Ahead of the new episode of Law & Order: SVU season 27, Ice-T divulges what’s next for Fin after his notable absence, and it’s quite concerning. Ensemble shows are not new to changes. In fact, it’s the reason why some procedurals have massive casts. Ideally, however, network tend to keep its main characters intact to maintain people’s investments.

That changed for Dick Wolf’s franchise when Chris Meloni left Law & Order: SVU in season 12, as Elliot Stabler was arguably the face of the show in its first decade. Since then, several characters have also left the Manhattan unit. However, there remains two constants in Law & Order: SVU since season 1: Olivia Benson and Fin Tutuola.

So when Ice-T was noticeably absent in Law & Order: SVU season 27, episode 2, there were immediate questions about his whereabouts. While he hasn’t left the show, Fin’s future fate in the procedural isn’t exactly ideal.

Ice-T Confirms That Fin Will Be Missing More Episodes In Law & Order: SVU

In a new set video by Ice-T himself (via Instagram), the actor/rapper is already back on set. He was also the one to confirm that his character would be missing an episode of Law & Order: SVU season 27 ahead of the show’s return. This time, he shares more of what to expect from Fin throughout the rest of the year, and after what happened to him in the premiere, his fate is quite concerning.

Per Ice-T, Fin will be absent in more episodes after he returns in Law & Order: SVU season 27, episode 3. As the actor confirms, Fin “pops up in episode 3, then he pops up in episode 7, where’s he’s a little bit on edge.” Watch the whole video below:

For context, Fin was assaulted in the Law & Order: SVU season 27 premiere on his way home after attending Captain Cragen’s memorial service. He took some time off to fully recuperate, but it seems like the incident will have a lasting impact on him.

Why NBC Is Seemingly Phasing Out Fin From Benson’s Team

Although there are understandable concerns that NBC may be slowly phasing Fin out of Law & Order: SVU season 27, chances are that there are no plans to write him out of the show. Considering how long he has been in the procedural, he is now as synonymous with it as Benson is. In any case, Ice-T also made it clear that he would not leave the project until Mariska Hargitay does.

Fin’s upcoming absences can be explained in two ways. Firstly, it’s part of his story this season to explore his life away from the job. After all, he admitted to considering retirement in the premier. The assault effectively forces him to think about it more seriously. Secondly, part of Wolf Entertainment’s cost-cutting measure is to rotate actors. While it isn’t exactly ideal, at least Law & Order: SVU doesn’t have to cut multiple people out, unlike One Chicago.