One missing storyline inLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 will make Amanda Rollins' return in season 27 more awkward.Law & Order: SVUseason 26gave Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) a full team for the first time in several years, but that team did not include Rollins (Kelli Giddish). Instead, she worked for the Intelligence Unit, which kept her off-screen for most of the season. When she did appear, it was often to support Dominick Carisi, Jr. (Peter Scanavino), who was dealing with trauma after being held hostage during a robbery.
These guest appearances did not do Rollins any justice, so it was a relief when it was announcedRollins would be rejoiningLaw & Order: SVUseason 27 full-time. The season 26 finale did not provide any hints as to how Rollins would return. Instead, it focused on a disturbing case while also writing out Detective Joe Velasco (Octavio Pisano), who left the unit after getting a promotion. Velasco is not the only character who is supposed to be written out, but he is the only one who has gotten an exit story so far.
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Finale Failed To Write Kate Silva Out
Onequestion theLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 finale left openwas how the procedural planned to write out Kate Silva. While the episode gave Velasco one of the best send-offs in season history, complete with a montage of flashbacks during his final moments,it did not even hint at Silva’s exit. Instead, she was little more than a background character throughout the episode. Her main function was to congratulate Velasco on his promotion.
This lack of attention to Silva was disappointing, considering the season 26 finale was to be her final episode inLaw & Order: SVU. However, it is unsurprising. In recent years, many Dick Wolf Entertainment shows have failed to give characters exit stories, instead explaining after the fact why the character is no longer on-screen. Additionally,Law & Order: SVUwasted Silva’s potential by keeping her off-screen for long stretches of timeand giving her little to do in the majority of her episodes.
Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Writing Out Silva Will Be Awkward As Rollins Comes In
The Writers' Focus Will Be Split
If the writers were going to write Silva out, she should have had an exit story near the end ofLaw & Order: SVUseason 26. Understandably, they didn’t want to distract from Velasco’s exit by explaining why another member of theLaw & Order: SVUseason 26 castwould not be returning in season 27. However, they could have written Silva’s exit a week or two before the final episode, giving them time to address both characters' decisions to leavewithout overwhelming the audience.
Law & Order: SVUcould give Silva an after-the-fact explanation for her departure, although those types of exits usually fall flat.
Instead, there are now two choices as season 27 begins.Law & Order: SVUcould give Silva an after-the-fact explanation for her departure, although those types of exits usually fall flat. Conversely, they could write Silva out at the same time as they write Rollins in. However, this would lead to a similar awkward situation as writing Silva and Velasco out at the same time. It would also rob Rollins — a fan-favorite character — of having the triumphant or emotional return to the Special Victims Unit that she deserves.
There’s One Obvious Solution, But It’s Annoying Without A Real Story
It’s difficult to write Silva out because the audience knows so little about her despite her year-long participation inLaw & Order: SVU. However, one of the few things that is known is that she transferred from Homicide because she preferred working on cases where the victims were still alive. Thus,the easiest way to write Silva out is to have her realize that this job is equally traumatic. It would have been easiest to do this after the 2025Law & Ordercrossover, as that involved a gruesome murder, but it’s not too late now.
During the season 27 premiere, Silva should reveal that the cumulative trauma of handling SVU cases is too overwhelming and leave the department.
Silva should get one final episode ofLaw & Order: SVUlike Tiffany did inFBI.During the season 27 premiere, Silva should reveal that the cumulative trauma of handling SVU cases is too overwhelming and leave the department. Rollins could return in the next episode, avoiding the problem of Silva’s exit distracting from her re-entrance. Unfortunately, the procedural is likely to compress such a decision into dialogue rather than giving Silva an exit story in real-time, which will be far more disappointing.
