Even though it’s a show about crime and the folks tasked with bringing criminals to justice, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” — the dominant title in the “Law & Order” franchise — has never tried to hide its romantic side. Over the years, it has seen fan-favorite characters fall in and out of love, with one of the most notable pairings being Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Dominick “Sonny” Carisi (Peter Scanavino). Though it took quite a while for them to finally strike up a genuine relationship, once it finally happened, it was a watershed moment for “SVU.” In Scanavino’s mind, it couldn’t have been more earned.
During a chat with TVLine, Scanavino recalled the day he learned that Rollins and Carisi would finally get together, saying with a laugh, “I remember reading the script, and then, at the end, it was ‘Rollins kisses Carisi,’ and I was like, ‘What?! Oh my God!'” He immediately got ahold of Giddish to tell her about the scene, admitting that it was a bit strange to handle at first since they’re such good friends in real life. At the same time, Scanavino feels the kiss was the proper payoff. “I like the direction that they went in. It didn’t feel forced to me. It felt very earned,” he said.
Of course, in a fandom as large as that of “Law & Order: SVU,” it’s no shock that not everyone is as satisfied with Rollins and Carisi’s story as the actors behind the iconic characters.
Fan reception is mixed toward Carisi and Rollins’ relationship
Supporters of Amanda Rollins and Sonny Carisi’s relationship are out there, and they’re certainly vocal, but those who aren’t fans of their pairing haven’t kept quiet. Redditor u/ks2345678 posted a thread about the two and their long-simmering romance, and even though many are glad it has finally become a reality, others are quick to tear it down. u/hunkyfunk12 commented, “i could not care less about them. no chemistry,” with a handful of folks agreeing with that assessment. Meanwhile, u/defenestrayed thinks Rollins and Hasim Khaldun (Ari’el Stachel) would’ve been a better match based on their chemistry.
As for u/TheoTheBibliophile, in their eyes, Carisi and Rollins worked better as friends rather than romantic partners. “I guess it also feels a bit “gotta make the attractive male character and the attractive female character a couple!” to me,” they wrote. Despite all of this skepticism from fans, “Law & Order: SVU” went ahead with Carisi and Rollins’ relationship. Before Kelli Giddish bid the series farewell in 2022, the two characters even got married in a small ceremony surrounded by their New York City Police Department Special Victims Unit colleagues.
After what felt like eons of will-they, won’t-they teasing, Amanda Rollins and Sonny Carisi finally became a couple. It may not be every “Law & Order: SVU” fan’s cup of tea, but it was undeniably the right step for the two characters to take.
