Law & Order has been a staple on NBC for decades now. The show is one of the pioneers of the court and legal procedural drama genre we see populating broadcast channel lineups currently. One of the original spin-offs, Special Victims Unit (SVU), has gained equal notoriety, as it comes up on its 27th season. Covering cases largely around sexual assaults and abuse, SVU is an emotional and dark look at the depravity of man.
Two of the main faces for the show have been around for almost the entire length of the series. Mariska Hargitay, playing the role of Captain Olivia Benson, and Tracy Lauren Marrow (aka Ice-T), playing the role of Detective Odafin Tutuola, have become synonymous with SVU. They have seen characters come and go, whether as special guests or recurring roles.
For Ice-T, though, it appears one change was especially shocking to him. Kelli Giddish, who plays Detective Amanda Rollins, left the show as a regular in 2022, surprising everyone. For fans of the show, though, there is some exciting news, as Giddish will be returning as a regular. So what does the cast have to say?
It is clear that both Ice-T and Hargitay built a strong relationship with Giddish throughout her time on the show. Ice-T had an especially close relationship there, given that they were portrayed not only as partners on the squad during the show, but also as friends off of it. Being shocked by her role departing the show in 2022, he is equally thrilled now at her return.
"Kelli is dope. Me and her were teammates and partners,” Ice-T told TVLine. “I fell in love with Kelli as a person. She’s just a sweetheart.” At the end of 2022, however, Giddish's character abruptly departed the show, and he was not a fan. “No one really expected her to leave the show. We got blindsided by that."
Ice-T gave credit to those he believes are responsible for her return for Season 27, and it is not her former cast mates. According to him, "The fans said they wanted to see Kelli back, so she's coming back." That speaks to the power viewers' voices can have in impacting their favorite show. We have seen this in the past with entire show cancellations being reversed as well.
Mariska Hargitay is thrilled for Giddish and for the SVU cast
Mariska Hargitay already spoke out about Giddish's return, and was also among the most vocal when she was originally cut from the show.
“She is a formidable actress and an incredibly creative partner, and has been such a joy and huge part of the fabric of SVU. I love her, and I love acting with her and co-creating with her, and it feels like home with her. So I am ecstatic about her return," she said.
At the time in 2022, though, Hargitay was very upset by the decision. In 2024, she spoke out in an interview with Variety. “Kelli is my favorite actor to work with. Kelli is my heart. It’s a sore subject. I have a lot of say on the show… but I didn’t have enough there."
She added, “I don’t like not being listened to, especially when I’m right… That relationship was one of the most powerful relationships in television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so there for each other.”
It appears a wrong is finally being rectified, as Giddish is shifting from the guest appearance roles she has had the last two seasons, back into a full-time recurring character role for Season 27. The full gang isn't quite returning, though. Octavio Pisano and Juliana Aidén Martinez are both departing their roles as Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva. SVU will also have a new showrunner, Michele Fazekas.
Catch season 27 of Law & Order: SVU on NBC and Peacock in the Fall lineup, although an exact date has yet to be determined.