Peter Scanavino teases what's next for Carisi on Law and Order: SVU after that traumatic fall finale

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the Law and Order: SVU fall finale and discusses the rape that occurred in the episode.

Law and Order: SVU season 26's fall finale, "Cornered," was a tough one for Carisi and an excellent showcase for Peter Scanavino. The hour saw him delivering the ADA's trademark charm before he was thrown into a hostage situation that tested his patience, nerves, and spirit. By the end, it was his continuous talking to Deonte, one of the robbers, that led to the most violent offender, Boyd, being stopped.

Carisi along with the two women being held hostage made it out alive but the deli cashier, Ali, was shot and killed. And one of the women, Tess, had been raped by Boyd. At the end of the episode, Carisi said he was fine but it was obvious that he wasn't. While no one would expect him to be, the trauma he experienced isn't going to be something he just shakes off. The procedural will be delving more into it when the show returns in 2025.

In an interview with TV Insider, Scanavino spoke to how the events that transpired will affect Carisi and his relationships in the coming episodes. He shared the following:

"Well, [the events] definitely ripple throughout the season. I think in the following episode there’s definitely a different Carisi that emerges, almost like a slight detachment as he’s trying to process this and the unexpected emotional toll that it’s kind of taken on him."

The emotional toll Scanavino is referring to has to do with Ali and Tess. Carisi knew the deli cashier. They were friendly. He'd done what he could to save his life after he was shot for picking up the landline the police were calling on. Ali had been shot in the abdomen, and Carisi had to move him twice. Once to the walk-in freezer and then back onto the main floor of the deli. Though he kept pressure on the wound, the stress of movement on top of them having no way to stop the bleeding resulted in Ali passing away before they could get help.

Then, in Tess's situation, from the moment he clocked Boyd's preoccupation with her, Carisi tried to de-escalate what was happening. He attempted to keep the robbers attention on him and the two ladies safe but, eventually, Boyd grew tired of all the waiting around as he and Deonte tried to figure out their next steps. He took Tess back to the walk-in freezer when he found out she had a small phone in her pocket.

With guns drawn on him there wasn't anything Carisi could do without getting himself shot or killed. He tried to convince Deonte to intervene but he wouldn't. By the time Boyd returned, with Tess still back in the freezer, it was clear what had happened. The guilt of Ali's death and Tess' assault would weigh heavily on him, especially if he's not willing to open up about it even if it's not with a therapist like Benson suggested in "Cornered."

Since the SVU cast have only filmed a couple of episodes since the fall finale, Scanavino wasn't able to talk much about what's ahead for Carisi. He shared that it's going to be painful for Rollins to see him struggling over this trauma and not knowing how to help and that there will be tension between him and Benson as the ADA processes and changes because of these events. Here's what he said about the shifting dynamic between his character and the captain.

"Well, they’re obviously very good friends and you try to help in any way you can. And sometimes that requires maybe tough love or to speak plainly and frankly with somebody, you know what I mean? Some people need to be encouraged and spoken to very sweetly, and sometimes people need to have a conversation so they can snap out of it. And I think Benson definitely has that kind of permission with Carisi."

We're in for a good scene between Scanavino and Mariska Hargitay judging by his statement. It's likely this coming talk will happen during a case as the actor said that Carisi will be working more with the SVU in the next episodes and "not [in] the traditional courtroom ADA role."

Stay tuned to Americans Undercover for Law and Order franchise coverage. SVU returns Thursday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Next day streaming is available 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.