<\/p>\n
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for\u00a0Law & Order: SVU<\/em><\/a> Season 27 Episode 7 \u201cFalse Idols.\u201d]<\/strong><\/p>\n Sergeant Odafin \u201cFin\u201d Tutuola (Ice T<\/a>) has certainly been missed \u2014 briefly catching up with him while he recovered from his premiere attack just wasn\u2019t the same \u2014 on\u00a0Law & Order: SVU<\/em>, but unfortunately, his return to the squad set him up to be absent for future episodes again.<\/p>\n In the Season 27 premiere, Fin thought he witnessed an assault and tried to help only to be attacked himself and his gun taken. Since then, he\u2019s been recovering from his injuries, with Detective Joe Velasco (Octavio Pisano<\/a>) briefly checking in with him before he left for a job with the DEA<\/a>. In Episode 7, Fin surprised everyone by showing up at work. He greeted Detective Terry Bruno (Kevin Kane<\/a>), welcomed Sergeant Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish<\/a>) back with open arms, and even had fun messing with new guy Detective Jake Griffin (Corey Cott<\/a>) a bit. Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay<\/a>) was surprised to see him because she never got word he was cleared and checked he was good to return to full duty. He was, he confirmed, and it was in her inbox.<\/p>\n When Benson approached him separately, Fin reminded her that he\u2019s been hurt on the job before. \u201cI\u2019m good. I\u2019m very good,\u201d he insisted. She wanted to make sure he was getting everything he needed from the department (support, time to process). \u201cEyesight\u2019s good, no headaches, I\u2019m out-working kids in the gym half my age,\u201d Fin said. \u201cI\u2019ve never felt better.\u201d When he checked if she doubted him, she told him, \u201cNo, you have been extremely clear about how physically prepared that you are,\u201d but he stressed, \u201cI\u2019m prepared, period.\u201d<\/p>\n But there was a moment when, as Fin and Rollins went to arrest a man for rape and a security guard stepped in, Fin reached for his gun. Rollins played mediator and identified themselves as NYPD. It was quick, but in the context of this episode, worth mentioning.<\/p>\n Then, near the end of the episode, Fin asked Benson if she thought that him getting jumped could have happened \u201cback in the day,\u201d and she argued that it could have happened to any of them. Fin didn\u2019t seem reassured. As he saw it, \u201cEven a couple years ago, I would have bene faster, caught on quicker, definitely wouldn\u2019t have lost my gun.\u201d Benson didn\u2019t see it that way, but, \u201cI just think I need a little bit more time before I come back, just get my head around it,\u201d Fin admitted. \u201cTake all the time you need. There\u2019s always,\u00a0always<\/em> going to be a place here for you,\u201d Benson assured him.<\/p>\n Ice T has been on SVU<\/em> since Season 2, and so it\u2019s hard to imagine the show without him. Nothing\u2019s been said that suggests this will be permanent, but Fin is going to be missed when he\u2019s once again away from the squad. That being said, there\u2019s no character better to explore this with (which the show should do after this many years), given how long he\u2019s been around and that Benson has stressed this season that she\u2019s happy where she is with Chief Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni<\/a>) trying to push her into a job at 1PP<\/a>.<\/p>\n Plus, he did admit he\u2019s been thinking about retiring in the premiere. \u201cIt\u2019s crossed my mind. I don\u2019t want to do this forever. Do you?\u201d he asked Benson at Cragen\u2019s wake. But after the attack and after he hid the fact that his gun was taken from his captain, he told her, \u201cI thought this might have been a message for me to get out while I still can, but I\u2019m not throwing anything away, Liv. And I\u2019m not ready to retire until I earn your trust back.\u201d<\/p>\n