Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) may be leaving her post as the commanding officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department after the fall finale of "Law & Order: SVU."

The speculation came after a Facebook post on the page of the long-running NBC series stated that the Nov. 18 episode would be "the final showdown" for the lieutenant, as she faced her most hated criminal to date. Child abductor Lewis Hodda (Tom Sizemore), whom Benson had the misfortune to encounter in the past, was back on trial for kidnapping and murder. While the criminal admitted to her that he did the crime, this time, his lawyer was claiming that Hodda was being framed.

After working on a particularly delicate case, Benson may be wanting a break. Her history with Hodda has plagued her for the longest time and to finally have closure must have felt great. This, perhaps, is the reason why some supporters of the series worry that the post means she is leaving the show. While the Inquisitr claims that it is may just be a reference to the final confrontation between her and Hodda, it has not discounted the idea that Benson may indeed be going on a hiatus.

Benson is the only original cast member still present in "SVU" after first appearing in the pilot episode back in September 1999. Law & Order Wikia reports that for the first twelve seasons, she served as an agent, being the longtime partner of Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). When Stabler left, she was paired with Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). Soon, she was promoted to sergeant.

When Sergeant John Munch (Richard Belzer) and Captain Donald Cragen's (Dann Florek) retired, she became the obvious choice to be the acting commanding officer of the unit. She eventually got her lieutenant badge and took over as the squad's official commanding officer in season 17. For sixteen years, viewers have witnessed how Benson evolved to become the capable head of the Special Victims Unit (SVU). It will be a wrench for the show's avid fans if she will indeed leave.

"Law & Order: SVU" season 17 is said to return on Jan. 6 for its tenth episode.