Let's be honest. Law & Order: SVU just isn't as good without Stabler. Sure, it's still obsession-worthy, and there have been a few new characters that have helped soften the blow of Olivia losing her longtime partner. But Christopher Meloni remains an integral part of the series for true-blue fans, even if he's no longer on the small screen every week.
So, for anyone truly missing the gone-but-not-forgotten detective, we've got some good news — and some not-so-good news.
The good part: It turns out there are circumstances under which Meloni could return to the program. If the series — which was recently renewed for an 18th season (!) — were coming to a close, he would most certainly be asked to return.
"If we weren’t coming back, there were a couple things I was absolutely going to do," Warren Leight, the series' showrunner, recently told The Hollywood Reporter. In fact, actors Richard Belzer (who played Munch), Danny Pino (who portrayed Detective Amaro), and Christopher Meloni all would have been asked to appear.
Leight also mentioned that Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson, might be the best one to reach out to Meloni. "I think if Mariska were to have called him, he would have taken the call," he explained. "That can be for another day, hopefully a long way off."
Which brings us to the not-so-good news. If Meloni were ever to head back to SVU, it would likely be because the show was headed off the air. So while we'd see our favorite NYPD duo reunited, it wouldn't be for long.
Our thoughts on that? Still worth it. And in the meantime, we can always revisit their glory days on Netflix.
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