Kelli Giddish has given fans a tantalising sneak peek at what to expect when Amanda Rollins finally returns to Law and Order: SVU.
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’s Amanda Rollins (played by Kelli Giddish) will be in a very different place when she returns to the hit crime drama.
The senior detective sadly left as a main cast member midway through the NBC show’s 24th season in 2022.
However, Rollins’ departure was met with a furious backlash from long-running fans who have continued to demand her return.
Since her exit, actress Kelli has returned to guest star in a handful of episodes but Rollins has been struggling to find her footing after leaving her job and marrying Dominic Carisi (Peter Scanavino).
Viewers can rejoice, though, as it won’t take long for Kelli to make her long-awaited comeback and reveal her exciting new career.
She’ll be appearing as Rollins in an episode airing on October 24, just a few weeks after the show’s October 3 season premiere.
“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,” Kelli teased to TVInsider.
“Rollins loves her new job. She says it’s like getting to eavesdrop on the whole world.
“And I feel like she’s really happy, and it’s fun to play that version of Rollins.”
After being unemployed for a stint, Rollins will have found a new lease on life as a newly-promoted sergeant for the New York Police Department’s Intelligence Unit.
Showrunner David Graziona revealed this unit “is very different from the Intelligence Unit anywhere else” to TVLine earlier this month, “because the Intelligence Unit in New York has cops stationed in almost every country in the world.”
Fans will also get to know her new partner, portrayed by Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star John Clarence Stewart.
John will portray another Intelligence Unit detective, Vince Corgan.
When Kelli and her new co-star first met each other on set she was pleasantly surprised to discover they had remarkably similar upbringings.
“I didn’t know him before this, so I looked him up and I was happy to see that we were born in the same exact town in Georgia,” she shared.
“It was fun to play and find a new chemistry with a new partner after all the years of being with the SVU crew.
“And it’s so weird to hear ‘Sergeant’ Rollins this time around, and to wear a different badge. I have to say I didn’t mind it!”
SVU devotees are still demanding Kelli come back for a more permanent position, so could her return in season 26 pave the way for more appearances down the line?
