Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay teases her long-overdue reunion with Organized Crime’s Christopher Meloni in an upcoming crossover episode.
Benson and Stabler’s will-they-won’t-they relationship has always been one of Law & Order: SVU‘s best anchor arcs. SVU star Mariska Hargitay says it’s about time their characters reunite in a crossover episode.
“I’m actually planning on it,” Hargitay said about her reunion with Meloni. “I just told him the other day. We had a party the other night, we saw each other. It was heavenly. I met his showrunner. They want us together, and Chris and I were talking about it, and it’s time. It’s time now for us. This was a long time not being in each other’s universe. That’s why we did the calls and stuff like that. But we’re excited to get back in there, get back in the ring.” Their reunion was already teased during SVU‘s Season 25 finale, which had Benson telling Stabler she gave his keepsake to a victim’s mother earlier in the episode. Hargitay hinted this would be one of Benson’s emotional touchpoints with Stabler when he returns.
SVU’s Season 25 Finale Revealed Benson And Stabler’s Deepening Relationship
“…That’s why we added the scene with Elliot and I on the phone,” she explained. “[Elliot] gets it. If anyone understands how somebody could have needed it more than I do, he would. Because he lived it with me. I thought that was such an intimate scene and I wanted to get his blessing. That was why we wrote that scene.” Hargitay also revealed how her restrained scenes with Meloni revealed more of their characters’ relationship. “There’s so much that words don’t do,” she added. “One of the things that Chris and I do that’s so beautiful is when we read a scene, we’re always like, ‘Too much, we don’t need that much.’ Because so much of our communication is here [motions to her eyes].”
Hargitay also revealed Benson and Stabler almost had a kissing scene in SVU Season 24, but that scene was scrapped at the last minute. She hints the show will likely prolong their characters’ open-ended relationship. “We want to hold the tension, and do what’s right and truthful for both characters… I think that we’re sort of irrevocably locked,” she asserted.
Season 26 of Law & Order: SVU airs this fall on NBC. Law & Order: Organized Crime is streaming on Peacock.
