Law & Order: Special Victims Unit needs a better way to bring Amanda Rollins back when she shows up!
Fans of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit weren't happy at the news of Kelli Giddish leaving the show in 2022. It was painted as just a writer's decision, but the actress would be open on how she didn't want to leave at all and felt pushed out.
Rollins was written out by marrying partner Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and having a child (her third). She also landed a stint as a criminal professor at a local college. Thankfully, Giddish appeared to mend fences with the producers, so Rollins made a few more appearances.
That would include helping on a case with Benson (Mariska Hargitay), who was able to tell Rollins missed being a cop. A later appearance confirmed Rollins had quit the professor job and wanted to rejoin the NYPD, although not in SVU.
Recently, Rollins got a nice spotlight as she's been promoted to lead a special intelligence unit inside the NYPD. That looked to be a great spotlight for the character and a much-deserved push to a prominent role. Sadly, since then, Rollins's appearances on SVU haven't been what fans would want.
Rollins is just a supporting figure for Carisi in Law & Order: SVU
Rollins's biggest appearance on SVU in season 26 was in the episode "Cornered." Carisi’s simple trip to a deli had him caught in a hostage situation by two robbers, one of whom assaulted a female worker. Rollins was on the outside with Benson, naturally frantic over Carisi's fate.
Carisi survived, although he was deeply affected by the experience. Rollins has popped up to help him through it. She got more time in "Accomplice Liability" when Carisi had to testify in the trial of the surviving perp. That included her crying on the stand about how it felt to have her husband in danger.
While it showed Giddish's great acting chops, the episode also showed that Rollins has basically been turned into a cliche supporting wife character, not the top cop fans want. Yes, it's great to see the bond of Carisi and Rollins, how close they are and how Rollins is there to help her husband.
But it also reduces this once complex and well-written character to a role that doesn't let her shine as she should. Rollins should be getting more focus on leading her own unit, stepping up as a strong commander after being in Benson's shadow. They should now be a good partnership of equals rather than Rollins needing Benson's advice on her family life.
We've barely seen Rollins actually leading the intelligence unit in her appearances. There is potential there in how she investigates a broader range of crimes and what happens when her case interferes with an SVU one. She's dedicated to her job and shouldn't back down to Benson just because of their mutual respect.
It's baffling the writers have given Rollins this new job, new authority and pushing her up the ranks then reduce her to these brief appearances not even doing that job. Rollins deserved more attention than that and it seems to be a waste of her skills and talents to only have her helping her husband.
Giddish remains great in the role, and the marriage with Carisi is a much-needed heartwarming dose in a dark show. But if the producers are going to bring her back, it should be a bigger deal. It should be Rollins leading her unit and aiding in cases, not just supportive of her husband. After all, she's been through, Rollins has earned being more of a strong character than just being there for her husband, and the Law & Order: SVU writers should recognize that.
Law & Order: SVU season 26 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
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