Rollins’ Law & Order Spinoff Rumor Is The Best Way To Make Up For Kelli Giddish’s Ugly Exit

The best way Law & Order: SVU can make up for the terrible way it wrote Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) out is to make a rumored spinoff a reality. From seasons 13 to 24, Rollins was a central character who appeared in several of Law & Order: SVU’s creepiest episodes, including helping find Benson after Benson was kidnapped by a psychopath. She was a complicated character who had a gambling addiction issue, an unstable sister, and a history that included surviving rape in Atlanta. Her issues made her a relatable and popular character.

Despite her popularity, the series chose to write Rollins out in the middle of season 24. Co-star Mariska Hargitay was unable to stop Rollins’ exit from Law & Order: SVU, and the matter was made worse by the ridiculous exit Rollins got. She supposedly left the Special Victims Unit to pursue the opportunity to teach forensics to college students even though she had never expressed an interest in teaching, and her decision seemed unconnected to having gotten shot earlier in the season. However, SVU season 26 plans for her character could lead to a Rollins-centered spinoff.

Kelli Giddish’s Amanda Rollins Intelligence Unit Position Explained

Rollins will not be part of Benson’s Law & Order: SVU season 26 team. However, she will consult with her periodically while working for the Intelligence Unit. This is an NYPD unit that has not been seen before in the Law & Order franchise. The real Intelligence Unit focuses mostly on counter-terrorism, often working with the FBI, NSA, and other federal agencies to stop terrorists from succeeding in plots to attack innocent people living and working in New York. In both real life and SVU, the job involves travel as well as coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies.

This position will hopefully be more fulfilling for Rollins than her ill-suited teaching job. It also will give her a reason to visit Law & Order: SVU or other shows in the shared One Chicago universe periodically, as her work relates to every police show currently produced by Wolf Entertainment. She will appear on SVU on a recurring basis, working with Benson on cases where her unit’s interests overlap with what the Special Victims Unit is investigating.

A New Law & Order Spinoff Led By Amanda Rollins Makes Her SVU Exit Worth It

Rollins’ story since her exit has been one of a character in search of a purpose. She wasn’t happy teaching, and in her last guest appearance in season 25, she had quit that job and tagged along with Benson on an SVU case. Although Benson refused to rehire her unless Rollins was sure she wanted to stay with the Special Victims Unit long-term, it seemed like a set-up for her season 26 return and thus it seemed like more poor writing for Rollins to be given a different job and continued recurring appearances in the new season.

There would be no spinoff if Rollins were still with SVU , so her absence would seem like a necessary evil for her to transition into her own series.

However, if Rollins leads a new spinoff about the Intelligence Unit, that would make her exit from Law & Order: SVU worth it. Instead of the character bouncing from job to job when she could have easily rejoined the Special Victims Unit, Rollins’ decision to change careers would make sense. There would be no spinoff if Rollins were still with SVU, so her absence would seem like a necessary evil for her to transition into her own series. Additionally, she would be on-screen regularly, which would take the sting out of her absence from her parent series.

How Rollins’ Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Return Sets Up Giddish’s Spinoff

Rollins will work alongside Benson in her first guest appearance in Law & Order: SVU. This episode will introduce the Intelligence Unit as well as Rollins’ new job within that department. This episode could also serve as somewhat of a back-door pilot for a Rollins-centered spinoff, as it may introduce characters Rollins works with along with her new role. Additionally, the episode could touch upon how Rollins’ new job is affecting her marriage to Carisi (Peter Scanavino), who may be at home alone with the kids while Rollins is traveling for work.

All of these story threads could easily be weaved into the premise for a new spinoff of Law & Order: SVU. Rollins could still continue to visit her parent show as needed while appearing regularly on her own show, should NBC and Dick Wolf Entertainment go ahead with the proposed spinoff. This would keep that part of the audience happy that is still heartbroken by Rollins’ exit several years after she was first written out.