‘Law & Order’ Thursdays Keep Benson & Stabler Together This Fall (PHOTOS)

'Law & Order' Stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay
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Eric Liebowitz/NBC

Thursday nights are for Law & Order fans on NBC this fall.

Once again, SVU and Organized Crime — led by former partners Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) — are airing back-to-back, with the former kicking it off at 9/8c. (SVU will have a two-hour premiere on September 23, beginning at 8/7c.) And you know those two are going to stand up for what’s right. In fact, that’s where the taglines for each show, in the shows’ new key art come in, and TV Insider has an exclusive first look.

Benson will be “standing for victims” in her 23rd season onscreen with SVU. She’s gone from detective to captain in the time we’ve seen her with the squad, and all along, she’s always been the one to speak up for the victims of these heinous crimes.

Meanwhile, Stabler is “fighting for truth” when his spinoff, Organized Crime, returns for its second season, and that, too, is fitting. Just look at how hard he fought to get to the truth about his wife Kathy’s (Isabel Gillies) death last season and the fact that he’s the one more apt to lose his temper.

'Law & Order: SVU' Season 23 Poster

NBC

'Law & Order: Organized Crime' Season 2 Poster

NBC

'SVU' & 'Organized Crime' 2021 Poster

NBC

SVU left off in Season 22 with Stabler joining Benson at Sergeant Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) and Sergeant Phoebe Baker’s (Jennifer Esposito) wedding — they decided not to go through with it — and a toast to partners. Plus, Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) kissed ADA Sonny Carisi (Peter Scanavino) after he read the speech he had written for the ceremony.

Meanwhile over on Organized Crime, mobster Richard Wheatley (Dylan McDermott, returning in a recurring capacity in Season 2) was locked up, awaiting trial but still managed to move some pieces into place; Benson joined Stabler and Sergeant Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) in time to find that he’d had his ex-wife Angela (Tamara Taylor) poisoned.

Law & Order: SVU, Season 23 Premiere, Thursday, September 23, 8/7c, NBC