TV
‘Law & Order: SVU’: Christopher Meloni Reveals His Major Ad Lib in Benson & Stabler Premiere Scene
The Law & Order: SVU Season 27 premiere was just one shocking moment after another, starting with the out-of-nowhere reveal that a beloved character had died offscreen. The characters paying tribute to that character led to a crossover as Christopher Meloni reprised his role as Detective Elliot Stabler to join Mariska Hargitay‘s Captain Olivia Benson for a moment near the beginning of the premiere.
The Season 27 premiere kicked off with Benson walking into Cragen’s memorial — yes, the captain died offscreen (a cause of death wasn’t given). After she had brief reunions with Dr. George Huang (BD Wong) and Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters), as well as conversations with her squad and the new chief of detectives, Benson had to leave when she was called to a crime scene. But waiting against her car was her former partner.
“I just feel like we’re entering into our all our friends are dying era,” Benson said to Stabler, who agreed, “It’s the worst era.” It’s not like they can go back, and he wouldn’t want to, Stabler continued, but “we had a pretty good run there for a minute.” She argued, “We still do, just different.” After a sweet hug, she told him to go inside and say hello as she got in her car. “Love you,” Stabler said to Benson before they parted ways.
When a fan asked Meloni on Twitter about that “love you,” he revealed something surprising about it. “Ad lib. Made the cut. Ur welcome,” he wrote.
Ad lib.
Made the cut.
Ur welcome https://t.co/QBW8HwMmrp
— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) September 26, 2025
Now, that “love you” doesn’t necessarily mean what Bensler fans hope. After all, these two have the slowest of slow burns going on on TV right now. Also, they just lost someone very near and dear to both of them — of course they’d want to make sure the other knows what they mean to them. We don’t expect this to necessarily move these two forward, but it’s certainly a big moment for the two that they can be open with each other like that.
But what do you think? Do you think this will be the season that SVU finally goes there with Benson and Stabler? Let us know in the comments section below.
Law & Order: SVU, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC
