Fin announces upon his return that he is only here part-time and won’t be returning to his full-time position any time soon. Nevertheless, it is nice to see him back teaming up with Rollins. It brings back memories of when Rollins first joined the squad, with the difference that they are now both on the same rank.

When Carisi finds out Fin is only at SVU part-time, he not-so-jokingly mentions that an investigative position is opening up at the DA’s office. He says that if Fin is ready to take it down a notch, there is room for him. This, of course, does not land well with the boss lady, Benson.

The moment Carisi tries to poach Fin from SVU, Benson completely loses it. She accuses Carisi of poaching people from her unit and reprimands him for telling Fin he might need to take it down a notch.

But the real reason behind her reaction comes out when she mentions Fin needs SVU, and Carisi wonders if she’s really talking about Fin or about herself. Benson’s connection to SVU runs as deep as the show’s roots, but with Kathryn Tynan flying around trying to bring her to the ivory tower, this connection has grown a bit more tense.

A few moments before the crossfire with Carisi, Tynan shows up in the squad room and makes a remark about how everyone knows Benson loves to be in the trenches. This is a clear hit at Benson’s refusal to leave her post as captain and join her in the ivory tower. Tynan isn’t used to hearing no, and Benson won’t be forced into something she doesn’t want.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 has focused heavily on the fact that Tynan wants to control Benson. Whether it’s jealousy or real admiration, she will not stop until she gets her way. Sadly, this would mean taking Benson away from SVU, and, as she indirectly tells Carisi, she needs SVU, so that is not an option she will consider.

Because Tynan is just as stubborn as Benson, she hints to Griffin that she will be using his position in the squad to have him look into some old cases. This is clearly because she wants to find Benson at fault, or at least get ammunition against her.

The war between these two women is only just beginning, and something tells us it will not be an easy battle for Benson.

The moment Griffin was forced into SVU, we knew he would be Tynan’s secret weapon. However, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 10, “Fidelis ad Mortem,” surprises us all.

Even though Griffin is grateful for everything Tynan has done for him, he shows hesitation the moment she tells him what she will need from him in the near future. While his first reaction is to say he is really busy, we can see in his facial expression that he is not as willing as Tynan thinks to do her bidding.

The truth is that Griffin has found a place where he can belong. In Benson’s squadroom, he isn’t someone’s son or someone’s simple favor. He is a detective on his own, and his work and actions speak for themselves. Benson has given him the room to grow away from the past that might have been chasing him up to that point.

The trust that Benson and the team have put in him might just be what saves them. When the time comes, Griffin might not be as open to partnering with Tynan as he was in the beginning, particularly given the fact that Bruno has taken him under his wing and helped him grow.

Griffin’s development is very clear on “Fidelis ad Mortem.” He takes the undercover moment very seriously and delivers exactly what the team needs. Even when the suspect plants the seed of doubt about his father’s past, Griffin stays strong and helps bring the case to a close.

Now that Cott is a series regular, it’ll be interesting to see how this character continues to take root in SVU.

There are two moments on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 10, “Fidelis ad Mortem,” that make us wish the show did this on a regular basis. The first one is a small glimpse into Curry’s life outside the squadroom.

Getting to see her son and her at-home-life is quite magnificent. Up until this episode, Curry had no life outside her job, and we knew absolutely nothing about her. Now, this character whom we have come to love is becoming a well-rounded participant. And, truth be told, we’re happy to have Curry around.

The second one is the presence of other experts involved. The cases become more realistic, and viewers get a better sense of what’s happening when people outside the squad collaborate and bring their insight. Getting to hear from the tape expert about what happened to it makes us want to catch the perp even more because we know how far they’ve gone to cover their tracks.

All in all, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 10, “Fidelis ad Mortem,” continues to prove that this new season has raised the standards compared to last season.