[This story contains spoilers from the Oct. 17 episode of Law & Order: SVU, “Divide and Conquer.”]

Kelli Giddish left Regulation & Order: SVU in December 2022, halfway by means of its twenty fourth season on NBC — however she hasn’t gone far.

The actress, who performed Detective Amanda Rollins for 12 seasons of the crime drama, has reprised her function a number of occasions since then. And even when she’s not on display, the character remains to be part of the present’s world, as Rollins is married to ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino). Thursday’s episode sees Rollins again with the NYPD as a sergeant within the division’s intelligence division, working a case that overlaps along with her long-time colleague and buddy Capt. Olivia Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) Particular Victims Unit.

“It’s like, ‘OK, let’s go,’” Giddish tells The Hollywood Reporter about returning to the SVU set with season 26. “I labored with all these individuals for therefore lengthy, and it’s a personality I like to play. I’m honored that they hold inviting me again. It’s laborious to say no once I arrive on set and there’s immediate chemistry with everyone from the  A digital camera operator to Mariska.”

Within the present, Rollins left the SVU for a instructing job at Fordham, however — as proven in an episode late final season — it didn’t make for the very best match, and she or he departed that place as properly. Thursday’s episode would be the first of a number of appearances on SVU for Giddish within the coming season, and she or he spoke with THR final week about Rollins’ new job and the potential to maintain taking part in the function.

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Have the producers instructed you but what number of episodes you’ll be on this season?

[Showrunner] David Graziano known as it a “bouquet.” I filmed the one which’s approaching [Thursday], and I’m filming one proper now, which could be very thrilling, as a result of it’s a really out of the bizarre episode. I do know individuals say this on a regular basis, however it’s a wild experience. I believe the viewers goes to be actually into that one.

Are you able to inform me somewhat about that one?

[Smiles] No.

And what was the pitch for this episode and her return to the power?

It’s about crime vacationers, which I had by no means even heard of. However it’s an actual factor the place individuals come right into a city, they do their crimes, they rob, after which they’re on a aircraft 48 hours later. I used to be like, “that sounds actually sensible.” So you need to be even smarter than them to catch them, which is, in fact, alluring to me. Rollins is now a sergeant in a very completely different division. I get to play up her curiosity and her want to catch the unhealthy man, however in a very completely different manner, as a result of now it’s not simply rapists that she’s going after. It appeared like a pure development for her.

What’s Rollins’ mindset on this new job? What’s she getting out of it that she won’t have been whereas she was away from the power?

When she was instructing, she was instructing the instruments that individuals ought to use to get the unhealthy guys. She missed simply being the one to get the unhealthy guys, and observe her instincts and her intestine and use all of her experiences and every part to be on high of anyone and see what their subsequent transfer goes to be. That type of singular curiosity is one thing I’ve all the time liked about Rollins — possibly it’s led her into some not-good conditions up to now, however I believe it’s being put to good use now that she’s somewhat extra mature.

However it’s additionally completely different, as a result of her strategy is completely different. You get to see that on this episode. With Benson, they’re type of dividing and conquering. They each present up on the scene the place [the suspects] could possibly be. Rollins’ crew that she’s monitoring, and likewise a girl has been raped. Their targets are somewhat bit completely different. Benson goes to go after a rapist, and Rollins desires to get the unhealthy guys. Typically [those goals] possibly aren’t all the time in sync, and that’s actually attention-grabbing to play — it’s not all daisies with Benson.

Seeing Rollins in her new job and understanding you’re going to be in a number of episodes virtually feels just like the setup for one more Regulation & Order sequence. Have you ever talked about that with the Wolf Leisure of us?

The Wolf camp is certainly somebody I’ve liked being in enterprise with. They know how one can make a strong, strong present. I actually assume this [intelligence bureau] is an superior take, and a brand new factor that hasn’t been explored. Listening to the true tales of the individuals which might be truly in these positions, it’s probably the most attention-grabbing stuff I’ve heard in a really very long time. My curiosity is piqued.

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Regulation & Order: SVU season 26 drops episodes each Thursday evening at 9 p.m. on NBC, adopted by Fridays on Peacock.