Could a romantic relationship finally be in the cards for Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson?
Christopher Meloni made a triumphant return to the “Law & Order” franchise with his new spinoff, “Organized Crime.”
Meloni starred as Stabler, the trusted partner to Mariska Hargitay’s Benson, for 12 seasons until his abrupt departure in 2011. They were first paired up in 1999 and their intense chemistry was hard to ignore.
But despite the their enduring friendship and longing glances, the duo never ventured into romantic territory… yet.
With his return, Meloni isn’t counting anything out. As he told PEOPLE, “there’s a world of possibility.”
Meloni explained that he and Hargitay would often “toy” with a more flirtatious relationship in the early days.
"Obviously, we recognized it when we were together on SVU," he said, adding, "We were always kind of toying with that, leaning into that, teasing with that."
However, he admitted that before anything could happen, the duo would first need to clear the air about the decade they spent apart.
The 60-year-old noted they have "a lot of 'splainin to do.”
He continued: "I think we're going to stumble bumble, as I think most human beings do, through complicated areas or difficult terrain, emotional terrain.”
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“What are the answers? Really, There are no answers right now. And I think that's the art and the beauty of what we do, the writers get together and they create these connections or circumstances and the actors get to play them out, so I'm excited. I think there's a world of possibility,” he said.
Showrunner Ilene Chaiken also revealed that she knows some fans won’t be satisfied with the course their relationship takes this season.
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"No matter what story we wind up telling, I know that there are some folks that are going to want the other story, and we'll see.,” she explained.
Meloni’s return to the world of “SVU” on April 1 was fruitful as the premiere delivered the biggest same-day audience since the season 18 premiere in 2016, per The Hollywood Reporter.
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