Christopher Meloni warns that fans won’t be happy with the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit reunion of Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson. Meloni led SVU with Mariska Hargitay for over a decade, portraying Stabler and Benson, respectively. That would continue until 2011, when Stabler was unexpectedly written off the long-running series in the opening episode of season 13 because of a pay dispute between Meloni and NBC. However, the actor will soon be returning to the world of Law & Order universe to headline his own spinoff.
The spinoff, titled Organized Crime, will focus on Stabler’s return to the New York City Police Department after a devastating personal loss. Consisting of 13 episodes, Organized Crime will premiere on April 1 as part of a crossover event with SVU which will feature the highly-anticipated reunion of Benson and Stabler. Still, in new comments, Meloni cautions that the big moment might not be what fans hope for.
During an interview TV Line to promote his return to the Law & Order franchise, Meloni was invited to elaborate on whether Stabler and Benson will have a difficult time reconnecting. The actor confirmed that the former partners would face those difficulties, going a step further to stress the fact that viewers are unlikely to feel satisfied with the reunion of the two leads. You can read Meloni’s quote below:
Well, this is what I think about that: No one’s going to be satisfied. [Laughs] I mean, it’s such a long time. It is so many unanswered questions. I think there’s such a great sense of abandonment and betrayal and a what-the-f–k-ed-ness of it all, that, you know, that wound is, you know, not going to… get its dressings all, you know, squared away. You know, it’s going to be a process, right?
Meloni’s remarks set the stage for fans not to expect an especially warm and sentimental reintroduction between the characters. On one level, in terms of what happened behind the scenes, the fallout makes sense. The actor refers to his SVU exit as “inelegant” in the interview, and the writers clearly had to form some sort of clean break with his character. But the rough reunion also holds true in a purely narrative sense, especially since it’s revealed that Stabler continues to work with the NYPD in some capacity. It’s understandable that Benson would feel an immense sense of hurt, given how long Stabler was by her side. For his part, Meloni’s character might feel that he was only doing what was best for him at the time but ultimately regretting his handling of the situation as time passed. With more crossovers promised later in the season, the writers of SVU will have plenty of space to dig into the changed dynamic of Stabler and Benson.
It’s a dynamic that holds the distinction of being true to life. There are many cases where close friends find themselves drifting apart once unforeseen circumstances get in the way. There are also situations where colleagues realize that they’re mainly united through their shared passion for work. Part of the intrigue of the upcoming Law & Order: Special Victims Unit crossover event is to see these relatable relationship changes reflected through the extremely popular pair of Benson and Stabler.
Source: TV Line