A new Law & Order: SVU spinoff is set to hit NBC starring Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) in a long-awaited return to the Law & Order world. The untitled series is produced by Dick Wolf, Arthur W. Forney, and Peter Jankowski with rumors of Chicago P.D.’s Matt Olmstead serving as writer and showrunner. Meloni reprising his role as Elliot Stabler is more than exciting for SVU fans, especially with Law & Order mastermind Dick Wolf at the helm, but how could Stabler return after his retirement at the end of season 12?

Law & Order: SVU follows detectives Stabler and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), members of the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, as they investigate and track down perpetrators of sexually related crimes. In the season 12 finale “Smoked,” a girl named Jenna took matters into her own hands as she sought vengeance for her mother’s death. She went to the SVU office and shot the perpetrators in their cells, forcing Stabler to shoot Jenna to prevent further violence. Stabler was faced with an ultimatum if he wanted to keep his job: a psychological evaluation, anger management classes, and a full review of his personnel file. In the end, he retired off-screen in season 13.

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Meloni was a member of the Law & Order: SVU cast since 1999, when Wolf signed him on as Elliot Stabler, but in 2011, he dealt Law and Order: SVU fans a shocking blow when he announced he would not be returning for its 13th season. Meloni left the show after contract negotiations went south with NBC. In a 2018 tweet, Meloni responded to a fan’s question when asked if he would return. He replied, “I have zero plans for that.” However, Stabler and his family were supposed to appear at the end of season 21, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the season was cut short, and the appearance never occurred. Stabler is set to return in the premiere of season 22 though details on the extent are unknown. Additionally, an SVU spinoff series is in the works with Stabler slated to lead a division investigating organized crime. 

Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler SVU

How this new series will connect to his resignation is yet to be seen, as well as how he now leads a task force after resigning for so long. His family life may now be in a place where his career can once again thrive, but the challenge writers face is how to seamlessly bring Stabler back after such a long hiatus. For Stabler to be granted a leadership role within the NYPD, his mental history must have undergone serious work, as well as his ability to originally return to the show. This hints that he has in fact coped well with the events that unfolded in the season 12 finale and is now in a stable place to lead. The plans for his season 22 return and the possible involvement of his family come with the change in dynamics of the show. Olivia Benson is now Captain of the SVU squad, and her full authority to make decisions that affect the unit may include bringing her old partner Elliot Stabler back into the picture.

In the end, Stabler is the perfect character to run an organized crime division for NYPD. His authoritative and often brash personality is easily matched with his pragmatism and wit, creating the perfect leader for a specialized unit. On top of that, Stabler spent time solving Special Victims Unit's worst crimes, so it's fair to say he's seen it all. With Benson's Special Victims squad and his organized crime division serving as staples in the NYPD, it seems inevitable these two will collide on screen with Law & Order: SVU serving as a backdoor pilot to Stabler's own show. 

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