Did You Catch Benson’s Blink-and-You’ll-Miss-It Nod to Stabler on Law & Order: SVU?
This story contains spoilers for Law & Order: SVU Season 27, Episode 8 (“Showdown”).
For over two decades, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit fans have relished in the dynamite partnership between Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni), even years after the pair charted different paths within the NYPD.
Viewers jump at any mention of Benson and Stabler, and while Stabler has been hanging out with the Law & Order: Organized Crime squad, that hasn’t stopped him from frequently reconnecting with his longtime ride-or-die, Captain Olivia Benson. The pair were partners for 12 years of gripping investigations and heart-pumping criminal takedowns, forging a steel-tight bond rooted in mutual respect and appreciation.
After Stabler returned from a decade-long hiatus as a widower, it took no time at all for him to fall right back into it with Benson, forming an even deeper bond as the partners dive into their complex feelings for each other. Benson and Stabler were a mythic match-up on the SVU squad, and with their case closure rate, it’s no wonder the SVU Captain’s former partnership is still well-known within the NYPD.
During SVU’s fall finale (“Showdown”), viewers may have caught a quick nod to Stabler while Benson attended a conference with her new Chief, Kathryn Tynan (Noma Dumezweni), who opened up about her own unforgettable partnership.
Benson made a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nod to Stabler during a chat with Tynan
Throughout Season 27 of SVU, Tynan has made an effort to connect with SVU Captain Benson, eager to get closer and learn more about one of the best Captains in her department.
One of the ways Tynan has bridged this gap is by placing Detective Jake Griffin (Corey Cott) onto Benson’s squad so he can sharpen his skills as an investigator. Tynan and Griffin share a long-running personal relationship. Tynan’s former NYPD partner was Griffin’s dad, the late Jimmy Griffin. Tynan took Griffin under her wing after her partner’s death, viewing Griffin like a son she never had.
Tynan told a humorous tale of her former partner with Benson, leading to a heartwarming exchange about Stabler.
“So Jimmy tells him NYPD has a new forensic technique where murder victims’ eyes could be removed to determine the last image they saw before death,” Tynan recalled, telling Benson about one of her and Jimmy’s previous cases.
“This is genius, but did it actually work?” Benson asked.
“Like a charm, the guy gave up everything, including stuff we didn’t even know about,” Tynan laughed. Boasting her own history of shared camaraderie with Stabler, Benson was keen to know how long Tynan and Jimmy had been partners.
“Five years in uniform, four more as detectives,” Tynan said. “He was a great cop, a great partner. You know how it is when it just clicks.”
“I do, I do,” Benson said, leaving SVU fans feeling nostalgic about Benson and Stabler’s most memorable moments together through the years.
After Benson asked Tynan how she lost her partner, Tynan revealed that Griffin’s father had been shot three times in the line of duty, but in the end, cancer took his life when Griffin was only 12 years old. Tynan thanked Benson for taking Jake under her wing, and Benson said it was no problem. Detective Griffin has already emerged as a promising recruit.
Stabler recently reflected on his partnership with Benson
The last time Benson reconnected with her former partner on screen was in the Season 27 premiere of SVU after the duo bumped into each other at the funeral of their longtime SVU Captain, Donald Cragen (Dann Florek). After commiserating about how they’ve reached the era of their lives where they’re forced to bid farewell to cherished friends, Stabler found himself stirring with thought over his partnership with Benson.
“Not that you can go back, and not that I’d want to,” Stabler told Benson. “But we had a pretty good run there for a minute.”
Benson shrugged off the melancholic nature of Stabler’s statement, disagreeing that their “good run” had come to an end.
“We still do, just different,” Benson assured Stabler before pulling him in for a big hug.
SVU fans will have to wait for the 2026 Season 27 midseason premiere to see what action awaits the tenacious squad. In the meantime, watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Peacock.