Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 17 Review: Deep Under
There are several things the Law & Order franchise is known for, but two of those things stand out on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 17, “Deep Under.” The first one is Velasco’s return, following the theme of characters who use the show as a revolving door to come and go.
While it’s great to see Velasco again, we can’t help but wonder why the show is constantly getting rid of characters to slowly bring them back on and off throughout the seasons. Rollins did the exact same thing, only to end up back where she belongs.
The second one is the constant reuse of actors. If you recognize Eliana from somewhere else within the Dick Wolf Universe, you stand correct. She is played by Carmela Zumbado, who played Anna Avalos, the CI who died in Voight’s arms on Chicago P.D. It does still feel kind of crazy to see someone who played such an important role in the same universe come back to play another important character.
When Velasco left, he did so to follow his heart and go where he believed he could do the most good. That was what Benson encouraged him to do, knowing that there was a purpose in his life that he needed to find.
Upon his return, it’s quite disappointing to see that nothing has changed. There has been no development to guide him towards doing the most good. On the contrary, he ends the episode right where we left him last time: taking time away from his job to figure out where he can do the most good.
Something tells us that if he had stayed at SVU, he might already have felt he had achieved that goal. After all, we see him go straight to Benson over his handler when he needs help. The trust that was built with his captain is still there, and he turns to the person he knows won’t let him down.
Or, as Fin puts it, there’s still some SVU in him. The truth is that SVU made Velasco the cop he is today, so it’s no surprise that his heartstrings still pull him towards helping those victims and making sure they are safe, even if it means risking his life.
While it’s clear that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is repeating a storyline with Velasco sleeping with someone he met undercover, it doesn’t take away from the quality of the episode and his storyline. Watching him with Eliana helps viewers understand why he’s been avoiding his handler and has stayed undercover for so long.
Even though this is a good episode, we can’t help but think that the show decides to bring back a character who has been gone for a while and to write a well-rounded storyline for him, instead of spending time on the characters we still have on the show. The biggest example of this is Fin.
Fin has been gone for the entirety of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27. Yes, his absence has been explained, and Ice-T has addressed the comments online, but the truth is that this is a low blow. Why are we spending an entire episode focused on Velasco instead of giving Fin the screen time he deserves?
The episode does bring Fin into the squad room to help, and we see him have a meaningful conversation with Velasco, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that he’s been gone for so long. It doesn’t make up for the fact that an OG character has been pushed to the sidelines for no reason at all.
It also stands out that both Rollins and Carisi are written out of the episode to give room for Velasco and Fin to return. Once again, it feels like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit can’t find a way to give every character their deserved time.
But even with those details, the show has still managed to deliver a strong season. It finally feels like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is back on track, delivering the storylines the fans signed up for.
No show can be perfect after being on the air for over two decades, but Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 is surely trying to get to that level. And, truthfully, it feels nice to see our beloved show thriving again.
What did you think of this episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
Critic Rating:
Audience Rating:
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
Check out our latest TV recommendations, updated weekly!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). You can find her work published on Eulalie Magazine, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.