Law & Order: SVU season 25 premiere details reveal why Kelli Giddish is returning as Amanda Rollins. The Mariska Hargitay-led police procedural is entering its milestone year with a delayed premiere because of the dual Hollywood strikes. Despite a much shorter run, NBC and Wolf Entertainment are making sure that they pull all the stops for the series, starting with the Law & Order: SVU season 25 premiere, airing on January 18.
As previously confirmed, Giddish will reprise her role as Rollins in the Law & Order: SVU season 25 premiere. Unlike her return in the latest crossover finale with Law & Order: Organized Crime, her return comes in much better circumstances per TV Line’s official synopsis from NBC. Read the full brief below:
Can Kelli Giddish’s Amanda Rollins Return Full Time In Law & Order: SVU?
After more than a decade on the NBC police procedural, Giddish wrapped up her full-time stint at the Manhattan SVU in December 2022. Her exit came unexpectedly, causing scrutiny. Neither Wolf Entertainment nor NBC has provided an official reason for her departure, and it doesn’t seem like Giddish decided to leave. There were rumors that she was forced out of Law & Order: SVU, but no concrete indication that it was the case. Nonetheless, the issue has been drowned out by the fact that she continues to return.
In light of her upcoming Law & Order: SVU season 25 appearance, it’s curious if her regular visits can turn into her reclaiming her series regular role in the police procedural. The long-running series is not new to rotating cast members, with only Hargitay and Ice-T appearing in all of its seasons. That being said, Manhattan’s SVU has been undermanned for quite a while now. Molly Burnett’s departure in Law & Order: SVU’s latest crossover finale with Law & Order: Organized Crime makes this issue worse and increases the chances of Giddish just returning.Law & Order: SVU, much like many ensemble series, thrives on its cast chemistry. It took a while for the show to find Rollins’ identity, but once it did, she immediately became a fan favorite. There’s really nothing stopping Giddish from coming back, and considering the show’s current status, it’s best to just reinstate her as a regular cast member.