Law & Order: SVU Kills Off Major Character During Season 27 Premiere

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Law & Order: SVU bid farewell to one of the series’ most dedicated characters.

The 27th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit began on September 25th with Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) attending a memorial service for former Captain Dan Cragen (Dann Florek) at a local pub, where the NYPD was gathered.

While moving through the bar, Benson encounters people who are also grieving, as well as people she knows, like Dr. George Huang (BD Wong) and Detective Cassidy (Dean Winters).

When Sergeant Finn (Ice-T), A.D.A. Domonic Carisi (Peter Scanavino), and Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) rejoined her, they all gathered to watch a final farewell to their former captain-the person who launched each of their careers.

In a video from his retirement party, shown during season 15, Cragen explained, ‘My job was my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ He added that this likely wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Mariska Hargitay, who worked with Christopher Meloni for over twenty years, spoke warmly about her time working with him.

She shared at the memorial service that he was the best boss she’d ever worked for, and that he taught her everything she knows about leadership.

A notable absence at the memorial service was Elliot Sabler (Christopher Meloni), Benson’s former partner.

Leaving the bar in tears, she was surprised to find her ex-partner waiting for her – now a leader in the Organized Crime Unit. They shared a quiet moment of sadness before Benson urged Stabler to come back inside and join the team. As she drove away, he told her he loved her.

The show doesn’t reveal how Detective Cragen died, but it honors his memory. Characters express their sympathy to Benson as she considers what comes next in her career.

Cragen last appeared in the *Law & Order* universe in 2024, guest-starring on *Organized Crime*. In that episode, he helped Stabler come to terms with the fact that his father had been a corrupt police officer.

Before his last episode, Dann thought about how emotional it was to pass the torch to Mariska after 15 seasons of working together.

Oh my gosh, it was just the most beautiful thing ever! Dann, he’s amazing, told *People* magazine that he got to be in one little scene – can you believe it, he even filmed it on Zoom! – and he got to *tell* her, and he was getting so emotional just talking about it, that he was unbelievably proud to say ‘Captain.’ Seriously, I was crying just reading that! It’s like, a perfect passing of the torch, you know? It just gets me every time.

For more stars who had shocking exits from iconic TV shows, keep reading…

Fans were surprised in 2025 to learn that Mehcad Brooks was leaving the NBC crime show before its 25th season.

Brooks, who joined the show in 2022, portrayed Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.

Jax Taylor has stated he won’t be participating in season three of *The Valley* following concerns raised by viewers about his actions in the previous season.

In July 2025, the Bravo star, who is going through a difficult divorce with Brittany Cartwright, explained that he’s currently prioritizing his recovery, well-being, and raising their son, Cruz. He feels this time is essential for personal growth, particularly so he can be the best possible father.

Several cast members from *Saturday Night Live* recently announced they won’t be back for the show’s 51st season, with the news coming within just a few days of each other.

Longfellow and Walker each spent three seasons on SNL while Wakim exited after just one season.

Following the departures of Longfellow, Walker, and Wakim from *Saturday Night Live*, Gardner and Nwodim, both popular cast members, announced they wouldn’t be back for the show’s 51st season. Gardner had been with the show for eight seasons, and Nwodim for seven.

Sofia Mattsson finished her role as Sasha Gilmore on the soap opera after seven years in summer 2025. Her character moved to Paris as part of the storyline.

Tracy Ifeachor, who starred in the popular HBO Max series *The Pitt*, decided not to return after its successful first season.

The actress shared on Instagram on July 10th how honored she was to play Dr. Heather Collins in what she called a truly innovative season of the show. She also thanked viewers for watching and sharing their personal experiences with her.

Even though fans likely expected Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, to die – his fate in April 2025 mirrored the events of *The Last of Us Part II*, the video game the second season is based on – the shocking way his character was killed still came as a surprise.

Pascal, known for dying in roles on shows like *Game of Thrones* and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, wasn’t surprised by his character’s fate. He jokingly told *Entertainment Weekly* that he’s used to it, saying, “I like to die.”

As a bit of a TV insider, I have to share that Peter Krause has wrapped up his incredible run as Captain Bobby Nash on *9-1-1*. After what he called a ‘wild adventure,’ he filmed his final episode in April 2025, bringing a close to his chapter on the show. It was definitely a bittersweet moment for fans – and for me, as a longtime viewer!

According to a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the character Bobby Nash was intentionally created to make a powerful sacrifice. Creator Dick Wolf explained that first responders routinely put themselves in danger to save others, and Bobby Nash’s storyline was designed to pay tribute to their bravery.

Okay, so, yes, they KILLED off poor Jack! I was devastated, honestly. But the showrunner, Tim Minear, actually *explained* it to Variety, and it made… a little sense? He basically said that after eight seasons, things were getting stale. If they wanted any real drama and to make us actually *care* about what happened next, someone important *had* to go. It was brutal, but he thinks it’ll raise the stakes, and I guess… I guess I can see his point, even if it still makes me so sad!

Summer just got a little less fun.

In June 2025, Paige DeSorbo revealed she was leaving the Bravo series after being on the show for seven seasons.

The Giggly Squad podcast cohost announced on Instagram that after seven summers, she’s leaving the show. She expressed gratitude for the experiences, community, and opportunities it gave her, but feels it’s time to move on to new things. She jokingly added that even good things, like some questionable choices, eventually come to an end.

The popular Netflix show won’t have the French actress in its fifth season, which is set to release in April 2025. She has confirmed she won’t be returning.

In an Instagram post on April 23rd, the actress announced she’s leaving *Emily in Paris*. She shared photos with her former co-stars and described her time on the show as an amazing experience full of growth, creativity, and cherished memories.

Before the third season of *The Sex Lives of College Girls* begins, Reneé Rapp has announced she’s leaving the show.

She shared on social media in July 2023 that the show *College Girls* brought her to Los Angeles and connected her with many of her closest friends. She added that after two and a half years, it’s also given her a wonderful community of fans like you.

Mindy Kaling, one of the show’s creators, also confirmed that Renee Rapp was leaving. She shared on Instagram how much they love Rapp and will miss her character, Leighton Murray. Kaling also expressed excitement for Rapp’s upcoming music tour, saying they can’t wait to see her perform!

As many of you know, there’s been a lot of talk about Kevin Costner and his role on ‘Yellowstone.’ Well, after over a year of speculation, he’s officially confirmed that he won’t be back to complete the fifth and final season. He first hinted at stepping away after four and a half seasons, and now it’s official – he’s moving on, and the show will wrap up without him.

In February 2023, Ellen Pompeo finished her run as Meredith Grey on the ABC drama after playing the character for 19 years.

Pompeo shared on *The Drew Barrymore Show* in December 2022 that she felt the need to try new things. She’s 53 and described her brain as feeling ‘scrambled,’ explaining you can’t just do the same thing, like *The New York Times* crossword, every day. Despite this, she did return for a guest appearance in May and continues to narrate the series.

Henry Cavill, known for his role in *Batman vs. Superman*, has announced he’s leaving the Netflix series *The Witcher* after its third season. Liam Hemsworth will take over as Geralt, starting with season four and likely continuing in future seasons.

Okay, so, I was *devastated* when I read Henry Cavill’s Instagram post back in October 2022. He basically said being Geralt of Rivia has been amazing – all the monsters he fought, all the incredible adventures – but he’s handing in his Witcher gear. He’s putting down the medallion and swords after Season 3! It just…it broke my heart, honestly. It felt like losing a part of the character *I* loved so much.

Jesse Lee Soffer, an original cast member, left the show in 2022 after playing Detective Jay Halstead for 10 seasons.

Everyone involved with the show put their heart and soul into making each episode, and it’s been a rewarding experience,” said Jesse Soffer after his last episode aired on October 5th. “I’m incredibly proud of my time playing Detective Jay Halstead.”

After five seasons, Damian Lewis departed Showtime’s Billions in Oct. 2021.

In August 2021, Emily VanCamp left the TV show *The Resident* on Fox, meaning she would no longer be playing her role as a doctor.

Madeleine Mantock, who played Macy on the CW’s *Charmed* reboot, decided to leave the show after three seasons. She announced her departure in 2021 before season four began, calling the role a great opportunity and expressing her appreciation for the show’s producers, writers, and cast and crew.

As a longtime fan of *The Blacklist*, I was really shocked when Megan Boone decided to leave the show. It was heartbreaking to watch Liz Keen go, especially knowing she’d never get to uncover the truth about Red! They killed her off right before she could read that crucial letter. Megan Boone herself seemed to feel good about her time on the show, though – she shared on Instagram that being a part of *The Blacklist* was a “dream” for her, even though it meant the end of Liz’s story in 2021.

The second season of *Bridgerton* didn’t include Rege-Jean Page, who became a fan favorite in the first season of the popular Netflix drama. Fans were disappointed when it was announced he wouldn’t be returning in 2021.

He told *Vanity Fair* that he simply did the work he’d agreed to, and then took on additional assignments. He admitted it wasn’t a particularly exciting story, and he wished there was more to it.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman (Kate Kane) in a 2018 crossover event and then led the CW’s *Batwoman* series for one season. This was a historic moment, as it marked the first time a lesbian superhero starred in her own show and publicly came out as gay. However, Rose announced she was leaving the role just two days after the first season finale in 2020. In season two, Javicia Leslie took over the role, playing a new character named Ryan Wilder who would become the new Batwoman.

Later on in season two, Kate got a bit of a face swap and returned played by Wallis Day.

America Ferrera left the show *Superstore* after its fifth season in 2020, which meant Cloud 9 lost its manager and the show lost a main character. Because of the pandemic, she made a brief appearance in the first two episodes of the sixth season. When the sixth season became the show’s last, she returned for the final episode to give her character, Amy, and Jonah (Ben Feldman) a satisfying conclusion to their story.

Oh my gosh, the season four finale of *The Magicians* absolutely *destroyed* me! Watching Quentin, played by Jason Ralph, finally save Eliot – Hale Appleman is amazing, by the way – but then *sacrificing himself*… I was a wreck! I knew the show dealt with death – it *is* called *The Magicians*, after all – but I honestly thought we’d see Jason Ralph again. It was so shocking that he wasn’t in the fifth and final season. I still miss him so much!

Ahead of the final season, Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards announced her exit in a poem of sorts.

Felicity and I are very close, but we’ll be leaving after episodes one through seven,” she wrote.

She did, however, return for a guest appearance in the show’s 2020 series finale.

Lauren Cohan initially left *The Walking Dead* in 2018 after difficult contract talks. While she appeared in a few episodes of season nine, her character, Maggie Greene, disappeared after a time jump of six years. The show’s creators wanted her to come back, and she did after her short-running TV series, *Whiskey Cavalier*, was canceled. Cohan returned to *The Walking Dead* in October 2020, appearing in the sixteenth episode of season ten.

Following Danai Gurira’s co-star Cohan and Andrew Lincoln’s departures from the show, Gurira also left the zombie drama. She joined the AMC series in season three as the skilled swordswoman Michonne and appeared for the last time in an episode that aired in March 2020.

Nicollette Sheridan played the famous Alexis Carrington, appearing in several episodes of the first season and becoming a main cast member in the second. In 2019, she decided to leave the CW reboot before its third season to care for her mother, who was unwell.

George Eads left the CBS show in 2019, during its third season. He stated he wanted to focus more on his family at that time.

The show *Lethal Weapon* has seen its share of cast changes. Clayne Crawford was let go after season two, and Damon Wayans announced he would leave after the show’s third season, which consisted of 13 episodes. Wayans stated in October 2018 that he planned to quit in December, after finishing the season. He explained that, at 58 years old and with diabetes, the long 16-hour workdays were too much, jokingly referencing his character Murtaugh’s line, ‘too old for this.’

Luckily, the producers didn’t have to worry about finding a replacement, as the show ended after just three seasons.

Ian Gallagher, played by Cameron Monaghan, ended up in jail on the show *Shameless*. While Monaghan decided to move on to other work after nine seasons, he surprisingly agreed to return for seasons 10 and 11, appearing through the show’s finale in December 2020.

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2025-09-26 16:19