LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: How Did the Show Say Goodbye to Kat and Garland?

[Warning: This post contains spoilers for the LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT season premiere.]

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT officially said its goodbye to Kat (Jamie Gray Hyder) and Garland (Demore Barnes) in the two-part season premiere.

For Garland, the writing was on the wall: After trying to make change within the NYPD, his bosses shunned him. The problem got so intense in the season finale, he also started to have health issues.

Unfortunately, the issue grew in the premiere. Chief McGrath (Terry Serpico) intentionally kept him out of the team’s big operation to take down Congressman Howard (Ben Rappaport), including the fact that there was an undercover operative working it for the NYPD. Garland was also excluded from the press conference announcing their success—a fact that was sprung on Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) moments before it happened.

When the case fell apart, Olivia found Garland packing his office. “They didn’t actually fire you?” she asked.

“No, the optics would be bad,” he said. Instead, he quit. And unfortunately for Olivia, McGrath is SVU’s new boss…who wants to focus on “the real rapes.” (Though he self-corrected, Olivia—correctly and understandably—bristled at the news, given his lack of awareness of what the work required.)

With Kat, her decision to leave the NYPD came in the aftermath of trauma: She was shot (twice) in the line of duty. While one bullet hit the vest, another snuck through—much to Fin’s (Ice T) horror.

Fin stayed by her side, and she survived…but started to doubt what good she was bringing to the world. “At SVU, it’s like we’re already there too late,” she said. She explained the victims were already traumatized and it felt like more could be done.

When she returned to work, she made it clear she was done. “After last year, I thought things would change,” she told Olivia. “Really change. But they haven’t.”

Kat explained she couldn’t stay—she had to leave before she got in too deep. And Kat acknowledged Olivia had to believe things were going to change…but it was good for the victims that she was sticking around.

“My door is always open, detective,” Olivia told her.

What did you think of the exits?

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Season Premiere, Thursday, September 23, 8/7c, NBC

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