Warning: spoilers are ahead for Episode 10 of Law & Order: SVU Season 25, called "Combat Fatigue," and preview spoilers ahead for the upcoming Episode 11.
The Maddie Flynn era of Law & Order: SVU has seemingly come to an end, although Carisi went through the wringer in the trial in "Combat Fatigue" when her kidnapper decided to represent himself at trial. Fortunately, the ADA got the conviction, and Benson took Maddie to a different type of therapy that could help her as life goes on. With that case finally closed in the 2024 TV schedule, SVU is bringing back none other than Kelli Giddish as Amanda Rollins, and the timing couldn't be better to get her POV after what Carisi said about his wife this week.
Now, that's not to say that Carisi was bad-mouthing Rollins, because "Combat Fatigue" didn't take place on Opposite Day when he would do something so wildly out of character. But the Maddie Flynn case was taking its toll on the Carisi/Rollins household, based on what Carisi said. The first look at the next episode, called "Prima Nocta," doesn't give away any clues about what's going on with Rollisi that we haven't seen yet, but Rollins is back and doesn't seem to be rusty at all when it comes to cop work! Take a look:
While there's only so much to guess about an episode from 15 seconds of footage, it looks like Rollins will be involved in the case of the week, which is evidently gruesome in a whole new way: a serial rapist going after brides.
One moment in the promo does confirm that there will be some 1:1 time with her and Benson, so my hopes are high for her POV! The episode description sheds a bit more light:
A runaway bride calls the SVU for help on the day of her wedding. Rollins pitches in on her day off.
Only on Law & Order: SVU are characters so dedicated to justice that they spend their time off trying to catch rapists! Rollins clearly hasn't lost her ability to shoot in the time since her departure from the NYPD, and I can't help but wonder if she's regretting her decision to take on a teaching job instead.
In the April 18 episode that aired directly ahead of the promo for "Prima Nocta," fans saw Carisi's side of a phone call with Rollins, in which he said this about the jury for Maddie Flynn's case:
If they don't decide by 5, Amanda, it's gonna be another weekend. No, I'm sorry. I miss you too. Just tell the kids it's their lucky day. You know, pizza again.
Call me a shipper, but that comment is a pretty cute look into the Rollisi marriage, which we haven't gotten much of since the Season 25 premiere with Kelli Giddish's last guest appearance. Namely, one thing hasn't changed: Carisi doesn't think much of Rollins' cooking and handles that for their household. Plus, it's always fun to hear him talk about "the kids," since he's been more or less acting as a father figure for Jesse and Billie since before he married their mom.
No, it wasn't this first comment that I want Rollins' side of the story on, although it does set up why Carisi might not have all the information about how she's doing. When Benson asked about her, the ADA said:
Well, considering we haven't seen each other in the past two weeks, she's fine. Maybe she's just telling me she's fine. I don't know.
If she's not fine, who better to open up to than her pal Olivia Benson when they're working a case together? The two are back on good terms after a rough patch following Rollins' departure, and after Benson opened up to Rollins about Stabler back in the day, I'd love to see Rollins lean on Benson as a confidant.
The only bad news about Rollins' return after Carisi dropped some comments in "Combat Fatigue" is that the show won't be back next week. Law & Order: SVU is going on a brief break before returning with a new episode on Thursday, May 2 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. In the meantime, you can revisit some of Kelli Giddish's best moments streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription and/or Hulu subscription.
