Still, the emotional impact on the SVU crew should be devastating, and it’s promising to know that the show plans on exploring what his life and death means for the unit moving forward.
The fact that the series won’t be picking up in real time with months having passed means that we should get to see the fallout rather than business as usual right away.
Andy Karl was only on board with Law & Order: SVU for Season 17, so fans likely won’t have to mourn him as much as they would have if Stabler or Munch had left the show in a bodybag rather than for personal reasons.