The team of Law & Order: SVU will be dealing with a lot when the show returns for Season 20. One thing they do not have to worry about is losing Fin. Given his promotion to sergeant, Fin's new status would normally require him to leave the SVU team. Notice the word "normally." As it turns out, Fin found a solution to his workplace dilemma that fans didn't get to see. The series' showrunner Michael Chernuchin explained, saying:
There was a scene in the last episode with him in the new sergeant's job which we had to cut because of time. He saw what that was like and he used Dodds to get back to to the SVU unit.
While fans can breathe easy knowing that Fin will remain on the team, one question lingers. How? Law & Order: SVU's showrunner told TV Guide that the mechanics of how exactly Fin accomplished his goal with the memo would be better explained in an episode next season. Unfortunately, Michael Chernuchin did not offer how soon into the season that would come, just that it is on its way. All of this sounds very encouraging for Fin in Season 20.
In his interview, the Law & Order: SVU showrunner also teased that in spite of the tragedy he suffered in the finale, ADA Peter Stone will continue with the show next season. Brooke Shields' Sheila will also return at some point and have to navigate some personal adversity. For the most part, it seems the long-running crime procedural is not looking to change anything irreversibly. And why would they? When a show has made it for twenty seasons, the folks behind the scenes clearly know what works and what does not.
Changing up the team and losing a member as integral as Fin is to the SVU would not work. Thanks to interviews like this, fans can sort out some of the missing pieces that come with heavy edits for an episode's runtime. Big Bang Theory producers faced a similar issue when they were crafting Amy and Sheldon's wedding for the season finale.
Summer is a long time to wait for answers about something as critical as how Fin sticks around and the continuance of the story in Season 20 should tie up any loose ends. Until the show comes back, fans can enjoy speculating about the mysterious memo that facilitated Fin staying on with the SVU. Whether or not it becomes a major plot point is another mystery. Fans will have to see what Season 20 holds. Based on what Michael Chernuchin is teasing, it entails a lot of story for the cast.
Law & Order: SVU will return to NBC this fall. For what to watch while you wait for SVU to return, check out our guide to TV's summer premieres. To find out what other TV shows will be coming back along with Law & Order: SVU and the ones that have been cancelled, check out our 2018 network TV rundown.
