So he was never given a real exit on the show, just the aftermath of what happened in the series 12 finale. Thats the problem, she responds. Lindstrom ends the session by telling Benson to think about what she deserves and emphasizes she deserves happiness.. Stabler goes to New Jersey, where viewers are introduced to his mom, Bernadette Bernie Stabler (Ellen Burstyn), for the first time. My old partner, hed know what to do, she says, a rare reference at this point to Stabler. Benson denies it before caving and asking, "Is it that obvious? In the Season 23 SVU premiere, Benson was run off the road while on the phone with Stabler. Bell calls in SVU to help with the Albanians. '" 4. Despite their rocky start, however, Amaro and Benson grow to have a mutual respect for each other and work well together. The shows 14th season ended with a sadistic killer named William Lewis (Pablo Schreiber) pointing a gun at Bensons head in her apartment. After the tragedy in the squad room in the season 12 finale, Benson finds out that Stabler has left SVU in the season 13 premiere. In this episode, the lives of the women Stabler loves the most end up on the line when Benson and a very pregnant Kathy end up in a car accident after Benson offers to take Kathy to a doctors appointment. Lewis torments Benson throughout the entire premiere episode of Season 15, and moves her to a remote location and cuffs her to a bed. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". I can see why you scare the pants off of Kathy, Bernie says, before pulling out an old family photo album with childhood photos of Stabler including one of him dressed as a carrot. Commercial Photography: How To Get The Right Shots And Be Successful, Nikon Coolpix P510 Review: Helps You Take Cool Snaps, 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Marshmallow, Technological Advancements: How Technology Has Changed Our Lives (In A Bad Way), 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Lollipop, Awe-Inspiring Android Apps Fabulous Five, IM Graphics Plugin Review: You Dont Need A Graphic Designer, 20 Best free fitness apps for Android devices. She has quite the slip of the tongue during a discussion with her son. Why would you ask me that? Stabler responds. Stabler extends his hand for Noah to shake and tells him he can call him Elliot. The truth is, you know things about him I will never understand, Kathy says. Law & Order: SVU has been teasing a romance between Amanda Rollins and Sonny Carisi for years. A woman named Valerie (Michael Michele) is grabbed from behind while shes in the shower and later accuses her estranged husband, Miles (Blair Underwood), of raping her. Furthermore, Is Stabler coming back to SVU 2021? Cassidy later returns in the 13th-season finale working undercover for a pimp the SVU detectives are investigating. Benson, whos clearly still struggling with the unexpected return of Stabler after all this time, pulls away and leaves. Stabler refuses and says, Too many people have suffered already. Rook then tells Stabler hes a human being, and he passed the test. After a beat she responds, "Yeah, I'm done," and walks out. Benson sleeps with Detective Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters), another member of the "SVU" team, one night. Eventually, Benson is able to pull an iron rod from the bed and hits Lewis with it before getting her gun, which has Stablers mini shield on the bottom. In court, Stabler appears surprised to see his daughter plead guilty and cooperate with the judge to get the help she needs. He requests she call him the next time Simon gets in touch. I like that shirt, she says and explains shes there since she heard about the squabble between Stabler and Blaine. "You're family," Stabler responds, while searching her kitchen for sugar. Stabler mentions the risks of Kathy having their most recent child since she was over the age of 40. On the show, the ADAs reason for leaving was that Casey Novak had knowingly violated due process and as a result, was forced to stop working with the Special Victims Unit. When an FBI agent approaches and asks Stabler to make a call, Stabler respects his former partners authority and responds, Shes the captain. Benson and Stabler have never had a physical affair, but their emotional relationship is an entirely different story. After a decade away, Meloni reprised Stabler in the "Law & Order" universe in 2021 on Stabler's own spinoff, "Organized Crime.". Then she shoots Sister Peg, a woman in charge of a local homeless shelter who had been helping Benson and Stabler with the current case. Though Hargitay and Meloni never dated, they are close friends. Stabler asks her why she didnt tell him she was no longer his partner. Bensons longtime friend and former SVU ADA Rafael Barba (Ral Esparza), decides to defend Wheatley, much to Bensons dismay. After Stabler and Benson have located the missing girl, they sit for an intense discussion. Maybe two. Stabler checking in on his partner at home. "I wouldve done the same thing," Benson responds. Thank the "Law & Order" gods that Stabler eventually returned 10 years after what many thought was his final scene. Stabler calls Benson to help him find Eli, who went missing with Bernies pills. wrote it. During a session with her therapist, Peter Lindstrom (Bill Irwin), Benson says that while her son is doing well and her job is great, shes hasnt been happy for about a year. It's worth noting that, at the end of this episode, Stabler finds out Angela was actually the one who ordered to take Kathy out, not Richard. Is this finally the moment between Benson and Stabler that "Law & Order: SVU" fans have been waiting decades to see?. After protecting her son during a gang attack, Benson sends Noah to stay outside of the city with his half brother's family. Even though Benson isn't "ready" yet, she established she does "want" more with Stabler in the pair's most intimate scene yet and that she trusts Stabler more than anyone else to keep her son safe. After each of these lines, Stabler confirms Kathy actually wrote those words not him. Benson tells Stabler she wants to wait since Noah gets attached very easily and Stablers going undercover again. Noah Porter-Benson is the biological son of the late Ellie Porter and the late Johnny Drake. Mariska Hargitay is happy Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler never got together romantically Hargitay told Parade in 2019 that if Benson and Stabler ever hooked up, their partnership. Elliot, Benson begins as she steps closer to him. walked into the screen test, me telling her a story, and we get up onstage in front of all the suits, and were just so engaged.. Turns out, Rook, who also goes by the name Milgram, was behind the fake call. I guess Ill have to, she responds. Bensons brothers case resurfaces in this episode, as does the feisty side of Benson and Protelliot, who literally jumps to his partners defense when a suspect lunges at Benson during an interrogation. He suggests Stabler take someone along. Beck is a widow; her husband, fellow NYPD Sergeant Michael Dooley, was murdered while on duty. She asks him to tell her his honest opinion, and boy, does he deliver the words many have been thinking for over two decades. The scene turns personal and Benson asks what happened with Kathy. He told me to trust him, and I know him better than anyone, Benson says. Before those laced personal episodes, Benson goes undercover for the FBI to infiltrate an environmental group (in real life, Hargitay was pregnant, and the show needed a clever way to cover her absence). Like Protelliot, fans also love when Stablers jealous side comes out (this alter ego is nicknamed Jelliot). Later, Stabler and Benson prove that after over 20 years, 10 of those being apart from one another, they are still in sync. "Her words can put him in prison for 10 years," Stabler says, after claiming the grad student "hasn't told a consistent story yet.". While talking to her mom a year ago about Carisi, that Rollins' mom suggested the two of them get a hotel room to get it out of their systems. And Mariska (Hargitay) and I kind of laughed about it, too. During a later private conversation, Benson again mentions Stablers radio silence for three months, and the two briefly catch up. Episode no. Benson emphasizes that in her role as a captain, its her job to take care of her people. Both Calvin and Benson are devastated by the separation. Lindstrom brings up the subject of Stabler and also notes that Bensons co-workers are in stable relationships. He then asks Benson when she thinks her turn will come. Benson assumes Lindstrom thinks she has intimacy issues. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. In the middle of a sudden commotion with the crowd, Stabler spots one of the missing kids, Ryan, and shouts to get his attention. That, said Benson, is technically sexual assault. In fact Stabler doesnt appear onscreen again until Meloni returns to the franchise in the Season 22 episode Return of the Prodigal Son 10 years later in 2021. . Benson mentions his anger issues and that bottling it up inside hasnt worked for him. In between testimonies, Wheatley meets with Benson and taunts her about the love of his life, Angela, whos taking the stand tomorrow. Benson sleeps with Detective Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters), another member of the "SVU" team, one night. Then Barba mentions Benson grew up without a father and attempts to equate that with his experience being bullied as a child and how theyll both see Stabler through different prisms. Benson tries to steer the conversation back to her and Barba only, but Barba says Bensons defense of Stabler is out of unconditional love. While neither the actor nor the show revealed why Munch had left SVU, after actor Dann Florek who played Captain Cragen also left the series some months later, it was revealed that the reason behind both actors leaving was the NYPDs real-life mandatory retirement age, which is 63. Stablers daughter Kathleen meets up with Benson and says the family needs her help getting through to their dad. walked into the screen test, me telling her a story, and we get up onstage in front of all the suits, and were just so engaged.. You never startled before, Benson says, before adding she doesnt want to push him, and will back off if thats what he wants. Then Rook presses a button, and the sounds of Bensons screams fill the air. Is that too awkward? Stabler asks. Shes a cop his first partner, Benson responds and then shares a knowing look with Stabler. Still trying to seduce him? The saga of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler is long and tortured. They probably dont want to hear what she has to say, Wheatley tells Benson, who up until this point, seemingly has no clue about Stablers brief history with Angela. This leads to an interesting exchange between the two that echoes how complicated their relationship is. The rest of the episode is laced with tension between the partners as they work to find their footing again from Benson calling out Stabler's anger management problem to later pointing out when he calls a victim Dani instead of Danielle, to which Stabler responds, Is something bothering you?. Rook abducts Benson. Back at her apartment, Benson thanks Stabler for safely bringing Noah back. Took long enough. This is the first appearance of character actor Delaney Williams as defense attorney John Buchanan. They both turn around to face the water, and Stablers already holding out his glass before Benson lifts hers to toast to partners.. Its actually her call.. "Olivia! The episode was written by Mark Wilding and directed by Tom Verica. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. While hallucinating, she imagined he was first responder who helped her. Cragen throws her out of interrogation and says that a 5-year-old couldve done a better job, to which Benson responds, Then go hire one.. Stabler, whos also familiar with an estranged marriage as his wife wants him to sign divorce papers, makes points in defense of Miles. Noel Fisher Zebras (Law & Order: Special . Will Hart / NBCU Photo Bank / Getty Images. Some fans wondered if this scene was setting up a love triangle for Benson with Barba and Stabler. SVU helps investigate, and there are a few scenes laced with tension between Benson and Stabler, including Benson subduing a heated Stabler in the interrogation room and an argument between the two on the roof about it. Stabler drops that baby news on a very shocked Benson in the Season Eight finale, Screwed.). Melody remembers how Mrs. V would take her out of her chair, put her on the floor, and tell her to turn over; at first unused to this treatment, Melody resisted. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. At the same time, he sees Benson as she's raising her gun at Gitano, who has his arm wrapped around the other child. Benson stays by Kathys side the entire time, including in the ambulance, where Kathy ends up giving birth to a baby boy. Since Porter and Benson were already close, Porter overhears Cragen on the phone telling Benson theyve located their latest suspect, whom Porter is somehow connected to. This is arguably *the* episode that changes everything for Benson and Stabler since the contents of the letter are finally revealed and its a doozy. Did Stabler and Olivia sleep together? The Christmas Episode was an actual gift to Benson and Stabler fans since it was peppered with some of the best-ever moments between the two. Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish). After 25 years of "will they or wont they" chemistry, are Benson and Stabler finally poised to get together? Its in your blood, Stabler replies. Kathy admits Stabler wont sign the divorce papers. At the end of the episode, Bernie tells her son that his partner came by to check up on him. After 12 years of working together as partners for the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, Stabler ghosting Benson for a decade only to return to New York City for his wife to be murdered after a. Where Is The Transverse Colon Located In The Body? He melted down in front of Benson, and it turned out the pair did sleep together when she was just 16 (in case you weren't sure). Unfortunately for Stuckey, a mosquito had bitten him while he was rigging Zimmer's car, and O'Halloran managed to extract a blood sample from the mosquito and called Stabler. The woman next to her asks who Elliot is since shes apparently been mumbling the name Elliot all night. I didnt say anything else did I? Benson asks. Cut to Stabler in the car with Benson, who reassures him. I can hear it in your voice. While fans were desperate for the partners to hook up (even though Stabler was married) during Meloni's 12 seasons on the show, they never did, with the actor later explaining why he believed the writers never went there. At the end of the episode, Jenna shows up at the SVU office asking Benson if they found her mothers killer. Stabler comes across a DNA sample from Calvin in Bensons desk and assumes his partner failed to send it in as a stall tactic to avoid finding Calvins dad so she could keep Calvin longer. Then Stuckey comes up behind them both with his gun drawn. Benson gets a call to go to a scene and to her surprise, sees Kathy on a stretcher being wheeled into an ambulance. He wouldnt question himself after what youve done. It happened at the screen test, Meloni said. MC Suhocki is a New York City-based senior multiplatform editor for TODAY Digital who joined the team in 2014. In season 23, they're reunited somewhat but there is clearly still a rift between them. Benson managed to get Stuckey to drop his guard long enough for Stabler to kick him in the groin, at which point Benson knocked him unconscious. The letter also had a line implying if Benson had a man in her life, that Stabler hoped hes the kind, faithful, devoted man Benson deserved. Required fields are marked *. It wasn't until the separation when Elliot started to check around. Benson and Stabler share another long stare in the car in what turns out to be their last scene together of the season. Stabler laughs, in denial, and says hes been on the job 35 years. No one knows PTSD better than Benson after her ordeal with Lewis, which Stabler still apparently doesnt know about. Kathy remarked that it was good seeing Benson and Elliot together again and stated that she couldn't believe that the pair hadn't spoken in a decade or how Benson didn't know he was back on the job. Stabler reminds his mother that his family had been living in Rome and notes they had come back to visit about four times.. Heres how the show said goodbye to Kat and Garland. Benson goes to the scene and finds out the cops think the girl was murdered, and calls Stabler to explain. Richard Wheatley becomes the unofficial Benson and Stabler relationship hero among the fans at the end of this episode, when he (basically) makes it canon that Benson is the one true love of Stablers life. By this episode, it's clear Benson and Noah didnt make it to Stablers Christmas gathering. Though Hargitay and Meloni never dated, they are close friends. Jenna walks away then returns a few seconds later and starts shooting the suspects in the cell. Stabler later arranges to be in the restroom at the same time as Wheatley, who brings up Angelas testimony and says to Stabler, I was surprised to see Olivia in the gallery. Oh, my God, no!" Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. At the end of the episode, Benson waits for Stabler in his building and says she wants to talk about the letter. Obviously, Detective Benson and Detective Stabler were extremely close when Christopher Meloni was a still a part of the series. Stabler refuses to sit and listen to what everyone has to say and instead says all questions should go to his supervisor, Sgt. In the end, Stabler helps Benson, like always, find Simon and backs her play while she confronts Simon, who has Millfield and is pointing a gun at her. This episode is the continuation of a crossover with SVUs Trick-Rolled at the Moulin, which ends with Stabler shielding Benson in the car after theyre both shot at (classic Protelliot). But the two also have arguments while working on some cases. I know that you are carving your way through a mountain of grief, and I have tried to be here for you. They both glance down at their watches at the same time and choose to enter a facility they believe holds the missing girl before backup arrives. After Benson tells him to freeze, Gitano quickly slashes her neck with a knife, and she falls to the ground. During an interview with Seth Meyers in March, Hargitay said she had never seen that scene until that moment during the interview. Stabler notes Fin and Phoebe are a good-looking couple and asks Benson how the two met. Then Stabler meets up with Benson in the hallway, and after telling her the babys doing great, he goes to walk past her. When a shirtless and pants-less Stabler realizes its Benson knocking on his door, he hurriedly pulls her inside since the animal smugglers warned him not to have any sort of contact with anyone. One of her first tasks is to hire some new blood, specifically a legacy detective, only a year out of the academy, Elliot Stabler. She swore to herself that she would never let his murderer, Tracy Monroe, get parole, and became obsessed . It is confirmed in season 17 that Amaro and Rollins were romantically involved when Rollins discovers she is pregnant and says Amaro is not the father, meaning they did at least sleep together. Despite the fact Mariska Hargitay spends her time fighting crime on screen as detective Olivia Benson in Law and Order: SVU, off camera she's raising three adorable kids with her husband, Younger star Peter Hermann. During questioning, Benson snaps and hits the suspect before pushing him to the ground and repeatedly kicking him. Cragen tells her to go home, and Benson storms into the locker room, where Stabler finds her and confronts her about her behavior. Never romantically involved Benson dated off and on, while Stabler was. Fin tells Elliot that Benson has a kid now, and Stabler quickly responds, A son? When my partner hangs out with scumbags, I like to stick around, see what happens, Benson says. Yes, they can get messy, but love thats different. The scene was a joy for fans who long wanted Benson and Stabler to get together. At the beginning of "Whipping Post," fans assumed the worst and that Stabler opened the door and spent the night with Leonetti. What was that about? she asks. When Stabler is in the lab and makes the connection, Stuckey hits him over the head and knocks him out. And, for the first time ever, Benson is seriously encouraged to explore a romance with Stabler! The final episode of the unofficial holy trinity titled Web leads Stabler to visit Benson in Computer Crimes for her help on a case, and sets the stage for these two to eventually find their way back to each other. A case involving missing fertilized embryos from a cryobank causes Benson to think about her own fertility and eventually leads to Stabler expressing hed support Benson if she wanted to have a child. Benson, wise to his actions, points out Stabler had to have gone out of his way to make her home a stop on his way in. But for 12 seasons, "SVU" was a classic two-hander, fueled by the chemistry between Stabler, a tough guy, ex-Marine and father of five, and Benson . A few scenes later, Stabler is caught off guard when he gets Benson a soda, and she informs him that she doesnt drink them anymore. Stabler will first return to the Law & Order universe in the SVU episode "Return of the Prodigal Son." Set up to establish Stabler's solo spinoff series, the episode will see the detective returning to the force to reunite with Olivia Benson and his other old pals. Stabler responds that he already did. . When the informant/suspect is given a deal, Benson and the SVU squad feel betrayed by the OC team. Law & Order: SVU has been teasing a romance between Amanda Rollins and Sonny Carisi for years. After a required, reluctant visit to a therapist, Dr. Newsom (Max Baker), in which Stabler pushes back against opening up in any sort of way, Bell wisely clocks him about how he needs to go back and talk. Cragen's suspicions about Stabler and Benson's bond are right. She is very pretty but small for her age. In retrospect, that line is even more significant now that Benson has a child of her own a son named Noah (Ryan Buggle), whom she adopted after finding him during a particularly dark case. Benson says she agrees with Bernie and wants him to come home. Fans of the hit NBC drama have followed Benson as she gained custody of her son, Noah. Its just its just too complicated.. "When are you going to do the same? Some are tighter than married couples.. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Kathy and Elliot Stabler got married at 17 years old and shared five children, but in earlier seasons of Law & Order: SVU, viewers learned that their marriage was less than perfect. They didnt see me as prime parent material. Stabler responds, Theyre wrong.. While Benson stares at her squad happily celebrating the event with their partners, Stabler approaches with her coat and drapes it over her shoulders while she hands him a glass of wine that she got for him. I was afraid, he says. They were partners, after all. In 2020, Meloni reprised his role as Stabler as the lead of the SVU spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime,. Amanda Rollins joined the unit in season 13. Seeing anyone?. Stabler learns from Benson in this episode that her brother, Simon, is no longer alive and died a few years back after a suspected overdose. Stabler shows up to the ceremony late since he was looking at apartments in New York City, which is a subtle confirmation and assurance to Benson hes staying. Stablers loyalty to his partner is quite literally put to the test in Authority after an engineer named Merritt Rook (played by the legendary Robin Williams) abducts Benson. These former partners have a long history together, so you know their first. Benson and Stabler later realize Porter had bugged all of the phones in their office. Thats what Im counting on. Then Benson realizes Kathy wants her to convince Stabler to sign the divorce papers. This moment was teased in a previous promo and sent fans into a spiral. Hargitay also told TODAY in February that the scenes in this episode were her favorite ones to film with Meloni since he returned to the franchise. "He's somebody else's husband.". He melted down in front of Benson, and it turned out the pair did sleep together when she was just 16 (in case you weren't sure). Stabler starts working with another detective, Lucius Blaine (Anthony Anderson). What the hell just happened? Stabler says to Benson as she walks out of the courtroom. Part two of the so-called holy trinity kicks off appropriately with Stabler at church in confession. Stabler also receives a call from Eli's mom saying her son was missing, which continues the crossover into OC..