What Happened Between Benson & Stabler in Law & Order: SVU?

Over the many years that Law & Order: SVU has been airing, there have been a few constants. Throughout the series, Captain Olivia Benson and the other members of the Special Victims Unit have routinely investigated heinous crimes, doing their best to help the victims of New York City’s criminal underbelly. However, while Olivia Benson has been the heart and soul of the show for over 10 seasons, fans have hoped for the return of its original protagonist — Detective Elliot Stabler — for quite some time.

So, when Law & Order: Organized Crime was announced and premiered in 2021, speculation and hopes shot up once again. Stabler was back in Manhattan. Not only were viewers ready for the reunion between the former partners, but the writers had a lot of storytelling to cover to explain away a decade of radio silence from Stabler. With his wife cruelly written out of the picture and a friendship (and romantic feelings) blossoming once more, the EO endgame was looking stronger than ever. But with only three episodes remaining this season for both SVU (in its landmark 25th year) and Organized Crime (the latter in danger of being a series finale), it’s been a dry, abandoned year for the potential couple.

 

A History Of Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler

The undeniable chemistry between Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler (thanks to the genuine real-life friendship and chemistry of actors Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni) neatly secures the detectives a place as one of the most memorable duos in television history. Originally paired as detective partners in SVU, the two grew close and formed a tight friendship with greater feelings almost always lurking underneath. However, their story isn’t just a few years full of teases; there are literal decades of “will they/won’t they” storytelling to pull from.

From their introduction all the way back in 1999, Benson and Stabler had displayed an energy and banter that fed off of each other. Of course, there was always a natural roadblock to any burgeoning feelings: Stabler was long-married to his wife, Kathy, and a father of four (later five) children. Still, that didn’t stop the two from having a number of highly-charged moments over the years.

Even in the very first season, hints were dropping about Benson and Stabler’s attraction for one another left and right. When Benson hooks up with Cassidy and the latter wants to keep things going, Stabler tells her he can’t blame Cassidy and that sometimes “things happen” between coworkers. It sets the tone for their work relationship and friendship, with a mountain of unspoken feelings that would dictate their dynamic for years to come

One of Benson and Stabler’s most memorable moments comes in Season 7, Episode 19, “Fault,” when Stabler is overpowered and taken hostage by a kidnapper. First, Benson is wounded in pursuit of the criminal and Stabler chooses to rush to her aid over catching the guy, and the perp escapes. When Stabler is later overpowered by the violent criminal, Benson acts on her own, tracking him down.

She finds Stabler tied to a chair with the perp pointing a gun at his head. Stabler begs Benson to take the shot, but she refuses, too scared that Stabler will get hurt in the process. Luckily, an outside sniper takes the perp down. Later on, both Olivia and Elliot acknowledge their feelings for the first time.