Carisi’s Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Obsession Highlights The Toll Rollins’ Absence Is Taking

Carisi’s obsession with the pedophile who previously bothered Jessie in Law & Order: SVU season 26, episode 7, “Tenfold,” highlights how difficult Rollins’ absence is for him. Carisi and Rollins’ marriage occurs in one of Law & Order: SVU’s saddest episodes, and it’s also the last episode Rollins appears in as a regular cast member. In Law & Order: SVU season 26, Rollins appears on a recurring basis and is traveling a lot because of her new job with the Intelligence Unit.

During “Tenfold,” Carisi investigates the man he previously confronted about staring at his nine-year-old stepdaughter and discovers he works in an elementary school. He then becomes determined to get this guy away from innocent children to the point where it interferes with his work. He even asks Benson if another case she asks for help with is a distraction, demonstrating that he is obsessed with this man. This doesn’t bode well for his future during Law & Order: SVU season 26, and it likely stems from his personal life.

Law & Order: SVU Season 26, Episode 7 Shows Carisi Struggling To Parent On His Own

Carisi is parenting three kids by himself because Rollins is out of town so much, and this is what triggers his obsessive behavior in “Tenfold.” The previous incident occurs while he’s taking Jessie to get a phone so she can stay in touch with Rollins in her absence, and his obsession this time takes place as he’s the only parent at home again. This leaves Carisi with only Benson to turn to for help with this pedophile situation, which Benson acknowledges when she tells him that she knows being a “new father” is why he is so concerned.

Rollins’ absence not only means that Carisi feels alone in his struggle to protect his kids from predators like the one he confronted, but she is not there to bounce ideas off of or to balance him out. Thus, Carisi is navigating the world of parenting by himself and is desperate to ensure that his kids are safe and happy. This leads him to fixate on this one pedophile that he knows is dangerous, almost at the expense of his job.

What Carisi’s Issue Means For His and Rollins’ Future

Carisi’s problem in episode 7 suggests that Rollins’ frequent travel could become a long-term problem. Law & Order: SVU’s Kelli Giddish recently described the relationship to Screen Rant as “a stable, happy relationship.” However, that could change if Carisi continues to obsess over keeping the kids safe and his mental health suffers as a result. Thus, the couple will have to make a decision about how to handle this issue in the future.

A future episode of Law & Order: SVU needs to feature the couple addressing this problem and figuring out how to move forward.

Rollins staying in New York full-time is likely not an option because she finally feels fulfilled in her new job and would resent Carisi if she gave that up. However, a future episode of Law & Order: SVU needs to feature the couple addressing this problem and figuring out how to move forward so that both Rollins and Carisi’s needs are met. Additionally, if NBC orders a spinoff featuring Rollins and Carisi, this problem could be a recurring issue that they deal with over the course of the spinoff’s first season.