In the end, while Benson watches as Stabler and Calvin play rock, paper, scissors, Child Services arrives and takes Calvin from Benson to bring him to live with his grandparents while his mom goes to rehab. Down bad since day one, according to many fans. Who knew a small letter could hold so much power? What about your kids?" Benson, whos clearly still struggling with the unexpected return of Stabler after all this time, pulls away and leaves. Stabler confronts Rojas in the parking lot, and Rojas holds a gun to Bensons head. Zebras highlights that no one knows Stabler better than Benson, especially in a life-or-death situation. Part of that promise involves Benson visiting Stabler at his temporary undercover residence. "I'm never home. "I dont know. Stabler began talking about Rome as if he expected the relationship between himself and Benson to thaw suddenly, but Benson made it clear that she couldn't do that. At the end of the episode, Benson and Stabler each air out how their initial judgments about the case could've been wrong, effectively seeing the other's point of view. Please dont tell me how I feel, Benson responds. Benson drives Stabler back to his office, where he says, Its always good to work with you, Liv.. She goes into an empty interrogation room and breaks down. It will always be you and I, Stabler finishes and looks up and locks eyes with Benson before adding he slipped it in there before sealing the envelope.. When a suspected killer who stalks his victim sets his sights on Benson, the squad, particularly Stabler in Protelliot mode, goes the extra mile to keep an eye on her. (That parallel universe may soon be reality for these two since Stabler recently returned to Bensons life after a 10-year absence and confessed in a letter he wrote to her: In a parallel universe, it will always be you and I.), This episode is significant in the worst kind of way for Benson's and Stablers relationship since it ended up being Melonis last episode of SVU. (Thankfully, he returned to the Law & Order universe for Stablers spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime, in April 2021.). Were familiar with Jelliot, but this episode gives us a little of Jelivia, and also shows Benson wants Stabler to come home from his undercover job as much as the rest of his family does. Stablers daughter Kathleen meets up with Benson and says the family needs her help getting through to their dad. Stabler keeps telling her to shoot Gitano, and eventually says she can do "the right thing" in this moment since he says he did not when he chose to go to her after she got hurt instead of running after Ryan. Twitter Erupts After Law & Order SVU Reunion Between Benson I didnt realize it came out so sexy, she said. Stabler calls Benson to help him find Eli, who went missing with Bernies pills. Stabler laughs, in denial, and says hes been on the job 35 years. No one knows PTSD better than Benson after her ordeal with Lewis, which Stabler still apparently doesnt know about. During questioning, Benson snaps and hits the suspect before pushing him to the ground and repeatedly kicking him. I'm always with you," Benson says to Stabler. Benson says during one of their heated, very close face-to-face arguments about the case. The episode centered on the bombing of a car Stabler and his wife Kathy (Isabel Gillies) rented when they returned to New York. They didnt see me as prime parent material. Stabler responds, Theyre wrong.. Stabler, apparently sensing his former partner isn't fully comfortable, says her name as she leans her forehead on his cheek and says his name back. When a shirtless and pants-less Stabler realizes its Benson knocking on his door, he hurriedly pulls her inside since the animal smugglers warned him not to have any sort of contact with anyone. We needed a change, she says. Outside, Porter tells Benson, while glancing at Stabler, If it was me, I wouldve shot (Simon). Benson thanks both Porter and Stabler, and Stabler asks her why shes thanking him as Porter leaves. Stabler also receives a call from Eli's mom saying her son was missing, which continues the crossover into OC.. It's a little more general," Stabler responds. One of the smugglers finds Bensons jacket, and then she emerges from the bathroom without her shirt. Whatever happened, were going to go, and were going to bring him home, Benson says. Benson, of course! The question is: Why are you really asking?. Benson then briefly rests her head on Stablers as she says, Im fine, to which he replies, Like hell you are.. But now after the death of Kathy, that can, for the first time in over 20 years of them knowing each other, change. I think it worked out even better than I couldve hoped for.). Benson strategically alleviates the situation by manipulating Stuckey into thinking she doesn't like Stabler. Stabler crouches behind a desk with a gun drawn and tells Jenna to drop her weapon, as Benson crouches over Sister Peg in front of him. At this point, they both have tears in their eyes as the standoff continues. Stabler says he tried and tried, but in the end, Kathy helped dictate.. The detectives initially investigate Rook as a person of interest after a restaurant manager strip-searches an employee and claims he did so because a detective called him saying the employee was stealing. Shut up and drive., During a private moment at the end of the episode, Benson tells Stabler she had recently explored adoption, but she was turned down by the agency. Kathy admits Stabler wont sign the divorce papers. Bernie had previously noticed her pills were missing and picks up on her sons conversation with Benson. Really? SVU Crossover Finally Reveals What Was in Stabler's Letter to Benson sighs, "I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes I think it would almost be easier ", "If Kathy hadn't died," Rollins interjects about Stabler's wife. But things clearly arent working out between Stabler and his new partner, since Stabler punches Blaine in the middle of the squad room. She asks him to tell her his honest opinion, and boy, does he deliver the words many have been thinking for over two decades. Read on for the best moments from TV'sslowest of burns. When love warps into hate, theres nothing you wont do, Stabler responds, before telling her he signed the divorce papers. Stabler walks Benson out through the back garden. Its in the grounds, Reggie says. In the middle of a sudden commotion with the crowd, Stabler spots one of the missing kids, Ryan, and shouts to get his attention. Before 'Law & Order' reunites Stabler and Benson, here's where Benson meets Stabler in the hospital, where he crumbles and falls into her for a hug (only their third one ever onscreen, but whos counting!). She relays the message from the grounds to Reggie, who tells Stabler: She wants to know why you dont tell her how you feel.. Rescue is another example of Stabler backing Bensons play and being there for her during a moment that toes the line between personal and professional. Benson brushes it off and emphasizes that his kids are worried about him amid his recent erratic behavior. With tears in her eyes, Benson says, You were the most, single most, important person in my life, and you just disappeared.. You startled me. While talking to her mom a year ago about Carisi, that Rollins' mom suggested the two of them get a hotel room to get it out of their systems. Later on, Stabler drives Benson home and offers to walk her inside. "All That Glitters" ended with Leonetti on the phone at Stabler's doorstep asking if he would let her inside. I lied and said that it wasnt, she says. It has to be this outpouring of everything that, over all these years, that has never been spoken or physically acted on. How about we call it a friendship, Benson says to a beaming Stabler. During a session with her therapist, Peter Lindstrom (Bill Irwin), Benson says that while her son is doing well and her job is great, shes hasnt been happy for about a year. ), While driving with FBI agent Dean Porter (Vincent Spano), Porter asks if her partner in New York finds her as annoying as he does. And when I said that I love you, I think you Stabler is then cut off by an automated voice telling him to press 1 if hes satisfied with his message, 2 to rerecord and 3 to listen to his message. Some are tighter than married couples.. In a scene from a promo for Season Eight's "Philadelphia," which ended up making the rounds in the "SVU" fandom, the psychological evaluator asks Benson if she's ever had romantic feelings for Stabler. Stabler confides a few personal things to Benson, including that Donnelly named his kid, whom Stabler helped bring into the world in a parallel moment to Benson bringing Stablers son into the world in Season Nine of SVU, after Stabler. Thats what Im counting on. Then Benson realizes Kathy wants her to convince Stabler to sign the divorce papers. "You're family," Stabler responds, while searching her kitchen for sugar. 1, Donnelly says while walking away. Bell cuts the chat short. This episode was a great opportunity for fans to see what Stabler and Benson would look like as a couple. Stabler looks up into Bensons eyes from the ground and runs his hand through her hair while his thumb grazes her mouth. Benson asks if theres anything she can do to help, and Stabler assures her he can handle it. When it's finally safe for Noah to return home, Benson calls Stabler and asks him to pick up her son. Why did you give me that letter? Probably talking to Elliot the guy from her dreams, the woman from the hospital replies. Benson notices a bunch of pills on the floor of the bathroom and calls Stabler over to let him know. Newsom says. Benson tells Fin that she hasnt heard from Stabler in a few months and that hes been off the grid working. She will put on her writing cap for important trending and pop culture moments, especially ones related to "Law & Order: SVU." I just think I needed to hear you say that.. For the past four years, he lived in Rome as an international liaison for the NYPD. Bensons and Kathys car gets slammed by what ends up being a drunk driver. At the same time, he sees Benson as she's raising her gun at Gitano, who has his arm wrapped around the other child. Benson is surprised when Stabler invites her into the interrogation room to speak to Eli after he begs with a please.. She has quite the slip of the tongue during a discussion with her son. The moment Benson and Stabler first saw each other after 10 years apart. Stabler later apologized to WebOlivia Margaret Benson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, portrayed by Mariska Hargitay.Benson holds the rank and pay-grade of Captain and is the Commanding Officer of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, which operates out of the The letter was obviously written when Kathy was still alive, and that last, one line Stabler wrote himself speaks volumes and basically confirms that Bensons always been it for him the circumstances just havent allowed it. Then she recalls how he showed up drugged at her apartment in the middle of the night while Noah was there asleep. Viewers are also treated to seeing Benson and Stabler interrogate a suspect together, not missing a beat just like old times. Benson offers to take Kathy to a doctors appointment after Stabler is pulled out of town for their current case. I can hear it in your voice. Both of them confirm they couldnt sleep, and Benson tells Stabler she realizes Miles didnt rape Valerie. That was hard for me, scary, she tells him. Richard Wheatley becomes the unofficial Benson and Stabler relationship hero among the fans at the end of this episode, when he (basically) makes it canon that Benson is the one true love of Stablers life. "If things didn't go well so much to lose," Rollins responds. Later on at the airport, the suspect, Manuel Rojas (Jose Yenque), realizes Benson is a cop and tells her to come with him or else hell start shooting people. Back off.. "I'm sorry," Benson whispers, before a sniper takes out Gitano, effectively ending the standoff. Well, youre the one who traded in your suits for jeans, she replies. Stabler lingers at Bensons desk before saying, See ya, to which she looks up from her computer with a smile and says, OK.. Stabler responds that hell take care of it.. Benson, wise to his actions, points out Stabler had to have gone out of his way to make her home a stop on his way in. Gitano had killed the young boy by the time he arrived. Benson responds, You dont know anything about my feelings for Elliot, and you dont know him.. In retrospect, that line is even more significant now that Benson has a child of her own a son named Noah (Ryan Buggle), whom she adopted after finding him during a particularly dark case. Elliot, tell us what you need, Benson says. After a decade away, Meloni reprised Stabler in the "Law & Order" universe in 2021 on Stabler's own spinoff, "Organized Crime.". Cragen doesnt let on that Benson asked for a new partner and just says, Decisions made.. It all starts when Benson, Stabler and the SVU squad surveil a bus terminal for two children who were kidnapped by a sex offender, Victor Paul Gitano (Lou Diamond Phillips). Back in the squad room after going over the latest with the case, Porter asks Benson if shed like a ride home. Seeing anyone?. The series premiere of Law & Order: Organized Crime introduced an item that fans became so fixated on, it became an entire social media movement: the letter. A doctor tells Stabler and Kathy he believes Kathleen has bipolar disorder and suggests medication after hearing about her recent erratic behavior. The real-world explanation for Meloni leaving SVU was reportedly a contract dispute when Season 12 ended. Nova and Penda made a quick stop outside the diner where Stabler and Reggie talked. Benson then gets a call from Stablers wife, Kathy, and meets up with her in the park. After each of these lines, Stabler confirms Kathy actually wrote those words not him. Stabler appears shortly after to make sure shes OK and to arrest him. Later in the episode, Benson also chose to not shoot an armed suspect who was holding Stabler at gunpoint. Benson follows up by asking if he liked working with her. After a New Jersey cop coaxes Eli from jumping off a ledge, Benson and Stabler go to the precinct to talk to Eli. The guy never touched his wife., The pair go at it again in the squad room in front of Fin and Cragen when Stabler say to Benson: Im the longest relationship youve ever had with a man. Wong), the group's forensic psychiatrist, that Stabler realizes his choice to save Benson was his own, and she didn't make him. Stabler and Benson shared a moment 'SVU' fans have been Ive been pushing as hard as I can. How come you never told me about your mother? Stabler deflects and says, Never came up.. Season Eight is an especially memorable if not the most memorable season for Benson and Stabler fans. She knew that she was going to die, and she still lied to my face, Benson says. Thats our thing, Meloni said. Benson tells Stabler she wants to wait since Noah gets attached very easily and Stablers going undercover again. Shes much more than a party planner, Benson says to Stabler. Thats going to be $100 to watch, $250 to join each. Then she wraps her arms around Stabler as he says, Guys gotta eat, huh?. Neal Baer was the SVU showrunner for over 10 of those years and played an instrumental role in the shows and characters development. "You were the single most important person in my life, and you just disappeared," Benson said. Benson continues to calm Stabler at the hospital, including when the doctor talks to him about Eli. When Newsom asks Stabler to elaborate on that, he says, "When I lost my wife, that was the very clear definition of an ending.". Stabler tells Benson to say hes in the field. The top-tier scene, however, comes at the end of the episode when Stabler spins Benson around as theyre leaving the police station to thank her for being there for him. Benson stays by Kathys side the entire time, including in the ambulance, where Kathy ends up giving birth to a baby boy. Your call. Benson chooses to take Calvins mom in for questioning. Benson replies that she and Stabler are best friends.". Stabler texts Cragen once theyre in Porters phone to call Benson, whos started kissing Porter. Later, Stabler and Benson prove that after over 20 years, 10 of those being apart from one another, they are still in sync. Organized Crime has dropped many references to Benson throughout the series, including in the Season Two premiere. To this day, fans are still waiting for a discussion between Benson and Stabler about what Lewis did to her while Stabler was gone. 'Law & Order: Organized Crime': Where Stabler, Benson left off Like, Well, are we suddenly in a triangle here? I work all hours. Whatever happened between you and Angela, Wheatley knows, Benson says. They probably dont want to hear what she has to say, Wheatley tells Benson, who up until this point, seemingly has no clue about Stablers brief history with Angela. However, what got fans talking was the powerful exchange at the end. Tucker believes Benson tipped off Moss, so she fesses up to talking to Moss because shes in fact been dating him. Pretending be a sex worker, Benson famously says, Are you ready for me Daddy? And once she realizes they have company, she adds, Oh, didnt know we were having a party. The episode ends with Benson walking back to her old desk, which prompts Stabler to ask, What are you doing here?. I just dont know how its going to shake out. Cragen adds Stabler would need to submit to a psychological evaluation to keep his job and go through anger management training, among other things. What the hell just happened? Stabler says to Benson as she walks out of the courtroom. ), Stabler later calls Benson before any of his kids to tell her Kathy passed away. Webkhloe kardashian hidden hills house address. Stabler and Benson share a moment with Calvin shortly before he's taken away. For 12 seasons, viewers watched Benson and Stabler just be partners on SVU. He suggests Stabler take someone along. Cragen pulls Benson out of interrogation. Swing shows Bensons undying loyalty and concern, both professionally and personally, for her partner after Stablers daughter Kathleen (Allison Siko) gets arrested. Who knew one word, Wildlife, could hold so much power among Benson and Stabler fans? In Smoked, a survivor of sexual assault is killed in front of her daughter, Jenna (Hayley McFarland), before her trial begins. Benson, clearly getting emotional, says, Hes earned it. Cragen asks Benson if she wants to talk about it or take some time off, but she says no. Benson talks Simon into giving her his gun after Millfields confession while Stabler keeps his gun trained on him the entire time. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Then Rook presses a button, and the sounds of Bensons screams fill the air. The episode ends with Benson and Stabler staring at each other across the squad room amid the carnage. Bu the door isn't yet closed when it comes to the loss of his former partner. They both turn around to face the water, and Stablers already holding out his glass before Benson lifts hers to toast to partners.. Fin picks up Stabler to bring him back to the city and fills him in on the accident. I wish I could trust you, Elliot, Benson replies. Benson coaxes Simon into sharing his version of events, and its revealed Millfield set Simon up as payback for what happened between Simon and her sister as teenagers (her sister ran away after Simon kissed her, and the Millfields assumed an assault had transpired).