Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 3 Review: A Vicious Circle

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 3, “A Vicious Circle,” reminds us that the show will always stay on top of the news cycle and give every story its own twist.

In recent times, there has been a lot of discussion regarding fertility clinics, and the show starts the episode by making us believe that maybe the bombing is related to that. Even though it turns out there is a different reason behind the attack, it is important to bring what is happening to IVF treatments to the screen.

If the rest of the season continues to utilize stories from the media, it will hopefully be done with the care and respect used to discuss this topic.

Beyond the storyline, there are two characters that need to be discussed in regard to “A Vicious Circle.” The first one is the beloved yet sometimes forgotten Velasco.

Velasco spent the majority of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 26 in the shadows. He was there one episode but gone the next, and his appearances weren’t memorable at all. However, there’s always been a compassion to his character that made him lovable.

Now, he is taking that compassion elsewhere, and the show gives him a discreet but sweet goodbye — perfect for a character like his.

His departure sets him up on the career path he truly belongs on. While he believes Benson might be upset, she reacts the opposite way and reminds him why she’s at SVU. Benson wants Velasco to find the same passion she has for SVU, and he seems to have found it with this new assignment.

His excitement makes fans feel this is the right next step for his character. This is the same reaction we get from Fin when Velasco visits him to tell him he is leaving.

In true Fin nature, only a few words are needed for this mentor and mentee to say goodbye to one another. It is a sweet moment that seems fitting for the qualities of both characters.

The other character to look at is Griffin. He is still too green for SVU, and it shows. It is particularly obvious when he talks about how uncomfortable he feels picking up a sperm sample.

Working in a unit like this one means those types of comments shouldn’t be made, but that is something he is still learning. While he has a similar humor to Bruno’s, his immaturity shines brighter, and he has a lot to learn if he wants to belong in this squad.

But he also has a hot-headed nature that seems to repeat itself throughout the squad’s history. Benson points this out by saying he reminds her of someone, which we’re all inclined to believe is Elliot Stabler. Nevertheless, SVU is known for its hot-headed men and how quickly they lose their temper.

Griffin seems to be joining his predecessors while simultaneously carrying a childlike behavior that needs to be snapped out of him very quickly. If he is going to stick around, there is a lot of work to be done.

One thing that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 is getting right is the squad room scenes. On a show where everything is dark and sad, it is quite fun to see the team in their natural habitat, analyzing every piece of evidence.

Having everyone in the same room, going through the evidence, sharing their input, and giving us a visual representation of them working together is quite genius. Hopefully, this is something that will remain throughout the season.

It will be interesting to see Amanda Rollins rejoin these scenes.

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.

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