There were some big TV cancellations in April, and among them was Law & Order: Organized Crime. Christopher Meloni's L&O spinoff was officially axed by Peacock a year after it made its debut on NBCUniversal streamer following four seasons on NBC. While the show won’t be returning to NBC either, I’d love it if Meloni returned to SVU as Elliot Stabler, but the executive producer made some good points on that front.
When Organized Crime was canceled, a lot of fans had the same request, which was for Meloni to return to SVU. The budget for the long-running drama is reportedly tight right now, so much so that Ice-T has had to step back from multiple episodes since Kelli Giddish's return as series regular. Still, who’s to say that Stabler can’t still pop in from time to time? SVU showrunner Michele Fazekas told TV Insider that she was on board to bring back Stabler, but there are several key factors to consider, one of which is mentioned below:
I wouldn’t want to just drop him in an unimportant scene. You have to use him and bring him in with purpose. So, yeah, I would love to bring Stabler back around once in a while.
Fazekas' logic definitely makes sense. As much as I want to see Stabler again, it would be best to wait to bring him back for an important scene, likely with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson, rather than just bringing him on for fan service. Otherwise, it would just be a waste of viewers' time and obviously, Meloni's. The relationship between those two characters is so precious to fans, so considerable thought should be put into any future appearances from Stabler.
It's actually been a while since Stabler and Benson have shared space, and fans are as anxious as ever to see them together, whether that be in a platonic situation or a romantic one. They had an almost-kiss a few seasons ago, and it was clear that they would always care for one another. Whether or not their relationship will ever turn into something more is unknown but, at the very least, Fazekas has been trying to get Meloni to appear on SVU to satisfy fans. It just hasn’t worked out:
When I was on the show, it was Benson and Stabler, and I personally don’t know about a love interest for her. I think that is a really important relationship that I do want to serve as much as we can. Chris works a lot. There were a couple of episodes this year, I was like, ‘Hey, is he around?’ and he was working.
Now that Meloni is working on his new Hulu show, The Land, it might be even harder to get him to appear on SVU, even for just an episode or a couple of scenes. Even though it’s been hard to get Meloni to come back, Fazekas knows how important the Benson and Stabler relationship is. With SVU heading into its 28th season later this year, there's definitely still time for Stabler to reappear, but the EP still has some reasonable thoughts for those who desire that:
I think it’s important to service that relationship for me personally and also for the fans. It’s a super important relationship to Benson, and Benson is a different person than she was when I was on the show before. She has grown in so many different ways, and that relationship is very different, and Stabler is a different person. So, what are they now together? And so exploring that would be great if Chris Meloni is available.
As much as I’m excited for Christopher Meloni’s new show, I really do hate that it’s seemingly cutting into his SVU time. Hopefully, he’ll be able to find some time to swing by the set and film some scenes once production begins on Season 28 of the Law & Order offshoot. For now, though, it seems like viewers will just have to temper their expectations.
If anything, fans can always look back at their favorite Bensler moments by streaming Law & Order: SVU with a Peacock subscription, Organized Crime is also available to watch on the streamer.
