Law & Order: SVU season 21 is ending a few episodes early due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Jamie Gray Hyder admits the final episode that’s airing works as a finale. “The last episode we filmed actually sort of wraps up a bunch of previous storylines,” she told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “For that reason, I think it makes a pretty good makeshift finale. I’m excited for fans to see some of the favorite guest stars return. We deal with a lot of the bigger plot lines from throughout the season, so it’s kind of a recap and closes up some loose ends.”
Jamie joined season 21 as Detective Katriona “Kat” Azar Tamin. Over the course of the season, fans have slowly gotten to know the new character and so has Jamie. “I think that’s the most exciting part is that I’m still getting to know her at the same time that the writers are getting to know her and at the same time fans are getting to know her,” Jamie continued. “This first season is really one of discovery for all of us at the same time. I think as we go further into the future seasons of the show, it’ll be more about revealing how she reacts to various situations now that we’ve got her foundation sort of settled. But building that foundation has been a really fun process.”
Law & Order: SVU became the longest-running primetime live-action series with season 21. The series has been renewed for a whopping 3 more seasons. HollywoodLife asked Jamie what she hopes to explore with Kat next season. “That’s when I think we’ll open up a little bit more into her personal life, I’d imagine,” Jamie said. “I’m excited to sit down with the writers and with our producing team and sort of see what their ideas are for the long-form arc of Kat for season 22. I think that there’ll be a lot of great conversations at the beginning of the next season about what we want to continue revealing about her.”
She also wants to see Kat work more with Rollins and Carisi. “I think Finn’s always kind of had her back and so has Olivia,” Jamie told HollywoodLife. “I’d like to see her and Rollins continue to sort of warm-up to one another. I think that once she and Carisi learn how to work together they would be a force to be reckoned with — as soon as he trusts her. I’m really looking forward to warming up to those relationships.”
There’s no doubt that the young detective is very eager to bring criminals to justice, and many of Kat’s traits remind us of Olivia Benson. “I think that much like Olivia was at the beginning, she’s eager and trying to figure out how to best operate in this world,” Jamie said. “She’s new to this to this department, so it’s all a little bit new for her. I identify with the young Olivia and there’s maybe a little bit of AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] in there being someone from a younger generation who’s looking to speak to a younger generation in their language. I think that kind of brings that fresh energy, much like AOC has to politics. In both cases, I think sometimes it rubs people the wrong way. You’re used to things being a certain way, but we need those people to come in and shake things up in order to keep progressing.” Law & Order SVU season 22 is expected to return in fall 2020.