One character on Law & Order: SVU recently said goodbye after 12 seasons during the show’s Fall Finale, but this departure wasn’t met without backlash and sadness.
Kelli Giddish, who played Detective Amanda Rollins, said in an Instagram post back in August that she would be departing the show and that “playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life.” Of course, many were left devastated, as anyone would be after seeing a beloved character depart so soon and abruptly.
It was later revealed online through Variety that Giddish was forced out of her role by higher-level executives due to “salary negotiations.” Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson and serves as an executive producer on the show, was reportedly in high disagreement with the decision. There were also rumors that Rollins would have actually been killed in the crossover premiere between the three shows that lie within the Law & Order franchise, but she ultimately received a nine episode arc to close out her run.
Throughout the 12 seasons, Amanda Rollins graced our screens and has grown from being the transfer to Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit from Atlanta PD to becoming a mother and (finally) getting married in the fall finale to ADA Dominick Carisi (Peter Scanavino), who became her partner when he joined in Season 16. The two finally got together romantically at the end of Season 22, the season after he became the ADA for the SVU team.
Rollins started off fairly shaky, as viewers learned of her gambling addiction and her troubled family history, as well as later learning how she was a victim of rape committed by her former captain in Atlanta. However, she never let her mistakes or her past define who she was, showing viewers that while things might not be the easiest to move on from, you are more than capable of putting in the work and trusting in yourself that it is possible to create a better life.
As someone that was watching the show when she began, I remember becoming attached to the character simply because she, like me, was from Georgia. Of course, the southern accent she had at the beginning ultimately disappeared and I was far too young to fully understand the serious topics being brought up about her, but I still thought she was so cool. It wasn’t until a rewatch in the last few years, starting from the beginning of the show, that I became truly in awe of her strength and tenacity. She became someone that, even as a fictional character, was very important to me. As someone fortunate enough to have met Giddish, I am so glad to have thanked her in person not only for what she’s brought to my life, but for everything she has done to be a light for so many people.
I can never dismiss how Giddish brought Rollins to life on the screen. She isn’t just someone with a broken past – she is someone that shows the world what true strength can look like. She showed many survivors that it is possible to heal and to experience joy.Olivia Benson says to Rollins at the very end of the fall finale, “don’t postpone joy,” and I believe that those words hold truth for many, as we all deserve the joy and happiness the world can bring us.