SVU's Jake Griffin confronts questions about his late father's record

Nbc reports Detective Jake Griffin (Corey Cott) had his world shaken in the January 15 episode "Fidelis ad Mortem" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, after a suspect raised doubts about Griffin’s late father, James "Jimmy" Griffin.

The episode shows that Jimmy was a career NYPD officer who died in the line of duty when Jake was a teenager and whose legacy Jake sought to honor by becoming a cop. A cassette tape led the SVU to 27-year-old remains and a crew of corrupt officers headed by D.A. investigator Leo Eikmeier (Nick Sandow). Griffin used his father’s prior relationship with Leo to get close to the case, planted a recording device and helped secure Leo’s arrest and later conviction, but Leo undercut Griffin in interrogation by saying, "I bet you all of Jimmy’s buddies told you your daddy was clean as a baby’s soul," leaving Griffin unsettled.

Griffin then visited his father’s longtime partner and mentor, Detective Chief Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni), to ask for "the truth." Tynan cautioned that "back then, it was a different world," adding that "was Jimmy a good cop? Absolutely. He was brave, he was loyal." When Griffin pressed that he wanted "the truth," Tynan countered, "To what end?" She urged him to decide what he wanted from the inquiry, told him "You'll find the time" about upcoming matters, and left viewers uncertain whether Griffin will pursue more answers about his father's past.

Key Topics

Culture, Jake Griffin, James Griffin, Leo Eikmeier, Kathryn Tynan, Nypd