Kelli Giddish on her return and what lies ahead for Rollins

[This story contains spoilers from the Oct. 17 episode of Law & Order: SVU, “Divide and Conquer.”]

Kelli Giddish is gone Law & Order: SVU in December 2022, in the middle of Season 24 on NBC — but she hasn’t made it far yet.

The actress, who played Detective Amanda Rollins on twelve seasons of the crime drama, has since reprized her role several times. And even when she’s not on screen, the character is still a part of the show’s world, as Rollins is married to ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino). In Thursday’s episode, Rollins is back with the NYPD as a sergeant in the department’s intelligence division, working on a case that intersects with the special victims unit of her longtime colleague and friend Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay).

“It’s like, ‘Okay, let’s go,'” Giddish says The Hollywood Reporter about returning to the SVU stars in Season 26. “I’ve worked with all these people for so long and it’s a character I enjoy playing. It’s an honor that they keep inviting me. It’s hard to say no when I arrive on set and the chemistry between everyone, from the A-list cameraman to Mariska, is instant.”

On the show, Rollins left SVU to take a teaching position at Fordham, but – as shown in an episode late last season – that wasn’t a great fit and she left that position too. Thursday’s episode will be the first of several appearances SVU for Giddish in the upcoming season, and she spoke with THR last week about Rollins’ new job and the potential to continue playing the role.

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Have the producers told you how many episodes you’ll have this season?

[Showrunner] David Graziano called it a “bouquet of flowers.” I filmed the upcoming film [Thursday]and I’m filming one right now, which is very exciting because it’s a very extraordinary episode. I know people say this all the time, but it’s a wild ride. I think the audience will be really excited.

Can you tell me something about it?

[Smiles] NO.

And what was the idea behind this episode and her return to the force?

It’s about crime thrillers I’d never heard of before. But it’s a real thing when people come into a city, commit their crimes, rob, and then 48 hours later they’re on a plane. I thought, “That sounds really smart.” So you have to be even smarter than them to catch them, which is obviously tempting to me. Rollins is now a sergeant in a completely different department. I can express her curiosity and desire to catch the bad guy, but in a completely different way, because now it’s not just rapists she’s chasing. For her, it seemed like a natural progression.

How does Rollins feel about this new job? What does she get out of it that she might have missed if she wasn’t with the police?

When she taught, she taught the tools people should use to catch the bad guys. She missed just being the one to catch the bad guys, following her instincts and gut feelings and using all her experiences and everything to watch over someone and see what their next move will be. That kind of unique curiosity is something I’ve always loved about Rollins – it may have gotten her into some not-good situations in the past, but I think it’s being put to good use now that she’s a bit more mature.

But it’s also different because their approach is different. You can see that in this episode. With Benson, they divide and conquer, so to speak. Both show up at the crime scene [the suspects] could be. Rollins’ crew pursuing her and a woman were also raped. Your goals are slightly different. Benson will go after a rapist and Rollins wants to catch the bad guys. Sometimes [those goals] may not always be in sync, and that’s really interesting to play – with Benson that’s not all.

Seeing Rollins in her new job and knowing you’ll be appearing in multiple episodes almost feels like preparation for another one law and order Series. Have you spoken to the folks at Wolf Entertainment about this?

Wolfslager is definitely someone I enjoyed doing business with. They know how to put on a solid, solid show. I really think so [intelligence bureau] is a great recording and a new thing that hasn’t been explored yet. Hearing the true stories of the people who are actually in these positions is the most interesting thing I’ve heard in a long time. My interest is piqued.

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Law & Order: SVU Season 26 airs episodes every Thursday night at 9 p.m. on NBC, followed by Fridays on Peacock.