In "Law and Order: SVU" season 18, the Special Victims Unit will be one man short after the heroic death of one of the team members amid their fight against Gary Munson (Brad Garrett).

[Spoiler Alert! Details about "Law and Order: SVU" season 17 finale ahead. Proceed with caution]

Dodds (Andy Karl) was killed in the season 17 finale, and it's all thanks to Munson's unwavering unwillingness to pay for his horrible crimes, which mostly involved sexually assaulting female inmates.

The death of Dodds will certainly resonate in "Law and Order: SVU" season 18. The new season will show how the loss will affect the rest of the team. Hopefully for Benson (Mariska Hargitay), he has a shoulder to cry on in Tucker (Robert John Burke).

The officer has always been helping Benson through her problems and has shown her that she is not alone. His dedication to comfort Benson will most certainly not falter in "Law and Order: SVU" season 18 as they share the same crisis.

The death of the character had to happen due to Karl's inclusion in the "Groundhog Day" musical. The theater vet, however, isn't the only one that will be missing in "Law and Order: SVU" season 18.

Showrunner Warren Leight, who helmed the series in the last five years, is also stepping down for a deal with Sony Pictures Television. He admitted that leaving "Law and Order: SVU" was difficult.

Leight told The Hollywood Reporter that it will not feel right for him to end his tenure with a cliffhanger and put the burden of tying the loose ends on a new team, comparing it to "[taking] everybody to a cliff and then let the new team mop it up."

When "Law and Order: SVU" season 18 premieres in September, Leight and Karl's absence will certainly be felt by long-time fans.