After Seeing Benson & Stabler's Law & Order Reunion For The First Time In Two Years, I'm Oddly Apathetic About It

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Law & Order: Organized Crime will soon feature the first scenes between Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) in two years, but I am surprisingly uninterested. Benson and Stabler’s relationship in Law & Order: SVU has been a selling point for over a quarter of a century, though the procedural has never allowed the couple to be romantic. During Stabler’s original run, he was married and raising kids with Kathy, but after her death in Law & Order: Organized Crime season 1, it seemed like the path was clearing for a Benson/Stabler romance.

It is especially frustrating that after Law & Order: SVU season 24’s finale, Benson and Stabler seemed to be moving in that direction, yet they shared virtually no scenes in the next two seasons. Furthermore, Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 doesn’t premiere until near the end of Law & Order: SVU season 26, adding additional delays to the evolution of this relationship. The pair will finally reunite in episode 2 of Law & Order: Organized Crime, but the setup is extremely underwhelming.

Benson & Stabler Reunite For The First Time In Law & Order: Organized Crime

Season 5, Episode 2 Has Them Meeting After Stabler Is Injured

Law & Order Organized Crime Stabler lying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask on

Stabler and Benson haven’t come face-to-face since they appeared in a Law and Order crossover at the end of Law & Order: SVU season 24 and Law & Order: Organized Crime season 3. During this crossover, Stabler gave Benson a compass necklace before leaving on an undercover assignment, making it appear as if he and Benson were taking the first step toward romance. This episode also occurred shortly after Benson and Stabler almost kissed in Law & Order: SVU.

Olivia, Amanda, and Elliot at a crime scene in Law and Order Organized Crime

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I’m Excited For Law & Order Franchise’s Crossover, But Confused With Organized Crime’s Exclusion Given Its NBC Return Schedule

I don’t understand why Law & Order: Organized Crime was left out of the next big crossover, especially since its premiere episode will air on NBC.

Unfortunately, the procedurals didn’t follow up on this season-ending romantic step. Instead, Benson and Stabler have not crossed paths again, and their only interaction during Law & Order: SVU season 25 was over the phone, where Stabler told Benson he was okay with her lending the necklace to the mother of a girl who had been kidnapped. This was especially disappointing since Benson and Stabler could have worked together on several cases during the season if the writers had wanted them to. However, a new Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 clip shows Benson visiting Stabler in the hospital after he is injured.

Why Benson & Stabler’s Reunion Feels Empty Despite Being Apart For A While

Stabler’s Injuries Feel Unnecessary

Sadly, Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 won’t put Benson and Stabler back together because they made a mature decision and decided to talk out their issues with each other like adults. Instead, after a two-year absence, Benson will visit Stabler in the hospital after he has a serious car accident while undercover. The clip is short, making it hard to tell exactly what’s happening, but it appears Benson is jolted into the realization that Stabler could die and thus comes to see him.

The episode is written by Law & Order: Organized Crime‘s Christopher Meloni, who knows these characters well. Thus, there may be more to the story that the short teaser clip depicts. However, this preview clip doesn’t excite me about Law & Order: Organized Crime. Benson and Stabler’s relationship deserves more than a well-worn trope after being apart for two years, and it does not appear that the procedural is going to deliver.

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