Why There’s Still Hope For Stabler & Benson Despite Law & Order: SVU Season 24 Avoiding Their Romance

Law & Order: SVU seems to be pumping the brakes on Benson and Stabler’s relationship, but there’s still a chance the two could end up together. The series has teased a romance between Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) since Law & Order: Organized Crime premiered. There have been many near-misses, but the two have not made much progress and have not appeared in scenes together at all during Law & Order: SVU season 25.

Law & Order: SVU featured a Benson/Stabler almost-kiss in season 24, along with a crossover finale in which the two shared an intimate moment after Stabler saved Benson’s life. There was no follow-up to this moment during season 25 except for Benson wearing the compass necklace that Stabler had given her, suggesting that the writers didn’t plan to do anything further with the relationship.

With Law & Order: Organized Crime’s future uncertain, there has been widespread speculation about whether this relationship would be resolved. However, some recent news suggests there is hope for romance in the future.

 


Law & Order: SVU Season 24 Avoided Committing To Stabler & Benson’s Romance

Law & Order: SVU teased a steamy kiss between Benson and Stabler during season 24. During the infamous scene, Benson and Stabler talked while Noah was asleep in the next room and moved in for a kiss before Benson backed off, unsure if the time was right. The scene was disappointing for those fans who had been eager for a Benson/Stabler romance. It also was different from what was teased, and Mariska Hargitay has explained that producer Dick Wolf ultimately decided he did not want the romance to proceed in that manner.

This reluctance could also explain why there have been no scenes between Benson and Stabler during season 25 despite the intimacy the two shared at the end of season 24. Logistics likely also played a role; with Benson and Stabler being the leading characters in two different series, it was difficult to find time and space for them to have scenes together. The only movement in their romance has been one-sided phone calls in which Stabler has left messages for Benson while on a case.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Changes Could Mean Stabler Appears On SVU More

Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 will stream exclusively on Peacock rather than being broadcast on NBC. The spinoff series is getting a 10-episode order, while Law & Order: SVU has been renewed for a full broadcast season. This means that there will be far fewer episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime to film, which solves one of the logistical problems. There should be more time for Christopher Meloni to visit the SVU set now that there are twice as many episodes of Law & Order: SVU’s next season.

Stabler’s appearances would not have to be shoe-horned in, as there have already been several episodes during season 25 that could have benefited from a crossover appearance that didn’t happen. Thus, there is no logistical reason not to make Staber a semi-regular character on Law & Order: SVU, and Mariska Hargitay said that crossovers would be possible. If Benson and Stabler work closely together on a recurring basis, it is inevitable that their romance would blossom more.