Law & Order: Organized Crime - What Happened To Detective Jamie Whelan?
Given that "Law & Order: Organized Crime" strays from the usual police procedural formula that most of the franchise's series have traditionally adhered to, the show was bound to include some rather shocking episodes. The whole premise of this particular spin-off is Detective Elliot Stabler's (Christopher Meloni) mission to put his wife Kathy's (Isabel Gillies) murderer behind bars. Kathy's death is shown during Season 22 of "Special Victim's Unit," and this serves as the impetus for "Organized Crime" while establishing its different tone.
In other words, this is a show that is willing to kill beloved characters. So it is with Jamie Whelan (Brent Antonello), the detective who joins the Organized Crime Control Bureau in Season 3 and quickly becomes an integral and trusted member. Stabler and Whelan share a distinct bond, and the former's partner, Detective Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt). even comments on how alike they are. Whelan also becomes unexpectedly close with Detective Jet Slootmaekers (Ainsley Seiger).
Whelan's own death at the end of Season 3 is pointedly tragic. As the team closes in on the elusive administrator of a revenge-for-hire website, Kyle Wilkie (Winter Andrews), Wilkie opens fire and shoots Whelan in the neck. And though he doesn't die immediately, he ends up making a heartbreaking sacrifice for the good of the team and the case.
Main character deaths are rare but not unheard of in the L&O universe
Realizing that he has no way out after shooting Jamie Whelan, Kyle Wilkie attempts to kill himself. But as the OCCB needs Wilkie to shut down the revenge site for good, Whelan insists the suspect be treated first when medics arrive. He is later brought to the hospital where it is revealed that Whelan is paralyzed. After initially asking those around him to pull the plug on his life support, he later flatlines. Doctors and emergency workers are ultimately unable to save him, and he dies.
Though killing off beloved characters isn't the most common occurrence in the "Law & Order" universe, it's also far from unheard of. After George Dzundza, who played Sergeant Max Greevey in the very first season of "Law & Order," announced his intention to leave the series, writers wrote his character off by having Greevey shot and killed by a suspect in a murder investigation in the Season 2 premiere. Season 16 of the show saw Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia (Annie Parisse) kidnapped, with her body discovered soon after. The decision to kill off Sergeant Mike Dodds (Andy Karl) in Season 17 of "SVU" was shocking, not just because it was unannounced, but because Dodds is the son of Deputy Chief William Dodds (Peter Gallagher).