Believe it or not, NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been gracing the airwaves for the last century. The iconic crime-fighting procedural now boasts over 25 seasons and nearly 600 episodes of edge-of-your-seat thrills. Its 26-year run has had its difficulties, and many beloved characters have come and gone. Fortunately, Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) has held a steady spot in the team for over 12 seasons. Unfortunately, the brilliant SVU asset hasn’t had her fair share of screen-time lately. Admittedly, there’s a good reason. Rollins retired in Season 24.

She has since got and vacated a position as Fordham University’s adjunct professor of Criminal Behavior. In Season 25, she was little more than a literal guest on the show. However, she has since been bumped up to a series regular for the 2024–2025 run. It’s a solid win for fans of her character, but it hasn’t exactly paid off. Despite her more active role in the show, Rollins has spent most of her time out of the spotlight. Some of that is thanks to her newfound job as a lieutenant for the Intelligence Unit. Still, that doesn’t excuse the show’s apparent indifference towards such a crucial character.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s Amanda Rollins Problem

Amanda Rollins has expressed interest in reality television, including explicit nods to A&E’s Duck Dynasty.
One of Rollins’ past aliases, Megan Wheeler, shares a name with a character from Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Rollins is one of the few “newer” characters to have met all the original SVU team members.

It won’t take long for fans to notice Rollins’ absence in Season 26 of SVU. Even a quick glimpse at the credits reveals she appears in just five episodes. Again, this isn’t entirely unusual. She is canonically retired and no longer serves under Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Her spot on the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit reopens plenty of opportunities for run-ins with her former boss. It won’t take long for fans to notice Rollins’ absence in Season 26 of SVU.

Even a quick glimpse at the credits reveals she appears in just five episodes. Again, this isn’t entirely unusual. She is canonically retired and no longer serves under Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Her spot on the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit reopens plenty of opportunities for run-ins with her former boss. In some ways, five episodes feel like a mere pittance. Rollins was part of the SVU lineup for over a decade, and she’s enjoyed immense growth.

Her Season 24 marriage to Assistant DA Dominick Carisi (Peter Scanavino) may have complicated her professional status, but it also kept her within Benson’s reach. It’s almost baffling for such a beloved character to have such little time on-screen, especially when the show has rolled out a red carpet for her return. Now, there are some valid arguments in favor of her scant screen-time.

The show celebrated its 25th consecutive year of new content by dedicating Season 25 to tying up loose ends. So, consider things from a practical angle: Benson has been enjoying time with old friends, including Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). Each episode spans approximately 40 minutes, and that runtime must be expertly ensured every entry has a satisfactory (or, for cliffhangers, nail-biting) conclusion. Despite SVU’s ensemble cast, Benson is truly the heart and soul of the show. Arguably, there’s been little time for much else.

There are also the aforementioned canonical arguments. Rollins left Benson’s entourage in 2022. She has since spent her time enjoying a comfy domestic life with her new beau, although she (unsurprisingly) found such an existence boring. So, after her third child, she returned to law enforcement under the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit. Ultimately, that move leaves little room for the SVU team to keep ignoring Rollins. It’s certainly an acceptable explanation, but it’s only so far the team can stretch the “working under a different boss” angle before it breaks.

Alas, Rollins would remain a forgotten face in the SVU lineup. She made only brief appearances in early Season 26. Here, she gives a case briefing. There, she pops up at the scene of a crime. They’re nods and winks, but they’re rarely substantial roles. It all led audiences to fear Rollins had been handed the same fate as Benson’s ambiguously extant child, Noah.

How Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Is Giving Rollins a Chance to Shine

Before playing Amanda Rollins, Giddish appeared in minor roles on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Giddish’s earliest credits, including one recurring role, were on the long-running soap opera All My Children.
Kelli Giddish credits a trip to Atlanta’s Fox Theater with her paternal grandfather for her interest in acting.

Fortunately, the season’s 20th episode, “Shock Collar,” puts Rollins back in the driver’s seat. After standing back for far too long, the brilliant investigator helps the SVU team investigate a young girl’s disappearance. As always, she uses her life experiences and intelligence to help bring a gang of criminals to justice. She quickly deduces that the dogs barking in the abduction video are likely from a backyard breeder. This revelation quickly leads the cops to their target.

More importantly, Rollins’ status as a fierce mother only deepens her commitment to the seemingly impossible case. Thus, Rollins’ oft-hidden former life as a “humble Georgia farmgirl” once again keeps her a step ahead of the villains. In some ways, the oh-so-satisfying closing feels a little too good to be true. It might seem as if this is Rollins’ last case with the SVU team. It wouldn’t be the first time a show has ended a character’s stay by drawing a circular character arc. It also wouldn’t be the last time such a thing happens, either.

Is Amanda Rollins Leaving Law & Order: Special Victims Unit?

Dick Wolf’s long-running procedural has earned 108 award nominations throughout its broadcast and won 59 of those titles.
Ice-T is the second-longest-serving member of the SVU team, with a tenure spanning all but one of its 26 seasons.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been scheduled at least once on every weeknight — Monday through Friday — throughout its impressive television run.

While there’s currently no way to answer the question with any certainty, it’s highly unlikely that Rollins is leaving the Law & Order franchise. Kelli Giddish may have taken a step back, but it’s hard to separate the successful actress from the NBC franchise. Thanks to Rollins’ pivotal roles in both Special Victims Unit and Organized Crime, it truly seems that death would be the character’s only true exit.

Her departure in Season 24 sent shockwaves through the fanbase. Professionally, Mariska Hargitay advocated for the continued inclusion of Kelli Giddish’s role. Fortunately for everyone, the door is still open. Her many returns are the first positive sign. She still has a strong working relationship with the franchise, and it seems there’s no bad blood flowing. So, for now, Rollins’ place on the extended team is relatively safe. Unfortunately, that won’t be true forever.

Eventually, the show must move on. Only time will tell how Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will grapple with Rollins’ voluntary reassignment. There’s no denying her impact on the show, but there’s also plenty of room for the series to continue growing without her. It wouldn’t be a popular route, but it’s still a possibility.

Fans can only hope for the best. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is still immensely popular after over a quarter of a century of broadcasting. It’s a true pop culture icon and an almost unthinkable rarity in the entertainment business. Despite its many difficulties, the show has somehow retained its leading star throughout its run. So, hopefully, Amanda Rollins will be given the same much-deserved respect.