18 Best EO Moments Since Elliot Stabler Returned to the ‘Law & Order’ Franchise

When Elliot Stabler left after Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 12, many fans were disappointed because that erased every opportunity there might have been for him and Olivia Benson to end up together beyond a professional partnership.

However, the hope was brought back to life when Stabler returned to lead his own show, Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Since his return, the shows have had several crossover episodes in which the lives and cases of Benson and Stabler have overlapped. But even though there have been plenty of opportunities for these two characters to cross the line and consummate a relationship that has been in the making for decades, they continue to be the longest-running slow-burn on TV.

Still, these precious moments between Benson and Stabler have given the fans enough to hold on to hope and keep waiting for their ship to set sail.  

Here are the best 18 EO moments since Elliot returned to the Law & Order Franchise:

1. Hugging Outside Kathy’s Room

Stabler’s return to the Law & Order franchise coincides with the attack on his wife and her passing. While Kathy Stabler is still in the hospital, Olivia is there for support and to help in the investigation process. However, things are tense between the former partners as Elliot left ten years prior without saying goodbye.

Throughout the series, there has obviously been a connection between Benson and Stabler, but it has never crossed the line to being physical. Still, these two characters have hugged a handful of times, giving meaning to their bond.

The moment outside of Kathy’s hospital room was one of those moments in which they both needed the comfort of a hug. But this one brings back memories of the hug that took place on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 9 Episode 9, “Paternity.”

The shot of the hug is quite similar. We also got to see Olivia’s face with her eyes closed as she hugged Elliot and the back of Elliot’s head and the blue collar of his shirt. Similarities that matter to the fans.

2. Talking About his Departure

One thing that didn’t sit well with the fans was the fact that Olivia had to find out Elliot was gone through Cragen on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 13 Episode 1, “Scorched Earth.” After over a decade of partnership, he left without saying goodbye or giving an explanation.

In the chaos of trying to find out who had hurt Kathy, the two former partners find the time to talk, and Elliot tries to give her an explanation as to why he left without saying a word. It becomes incredibly relevant to their relationship that he admits that if he had heard her voice, he wouldn’t have been able to leave.

But it’s clear the wound is still fresh, and Olivia can’t forgive him just because he decided to return now. Her pain is quite visible when she tells him he was the most important person in her life, and he left her alone.

This conversation is the stepping stone for these two characters to continue exploring the pain that his departure caused.

3. Richard Wheatley Knowing Too Much

As expected, Elliot Stabler’s return wasn’t smooth sailing. On the contrary, it came accompanied by a mortal enemy: Richard Wheatley.

Wheatley seemed the perfect enemy as he hadn’t only killed Stabler’s wife but knew a lot about him. One of the many times he is interrogated, he lets it slip that he knows who the love of Elliot’s life is — all pointing to Olivia Benson.

This becomes even more obvious when he is arrested and, walking by Benson, hears her name. At that moment, he bluntly states that that’s the woman he’s been talking about by saying, “Wow, Elliot. Now I completely understand. She’s a knockout.”

That small interaction, the insinuation that Olivia is obviously the woman Elliot loves, is precisely the kind of hope that has kept shippers on the edge of their seats, waiting for these two characters to come out and say they love each other.

4. Intervening When Elliot Needed It

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 focuses mostly on Stabler’s desire to make Wheatley pay for killing Kathy. As reasonable as that was, Elliot’s behavior was irrational, reckless, and out of control.

This led to his family’s fear that something might happen to him. He wasn’t sleeping, barely ate, and spent all his time chasing Wheatley even when there was no evidence against him. That is why the Stabler kids turned to Benson for help.

Together, the six of them stage an intervention to make Elliot see that even though it is important to catch the man who killed their mom, it is also necessary that he takes care of himself for the rest of his family.

During this intervention, Stabler says “I love you” to Olivia for the first time. He tries to mask it as something he is telling everyone in the room. But the panic on his face after saying it, coupled with Olivia’s confusion, make us believe there is more behind those three words.

5. To Partners

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 22 Episode 16, ” Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing,” was supposed to celebrate Phoebe and Fin’s wedding, but things change when the two decide not to get married. However, it gives room for another great moment between Benson and Stabler.

Two special instances happened at the party between the two former partners.

First, Elliot tells Olivia he was late to the not-wedding because he had been looking at places in the city. He finally decided to stay and start setting his roots once more. Olivia seems surprised, but there is a clear happiness in her knowing that he would be close once more.

Secondly, when Elliot asks how Phoebe and Fin met, Olivia tells him they were each other’s first partners. Benson and Stabler smile at each other knowingly, understanding how important the bond with your partner can be.

The episode ended with the two of them cheering their wine glasses “to partners.” This gave fans hope that maybe, just like Phoebe and Fin, they would also find love in that partnership.

6. Olivia Feeling Ghosted Again

On Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2, Stabler begins his undercover journey to infiltrate an Albanian mob. Even though he might not be emotionally ready for this task, it is part of his job, and he must go through with it.

However, things get tense when Organized Crime needs the help of the Special Victims Unit to catch one of the bad guys. That is when we discover Stabler hadn’t been completely upfront with Olivia about his new target.

Benson, rightly so, is mad at him for once again disappearing on her without much warning or a reasonable explanation. This proves that she still doesn’t fully trust him as she used to, and there is a lot for these two former partners to discuss before moving on.

There is a funny moment when the two of them are speaking in the middle of a meeting, and Sergeant Bell has to tell them to stop. OG fans will remember this is something Cragen used to have to do a lot in the early seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

7. Olivia’s Jealousy

While Elliot is working undercover with the Albanians, he discovers how deep the human trafficking case goes, which requires the constant help of Manhattan SVU. This opens the space for Benson and Stabler to partner up once more.

However, things are still very tense between the two of them. Olivia still doesn’t trust him entirely and, as she continues to help on the case, realizes there is something Elliot isn’t telling her. As the audience, we know that little secret has a lot to do with a certain redheaded Albanian.

But this much also becomes clear to Olivia one night when she is observing a party with Stabler and Bell. Immediately, we can tell she is jealous in how she says, “And I’d say your friend Flutura — is that how you say her name? — she’s much more than a party planner.”

The tone of Benson’s voice and her facial expressions give us a glimpse into her jealousy, but she disguises it pretty well, quickly turning the focus back to the case.

8. The Letter

During Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1 Episode 1, “What Happens in Puglia,” Elliot gives Olivia a letter that is then talked about for an entire season. However, fans don’t find out what actually is in the letter until Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 Episode 3, “The Outlaw Eddie Wagner.”

EO shippers had high expectations for what that letter contained as both Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni teased about it on social media. For many, the contents of the letter were disappointing, while others held on to the final words.

Elliot confesses he didn’t mean to write the letter but that Kathy forced him to do so to cut all ties between Benson and Stabler, even if the two hadn’t spoken for a decade. That is the part that made fans angry. Why say Kathy made Elliot do something as hurtful as this?

The letter basically told Olivia that she hadn’t meant anything to him. But the final words Elliot says he added on his own say, “In a parallel universe, it will always be you and I.”

This last statement proves to fans there has always been something between the former partners.

9. Meeting Noah

One thing that fans wanted to see happening after Stabler’s return was him finally meeting Olivia’s son.

At first, it is clear that Olivia is wary about letting the two of them meet. She is protective of her space and needs to make sure that Elliot is actually going to stay and not disappear without a word again.

Coincidentally, the meeting between two of the most important people in her life happens by accident as they stumble upon each other on the street. She inevitably has to introduce them on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 23 Episode 20, “Did You Believe in Miracles?,” but luckily, it turns out for the best.

It is a very meaningful moment that ties what fans call SVU 1.0 with SVU 2.0 and brings these two characters even closer.

10. Elliot Inquiring About Olivia’s Love Life

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 Episode 9, “The Christmas Episode,” brings Benson and Stabler back together when Elliot’s younger finds himself mixed in a murder case.

On the one hand, it is nice to see them work together again. The two of them continue to be in perfect sync, predicting each other’s thoughts and knowing when to take the lead.

For Stabler, it is especially important to have Benson’s support when a case involves his family. She knows them and his kids’ importance to him, so she brings the stability he needs.

On the other hand, it is quite funny to see Elliot interrogating Olivia about her love life. It is clear that he is interested in finding out how many men she has been with since his departure, but Benson makes it clear that it truly isn’t any of his business.

One particular ex we all wish the two had discussed more is Ed Tucker. The two of them have a tricky past with Tucker, and it would have been interesting to see Elliot’s reaction to how deep the romantic bond between Tucker and Benson went.

11. A Christmas Invite

After finding Eli and clearing his name, Elliot goes a step further and invites Olivia and Noah to his house for Christmas. However, Olivia doesn’t seem too sure this is the right thing to do.

She makes it very clear during that interaction that for right now, the two of them are just friends, and that is all she can offer. As much as the connection is still there, Benson is still wary of what it would mean to open up to Elliot.

Elliot is still hopeful that she will show up and seems giddy and excited as he waits for them at home with his children. During this moment, we also find out Elliot Stabler is now a grandfather.

All of the excitement, however, soon disappears, and it is Bell who shows up at his door and not Olivia.

12. Elliot Picking Up Noah

On Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 10, “Jumped In,” Benson is once more attacked. This time, she is assaulted in front of her son, so in order to keep him safe, she decides to send him away to his half-brother’s house.

Noah is gone for two episodes and returns on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 12, “Blood Out.” What is extremely relevant is how he comes back home.

Benson has to choose someone she trusts to bring her son back home and ensure he is safe until she can come home to him. As shippers hoped for, it is Elliot who picks up Noah and drives him back into the city.

This shows that despite everything that has happened between them, Stabler is still Benson’s go-to person, the one she can rely on. She is putting her son’s life in the hands of the one man she trusts above everyone else.

13. An Almost Kiss

The most important moment on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 12, “Blood Out,” happens after Elliot brings Noah home when he is alone with Benson in her kitchen.

The promo for that episode promised fans more than what the actual episode delivered, but it is still a relevant scene to EO’s story. It is a moment in which both of them accept and say aloud that there is more between them than a former partnership.

Olivia, however, makes it very clear that she is afraid of what might happen. She is scared things might not work out between them, and it would ruin the bond they have shared for over two decades (despite his absence).

As for Elliot, he seems willing and ready to take the next step, risking it all and wondering, “what if things do work out?” There is a closeness between the two of them in their words and how close they stand to one another.

Even though it didn’t bring the result fans were expecting (a kiss), it did put them on the right path with their feelings more clearly out in the open.

14. Bottling a Moment in Benson’s Office

One thing that OG EO shippers will remember is Elliot and Olivia repeatedly sharing Chinese food in the squad room when they had to work long hours. That is something that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 22, “All Pain Is One Malady,” references.

In the middle of the case, Benson and Stabler find themselves in her office eating Chinese food. The dynamics have changed as Olivia is now Captain and she has to lead the unit, but the connection between them remains the same.

For the fans, these scenes genuinely matter to the core of this relationship. The scenes in which the two of them can co-exist, being honest about their feelings and sharing a vulnerability they don’t share with anyone else.

Elliot makes it clear that for these two people, this particular moment is just as important as it feels for the fans to watch it. He tells Olivia he wishes he could bottle that moment up, and we understand that he does love her, and there’s more there that needs to be explored.

15. Olivia Always Knowing Elliot’s Mood

The case from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 24 Episode 22, “All Pain Is One Malady,”  crosses over to Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 Episode 22, “With Many Names,” where it has its ending.

As intense and nerve-wracking as this case is, it delivers quite a few great moments between Elliot and Olivia that keep the fans happy and hoping for more.

One of the things that always attracted shippers from the relationship between Benson and Stabler is how they have always been able to understand each other with a few words and better than anyone else around them. This didn’t change throughout the years.

This time around, Benson is able to tell when Stabler is getting annoyed and frustrated because he is hungry. She can tell why the sudden change in his mood and how irritable he is, knowing this won’t help the case.

16. Elliot Carrying Olivia

One of the most iconic EO moments happened during Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 Episode 22, “With Many Names,” at the diner after Olivia calls Elliot hangry.

While the two of them eat, a shooter walks in, throws a blinding gas, and starts shooting. Elliot is blinded, and Olivia is shot, leaving both of them impaired somehow.

However, it is then that they have to rely on their trust and the many years of working together. Even though she is hurt, Olivia uses Elliot’s gun to shoot the attacker and then guides Elliot out of the diner as he carries her to safety.

If these two characters didn’t know each other so well, they wouldn’t have been able to rely on one another to get out of that situation safely. It is because they understand one another’s rhythm that this scene works so perfectly.

Once again, this moment proves that these characters have always been meant to be.

17. A Hospital Moment

Of course, after Benson is shot, Stabler is at the hospital to make sure she is okay. This particular moment is also a throwback to the many times they were injured during the early seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

It is the constant being there for one another during the worst times, showing up when necessary, and ensuring your partner is okay.

But this time around, it seems as if Elliot shows up as more than just her partner. After the two of them have made it clear that romantic feelings are involved, his presence at the hospital seems to reassure that.

Elliot seems to want to reassure her that he will continue to show up for her no matter what happens. It is also a way to make up for the manner in which he left her in the past, promising that it won’t happen again.

18.  Liv, Love, Laugh

After the case is solved on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 Episode 22, “With Many Names,” Stabler shows up at Benson’s office to let her know he will be gone for a little while.

After not being straightforward with her during his undercover time with the Albanians, Elliot changes the narrative by informing him of his next undercover task. He obviously can’t give her any specific details, but he knows it’s important for her to know why he won’t be around.

Olivia appreciates him being upfront and rewards him by letting him open the gift from Noah’s brother’s family that he had previously insisted on opening. He tells her she is afraid of change, so she refuses to open the gift, but now he has the opportunity to change that.

The gift is quite disappointing (a Live, Love, Laugh Christmas ornament), but Elliot takes matters into his own hands by breaking one of the letters and turning it into “Liv, Love, Laugh” and saying some things can be made better.

It is maybe this gesture that shows, on the one hand, that in Elliot’s life, Olivia has been a significant presence who has managed to make things better during the worst times.

But, on the other hand, it gives us hope that when these two characters reunite again, there might be a shift that finally allows them to be together — to make things better.

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