Was Molley Burnett’s farewell from 'Law and Order: SVU' rushed? Fans demand answers

Molly Burnett who plays Muncy on 'Law and Order: SVU' leaves the show after joining it less than a year ago
UPDATED MAY 20, 2023
Molly Burnett as Muncy in 'Law & Order SVU' (YouTube/@Lawandorder)
Molly Burnett as Muncy in 'Law & Order SVU' (YouTube/@Lawandorder)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: NBC’s long-running crime drama 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU)' has reached the end of its unprecedented 24th season. The much-adored series is a regular respite for fans of the respective genre who tune in diligently to watch the episodes. Given the show’s massive fan engagement, it's only natural to see when these ardent fans turn against or criticize the peculiarities of the show. One such detail has come up to the surface and disappointed the fans of ‘Law and Order: SVU.’

In the finale of the recently concluded season 24, Detective Grace Muncy played by Molly Burnett seems to be bidding farewell to her colleagues. What looked like a mere plot explanation turned out to be a shocking day for the fans who were taken aback by the departure of Molly entirely from the show. Molly’s tenure as a series regular now lies defunct.

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Did anyone see Molly Burnett’s farewell coming?

Molly’s departure was teased during SVU’s big season 24 finale on Thursday, with TVLine confirming the news on Friday. This was a complete shocker as Molly has been a part of the show for less than a year, joining the cast in July 2022. During the finale, it’s revealed that Muncy has been offered a promotion and has taken up that offer to join a task force. She received a goodbye hug from Ice-T’s character Fin but her extended goodbye scene had been cut from the show. 

There’s no specific reason given by the creators of the show for Molly’s departure but the news did not sit well with the fans of the show who had grown to like Molly’s character. As expected, they took to social media to express their grief. “God my heart is utterly broken,” one fan expressed while the other vowed never to be attached to any character again, “I really need to stop getting so emotionally attached to svu characters because half of them either die, leave, or get fired.” One was completely inconsolable. “Nooo! Molly! Why is everyone leaving or dying? Loved her character!!! What's with having her for that little amount of time?” But this isn’t the first case where fans had to witness the departure of a beloved character from the show.

Detective Amanda Rollins was also axed

Amanda Rollins played by the evergreen Kelli Giddish was also expelled from the show in December 2022 after her successful stint of 12 years. Although she made a return during the recent SVU and Organized Crime crossover finale event, her departure last year irked many fans. When her departure was announced, one fan mentioned, “I still don't feel ready to say goodbye to Amanda Rollins,” while another wrote, “I can't believe we are saying goodbye to amanda rollins/kelli giddish.” ‘Law and Order: SVU’ has ended its 24th tenure but is expected to complete its silver jubilee soon.

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