Almost ten years after leaving Law & Order: SVU, fans were pleasantly surprised to recently learn that Christopher Meloni will be reprising his role from the series. Back in late March, it was announced that Meloni would return as Elliot Stabler for his own untitled NBC series. But, it turns out that Meloni will be returning to the Law & Order: SVU universe way sooner than expected.
If you are in need of some good news, this is it! Law & Order: SVU’s showrunner, Warren Leight, confirmed that Christopher Meloni will be back as Elliot Stabler in the Season 22 premiere. Leight shared the exciting tidbit on The Law & Order: SVU podcast. Does this mean Stabler will reunite with Olivia Benson?
Fans have been hoping for a reunion between the duo for a long time. Their chemistry has led to a devoted following. There is a lot to get excited about when it comes to this news, including the fact Christopher Meloni’s Stabler will not just launch his own spinoff out of the ether. He will get the chance to start up again on Law & Order: SVU.
Christopher Meloni’s long-time co-star, Mariska Hargitay, already welcomed Meloni back. Now, he will be back on the show they used to share. It is not entirely surprising that Stabler will be showing up when Law & Order: SVU kicks off its multi-season renewal. A previous report indicated that the series was setting up Stabler’s potential return to the series.
Before our current health crisis led to a mass shut down on TV production, Law & Order: SVU was readying for a significant Stabler-related plot. In one of the many things that viewers did not see before Season 21 signed off, the show was set to reunite viewers with Stabler’s family. Namely, his wife and son.
Stabler’s wife Kathy and son were supposed to be seen before Law & Order: SVU ended its recently wrapped season. According to Warren Leight, the original plan was for Kathy and Stabler’s son to have been “rolled” and possibly drugged, per TVLine. Whether or not Stabler’s family will now be a part of the Season 22 premiere is currently undecided.
In related news, some of what Law & Order: SVU’s showrunner said indicated that there might be more than a one-off crossover between it and the new Stabler-centric series. It sounds like some One Chicago-type action may be in the works. Warren Leight mentioned the writers having to figure out “how much crossover” there will be between Stabler and Benson as the new series develops.
If it all sounds pretty thrilling, that is because it is. Christopher Meloni’s Stabler has been off-screen for nearly a decade, so fans should undoubtedly welcome him coming back for his show and some crossovers. It has been a long time coming, and Stabler beginning his return on Law & Order: SVU makes perfect sense.
The long-running series is where Stabler spent twelve seasons growing as a character. There is arguably no better place for him to make his return to the Law & Order: SVU universe. It will be interesting to learn what Stabler has been doing off-screen all this time. Nine years is a massive portion of someone’s life.
Law & Order: SVU will return at some point on NBC. While you wait for Stabler to return to the show’s universe, you can peruse this summer’s premieres.
