After over two decades of simmering tension, Benson and Stabler might finally be ready to take their relationship to the next level in Law & Order: SVU Season 26. With both characters emotionally primed and the actors pushing for romance, fans are on the edge of their seats wondering if this will be the season that delivers the long-awaited payoff to TV’s most enduring will-they-won’t-they duo.
For over two decades, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler have kept fans hooked with what’s now the longest-running will-they-won’t-they in TV history. And now, with the arrival of Law & Order: SVU Season 26, many Benson and Stabler shippers are wondering if the two will finally acknowledge their deep connection. Their complicated partnership has been a cornerstone of the SVU franchise. But after years of professional and personal turbulence, fans want to know if this will be the season where they take the leap.
After over a decade, Christopher Meloni reprised his role as Elliot Stabler in the Law & Order universe in 2021. His return was a significant turning point for Benson and Stabler. Their unresolved feelings finally came to the surface. And their emotional exchanges, paired with joint casework, allowed the two ex-partners to fall back into their old dynamic with even more depth. And that near kiss in Season 24 of SVU left fans hoping for more.
The relationship between Benson and Stabler remained in limbo throughout the last seasons of Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime. However, while they weren’t physically in each other’s lives, they continued exploring their emotional connection at a distance. Stabler’s gift of a compass necklace became a symbol of healing for Benson, who wore it until she passed it on to a victim’s mother. And their frustrating game of phone tag — where the two missed opportunities to reunite — shows that they were always on each other’s minds.
In the last seasons, Benson and Stabler finally began facing their individual traumas. Stabler has to face his grief over losing his wife Kathy, as well as his mom’s health issues. And Benson faces her inner pain, as she confronts all the pain she’s suffered dealing with such emotionally difficult and sometimes dangerous cases.
However, with the two reconciling their traumas, there may now be room for them to finally give in to a romance. If they feel less burdened by their past, hopefully, they’ll be able to drop the emotional baggage that’s been keeping them apart.
Starting with Season 5, Law & Order: Organized Crime will air exclusively on Peacock. And with its reduced 10-episode order, there’s a good chance for increased crossovers with SVU. The change should give Meloni a little more flexibility to appear on his old show without feeling shoehorned in. And it may make it easier for writers to allow Benson and Stabler’s relationship to grow organically within the storyline.
Hargitay and Meloni know how long fans have been waiting to see their beloved characters together again. And when talking to Variety, Hargitay revealed that they’ve talked to showrunners about making it happen. “I met his showrunner,” she recalled. “They want us together, and Chris and I were talking about it, and it’s time. It’s time now for us. This was a long time not being in each other’s universe. That’s why we did the calls and stuff like that. But we’re excited to get back in there, get back in the ring.”
Both Meloni and Hargitay have expressed their desire for Benson and Stabler’s relationship to move forward. As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the actors were ready for a kiss in Season 24, but it was changed at the last minute. Hargitay revealed, “Chris and I thought it should go one way… but it got changed at the last minute,” adding that they want to maintain the tension while staying true to the characters.
With the show’s logistics and the character arcs lined up, as well as Meloni and Hargitay’s push for the romance, Season 26 of Law & Order: SVU could finally bring us the long-awaited Benson-Stabler romance. But if Benson and Stabler do finally get together, don’t expect it to happen until the season finale. The showrunners love to keep us on the edge of our seats, and there’s no better cliffhanger than a “will they, won’t they” finally becoming a “they did.”
