This article may contain spoilers. I’m a big fan of the ‘Law and Order’ franchise series, so as a fan, I am mad at them. Especially as an avid ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’ enjoyer, I am mad. Thousands of fans, including me, have been teased and messed with, and we are fed up with it.
This anger comes after a promo for Season 24 episode 12 showed two characters, Detective Elliot Stabler from “Organized Crime” and Captain Olivia Benson from “SVU” with their foreheads together and looking like they might kiss after years of waiting for the tension to be resolved. You can imagine my dissatisfaction and anger when the episode aired and there was no kissing. Not only that, but the scene teased in the promo (the one with the face holding) appears to have been cut from the episode.
Twitter users wrote, “The promo VS what really happened. Olivia didn’t even touch his face in the episode. NBC you LIE!!!!!” and “THEY BAITED US! SHE DIDN’T EVEN GRAB HIS FACE LIKE IN THE PROMO!”
The Glamour article “Law and Order SVU Has Lied to Us All Again, and Twitter Has Had Enough” written by Kathleen Walsh states, “Fans of Law & Order SVU have been waiting for Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler to get together for 24 years now. This fandom has seen five presidencies. There are grown adults with master’s degrees who have never known a world untouched by the […] tension between Benson and Stabler. And still, these now middle-aged but still scorchingly hot TV cops have not kissed.”
The partners’ chemistry has been unmistakable since the beginning, and it’s only grown stronger as both the actors and the characters have gotten to know each other. Fans quickly flocked to the pair, rooting for them to make the leap and become a romantic couple. It seems obvious that they should be together given that they know each other’s mannerisms and comprehend each other like no one else. Unfortunately for fans, this slow burn has become more of an eternal flame.
Benson and Stabler’s entire charm stems from how much they trust one another and how easily they do so. These are two people who have been through a lot and have seen a lot. Their job requires them to deal with difficult cases on a daily basis, which naturally takes an emotional toll on them at times. They can, however, always rely on and lean on one another for support, which always results in a beautifully done moment between the two.
When Stabler left in Season 12, it seemed like we would never get an endgame. Sure, we got mentions of him and showed how much his leaving had affected her, which goes to show how close they were and just how much they cared for each other. However, after 12 seasons of dangling a potential romance over the audience’s heads, Stabler’s departure was the first time we felt that there was truly no hope.
But ten years later, Stabler reappears, reigniting the hope that he and Olivia would finally get together. Even though it’s been heavily hinted at and teased, with some promos even hinting at romantic moments between the pair, fans are still on the edge of their seats.
Despite Benson and Stabler being both single and going as far as admitting their feelings on multiple occasions, the undertone remains a constant tease. And after SVU’s most recent near-miss, it’s time to put a stop to it. Even non-shipper fans are probably sick of hearing about a ship that has yet to exist. It’s time for Stabler and Benson to get figured out for the sake of the viewers and the future of ‘Law and Order: SVU’.