Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans finally know when they will bid farewell to Amanda Rollins.
NBC has announced that Kelli Giddish’s final episode of the long-running series will air in December.
While there are no details on the episode, including its title, it is finally setting a definite date on how long Giddish will be on the show.
While there is the question of how the character will be written off, Rollins is set to appear on a future episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, indicating the character will get a good exit.
This comes after some controversy regarding the reasons behind Giddish’s exit as fans worry about her final fate.
Yet this definite date gives fans time to prepare to bid farewell to the popular character and her coming journey.
When does Kelli Giddish leave Law & Order: Special Victims Unit?
In August, fans were rocked by the news that Kelli Giddish would be departing Law & Order: Special Victims Unit after 12 seasons.
The actress framed the statement as it being her own decision to leave the series. However, controversy has arisen with reports that Giddish was pushed out by “higher-ups” in either NBC or Wolf Entertainment.
Co-star Ice-T confirmed the reports that the decision was made by someone higher up on the food chain while Giddish herself remains silent.
It had already been stated that Rolins would be leaving the series in Episode 9 of Season 24. NBC has now announced that the episode will air on December 8, just before the typical mid-season break for the show.
It was further revealed that Rollins would appear in a later Season 3 episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime. Giddish had been set to appear in a crossover episode in Season 2, but scheduling conflicts led to Rollins being absent.
The question now becomes how Rollins will make her exit from the series.
How will Rollins leave Law & Order: Special Victims Unit?
The Season 24 premiere was part of a big Law & Order crossover, which had a dramatic moment for Rollins. While trying to protect a witness, she was shot and nearly killed.
The latest episode had Rollins facing the trauma of the event, which included scaring her daughters by pulling a gun before them. She was also reluctant to seek therapy for his problems.
Rollins admitted she was scared of somehow ruining her relationship with Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and being happy after a rough life. However, she promised Carisi and Benson she would try to get help.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit showrunner David Graziano had spoken about how he hoped to give Rollins and Carisi “a happy ending.”
That Rollins will be appearing on Law & Order: Organized Crime means the character won’t be killed off. It may simply be Rollins deciding to quit SVU for a safer part of the NYPD and focus on her family.
The series has added Molly Burnett as Detective Grace Muncy, who appears to be groomed to take Rollins’ place.
As fans continue to wonder how Rollins makes her exit, they’ll count down the days to December 8 to finally see this long-running SVU detective solve her final case.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.