Law & Order: SVU Season 26 marks the return of a fan-favorite character. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kelli Giddish details Amanda Rollins’ return to the NYPD after leaving in Season 22. In the canon of the series, Rollins departs Olivia Bensons’ (Mariska Hargitay) sex crimes unit in favor of a professor position at Fordham University. But now she has returned to law enforcement in a different capacity. Giddish explores her character’s new role as part of the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit and what her character is up to this season.
“It’s about crime tourists, which I had never even heard of. But it’s a real thing where people come into a town, they do their crimes, they rob, and then they’re on a plane 48 hours later. I was like, ‘that sounds really smart.’ So you have to be even smarter than them to catch them, which is, of course, alluring to me.”
Rollins hasn’t returned to SVU as a full-fledged cast member, but Giddish was more than happy to reprise her role. The actor portrayed the former detective for 12 years before she was dismissed in Season 22. Not much has changed since then, as Giddish reports that it’s hard to say no when the production invites her back. The set is still familiar, and the chemistry with everyone on set is undeniable. Giddish also promises that this turn for her character won’t be what fans expect.
Giddish’s Role on ‘SVU’ Will Differ From Previous Appearances
In a series that has been on the air for more than two decades, there needs to be a way to keep audiences engaged. Giddish may be a familiar face to die-hard fans, but she promises that her role will be different from what they expect in Season 26. No longer a detective specifically investigating sex crimes, she has a different perspective.
“Rollins is now a sergeant in a totally different division. I get to play up her curiosity and her desire to catch the bad guy, but in a totally different way, because now it’s not just rapists that she’s going after. It seemed like a natural progression for her,” GIddish continues.
The actor doesn’t get too specific about how many episodes fans can expect to see her in, but it is confirmed to be more than one. Rollins will have a few more appearances, adding a fresh angle to the tried and true series. Viewers can catch new episodes of Law & Order: SVU Thursdays on NBC at 9 pm and streaming on Peacock the next day.
