Rollins' Worst Episode SVU Fans Still Can't Get Over
One of the show's main characters has had her share of questionable moments, but there's one that really stands out from the rest.
NBC's biggest crime drama features dozens of characters trying their best to solve crimes and save people, and not surprisingly, some of them break under pressure.
Even the show's main characters, like Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, have made plenty of mistakes on their way to justice, angering fans with their dubious tactics. However, no other character has made viewers question their sanity more than Detective Amanda Rollins.
First appearing in season 13, Rollins immediately made people worry more about her personal life than her work. The character comes from a dysfunctional family, and her many relatives also show up in the series, causing big problems during investigations.
In addition, Rollins herself had a serious gambling problem, and at one point, she found herself $20,000 in debt. And while the character managed to get rid of her bad habit, another problem emerged: the detective's troubled relationship with her boyfriend Al Pollack.
For many fans, the turning point came in the episode "Service" (season 19, episode 18), when Rollins questioned a prostitute while investigating a sexual assault case. Because Al had once cheated on her with a prostitute, the detective was unable to act professionally and insulted the innocent woman.
Viewers were utterly disgusted with Rollins' behavior, with many admitting that the episode ruined her character forever. As commentators agreed, police officers must disengage from their personal issues when solving crimes, and Rollins failed to do so, allowing her private drama to potentially ruin an important investigation.
But it seems that people were disappointed with the show's writers more than with the character herself, concluding that the whole Al storyline was a complete mess, and it was used more to victimize Rollins than to develop her as a character.
Fans were glad when this narrative arc ended, but the memories of how Rollins treated the woman so disgustingly will definitely remain in their minds forever.