Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler are one of the most iconic duos in television
history. And it appears that the same can be said for their real-life counterparts,
actors Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni. The pair
played detectives on the series Law & Order: SVU for the first 12 seasons.
"He plays this detective who's in love with his partner. Is that bad?"
And as fans know all too well, Meloni left the show in 2011
over issues related to contract negotiations,
something he referenced during a 2017 episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
When Cohen asked Meloni if he had any regrets about leaving the show, Meloni quickly replied,
"Not for a day. Not for a day. Not for a day. How did you know when it was time to leave?
When negotiations broke down."
Meanwhile, Hargitay is still going strong as the only original cast member remaining on the series,
which seems to have an infinite lifespan. Nevertheless, despite her continued success
and the unrelenting support of SVU fans, Hargitay couldn't help admitting
her true feelings about her co-star's ultimate departure. In January 2020, she told E! News,
"It's been really difficult over the years to see people leave — and painful and scary. I
didn't want them to go. […] People come into our lives and then they leave [our] lives. You feel
all of that and it's a lot to feel and you keep on going. You keep on going."
But while Detectives Stabler and Benson haven't been solving any crimes on TV together in a few
years, in real life, Hargitay and Meloni have managed to fill in that void, thanks to social
media. The duo has entertained SVU viewers with their real-life Instagram updates throughout the
years, featuring all sorts of shared events. In December 2018, Hargitay shared a photo of the two
of them, vacationing together. And in September 2019, she shared a series of selfies from a Sunday
night dinner party, which may have seemed pretty casual in real life, but was of course a huge
deal for fans. Most recently, Hargitay shared a throwback snap from their SVU days, writing,
"Happy Birthday [Chris Meloni]. Congratulations and welcome home Elliot Stabler."
But — not so fast on that "welcome home." Unfortunately, Meloni is not returning to SVU.
Still, it appears there may be a possible Stabler and Benson reunion on the horizon.
"How'd you like workin' alone? I didn't."
On March 31st, 2020, Deadline reported that NBC ordered 13 episodes of a Law & Order
spin-off series with Meloni reprising his role as Elliot Stabler. This time around,
Stabler will be running his own organized crime unit. Reportedly, Stabler and Benson will not be
working together on the series, but there's no reason to lose hope. The Law & Order franchise
has featured crossover episodes in its series history, so fingers crossed for that scenario,
in regards to this new show. Fans have been dying to see Hargitay and Meloni get back together on
the small screen, and it seems pretty likely since the two have such an authentic chemistry.
While SVU has been packed with many riveting storylines, part of its initial appeal was
the strong rapport between Hargitay and Meloni. In 2017, Meloni told People TV,
"Mariska and I had instant chemistry. Just add water."
"Y'know, that was a great run."
The pair's compatibility was so real that fans often rooted for a
romance between their characters. But both actors have shot down that idea
several times. In September 2019, Hargitay told Parade,
"If that happened, the chemistry and alchemy and the magic of the relationship would have
been gone. It was perfect just the way it was. A romance would have ruined it."
During a 2005 episode of The View, co-host Star Jones asked the actors about the possibility of
their characters hooking up. Meloni quickly brushed that notion aside and declared,
"I just don't see our chemistry in that vein."
"Just what the world needs, another Elliot Stabler."
Hargitay joked they actually had zero chemistry, and then they faked The View
studio audience out by going in for an almost-kiss. Hargitay went on to
reveal that she remains close with Meloni's family, and she's also the godmother to one
of Meloni's kids — which is just another reason that these two are linked for life.
Benson and Stabler will live on forever in fans' hearts, through syndication,
and on Instagram, of course. Let's just hope their
characters end up back together on the upcoming Law & Order spin-off!
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