Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans have long thought a romantic relationship between Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson would be worth an investigation.
And while the former partners have certainly been gravitating toward one ever since Christopher Meloni reprised his role of Det. Stabler on Law & Order: Organized Crime, he and Mariska Hargitay's Capt. Benson have yet to lock lips. As a result, fans are practically begging Law & Order showrunners to do something—anything—that will offer a glimmer of hope (especially after Meloni and Hargitay's near-kiss at the 2022 Emmys!).
E! News was determined to get answers. So, ahead of the highly-anticipated upcoming Law & Order crossover event, we asked Meloni what it would take to see him and Hargitay share a kiss.
His response? "You might as well win the Powerball."
While not the most reassuring of answers, Law & Order fans know to always expect the unexpected. After all, as Meloni put it, there's a special bond between Benson and Stabler. "What's his favorite thing about her? Well, it's that familiarity," he told E! News. "And now it's the idea of you're in a space where you're allowed to give full expression to feelings that you always had, but were not allowed to act on."
It's not like Stabler is in the great position to start a relationship, either. Looking at his character's future, Meloni said, "I think he's a man who needs to come to terms with a lot of his pains or just literally the death of his wife. I just think that's a tough thing."
"And I have a complicated relationship with my ex partner," Meloni continued. "I mean, these are real juicy, complicated things that I would think are very interesting to explore."
Thankfully for fans, that's exactly what Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime are gearing up to do.
The Law & Order premiere event airs Thursday, Sept. 22, from 8 to 11 p.m. on NBC. You can also tune in to all three episodes the next day on Peacock.
(E!, NBC and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)