Kathryn Erbe returns to 'Law & Order'

Kathryn Erbe returns to 'Law & Order' with a guest-starring appearance on an episode of the 'Special Victims Unit' branch of the franchise. Kathryn Erbe returns for a May 8 episode.

Kathryn Erbe returns to 'Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,' which stars Mariska Hargitay (pictured), on May 8.

Charles Dharapak/AP

April 10, 2013

Actress Kathryn Erbe will return to “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for a May episode, reprising her role as Alexandra Eames. 

Erbe portrayed Alexandra on the “Law & Order” show “Criminal Intent” beginning in 2001, when “Criminal Intent” first came on the air. Alexandra was the partner of Vincent D’Onofrio’s character Robert Goren. “Intent” went off the air in 2011.

The actress has already guest-starred once on “Special Victims Unit,” having appeared in an episode that aired this past October. In the “Unit” episode, Alexandra was working in a homeland security task force as a lieutenant and combined forces with the "Victims" team when Alexandra's terrorism case is related to a sex trafficking ring which the "Unit" characters are looking into.

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According to TVLine, “Unit” star Ice-T was responsible for the plot which will feature Erbe’s return – Alexandra helps out his character, Fin Tutuola, when someone Fin knows begins to cause problems for the characters on “Unit.”

“There’s a lot of bad blood from Fin’s past involved in it,” Warren Leight, the show’s executive producer, told TVLine of the episode.

Ice-T suggested the storyline because he said fans enjoyed a past storyline where the sister of a detective was threatened by an ex and that they should include another plot where one of the team was in trouble.

Leight said Ice-T told him, “The fans really like it when we’re in harm’s way. And don’t forget, I used to be a narcotics officer. There’s got to be a lot of people who want me dead.”

According to TVLine, rapper 2 Chainz will also guest-star in the same episode, which will air May 8, playing someone Fin knew in the past.

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“Unit” is currently airing its fourteenth season and many believe the show will be renewed for another year.

Erbe has also appeared in the TV show “Oz” and the 2011 comedy “The Love Guide.”