Kelli Giddish Previews Her Expanded Law & Order: SVU Role That Can Lead To A New Rollins Spinoff

Kelly Giddish teases what to expect from Amanda Rollins’ return in Law & Order: SVU and whether it will lead to a brand-new spinoff spearheaded by her. Since leaving the Wolf Entertainment franchise in Law & Order: SVU season 24, Olivia Benson’s former team member has returned to the long-running police procedural several times. Giddish’s unexpected departure continues to be a controversial topic among viewers as the reason behind it remains unclear.

This time, however, when Rollins returns in Law & Order: SVU season 26, there will be some changes to her role, as she takes on a fresh job at the NYPD, as Giddish herself previews for TV Insider. In her new interview, she explains that Giddish’s role in the so-called Intelligence Unit will see her teaming back up with Benson’s Manhattan SVU. When asked if this is setting up a new Law & Order spinoff, Giddish was coy, saying: “Do you want it to be?” Read her full quote below:

Rollins gets to come back within her capacity at the NYPD Intelligence Unit, a new division for her which has been very titillating for me to learn about, to aid Benson and company and their cases at SVU. There will be a handful of episodes with her, and I think the spacing of the episodes will work perfectly with audiences not getting sick of too much Rollins.

Rollins and her new partner are investigating a crew of crime tourists, which are bad guys that fly into towns and cities, do a lot of damage, and are back on a plane within 48 hours. It’s something I’d never heard of but the showrunner, David Graziano, told me about. I found it a very interesting case to work on.

Why Giddish’s Return As Rollins In Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Is Exciting

The new branch of NYPD that will be introduced in Law & Order: SVU season 26 will see Rollins team up with a new partner — John Clarence Stewart’s Detective Vince Corgan. Together, they will down mobile suspects that get in and out of a city to commit their crimes in under 48 hours. Not much is known about New York’s Intelligence Unit and even Giddish admits that she didn’t know that this existed until she was informed about it. This new branch may set up a spinoff with Rollins and would see the fan-favorite character leading her own show.

It’s no secret that there have been rumors about why exactly she left Law & Order: SVU abruptly, but while it’s still uncertain why exactly she left, it may not have been Giddish’s decision to leave.

That said, giving Rollins an official NYPD position again instead of bringing her back every so often for some assistance is a great step for the character. It’s no secret that there have been rumors about why exactly she left Law & Order: SVU abruptly, but while it’s still uncertain why exactly she left, it may not have been Giddish’s decision to leave. Luckily, despite whatever went down behind the scenes, she could still return and step back into the shoes of Rollins.

Our Take On A Possible Rollins-Led Law & Order Spinoff

As a long-time viewer of Law & Order: SVU, I was a fan of Rollins. After spending years with Benson being the only female detective on the team, it was great to see Giddish come in. NBC and Wolf Entertainment did a great job fleshing out her character, so it was so disappointing to see her leave. The fact that her husband, Sonny Carisi remains Benson’s main ADA makes this worse.

That said, if getting her own Law & Order spinoff is the trade-off for her abrupt departure from the Manhattan SVU, then I am all for it. For what it’s worth, the premise of New York’s Intelligence Unit sounds interesting and different enough from everything else happening in Dick Wolf’s TV franchise. Hopefully, Law & Order: SVU season 26 provides more insight into how it runs.