frequency” is one of the strongest hours in a season that’s had some pretty high-quality highs and…messy lows. The investigation of the week is a tense, emotion-packed rush to find a child after a video feed of him in a cage accidentally appears on a completely unrelated family’s baby monitor. Initially, nobody knows who this kid is or where he might be, but with a little help from the tech experts and a lot of insight from Detective Griffin (Corey Cott), the boy—who we learn is Avery Li, a nonverbal autistic child—is returned to his mom safely. All’s well that ends well. (As long as you stop the story in the right place. Let’s hope we never revisit this one, unlike the Maria Recinos rescue.)

This hour also has some pretty interesting implications for the season’s arc involving the tension between Captain Benson and Chief Tynan. Griffin’s been Tynan’s “guy” all along. But, by the end of this investigation, he and Benson have obviously become a lot closer. He also comes across as completely genuine when he says Olivia’s the best. So, when Liv gives that little scoff before passionately telling him that good leaders don’t demand loyalty and he “may have to choose” at some point in the future, that certainly tells viewers big things are yet to come.

Here’s hoping Grififn makes the right choice. If we pair Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14’s ending with the uneasy way Griff last meal with Tynan went, we at least have reason to believe he might.

MORE: Read our thoughts on the SVU Season 27 premiere.

“That’s how they treated my brother, too.”

Often, the best episodes of TV, SVU included, are the ones that don’t just feature great performances, and don’t only include a personal touchstone for our characters—they also say something relevant, maybe even relatable, about our world. That’s exactly what “Frequency” does. And more. We learn so much about Griffin in Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14. And because we do, it’s not only makes this case much more impactful, it makes us care about him going forward in a way we might not otherwise have. Instead of “eh, who is this guy? Is anything about him real,” viewers have now seen who he is at his core. And that person is someone with a huge heart, with drive, and with an even more loss-filled past than we initially realized. We already knew his dad, Tynan’s partner, was dead. Now…this.

Because Detective Griffin remembers the brother he loved dearly so well, he notices our mystery child engaging in the type of repetitive behaviors that some people on the spectrum use for regulation in times of distress. In one of several pivotal, powerful moments between the two characters, Griff haltingly, nervously opens up about his brother to Captain Benson. Cott’s performance makes it easy to see how difficult this is for the character to talk about. Not only is there the grief of his brother having died when he was so young, but Benson’s also a boss he hasn’t always been on the best of terms with.

And, perhaps most importantly, there’s the fear of her reacting the same way that the broad majority do to autistic people. Maybe some viewers won’t know about that fear of rejection or judgement when Griffin initially shares his brother’s story. But later, in yet another excellent performance from Cott and the always-great Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14 makes society’s evil reaction to people like Scott clear. In a moment when Captain Benson gently pulls him aside to question him about going a little bit rogue and visiting the TARU van the night before, Jake defends himself by saying he can’t sleep and thought he’d at least give others a chance to rest.

But it’s…more than that. He feels a need to protect this child, to shield him from others, in a way he probably always felt responsible for Scott. Because of that, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold back on the outpouring of emotion that comes next, no matter what. Not even if he wanted to, not even if he didn’t have some slight work insubordination to defend himself over. He hasn’t slept all night; he’s wrecked. Moderating emotions and hiding the things he always shoves down isn’t a thing he has energy for. Cott rightly plays the moment like he’s crawling out of his own skin, unable to contain any kind of raw or in-the-moment response to pretty much anything. Jake’s just so desperate for a win, and it’s eating him alive from the inside out, and he can’t even hide that fact.

What he says, after admitting he can’t sleep, is so vitally important and relevant to more than just some TV show’s storyline:

“It’s just, uh, when I look the kid, Avery, I just—I keep seeing my brother. You know, he was also non-speaking, and, uh…people would meet him? You know? And they would…they would ignore him. Or they’d—they’d treat him like he was stupid because he didn’t talk. I’m telling you, cap. He was so smart. He could read anybody—he could read people better than any detective you have ever met. You just—you had to know how to talk to him.”

As Jake tells Liv all of this, it’s like a lifetime of frustration with how the world treated his brother, something he’ll never shake even so many years after his death, finally pours out of him. And saving Avery Li, finding a way to communicate with him, is Jake’s way of doing whatever small part, anything at all, he can to grapple with all of it. The delivery here is fantastic, with all that almost-frantic energy around the case constantly buzzing. At times, there’s a sadness, an introspective sort of look back to sit in that pain. Others, he’s so very bold and direct—more in the present moment. Griffin can’t maintain eye contact when he talks about people ignoring his brother, then breaks a bit on “he was so smart.” All these details hit the right way, in the right places, to leave the biggest mark on viewers possible.

…and it’s impossible not to link this part of Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14, as well as the absolutely gorgeous words Griffin has for Avery later in the episode, to what’s going on in the world. Neurodivergent people have never been treated well by society at large. And any small progress made toward improving that has been lit on fire, again, and again, and again.

Right now, there is an increasing number of parents who would rather their children die, or otherwise become disabled, from preventable illnesses than give them a few immunizations. Because someone told them lies about a link between vaccines and autism. Read that again. They’d rather risk death than autism. Autism, to these parents—who are ill-informed and obstinately determined to stay that way—is worse than death. Let that sink in. There are also toxic, snake oil, “cures” that these people willingly pursue. Again, there are people—including those at the highest level of public health in the U.S. government now—who think death is the better option.

None of us should need to know someone, to love them, in order to know everything about how society views this is just so very wrong—and desperately, need the world to be better. And yet, for those of us who do, the thought of preferring what Jake Griffin has endured—the death of an autistic loved one—to just loving those people and finding ways to make their experience with the world better is unbearable.

MORE: We’ve had questions about Detective Griffin since we first met him.

More Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14 reactions

“Honey, what do we say when we have a bad dream?” “I forget.” “We say, ‘thank you, bad dream.’” That’s…certainly one way to deal with your kid having a nightmare when you want to get her out of your hair so you can get back to schtupping the wife. (Who wasn’t interested and just wanted to sleep.)
I am choosing to pretend that the time we saw Noah in a cage never happened. I can do that because SVU has pretended Noah never happened, as of late.
Really interesting and effective use of closeups in Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 14. There are several times when it’s very much like we, the audience, are seeing what that tiny monitor would show, just bigger because we have our TVs or computers (or whatever).
“I’m Detective Griffin. Thank you for letting us use your room…your unicorn kept me company.” “She’s a kitty corn.” And that soft, little “…oh.” Even without the backstory and everything else that happens in this episode, this interaction, right here, sold me on Jake being a good guy. He is so charming and sweet with this kid. Just adorable moment.
…and I want that caticorn.
“So, I don’t—I don’t like to talk about this that much…work-life, church-state kinda thing. But uh…my brother. He passed away when I was 15.” The way Liv goes from totally rushing to get her jacket on and get searching to…just slowing down the movement.
“What’s that thing you got?” “Oh, that’s a pedophile detector.” “Detects up to a month of pedophilia activity.”
The scene where Rollins goes to visit that doctor…what an awful, gutting thing to witness. For one thing, Regina Aquino delivers on such an emotional performance. And for another, it’s like…what a moment for Amanda, who’s also a mother, to have to suffer through, as well. Rollins does real harm (unintentionally!) to this poor woman by being there, almost offering her hope, and then ultimately yanking it away—and she knows it. I kind of both hate that they sent a mom there, alone, to have to do this…and completely understand why she’s basically the perfect person to do this. She understands the importance of being there—the investigation requires they do this to multiple people!—but it’s plainly obvious that she can empathize and isn’t going to fault Dr. Chou for just about any reaction she has in the moment.
And, on a lighter note: What in the Ross Geller coded trip to the pediatrician? (A Friends reference…)
Not me starting to feel bad for this dude being terrified to open his door because kids might be there…only to find out he was peeping on them in dance class. Gross.
“It’s been so long. I maybe can’t recognize my own son.” I’m trying very hard not to make a reference to how long it’s been since we’ve seen Noah here…failing, apparently.
“There’s not a right amount of time. Only choices.” “…and regrets.” “And those, too.”
“I thought you knew.” There’s a subtle nod, both in this scene with Avery’s mom and with how Griffin’s lived experience with his actually autistic brother plays such a pivotal role in finding the boy, to how much ableism plays into police work. Benson’s squad doesn’t have that information on Avery being autistic when they do their research on kids who might match the description of the mystery child, probably because whoever conducted the initial investigation didn’t bother to make a note. They also don’t know about the later pending upload, with all its…lack of education, at the very least. And when you think of the number of cops who get trigger happy or react because a suspect doesn’t “comply” when they actually can’t…it’s, like, having people who care about these things and know what to look for—not to mention how to interact—is important, actually!
“You talking to little kids on there?” “No. That’s what the internet’s for.” Disgusting…and also true, infuriatingly.
Griff is going through it. Like, the longer this search goes on, the worse off he is.
“Good for TARU. What are we doing?” I mean…points made.
It’s also really important to note, especially with the discussion about good leaders at the end of SVU Season 27 Episode 14, that Captain Benson smartly handles Griff with care throughout this investigation. Think about how Liv might normally react to someone sassing her. Not a thing here. And it shouldn’t be. She gets what it’s like to have something get to you, at your core, and make you act out in a way you normally wouldn’t. Probably more than anyone (except, you know, maybe the other guy who was “referred.”)
OMG. The way he reacts when the perp comes down the stairs and tells Avery he’s “losing interest.” WOW.
Ok but Liv’s little ponytail.
That quick reaction/response on “I can’t sleep.” Dude is on edge and on defense.
Again, this is totally Cott’s episode, to be clear. But man, whenever Hargitay has a half a second…Look at the way the smile just blooms on Liv’s face when Jake tells her “it was just ours” about his language with his brother.
The scene where Liv tells him about Maria broke me. I’m not sure I’m ever going to get over how badly they F—ed that up. And knowing the story Liv’s telling, knowing her pride about that little girl she saved becoming a cop is just going to turn to so much sadness…ouch. Hargitay getting…fidgety, like that phantom pain’s starting to prickle and pick at Olivia’s scars, when she knows she’s getting to the hard part of the story—right when the detective’s kind of having that quiet awe and happiness on her behalf—just makes it even more painful. Just. Again. Ouch.
“So,a story is happy or sad. Based on when you stop telling it.” And the pause before “she died in the line of duty, that girl.” Right in the guts. (And completely rude. Did I mention I’m not sure I’m ever getting over what they did there?)
“Is he a criminal if he gets away with it?”
Would’ve been nice for Rollins to have backup, but then, we wouldn’t have gotten this absolutely intense sequence with her and Costa. The second she catches that red flag with “STERT,” it’s game on. Rollins has to use every bit of profiling knowledge she’s got there. And it is. So. Freaking. Scary.
Again, really great use of every cast member that’s here. Much better balance than we sometimes see with an episode that’s centered on a specific character or two.
“Can’t throw away history, can you?” “No. You can’t.”
“Hey, Rollins.” That…gasp, almost? “Stay safe.” This phone call…when you think about the history between these two characters, especially their recent falling out…Whatever weight that “stay safe” would normally have, it’s even more profound now. Really good moment there.
Again, I say: Tense.
“He’s going to dump the kid, and we are going to watch on a monitor!!!” Griff snapped. Don’t blame him. It’s also a pretty huge deal that when Rollins tries to warn him off with that “yo,” Liv steps in with the quiet “he’s right” in his defense.” No fight. Only calm, sure leadership.
“Do you really think you can get the kid to talk?” Desperate: “I gotta try.” Finally.
“I know that you’ve been through a lot, buddy. Waaaaay, way too much in this life. Yeah? Even before all this? And people are mean, aren’t they? They are. They treat you like you’re nothing. Yeah, like you’re a piece of furniture. Like you’re not even a person, yeah? That’s how they treated my brother, too. But buddy, that is why I am positive that, just like him, you—you—you are nice. And you are smart, and you are creative…and you are a good kid…and guess what: I’m looking at you right now. You know that? I can see you. Right now. And can I tell something? I have a wish that, one day, we can just meet in person and I can say hi.”
Would like to dive into every, single detail of the performance during that speech. Absolutely can’t because I’m not exaggerating when I say it just keeps making me cry.
I can say I like that the “I can see you” very much has two meanings here. Griffin can literally see Avery on that screen. But he can also see him in a way that no one else on this case, not even the great empathy queen Olivia Benson, can.
Even this. So much care: “I’m really sorry if it’s loud. I know you don’t like loud noises, all right? That’s just my partner.” They’re doing something to help save Avery that Griffin knows will probably give him sensory overload, and it hurts him to do. So, he apologizes and tries to ease the harm as much as possible.
My heart.
Hargitay just emoting in the background so we see her Acting (Capital A!), even when it’s not her closeup. A professional. Literally, Liv could just kind of…be there. But no, no. Jake’s in focus because it affects him the most, and this is his moment. But Liv still cares and is practically holding her breath for both the kid and her guy, who she’s right behind, supporting.
THAT HUG????????
“They found Costa’s body on the tracks.” “Yeah, I heard. …crushed by the midnight local. That’s unfortunate for any night commuters.” Olivia Snark-garet Benson.
“How do you deal with all this?” “All what?” “The darkness.” Check out the way she tilts her head and starts to get emotional…before she tries to dodge the question.
“You just reunited a little boy with his mother. Where’s the darkness in that?” Annnnd Griffin won’t let her be evasive either.
“We keep telling our stories, no matter how dark they are. You keep telling your story…’cause I know…that good always comes from people hearing them.” The emotion in her voice, coupled with her not really being able to make a lot of eye contact, does a great job of showing how difficult it is for Liv to try opening up and answering this. But she does it…and then, tosses in some gallows humor (that is also true) to take the edge off: “that and a whole lot of therapy.”
Griffin’s so sincere here: “Sorry that I questioned you, boss. Tynan’s right. you—You are the best.” First off: Correct.
…but Liv’s not having it. What a smart time for her to finally let the detective know that she knows Tynan’s up to no good. This is the closest these two characters have ever been. It’s probably the only chance she’ll get to so much as hint about taking sides. And she is so raw after the talk about “the darkness,” so she’s going to say something, one way or another. But it’s just so very strategic. She doesn’t, technically, name names and make ultimatums. And yet. Jake hears the message. Loud and clear.
Just great writing, in terms of throwing the wrench in the gears of them making such a strong connection during this case—while reminding everyone that Olivia Benson is both smart and great at what she does. Not just the empathy, not just the detecting—but she can be a good boss, too. But it has to be her way.
“You are supposed to question everything. Everything and everyone. A good leader welcomes questions; a bad one…a bad one demands loyalty. And you have to remember that. Cause…because some day, you may need to choose. Who you want to follow.” WHEW.