Mariska Hargitay has her own ideas about whenLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitshould cement Benson and Stabler’s romance, but Dick Wolf’s other shows prove that it could happen much sooner. Out of everyone in theLaw & Order: SVUcast, Benson and Stabler have long been the two that spark the most interest in a possible future together.
Their potential took a blow when Elliot leftSVU, later joining thecast ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimerather than returning to work with Olivia. ButBenson and Stabler don’t need to work together to find romance, and keeping them separated might actually raise their chances of sparking a relationship as soon asLaw & Order: SVUseason 27.
Mariska Hargitay Thinks Benson & Stabler Should Be Together At The End Of Law & Order: SVU
She Anticipates Their Union Happening In The SVU Series Finale
It’s only natural that Mariska Hargitay would have opinions about whether her character and Christopher Meloni should enter into a romance, andHargitay agrees Benson and Stabler are soulmates bound to wind up together in the end. Quite literally“the end,”asMariska Hargitay’s comments on Benson and Stablersuggest saving their romance forLaw & Order: SVU’s series finale:
“Maybe [in] the last episode. I think that’s when they should be together. If it’s right, we’ll see when we get there. We are soulmates, in a way.”
Although “soulmates” may sound like a strong word choice, it makes sense that Hargitay would feel this way.Hargitay and Meloni portrayed Benson and Stabler together for a full 12 years, and they’ve interacted multiple times since Stabler left following the events of theLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitseason 12 finale. He’s a fundamental part of her life.
What might come across as odd is simply her choice of timeline. It might seem curious to put off their relationship for so long, butthe series finale is one of the best times for Benson and Stabler to get together because their relationship won’t interfere with their work, assuming the series ends with at least one of them retiring.
Law & Order: SVU Fans Have Been Waiting For Benson And Stabler’s Romance For Years
There Have Been Several Hints At Their Future Together
Thetimeline of Benson and Stabler’sLaw & Order: SVUrelationshipgoes all the way back to season 1.Fans first felt a connection between them when Elliot insisted on protecting Olivia from a stalker, parking outside of her house to keep watch. Although their relationship was still professional, it was clear that Elliot Stabler cared deeply for his partner.
In season 6,Benson and Stabler’s possibleSVUromancebegan to gain more traction whenElliot’s wife Kathy started taking issue with the amount of time he and Olivia Benson spent together. Things became so heated that Stabler began to worry his marriage could be coming to an end, although he still remained steadfastly loyal to Kathy until her death.
Their relationship took an obvious blow when Stabler left the series without telling Benson goodbye. However,both Elliot and Olivia have independently admitted that they love each other since his return. They even nearly kissed inLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitseason 24. Benson decided she wasn’t ready, but there’s a problem with Benson and Stabler waiting too long.
Putting off their relationship until theLaw & Order: SVUfinale could prove risky. Neither Hargitay nor Meloni is getting any younger, yetthere’s no telling how longSpecial Victims Unitcould stay on the air before it finally ends. They could wind up together earlier ifOrganized Crimeends first, but Dick Wolf’s proven it could happen even sooner.
Other Dick Wolf Shows Prove That Characters From Different Series Can Be Together
It’s Happened In Both The FBI And One Chicago Franchises
WhileLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitis generally considered one of thebest TV proceduralscurrently on air, it’s far from the only successful Dick Wolf spinoff running right now.Multiple Dick Wolf franchises have involved romances between two characters from different series, proving Benson and Stabler could do the same while still split betweenSVUandOrganized Crime.
The cancelations ofFBI: Most WantedandFBI: Internationalleft some character’s fates open-ended, but it didn’t change the fact thatNina Chase and Stuart Scola began an offscreen relationship before her firstFBIappearance. The two continued their relationship after Nina’s move toMost Wantedand are raising a son together with no signs of splitting any time soon.
Dick Wolf’sOne Chicagouniverse features an equally strong (if not stronger) relationship betweenChicago Fire’s Mouch McHolland andChicago PD’s Trudy Platt.Their romance began inChicago Fireseason 2 and quickly led to Plouch tying the knot in season 4, since which they’ve remained happily married with few complications outside of minor work concerns like Trudy being shot.
Chicago Fire’s Kelly Severide had a couple of cross-series relationships. InChicago Fire’s early seasons,Severide dated bothChicago PD’s Erin Lindsay andChicago Med’s April Sexton. Both relationships were unfortunately brief, but the sheer number of crossover relationships betweenFBIandOne Chicagodemonstrates how Benson and Stabler can make things work while still giving the relationship proper depth.
Being On Separate Shows Would Keep The Spark Between Benson & Stabler Even If They Finally Get Together
Law & Order: SVU Won’t Have To Worry About Shipping Death
There’s a concept in TV writing called shipping death, and it’s one of the main reasons “will they/won’t they” romances tend to spin their wheels for so long. The concept is thathaving two characters finally begin a romance will kill the drama that kept their early relationship interesting. However, this isn’t something Benson and Stabler need to worry about.
Benson headliningLaw & Order: SVUwhile Stabler remains onLaw & Order: Organized Crimeis very much the secret weapon to avoid shipping death without waiting until the last episode for them to get together.Each appearance of Benson with Stabler will have to maximize the impact of every scene they share together, maintaining the spark in their relationship.
Stabler’sLaw & Order: SVUexitintroduced tons of drama into their relationship, but it’s been long enough that the characters can move on and admit their feelings for each other. And an added benefit to doing that on different shows is thattheir romance won’t get in the way of their professional duties since they aren’t technically working together.
This addresses a major concern brought up all the way back inLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitseason 7, when Benson and Stabler briefly dissolved their partnership after trying to protect each other resulted in a suspect getting away. Now that it’s no longer an issue, it’s time to finally pull the trigger and get their true relationship underway.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Cast
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a television series that premiered in 1999. Set in the criminal justice system of New York City, it follows an elite team of detectives who investigate sexually-based offenses, focusing on their efforts to solve complex cases and seek justice for victims.
