‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 15 spoilers: Richard Belzer drops to recurring as Sgt. Munch retires

There is a major change coming on “Law & Order: SVU,” as you are going to be seeing a little less of one of the show’s most-famous and iconic characters from here on out.

After being a part of the original cast of the series since the beginning (which includes hundreds of episodes), Richard Belzer’s Sgt. John Munch is going to be retiring during the new episode that airs a week from Wednesday. According to The Huffington Post, the end result of this move is going to simply be a change in Belzer’s status on the show. He will still appear on the series periodically, but he will be recurring rather than a series regular.

What is especially crazy about this character is the sheer number of shows that he has appeared on; not only has he been on the original “Law & Order,” but also “The X-Files,” “30 Rock,” and many other programs. Suffice it to say, people remember this role very well, and while Belzer may also have a comedy background, this is a role that most people are going to remember him for at the end of the day. You don’t work on a role for a decade and a half without it being attached in some way to your life.

Munch’s retirement episode should help to give “Law & Oder: SVU” a little bit of a lift again in the ratings. The numbers were huge for the two-hour premiere, but since that time there has been a little bit of a slide.

What do you think about Belzer’s character finally stepping down, and do you see this change as a good or bad thing for the show right now? As always, we welcome your thoughts on the subject below.

Photo: NBC