Season 27 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit ended on a heartwarming note after an intense investigation and jaw-dropping criminal takedown. And if you were paying close attention, you might’ve noticed some details nestled into the very last scene with Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her dedicated detectives.
Throughout Season 27’s finale episode, “Monster,” Benson and the squad faced down an elusive serial killer released by authorities after a procedural mistake led to a mistrial. Tasked with rebuilding the case from the ground up, the SVU detectives refused to rest before bringing the evil Mr. Caine to justice, leading to a grueling shoot-out. Despite getting shot during the pursuit, Detective Jake Griffin (Corey Cott) was successful in taking down Mr. Caine.
After being whisked to the hospital, Griffin was joined by his squad members at his bedside, who were all happy to see him awake. As if the scene wasn’t heartwarming enough, Bruce Springsteen’s 1996 hit “Blood Brothers” only made the moment more tear-jerking as Benson and her squad celebrated another hard-won victory.
And that’s not all. In an interview with NBC Insider, SVU’s showrunner Michele Fazekas explained why that scene was filmed in a specific way.
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SVU‘s Season 27 finale ends with a private moment among the squad
No one likes it when a member of Benson’s unit gets hurt, but few can deny that it always brings the squad together. SVU‘s Season 27 finale ended at the hospital as Benson learned Griffin would soon recover. Eventually, the entire squad flocks to Griffin’s bedside to get an update and check in on their friend, with the camera zooming in from outside the room as Springsteen’s “Blood Brothers” plays — a song with lyrics centered around camaraderie, tested allegiances, and the power of loyalty, all themes that played out in full force during Season 27’s final chapter.
As for the camera angle from outside the hospital room, Fazekas explained to NBC Insider that she always envisioned it that way.
“I wanted to be out of the room. I didn’t ever want the camera to go into the room,” Fazekas recalled. “They have this whole huge, terrible bad guy. And they win and they prevail, and then [Benson] has this final showdown with Tynan.”
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Before that happily-ever-after moment, Benson was tasked with confronting her tyrannical boss, Chief of Detectives Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni). After a thrilling criminal pursuit and nearly losing one of her squad members, Tynan came in ready to fight, but Benson wasn’t having it, effectively snuffing their season-long push-and-pull. After that final altercation — added to the many challenges the SVU Captain tackled this season — Fazekas wanted Benson to be able to rejoin her unit in peace.
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“After all of that, what I wanted that last scene to be was like, ‘Let’s leave all that behind and focus on what really matters,'” Fazekas said. “Which is: we are all OK. We are all a family… They’ve really gelled together as this family.”
It’s a truly beautiful SVU moment. From Benson’s relief upon Griffin’s waking and the entire crew of detectives rallying to the rookie’s bedside to the powerful Springsteen needle drop, it was a serene end to a season defined by precinct chaos and change. The best part? The entire squad was united at last, giving fans plenty to look forward to in Season 28 of SVU.
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Peacock.
Reporting by Stephanie Gomulka