NBC Reveals Date of Kelli Giddish's Final Law & Order: SVU Episode

Kelli Giddish's time on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is officially coming to a close.

The actress' final SVU episode will air Thursday, December 8, though no other details are known yet about the plot or circumstances of her character's departure. Giddish is set to guest star on Law & Order: Organized Crime at some point this season, which seemingly eliminates the possibility of her character getting killed off.

It's been a rough season so far for Giddish's Detective Rollins; she was shot protecting a witness in the premiere crossover episode, and skipped quite a few therapy appointments until she realized how rough things had gotten at home for her daughters. SVU seems to be putting things in place for Giddish's exit; in another episode, Rollins asks love interest Carisi (Peter Scanavino) "why does it not feel enough?" following her inability to stop a woman from returning to an abusive partner. 

Giddish announced her departure from the show in August with an Instagram post. "Playing Rollins has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of the Law & Order family for the last 12 years," she wrote. 

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.