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Kelli Giddish Returned to Law & Order: SVU for a Terrifying Reason
Carisi was fighting for his life during SVU's fall finale, so, of course, Rollins had to step in.
Rollins (Kelli Giddish) is back on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but it's under some pretty intense circumstances.
In Season 26's fall finale (Episode 8: "Cornered"), we saw what happened after a quick trip to the deli turned into a life-or-death hostage situation for Carisi (Peter Scanavino). Two gunmen (Deante and Boyd) held the store clerk (Carisi's friend Ali) and two recent college grads (Tess and Elizabeth) captive in addition to Carisi himself.
Despite Carisi handing over his wallet, phone, and even his wedding ring, the violent thieves refused to let the group go. After Benson (Mariska Hargitay) noticed Carisi's lengthy absence, she made her way to the deli. Just as she got there, Carisi was commanded to lock the door, allowing him to see Benson before the others. With a stern look, he warned her against coming inside and shut the door. But now Benson knew he was in danger, and she needed backup.
RELATED: What's Going on with Carisi on SVU Right Now?
So she called Rollins during an Intelligence briefing, and the two wasted no time doing everything they could to save Carisi and the hostages.
Rollins returned during SVU's fall finale to help save Carisi
Rollins met up with Benson outside the deli along with several NYPD units. Inside, the robbers struggled to get a hold of their operation. The NYPD called the deli landline, which Ali picked up — but as punishment for this, Boyd shot him. Benson and Rollins scrambled with worry; meanwhile, Carisi flocked to Ali's side to put pressure on his wound, but he was losing blood fast. Panicked, Boyd and Deante stuffed all the hostages inside the walk-in cooler.
Benson and Rollins worked to get cameras inside the store. After flagging Tess' smartwatch inside, they successfully called Carisi, who warned them to hurry as Ali wouldn't last long. Boyd sexually assaulted Tess after realizing her smartwatch was used to contact the police. And ultimately, Ali died from his blood loss.
Knowing they were in too deep with the cops, Boyd and Deante insisted the NYPD give them a ride to a private airport and plane tickets to the Solomon Islands. And they wanted to swap Carisi out for Benson, who they'd identified as his friend and an NYPD Captain, as insurance for safe passage.
Benson agreed to the conditions as long as Boyd would release Tess for medical treatment. Boyd complied, but as Rollins expected, Carisi hesitated to comply during the switch-off between him and Benson.
"Carisi, come out here," Benson urged. "That's an order."
"You're not my boss anymore," Carisi told her before crashing into Boyd and closing the deli door behind him. After an intense scuffle, Boyd was seconds away from shooting Carisi when he realized Deante had turned on him. After nervously asking about self-defense laws, Deante shot Boyd.
Rollins is worried about Carisi after his harrowing ordeal
Carisi seized the gun from Deante and got the NYPD inside. He was shell-shocked as he exited the deli, rushing into Rollins' arms with relief.
RELATED: The Best Law & Order: SVU Episodes Fans Never Forget
Later, Benson encouraged Carisi to talk to someone about what happened, but he shrugged this off, assuring her he was fine.
But this clearly is not true. "He's not OK, is he?" Rollins asked Benson at the end of the episode.
"No," Benson said as they both watched Carisi with concern.
To find out what happens next, watch SVU when Season 26 returns in early 2025.
