A Look Back at Rollins and Carisi's Heartwarming SVU Love Story

The crime-fighting action of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit keeps fans hooked from the get-go, but let's face it: The characters are why the series boasts 24 thrilling seasons.

While there are dozens of opportunities for romance within the SVU, the series tends to keep the detectives fairly professional as they focus on the latest case and put away the next bad guy. But occasionally, the perfect relationship is formed throughout the chaos, like fan-favorite SVU couple Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) and Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino). 

Now that Rollins and Carisi have officially tied the knot on Law & Order: SVU, Rollisi is stronger than ever. But as many SVU fans are well aware, the two characters weren't always a romantic pair; they began as partners before they slowly escalated from the platonic. Let's look back at Rollins and Carisi's SVU love story! 

Amanda Rollins meets Sonny Carisi

Rollins and Carisi first crossed paths when the SVU received a recruit back in Season 16, Dominick "Sonny" Carisi. Carisi came to the SVU after Sergeant Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) put in a request for an "experienced, empathetic detective" as a replacement for former detective Nick Amaro (Danny Pino). Carisi and Rollins were quickly paired up and became friends, despite their tendency to argue about cases. Carisi is empathetic but can also be argumentative, so he's provided a fun balance to Rollins' mentality with suspects. 

Rollins and Carisi become more than platonic partners

Law & Order: SVU tends to focus less on the romance and more on the criminals, but Rollins and Carisi's platonic partnership slowly but surely escalated into a love story. The tension between the two SVU detectives was palpable, but life events for both characters kept them apart. That said, Carisi and Rollins' friendship became even more intense with the time they spent together, with Carisi often helping Rollins with parental errands and even being named godfather to Rollins' daughter. 

While Rollins and Carisi were in "just friends" territory for quite some time, this all came to a head when Carisi received a promotion to become the assistant district attorney, forcing him to leave the SVU. The announcement seemed like great news for all parties, but there was one detective that seemed jilted by the job placement: Rollins.

Rollins and Carisi began to argue more than usual about the transition, concluding after Rollins finally admitted to Carisi that she missed him. At this point, the will-they-won't-they game became even more complicated, with Rollins and Carisi's future relationship written in the stars. 

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Rollins and Carisi's first kiss

The moment all SVU fans were waiting for: the first Rollisi kiss. In the Season 22 finale, "Wolves in Sheep's Clothing," Rollins and Carisi finally came clean about their mutual attraction for each other at the almost-wedding between Fin (Ice T) and his fiancé, Phoebe. Carisi was tasked with preparing a speech for the occasion but was left with no one to hear it when the wedding got called off. Naturally, Rollins asked Carisi to let her hear the speech. In the speech, Carisi said that he feels that marriage is a lot like a professional partnership, with echoes of Rollins' effect on him apparent throughout. A teary-eyed Rollins responded by kissing Carisi for the first time. Cue the fireworks! 

Rollins and Carisi begin secretly dating

After the Season 22 finale, Rollins and Carisi finally began exploring a relationship in private. Rollins is one to dodge her inner demons, and the idea of telling the SVU and her two children about Carisi posed a risk in her mind. But Rollisi plowed forward, and after nine months together, Carisi expressed his discontent about their arrangement, not wishing to be "Uncle Sonny forever" to her family. Likewise, Rollins was frustrated that she had never met Carisi's family, placing the pair in a romantic stalemate. The attraction between the two was undeniable, which meant there was only one thing to do. 

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Rollins and Carisi become official

After months and months of hesitation for going public, Carisi learned that their relationship wouldn't jeopardize their jobs if they both disclosed their status to their respective superiors. Carisi got real with Rollins about where their relationship was going. "I don’t want to push you someplace you don’t want to go, but what are we doing here?" Carisi asked her. "Are we going to try to make this work or not?” By the end of Season 23, Episode 13, Rollins and Carisi became official after letting Benson in on their little secret. The couple then agreed to head home and tell Rollins' kids about who Sonny is to her. Just a few episodes later, Carisi introduced Rollins to his family, and by the end of the 23rd season, Rollisi had shared their first "I love you."

Rollins and Carisi get married

Rollins went through some major life updates in Season 24 of SVU, which began with the detective narrowly escaping death after getting shot. After recovering and returning to the SVU, Rollins struggled with paranoia and anxiety, with Carisi becoming her support system during the challenging adjustment period. The moment that finally dragged Rollins out of her rut occurred when Carisi volunteered her for a lecturing gig at his law school, Fordham. While teaching law students, Rollins began to feel like herself again, and her relationship with Carisi (and herself) only got better. 

SVU fans rejoiced in the midseason finale when Carisi and Rollins surprised their colleagues with a courthouse ceremony. Rollins told them, "Carisi and I were talking, and we realized that marriage is a lot like a crime. We have a motive, opportunity..." All Carisi and Rollins needed were witnesses, and they didn't want to get married without their SVU buddies there. The surprises didn't end with the wedding, either. 

Rollins also revealed to Benson and her longtime colleagues that she accepted a full-time teaching position at Fordham. After 12 years of putting criminals behind bars, Rollins bid farewell to the SVU as a married woman and soon-to-be professor to future crime-fighters. Now that Rollins and Carisi head off into this next chapter together, it's safe to say their bond is stronger than ever.

Watch Law & Order: SVU on Peacock and NBC.