Kelli Giddish Breaks Down Her ‘SVU’ Return: A ‘Really Happy’ Rollins, Her New Partner & More

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On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit‘s Thursday, October 17 episode, “Divide and Conquer,”  a couple (Emily Jackson and Adam Aalderks) have their NYC dinner party interrupted by a brutal home invasion and assault by masked men. What makes the episode special, however, is the first guest appearance this season by Amanda Rollins (fan-favorite Kelli Giddish) in her new job as a sergeant working for the NYPD’s Intelligence Unit.

The unit is quite a change for Rollins, since executive producer David Graziano has explained, that it has cops stationed in lots of countries around the world. She’ll travel, but so far her marriage to ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) seems solid.

Rollins believes the crime is likely linked to her investigation into an international ring of thieves, aka “crime tourists,” who fly into large cities, commit several robberies, and leave within 48 hours. As their violence escalates, the pressure is on to find them before they leave the country.

Will you do more guest episodes on SVU this season with interactions between the new NYPD Intelligence Unit and the Special Victims Unit?

Kelli Giddish: Rollins gets to come back within her capacity at the NYPD Intelligence Unit, a new division for her which has been very titillating for me to learn about, to aid Benson and company and their cases at SVU. There will be a handful of episodes with her, and I think the spacing of the episodes will work perfectly with audiences not getting sick of too much Rollins.

What will Rollins be investigating and where will it lead on the October 24 episode?

Rollins and her new partner are investigating a crew of crime tourists, which are bad guys that fly into towns and cities, do a lot of damage, and are back on a plane within 48 hours. It’s something I’d never heard of but the showrunner, David Graziano, told me about. I found it a very interesting case to work on.

Virginia Sherwood / NBC

Who is her new partner and how’s their relationship?

John Clarence Stewart plays Detective [Vince] Corgan. And I didn’t know him before this, so I looked him up and I was happy to see that we were born in the same exact town in Georgia. It was fun to play and find a new chemistry with a new partner after all the years of being with the SVU crew. And it’s so weird to hear “Sergeant” Rollins this time around, and to wear a different badge. I have to say I didn’t mind it!

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

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Sounds like Rollins love her new job. Is she actually happy, which would be nice to see.

Rollins loves her new job. She says it’s like getting to eavesdrop on the whole world. And I feel like she’s really happy, and it’s fun to play that version of Rollins.

How does Rollins interact with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson in the episode? They’re always interesting to see together.

It’s so rewarding to have interactions between Rollins and Benson. It’s easy and fulfilling and I think the audience will feel that as well. They team up in this episode, and it’s a partnership that remains really special to us personally. I think that comes across on screen.

Is this episode a pilot for a cool-sounding spinoff?

Do you want it to be?

Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit, Season 26 Premiere, Thursday, October 3, 9/8c, NBC