Mariska Hargitay And Christopher Meloni Reunited Ahead Of The Law And Order Finales, And Now I Miss Benson And Stabler Again

All three Law & Order shows are on the verge of ending their current seasons in the spring 2024 TV schedule. Unfortunately for fans of the Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler dynamic after the last seasons of SVU and Organized Crime ended with them closer than ever, neither has crossed over to the other's show lately. So, it's nice to see Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni hanging out and looking happy, with both actors sharing some photos of a recent reunion.

The two Law & Order franchise stars reunited in Los Angeles to celebrate Arthur Forney, an editor and producer with credits on all of the entries in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe. Mariska Hargitay shared this photo standing with her former SVU partner, and it really makes me miss seeing them on screen together as Benson and Stabler. Take a look:

It's not altogether shocking that NBC didn't deliver a crossover event between SVU and Organized Crime in 2024, due to the constraints from the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike that delayed the current seasons. Plus, OC is back to pretty heavy serialization rather than cases of the week that could have easily incorporated Benson and Special Victims. There have been Benson/Stabler crumbs, with Benson regularly wearing the compass necklace he gave her and Stabler reaching out to her over the phone.

Still, after the 2023 spring finales nailed Benson and Stabler's relationship, I still wish that we'd gotten to see them together for a two-parter in 2024. It's possible that SVU or OC will include a cameo in the finales on May 16, but I'm not holding my breath. It also remains to be seen if crossovers will be possible moving forward, with Law & Order: SVU remaining on NBC for Season 26 and Law & Order: Organized Crime moving to Peacock for Season 5.

Whatever the future holds, Chris Meloni shared some extra photos from his and Hargitay's night celebrating a longtime Wolf Entertainment team member:

The various photos were posted not too long after Organized Crime's move to Peacock was finally confirmed, officially guaranteeing that each of the nine current scripted Dick Wolf TV shows has at least one more season in it. Both Law & Order and SVU will continue releasing their newest episodes on Thursday nights on NBC before streaming next day. Personally, I'm wondering if Peacock will release new episodes on of OC on Thursdays to keep up with SVU and L&O, or simply release on Fridays when the latest from the other two also arrive.

For now, be sure to tune in to NBC on Thursday, May 16 starting at 8 p.m. ET for the Season 23 finale of Law & Order, followed by SVU's Season 25 finale at 9 p.m. ET and OC's Season 4 finale at 10 p.m. ET. You can also find all three shows streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now.