Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Development Confirms That Chris Meloni’s Elliot Stabler Isn’t Its Biggest Character Exit

Elliot Stabler’s departure in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 12 was one of the most shocking character exits in the Law & Order spinoff. However, the latest Law & Order: SVU season 27 development proves there was a bigger exit than his. The legal crime drama has seen many characters come and go, but Amanda Rollins’ return in season 27 proves her exit was the biggest of them all.

Law & Order: SVU season 27 will follow the storylines set up in the previous season, with one major difference. Rollins will be back working side by side with Benson and Carisi again after leaving the team in Law & Order: SVU season 24. While Stabler’s exit has long been considered one of the worst character exits in Law & Order: SVU history due to the changes it brought to the show, Rollins’ quick return is changing the statistics.

How Christopher Meloni’s Law & Order: SVU Exit As Elliot Stabler Changed The Show

Stabler’s Exit Caused A Tone Shift

Stabler’s departure was shocking because he was Olivia Benson’s partner and friend for so long, plus he’d been on the show since season 1. As a result of his exit, he created changes in Law & Order: SVU that started a domino effect starting in season 13. When Stabler was placed on administrative leave in season 12, it was expected he would return the following season. However, when he didn’t, the team had to hire new people to take Stabler’s place, which introduced Nick Amaro and Rollins to the team.

As a result of Stabler’s departure and the new team members, the entire team dynamic changed in season 13. The show continued an impressive streak of solving difficult cases and featuring fascinating characters, but it was noticeably different. Besides the changing dynamic, there was also a tone shift in the seasons following Stabler’s exit. Law & Order: SVU seasons 1 through 12 are notably dark and gritty, and while Law & Order: SVU remained grim for the years to come, it had a slight tonal change that could only be noticed when compared to its earlier seasons.

Kelli Giddish’s Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Return Means That Amanda Rollins’ Exit Is Bigger Than Stabler’s

The Team Wanted Rollins To Come Back

While Stabler’s exit was massive, it was not as big as Rollins’, as the team worked hard to get the characters back. When Stabler left, he was really gone. He was referenced a few times over the years, but he did not make an appearance until Law & Order: SVU season 22, a full 10 years after he initially left. While his exit impacted the show, the aftermath of his character’s departure was not enough to bring him back. Rollins’ exit was completely different.

Amanda Rollins’ exit from Law & Order: SVU was a mistake because she continued to be a major part of the show. She married Carisi back in season 24, shortly before leaving the team. She also appeared sporadically as a guest star in the seasons following her exit. Rollins’ proximity to the SVU team means she should never have left in the first place. The Law & Order: SVU team has fought hard to get her back on a permanent basis, whereas, with Stabler, they just let him leave and did not fight for his return.

Why Losing Rollins Is More Detrimental To Law & Order: SVU Than Not Having Stabler

Rollins Brought A Unique Dynamic To The Team

Rollins is a Sergeant, but more than that, she’s become a family member. She is literally married to Carisi, but she is also close with the rest of her team, making her absence a major loss. Beyond that, her exit is detrimental to Law & Order: SVU because she is one of the show’s best detectives and profilers. She adds so much to the team that bringing her back will finally make the show feel like itself again.

While Stabler was also an excellent detective and brought his own skills to the team, he was always just a partner. Rather than feeling like a family member, the lack of closeness between him and the rest of the team made them all feel more like colleagues. His exit made it seem like officers leaving was part of the job, whereas Rollins’ Law & Order: Special Victims Unit exit felt like losing a family member.