"Law & Order: SVU" Season 17 finale left fans in tears after realizing that Sgt. Mike Dodds didn't make it.
Considering the fact that Sgt. Mike Dodds (Andy Karl) is one of the main characters of "Law & Order: SVU," fans expected to see him until the very final episode of the show, whenever that might be. But that won't be possible anymore.
So what really happened that caused Andy Karl his character? Was there drama on the "Law & Order: SVU" set?
Why did Sgt. Mike Dodds have to die in "Law & Order: SVU" season 17 finale?
As it turns out, there were no dramas on the "Law & Order: SVU" set, but the reason behind Sgt. Mike Dodds is both clever and unfortunate at the same time.
"Law & Order: SVU" show runner Warren Leight wants to leave the show with a bang and he absolutely did it with the expense of Sgt. Mike Dodds.
Leight's time with "Law & Order: SVU" is over, the season 17 was his final script and he is moving on to a development deal with Sony.
Leight explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he knows fans have been left hanging all the time regarding the departure of some characters in "Law & Order: SVU," so he wanted it to be clear this time around.
Killing off Sgt. Mike Dodds during the "Law & Order: SVU" Season 17 finale is as clear as it gets.
'Law & Order: SVU' Season 18: Show will never be the same without Sgt. Mike Dodds
"Law & Order: SVU" season 17 finale presented a shocking twist by killing off Sgt. Mike Dodds. But even with the sad turn of event, Andy Karl accepted his character's fate.
"This it is for me," the "Law & Order: SVU" actor told E! News. "I said goodbye this morning, to Mariska, as far as Sgt. Dodds... This character has really gained a whole bunch of knowledge and helped out so much with SVU."
"Law & Order: SVU" season 18 will return on September 21, Wednesday, at 9 p.m. EST.
