In what appears to be an explosive opener for "Law & Order: SVU" next fall on NBC, Dallas Roberts ("The Walking Dead") is set to return and reprise his role as serial killer Greg Yates, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

He was first introduced to the show on a special two-hour event last year that was a crossover between "SVU" and "Chicago P.D." The two shows featured Greg Yates as a doctor and a serial killer.

In the event, though, Yates was not just a random serial killer.

He stalked and raped women in New York before he killed them. He then moved to Chicago where he picked up his same antics. That show concluded with him assaulting and killing a beloved recurring character from "Chicago P.D.," Nadia (Stella Maeve).

This came as a huge blow to the Chicago intelligence unit, which led to Lindsay's departure in the season finale's final moments. It is unclear whether he will be returning to "Chicago P.D." next season.

But what is known is that Yates has made his way back to the "SVU" set and will, in some capacity, serve as a major arc for the story in the season premiere. The problem is Yates was convicted of Nadia's murder, and he was last being threatened in his cell by Voight (Jason Beghe).

It is unclear how his character will influence the story from within a prison cell.

Of course, the writers could always be playing off the fictional Thomas Harris character "Hannibal," considering Yates is a doctor, and maybe they could be consulting with him in an effort to catch someone else. We will have to wait and see on that account though.

Entertainment Weekly also reports that we may be seeing Carisi on the other side next season as well. Executive Producer Warren Leight discussed his character for next season with EW.

"He thinks he's a lawyer already," Leight told EW. "That's something that we'll get to toward the end of next season for him. If you're going to law school at night as a New York City cop, it [doesn't happen quickly]. It's a process. At some point, he's going to have to think about what he wants for his career. He's going to have to declare."