On April 1st, Law and Order SVU fans got one of the best gifts of all: the return of NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler. The character of Elliot Stabler has not been seen or included on the show since season twelve, which concluded in 2011. Now, 10 years later, Elliot was returning to New York City to what he had left behind, which includes his own partner Olivia Benson.
The plot of his return episode focused on Captain Olivia Benson’s award ceremony from the NYPD, and how Detective Stabler and his wife Kathy were going to surprise Benson after all these years. However right before the ceremony started, the rental car that the Stablers were using exploded, sending Kathy Stabler to the hospital in critical condition. Benson gets called to the scene, not knowing who was involved and sees Stabler for the first time. After comforting Elliot at the hospital and visiting Kathy who is in stable condition, Olivia finally gets to have a real conversation with her former partner of over 10 years. However, you can tell Benson is in shock and there is a disconnect between the two. Elliot is now working for the NYPD in Rome, however, Benson was under the impression he retired from the force when he left in 2011. It is revealed that Benson hasn’t heard from Elliot all these years and feels betrayed by his silence. Elliot’s wife Kathy then falls from her stable condition, goes into cardiac arrest, and tragically dies. Throughout the episode, other detectives interrogate possible suspects but cannot find a solid lead. Eventually, detectives assume the person that committed this crime is someone related to Stabler and his work overseas in organized crime, which opens up the door to NBC’s new series: Law and Order: Organized Crime, with Elliot Stabler as the lead role. Elliot Stabler wants revenge and justice for his wife’s death, and that is what he is going to get.
Being an SVU fan for as long as I can remember, I was ecstatic to hear the Stabler was coming back to the show. Although it was sad to see how much Benson’s and Stabler’s relationship has weakened, it was comforting to see them back on the screen together and how they were still there for each other. Law and Order: Organized Crime streams Thursdays at 10 PM EST on NBC.