5 reasons there needs to be a Law and Order spinoff about Amanda Rollins and the Intelligence Unit

Law & Order: SVU just had the return of Amanda Rollins, and there’s a good reason we need her to have her own spinoff!

Law & Order: SVU fans were rocked when it was announced that Kelli Giddish was leaving the show in 2022. Her Amanda Rollins character had been a key part of the series since Season 12, established as a top fan favorite. She got a sendoff with Rollins marrying Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and getting a new job as a college professor.

It was indicated it wasn’t Giddish’s idea to leave the series and she was basically pushed out. That was a disappointment, although Rollins did return later in the season, revealing she was now pregnant with her third child and first with Craisi. Season 25 had Rollins giving birth and later revealing she’d quit her college job as she missed being a cop.

The latest episode showed Rollins was now promoted to Sergeant and heading up an Intelligence Unit for the NYPD. She and her partner, Detective Vince Corgan (John Vincent Stewart), were hunting a pack of “crime tourists” who flew to New York, pulled some robberies, and then flew back overseas. 

When the crooks assaulted a couple, Rollins and the SVU squad worked together. There was tension between Rollins and Benson as Rollins was concentrating on catching the thieves while Benson wanted to help their victim. In the end, they managed to come together to bust the crooks, and it ended with Rollins and Benson being happy to be working together again.

It was great to see Rollins back, and Giddish talked to People Magazine about whether this could mean a new spinoff series is possible. 

"If enough people talk about it, let's see! I mean, I love this character. I love being on this show and in this world and in the universe that Dick and company have created. So, gosh, if that came my way, I'd be thrilled."

So Giddish seems up for it, and fans might like it as well, so here are a few reasons why Law & Order: Intelligence Unit should get a green light!

The Intelligence Unit has great potential

Fans of Chicago PD know an Intelligence Unit is a solid place for drama. In this case, New York gets far more international traffic than Chicago so this unit would have more to do.

There’s great potential in them tracking anything from New York mobs to international crooks and expanding on what we saw in this episode. This may play on the same material as Organized Crime, yet with a unique spin of a wider range of investigations and a fun supporting cast, it can make for a compelling show. 

Seeing Rollins as the boss would be terrific

Rollins has been through so much on SVU, from a gambling problem to being shot and the trauma of that. She seems in a better place out of SVU and leading her own squad. We’re used to her answering to someone else, seeing her the one barking orders can be terrific.

Rollins has leadership qualities that have barely been scratched and Giddish deserves more of a spotlight. It’d be terrific to see her in control of a squad of cops to provide the Law & Order universe with another fun entry. 

Getting away from the other Law and Order shows can be good

The SVU influence has been clear on the rest of the Law & Order franchise, with the revived mothership taking on cases that might be better for the unit (and Benson even co-starring) while also juggling personal issues with the cops. This can be different as we can get back to a Law & Order spin-off with self-contained episodes.

It doesn’t have to be the longer arcs of Organized Crime or subplots like SVU lately. It can be a regular procedural and thus draw in more viewers. We can get character beats, yet the series can stand on its own, so you don’t have to be following every episode to get the feel for this. 

It’s the best way to introduce a fresh squad

The Law & Order series always revolves around the same key characters and the main focus is on Benson or Stabler. An Intelligence Unit series can spread it around and put spotlights on other characters rather than just Rollins running things. We can get a nice variety from younger officers to veterans, maybe someone thinking they should have the top spot but Rollins earning their respect.

Maybe it can even have an idea of rotating some detectives in and out to keep it fresh. Either way, it’s a great opportunity for a fresher Law & Order cast to fire up the franchise. 

We can get Carisi/Rollins at home

We’ve had bits of Carisi and Rollins at home together over the years, but they’re brief. It would be good to see Amanda balance motherhood, a tough job, and yet supporting her husband. Carisi could pop in smaller doses to discuss a case and help his wife at times, but the show would be smart to keep him mostly away so there’s no conflict of interest.

That can also lead to a nice dramatic turn as the pair know they have to keep their professional lives separate when they’re home. It’d also be nice to see Rollins embracing her family more as an escape from her tough career and deserves some happiness.

This may all be for moot and speculation as there’s no indication NBC would be serious about an Intelligence Unit spin-off. However, it’s fun to think about it, and it is possible that Amanda Rollins will have another top Law & Order role to expand the franchise majorly!

Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.