For more than two decades, fans have been wondering when Benson and Stabler will cross the line on the long-running NBC hit.
For more than two decades now, Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) have formed such an undeniable chemistry on Law & Order: SVU that fans have long wondered if they'll ever cross the line. Hargitay is hopeful that day will one day come, and co-star Ice-T wants them to get it over with, because the suspense is killing everyone, including him.
Ahead of Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU's big premiere Thursday night on NBC, ET's Rachel Smith spoke with Hargitay and Ice-T at 62 Chelsea Piers in New York City, where they revealed they'd like to see Olivia and Elliot end up happy together.
Yes, Hargitay agrees that when it comes to Olivia's happiness, Elliot definitely plays a big role. But is she hopeful about the characters finally ending up together after more than 20 years of palpable chemistry?
"God, yes," Hargitay responded. "There is no show in the history of television when characters have been together so long that the relationships are truly earned, are truly organic. So, Chris and I can go to places that no one else can because we lived it. Everything is so much deeper."
Ice T, who has played Detective Fin Tutuola alongside Hargitay's Olivia almost since the beginning of Law & Order: SVU, said Ice-T the viewer/fan wants to see Olivia and Elliot get it over with, for everyone's sake, although at first he played it off like he wasn't all that invested in their relationship.
"Ice doesn't care. I've given up on them. I'm a viewer. So, I'm watching them like, 'Get to it! Get to the business! Stop playing around,'" he tells ET. "'If you love her, Elliot, let's get it going now!' Finn, he just wants Olivia to be happy. So, he's gonna hold it down. He knows Elliot. Elliot's his man, too."
Then Ice-T really went all in on the potential romance.
"But as a viewer, I'm like, 'Ya'll need to just hit a motel or something and make it happen,'" he exclaimed.
Fans were left with a bit of a cliffhanger in the season 24 finale, when Elliot gifted Olivia a compass necklace during last season's SVU season 24 finale and Law & Order: Organized Crime crossover episode. In fact, during filming of season 25, Olivia wore the necklace, and Hargitay shared as much in a behind-the-scenes Instagram post back in November.
In what seems like forever now, Olivia and Elliot have oozed "love connection" vibes since season 1 of SVU. They were partners for more than 12 years until Meloni left the show in 2011. He would eventually reprise the role in 2021 on the Law & Order spinoff, Organized Crime.
The "will they or won't they?" has been going on for so long, Ice-T first weighed in on the subject back in September 2022, telling ET he'd be down to see the romance between the two characters.
"I don't see why not," he told ET of the friends finally getting together.
Though Elliot was previously married to his wife, Kathy, she died when Meloni returned to the franchise in Organized Crime.
"I thought it was kind of odd earlier because Chris was married, but then Chris' wife died," Ice-T says of a potential Olivia-Elliot romance. "I don't know, maybe they'd rather let that hang on."
Whatever storyline plays out this upcoming season, Ice-T's just ecstatic to work with a true friend like Hargitay.
"I'm just fortunate that I got to be with Mariska who's such a sweetheart in real life," he said of his co-star. "When you get on a show like this, the worst thing is to have to come to work with people you don't like. There are shows where the actors don't even talk to each other. I couldn't even imagine that, so when people say, 'Well, Ice, how can you be on the show so long?' I love it, everybody's nice and we're appreciative. Mariska is a star who's very appreciative of her success. She doesn't take it for granted ... I'm very appreciative too. I know how quick this can be taken away."
The bond he's formed with Hargitay also rings true when it comes to series creator Dick Wolf.
"Dick Wolf's gangster," Ice-T says. "Gangsters basically live by the code of just do what you say, you will do. Nothing more. So, everything I say that I'll do, I do. And he does the same."
Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU premiere their new seasons Thursday night on NBC.
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