‘Law & Order: SVU’ & ‘Organized Crime’: Benson & Stabler Should Never Get Together
It’s been a quarter century, and as great as slow burns are, with this one, it’s time to leave the “what if?” in the past.
Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime has had some serious misfires when it comes to this one with former partners Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). At numerous times over the years, first when they were partners — including a time when he and his wife Kathy (Isabel Gillies) were separated — and since, it’s seemed like they were just one breath away from going there, only to take a step back and continue to draw it out. And both shows could have pulled the trigger. Elliot and Kathy could have never reunited. Benson and Stabler could have kissed. That letter (oh, that letter) could have been a bridge between his past and his present.
That missive first came up — it was something Stabler had supposedly written Benson in lieu of a speech at an awards ceremony — after Kathy’s death, which … came very much second to the former partners reuniting after 10 years. Even she couldn’t believe they hadn’t talked all that time and her husband hadn’t just been lying to her. But Kathy’s death just continued to demonstrate the inability of Law & Order to let her go (and let Stabler let her go); she’d go on to turn up as a “ghost” on Organized Crime, and on went his wedding ring once again. (At points before and after this moment? A near-kiss and a poignant gift exchange for Benson and Stabler. There’s drawing something out so the pay-off is worth it, and there’s lifting a foot to take a step and instead running a mile in the opposite direction. With these two, it always seems closer to the latter than the former.)
The letter, which had really been dictated by Kathy (let her rest in peace!), so what “he” wrote about how “what [they] were to each other was never real and that [they] got in the way of each other being who and where [they] needed to be,” along with him hoping that “if there was a man in [Benson’s] life … he’s the kind, faithful, devoted man [she] deserved” was all his wife. The part of the letter that was Stabler? “But in a parallel universe, it will always be you and I.” And it’s in that parallel universe, where hopefully it hasn’t been as messy and, at times, too awkward for two people with the maturity these two exhibit in other areas of their life that should stay. There’s legitimately being concerned about taking that next step — Benson has admitted that having the possibility of them, now that Kathy is dead, “paralyzing” — and there’s consistently putting roadblocks in place to extend the slow burn; with the way that’s been done, any fear falls under the latter.
Peter Kramer/NBC
That letter is a prime example of how terrible the build-up — with a slight improvement in the latest finales — has been since Organized Crime premiered. In addition to that, there was the extremely awkward “I love you” from Stabler to Benson when she and his kids held an intervention for him, as well as, despite what promos would have viewers think, a near-kiss after she entrusted him to bring her son Noah (Ryan Buggle) home after sending him away during a dangerous case. “I want to, but I can’t,” Benson said as she stopped them. “What if it doesn’t work out?” Furthermore, “I’m not ready for this,” she added. They’d later agree it wasn’t the right moment.
But the way that it’s been playing out, that “right moment” just doesn’t seem like it will ever come, not without a couple more, unnecessary steps back. As hard as it may be to imagine Law & Order: SVU ever ending at this point, it is going into its 25th season. Plus, the two characters are on different shows. How much time is there left to build to a relationship from where the finales left them — he was leaving for a new case — and actually show them together in the way that they and fans would deserve after all this time? It’s when the shows attempt to tease out the potential romance that the relationship suffers; other times, it’s so easy and clear to see why they’re so important to one another (Benson calls Stabler her “home” at one point) and need to be in each other’s lives.
Sure, a concern could be the often-mentioned Moonlighting curse, that putting together a will they/won’t they couple could ruin a show — with that show coming to Hulu on October 10, more people will be able to determine if that’s true there than in the past — but other procedurals have successfully done that and thrived as a result. NCIS: Los Angeles teased Kensi (Daniela Ruah) and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) for seasons, having them talk around what they meant to each other, before getting them together, having them get married, and eventually start a family. Blue Bloods skipped the dating part of Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie’s (Vanessa Ray) relationship and had them surprise his family with news of their engagement; they’re still going strong. It can clearly be done. It’s just a question of can it? at this point when it comes to Benson and Stabler. Nothing so far suggests that would be easy at all.
Maybe the upcoming seasons of both — the writers’ room has opened for SVU, and Organized Crime is looking for a new showrunner — will change this. But as it is now, there might be too much ground to cover to do so properly.
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R
In real life, they would have been together long ago. I think they should be!
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C
The writer is entitled to their wrong opinion. I think in, the natural progression of things, these two characters deserve to explore an adult relationship. I, for one, welcome a romance between two mature adults, who have been denied the chance; finally the planets have aligned to let them be together. All that needs to occur is for the showrunner and the writers to make it finally happen!
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Writers pllllllllllleeeeeeeasegeteliottandoliviatogetherromantically this slow burn has gone on long enough make it happen between them. Yes Elliot and Olivia should have kissed but they're timing wasn't right not the right moment for neither of them at time. Look at Jamie and Eddie at least they actually gotten together romantically it wasn't a slow burn they've always loved each other as something more than friendship anyways and deserves that happiness between them married. And so does Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson deserves to be together romantically and so does Matt Casey and Sylvie Brett belongs together romantically
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A
I’m so glad this will-they-won’t-they question has no place in my trunk of unresolved issues I care about.
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O
Just like in the final Looney Tunes episode when Wil E Coyote FINALLY caught the Road Runner, SVU's final episode will end with Stabler going to Benson's apartment. After staring into each other's eyes for what will seem an eternity, he will kiss Benson and shut her door. Dun Dun. The end.
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Love the comparison to road runner and Wiley coyote. Gives it the importance it deserves.
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And what about how long it took Sully and Michaela from Dr Quinn Medicine Woman for them to actually get together romantically. Sully has went all the way to Boston to get Dr Mike. Now Sully and Michaela are happily married and had a child together as their very I own. And Sully and Michaela had loved each other every sense the day they've met
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O
It’s been too long, no interest in Stabler any longer. There doesn’t have to be a romance to make them interesting again.
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G
I’m 100% with you. I loved that it was platonic. When I first got into the show as a teenager, every other program I saw was having any male and female characters hooking up. This one made me respect that a man and a woman can have a deeply-fulfilling, intimate, mature, fascinating relationship without being sexual/romantic.
I dropped off the show a long time ago, back when they introduced that character Stucky (ugh..) and was surprised and disappointed to learn they’d recently killed Kathy off unceremoniously. But I have no attachment to these characters enough to offer anything more than a disapproving head-shake. I’m sure it was done to bring back old fans of the show who were rooting for them to hook up.
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unless you’re really that much in denial they have been leaning towards romance and feelings for each other since the beginning of the show.. Olivia Benson has plenty of healthy and platonic relationships with males such as you described. It makes no sense to say she can’t be with a man she loves just because people don’t like him.🤦🏽♀️
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That isn’t what I said. I’m very fond of Stabler, faults and all. I didn’t even know people don’t like him until you said so.
Admittedly, maybe I just didn’t pick up on the hints. I never watched Law and Order so much for the interpersonal relationships. Back when I was into it (about season 4 to 10ish), I was invested in the cases they were solving/taking to trial. So if you’re saying that the romance was heavily implied for years, I’ll take you at your word. I’m fairly indifferent at this point.
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R
The finale, finished, end of all ends episode, of Law & Order (if it ever does end) should be: either Benson or Stabler gets shot and one of them might die..then whoever the one who is dying has a vision of them finally getting together and when the vision ends, the one who is not shot is sitting by their bed professing their love and devotion and how they shoulda woulda coulda been together. And if you come back to me, we will make it happen. I LOVE ___..I LOVE YOU___!
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You mean how it was with Jet telling Jamie that she loves him and then he dies before they can ever be together romantically. That would of been the sadest episode if that evever happened if Elliot or Olivia dies without them actually getting together romantically. Writers Please no Please don't send in new love interests for them both they love each other unconditionally more than friendship and they so belong together romantically forever
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THEY HAVE TO GET TOGETHER OMG WHAT R U THINKING
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O
Bro some of us have been waiting 25 years for them to hook up. Only for them not to would be terrible AF. They need to pull the trigger on this.
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P
No no no no no no no no! Never! Stabler is still a time bomb of anger ready to go off at any moment. He’s also borderline psycho. Olivia deserves better especially since she has Noah. Besides, Elliot isn’t through grieving for Kathy and he should not get into another relationship until he has. I’ve never thought they should be a couple and was actually glad when he left the series. It gave Olivia a chance to grow. And I was disappointed to see him come back in a new L&O show. I don’t watch Organized Crime. I tried but the early episodes didn’t follow the traditional format and had too many plot elements going on at once. I couldn’t keep them straight and finally quit wasting my time on it.
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But Elliot Stabler has changed he's not the same man that he was before. #getElliotandOliviatogetheeromantically
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Just loud & wrong🤡🤡
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O
I think they should stay the very best of friends,and Stablers five or six kids should be more in the show
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