All About Detective Jamie Whelan, Law & Order: Organized Crime's Stabler 2.0.

Stabler and Whelan Discuss Why They Became Police Officers | NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime

Stabler (Christopher Meloni) currently has his hands full on Law & Order: Organized Crime, so the unit has brought in some backup: Detective ​​Bobby Reyes (Rick Gonzalez) and Detective Jamie Whelan (Brent Antonello). 

While Reyes' specialty is undercover missions, Whelan is more interested in detective work. Anyone who watched Meloni's seasons of Law & Order: SVU may see parallels between Stabler and Whelan. In fact, Whelan may just be a Stabler 2.0.

But who is Jamie Whelan, and what can OC fans expect from him? We explore, below. 

Who is Detective Jamie Whelan?

Stabler is immediately caught off guard by Whelan's sudden appearance on the task force. "When does he go through puberty?" Stabler asks Sgt. Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt), which she finds funny.

Bell tells Stabler that he and Whelan are similar, and that's true; they're both hotheaded and abrasive with a deep hatred for anyone who questions their work. That said, Stabler and Whelan are also both incredibly hard-working, which has come in handy for the OC Unit this season. 

Parts of Season 3 have focused on the infamously wealthy Silas family, who owns a NYC construction company that's building a massive casino in the city. The casino's construction is complicated by Henry Cole, a man who lives on the last remaining property un-seized by the Silas family; Cole's protests have stalled the construction. So when Cole is suddenly found dead in his apartment, the OC Unit is quick to suspect foul play is involved. 

In Episode 2, "Everybody Knows the Dice Are Loaded," Jet Slootmaekers (Ainsley Seiger) is tasked with breaking Whelan in and showing him how Stabler and Bell prefer to run things. We see Jet and Whelan go undercover at a nightclub, where Whelan blows his cover identifying the suspect, Kenny Kyle. While pursuing Kenny, Whelan jumps in the line of action and gets assaulted, and Jet rushes to his side for support. 

Whelan's eagerness to get to the bottom of every situation is noticed by Stabler, who still hasn't warmed up to him by this point. But things start to thaw in Episode 3, titled "Catch Me If You Can." The OC Unit tracked down Kenny for arrest, but unfortunately, a fellow cop was shot and killed in the pursuit. Jamie was visibly shaken up by the ordeal, and Stabler offered some helpful advice (that he seems to ignore for himself often).

"Can't do that...blame yourself," Stabler told Whelan. "That is an emotion that will bury you in a deep, dark hole of grief that does not help you do this job." 

Stabler may struggle to implement that same patience with himself, but nevertheless it was touching to see him finally become a mentor to someone. Better yet, a younger version of himself. 

Whelan and Jet: Organized Crime's unlikely duo

In Episode 5, "Behind Blue Eyes," OC fans saw Whelan attempt to chip at Jet's no-nonsense outer shell with mixed results. 

The OC Unit went on an undercover mission to a speakeasy in search of a member of  the Robinhood, a gang that poses as NYPD police officers to carry out their misdeeds. While gearing up for the mission, Whelan asks Jet if she ever actually dances, referencing the day they met and awkwardly danced together. 

"The other night, when we actually had to look like we were having a good time on the dance floor," Whelan says. "I got the sense you're more of a person that goes and watches people." Jet wasn't having any of Whelan's commentary and gave him the cold shoulder. Whelan told Jet that he was attempting to find his way to fit in with the group, and he noticed that Jet seems more anxious than usual. Jet immediately brushes him off. "You're still new," she reminds him. "You don't get to make those calls about me." 

"If you want me to be a part of this team, you'll have to let me in at some point," Whelan replies. But Jet doubts that sentiment, and when Whelan tries to call her out again, their conversation was interrupted. Whelan is doing his best to fit in with his new team members, and the impenetrable Jet Slootmaekers is throwing him through a loop. How will their unlikely partnership shape out? Only time will tell. 

To see more of their dynamic unfold, watch Law & Order: Organized Crime on NBC Thursdays at 10/9c and the next day on Peacock.