Mariska Hargitay, Chris Meloni Tease SVU Reunion in New On-Set Photos
NBC’s Benson/Stabler reunion is drawing nearer — but don’t worry, Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni are safely distanced on the Law & Order: SVU set.
On Friday, Hargitay and Meloni both shared selfies featuring one another while presumably filming an upcoming SVU episode that will reunite their onetime partners. “We are a little bit closer,” Meloni captioned his photo, which shows Hargitay sitting a few feet behind him. Hargitay later countered with a similar photo captioned, “Now even closer,” with Meloni grinning in the background.
The on-set snapshots are just the latest photographic evidence of Meloni’s return to the SVU fold. In December, showrunner Warren Leight posted a screenshot of a virtual SVU table read, which included Meloni among the participating actors. “Well, we had a pretty good read-thru,” Leight wrote at the time.
Meloni, as previously reported, will return to the Law & Order franchise in a Stabler-centric new series subtitled Organized Crime. The actor confirmed last July that Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler would share an on-screen reunion, as well, which is expected to take the form of Meloni’s first SVU appearance since exiting the show nearly a decade ago. (Meloni departed SVU after negotiations related to his contract broke down at the end of Season 12. When Season 13 started, Stabler had retired from the police force without saying anything to his tight-knit co-workers; Olivia learned the devastating news at the same time as the audience did.)
Neither Meloni’s SVU return, nor his Organized Crime offshoot, have a confirmed airdate on NBC yet; Organized Crime was missing from the network’s midseason schedule, and there’s been no update on a premiere timetable.
In the meantime, though, you can bask in the glory of Meloni and Hargitay’s new photos, embedded below:
That episode can’t get here soon enough. I hope the writers up their game. Haven’t been a fan of recent episodes.
Is it just me or is the 22nd season too real. We watch these shows to get away from every day life. But this season has been shoving our real life issues in my face.
You’re watching a show about murder and rape. That’s some pretty real life issues. Not sure anyone watches SVU to get away from everyday real life. If so, a show about murder and rape is not the way to go.
Plus, SVU has ALWAYS done real life stuff.
I thought the actor who portrayed the psycho perp/lawyer last night turned in a pretty solid performance.
Can’t wait to see these two together again!!
I haven’t watch SVU in years but I’ll watch for Meloni.
I’m looking forward to Chris Meloni’s new show. I loved them together and stopped watching after he left. Just wasn’t the same after that.
I have so many questions about the characters…. have they kept in contact… are they happy to see each other… will stabler be jealous of Liv’s role as captain…
So. Many. Questions. I can’t wait for this to happen!!!!
It’s been canon that she has not heard from him…but that was a few years back. 🤷
Initial rumor has it that the SVU ep will be the 7th filmed. I did the reverse math, and OC could start as late as 2/25, inclusive of the 2 March Madness weeks, and still finish a regularly-shortened season on time. This is a late calendar, so Thursday and Friday shows will both get the short end of the stick, so to speak, in that the latest they’ll finish will the week before May sweeps ends.
Sooo happy to see those 2 back together cant wait!