Mariska Hargitay Addresses Benson & Stabler’s ‘Near Kiss’ on ‘SVU’: Why It Didn’t Happen
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Bensler fans all remember that Law & Order: SVU promo for Season 24 Episode 12 where Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) are holding each other’s faces and look like they’re just about to kiss. When the episode aired, this emotional Benson and Stabler scene never happened. After much fanfare, Hargitay reveals key details about this almost lip lock in a new interview.
“To be honest with you, Chris [Meloni] and I thought it should go one way, and the powers that be didn’t, so it got changed at the last minute, that near kiss,” the actress tells Variety. “Obviously Dick [Wolf] gets final say. It’s his show and he didn’t want that.”
Ever since Stabler’s return to Benson’s world after his abrupt exit a decade ago and his wife Kathy’s tragic death, Bensler fans have been hoping that the former partners would finally get together. Hargitay acknowledges her powerful onscreen dynamic with Meloni. “Our chemistry is undeniable. It’s just the way it is,” she says.
There’s been plenty of crossover between SVU and the Stabler spinoff Organized Crime as the Law & Order universe keeps the Benson and Stabler connection alive. Meloni hasn’t appeared in SVU Season 25, and Hargitay reveals her thoughts about Benson and Stabler’s future. “We want to hold the tension,” Hargitay says, “and do what’s right and truthful for both characters.”
But how long is too long with this slow burn? Benson and Stabler are in full-blown will-they-or-won’t-they mode, but a decision about their relationship will have to be made at some point.
The future of Meloni’s Organized Crime is currently in limbo. While SVU and flagship series Law & Order have been renewed, the fate of Organized Crime hasn’t been announced. The show is reportedly considering a move to NBC’s streaming platform Peacock for its fifth season.
If Organized Crime isn’t renewed, Hargitay remains hopeful that Stabler could end up back on SVU. “I don’t see why that wouldn’t happen or couldn’t happen,” Hargitay admits. “I think that we’re sort of irrevocably locked.”
Law & Order: SVU, Season 25, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC
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