WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the Law and Order: SVU fall finale including a brief mention of the rape that occurred in the episode.
As teased ahead of Law and Order: SVU season 26's debut, we've been getting our fix of Amanda Rollins on the procedural. She's now a sergeant working in the Intelligence Unit, and we've gotten to see glimpses of how she operates in the role. Of course, we'd love to see more so it's great that we can expect to see Rollins pop-up in the back half of the season.
Rollins is coming down from quite the ordeal thanks to the fall finale, "Cornered." The episode saw her husband, ADA Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, held hostage along with two other patrons of the deli he frequents and the cashier, Ali. There wasn't much she could do in the situation but wait and hope that it wouldn't escalate out of the police's control.
Unfortunately, it did. Ali was shot and killed during the incident and a woman named Tess was raped. While Carisi made it out unscathed, emotionally he wasn't doing well. He kept saying that he was fine but Rollins knew that he wasn't and that's going to be a central part of his story moving forward.
Law and Order: SVU isn't going to be sweeping the aftermath of this situation under the rug, it will be dealt with onscreen, and presumably Rollins will be a part of it. In an interview with TV Insider, Peter Scanavino couldn't speak to how Carisi's trauma would impact his marriage, but he did share the following:
"I think when these things happen, it’s stressful for everybody involved because you don’t know what to do for the person sometimes, and that can be—frustrating is the wrong word, but painful for a loved one to see, another loved one going through something and you don’t know how to help."
At the time of the interview, Scanavino hadn't filmed with Kelli Giddish since "Cornered," however he did touch on the two episodes he had filmed so far. Both deal with Carisi's processing of what happened and the changes it brings to his attitude. Expect a dust-up between him and Benson in the near future. But it would be hard to believe that Carisi would go through this arc without his wife, so we anticipate a scene or two for the couple at some point next year.
Hopefully, though in this "bouquet" of appearances--as showrunner David Graziano referred to it, meaning more than 2-3--we get to tag along with Rollins as she works a case and we see more of what she does with the IU. The episodes she's been featured in so far have been tasters, we're waiting for a whole meal.
Stay tuned to Americans Undercover for Law and Order franchise coverage. The flagship and SVU return with new episodes on Jan. 16. Need to catch up? Stream the series on Peacock. Follow us on X for livetweet threads and more content.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.