Kelli Giddish’s Return to SVU: A Must-See for Fans Missing Departing Stars!

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Currently, “Law & Order: SVU” is taking a break during the early summer season of 2025 on NBC’s schedule, but it’s not gone entirely. Instead, NBC has started showing repeat episodes from Season 26 on Thursday nights, and this will continue throughout the summer. Interestingly, if you tuned in to NBC on May 29 after a new episode of “Transplant”, you might have caught a rerun – it was the winter premiere that put Carisi through some tough times and featured Kelli Giddish as a guest star.

The initial airing in January was quite impactful, serving as the aftermath of Carisi’s harrowing experience at gunpoint. However, rewatching it now carries a slightly altered feel, considering that I’m aware two regular cast members from SVU won’t be returning for Season 27, while Kelli Giddish is set to return full-time instead.

SVU Is Losing Two Stars

In early May, Deadline announced that Juliana Martinez and Octavio Pisano wouldn’t be part of Law & Order: SVU’s Season 27, which will be overseen by new showrunner Michele Fazekas for the first time. Since Martinez debuted as Detective Kate Silva in Season 26, fans didn’t have much time to grow accustomed to her character. Conversely, Pisano has played Detective Joe Velasco since Season 23, stepping in after two controversial cast exits.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I must confess that neither Silva nor Velasco were my top picks in SVU, yet, over time, I grew accustomed to their presence within the team, and it seemed they found their rhythm by the close of Season 26. The addition of more detectives to Special Victims was a welcome change, so I felt a pang when the announcement came that Martinez and Pisano would be departing before the Season 26 finale. I may not have wept or gnashed my teeth, but their absence will certainly be noticed.

Additionally, I find “First Light”, which NBC rebroadcasted on May 29th and can now be streamed with a Peacock subscription, to rank among the top episodes of Season 26. Notably, this episode featured less focus on the two detectives but introduced Kelli Giddish into the storyline.

Kelli Giddish Is Coming Back

Three years following her departure from Law & Order: SVU, Kelli Giddish is officially returning as a full-time cast member for Season 27! This announcement was made by NBC Insider, just a few weeks after the news about Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez. After making several guest appearances, including one that revealed her promotion to sergeant and taking charge of the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit, she will now be a series regular once again.

At this point in writing, it remains unclear when Sergeant Rollins will resume her frequent involvement with the team due to her new role. Since Benson lost her detectives with Velasco and Silva’s departures, the remaining members of the Special Victims Unit are now all officers: Sergeant Tutuola, Sergeant Rollins, and Captain Curry (who isn’t a regular but technically holds that rank). The question arises as to how Rollins, who was leading the Intelligence Unit, will transition back into working with Special Victims. I hope nobody is being demoted, but I wonder about the dynamics of this change.

I’m looking forward to discussing that topic over the upcoming months, as I’m among those who were thrilled by the announcement that Kelli Giddish is returning. Her departure was undeniably one of the most significant since Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler, and she holds a notable place among the actors in the Law & Order franchise, having appeared in the highest number of episodes.

It seems like we might not get to see Season 27 of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” until around mid-September or early October. But don’t worry, you can still catch up with me as we enjoy reruns every Thursday night on NBC, no matter if you were previously watching “Transplant”. And here’s a bonus, you can stream all 26 seasons of “SVU” so far on Peacock!

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2025-05-30 05:09