For Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Eliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) have been a fan-favorite pairing since the start of the show, but they have never officially been a couple. Even after Stabler left the series for over a decade, fans still want to see them get together.

Romance often takes a backseat in procedural series, but it is hard to deny the chemistry between Hargitay and Meloni in their roles. Because of that, the audience keeps wondering when, not if, they will give in to their feelings. Hargitay might have just given the audience an answer, though it might not be the one they’re looking for.

Mariska Hargitay Thinks Benson & Stabler Will Be Together In The Final Episode Of Law & Order: SVU

Hargitay Considers Them Soulmates

Benson and Stabler were first introduced in the pilot episode of SVU, and the two partners had some of the best chemistry in the show. It’s no wonder that fans have been clamoring for the two to end up together – despite Stabler being married with children during the time that he was a main character on SVU.

Though years have passed since then and the two lead different arms of the Law & Order franchise, it’s not impossible for them to end up together. Mariska Hargitay believes that as well. In a recent interview, Hargitay claims that she believes the two of them are “soulmates” and will be together in the final episode of SVU:

Maybe [in] the last episode. I think that’s when they should be together. If it’s right, we’ll see when we get there. We are soulmates, in a way.

While Hargitay believes it makes sense for the two of them to get together at the end of the show, fans might be hopeful for a different timetable. There have been attempts to bring Benson and Stabler closer in SVU, but they have not officially become an item yet, so Hargitay could be right.

Why Benson & Stabler Getting Together Being Saved For SVU’s Ending Is Problematic

SVU Fans Have Already Endured 20+ Years Of Waiting

Eliot Stabler and Olivia Benson ending up together in the final episode of Law & Order: SVU would certainly be poetic for the characters. It would, however, be problematic for the viewers who have stuck with the show.

The series has become the most successful part of the Law & Order franchise. It even outlasted the original series. Even in the world of streaming, SVU is keeping up with live viewers. It’s still averaging close to 4 million viewers watching live (via TV Series Finale).

With more than 570 episodes (and counting), those 4 million viewers have seen a lot of characters come and go. The one constant has been Hargitay’s Olivia Benson, which means they are hugely invested in her happiness. Not allowing Benson a successful relationship outside of work is a mistake.

All of Benson’s relationships in the series thus far have ended because her partners do not understand that working for the SVU is part of what makes her happy. She finds the work fulfilling, and the partners who have urged her to retire or get out of the field are the ones she breaks up with first.

Stabler and Benson have essentially admitted how they feel for one another already.

Stabler and Benson share that need to be in law enforcement and that need to help people. It’s clear how much they have in common, even with Stabler making the move from the SVU to the Organized Crime unit. Of course, having things in common and understanding careers cannot be the only reasons for a relationship.

Stabler and Benson have essentially admitted how they feel for one another already. Stabler has admitted multiple times that he originally left his job without saying goodbye because he knew if he heard Benson’s voice, he would not be able to leave. They already had that connection a decade ago.

Benson has also admitted that she wants to be with him, but does not want to ruin their friendship. They have hinted at their feelings and teased the SVU audience for years now. It’s only now that they have been able to be more open about their feelings and their fears.

Of course, when the series did attempt to take a step forward in their relationship, it did not go anywhere.

Law & Order: SVU season 24 saw Stabler and Benson almost kiss, but it’s Benson who decides not to, explaining she is not ready. In reality, it’s the “powers that be” behind SVU who decided the characters were not ready after toying with the idea of moving forward. Wolf Entertainment decided not to have the characters become a couple.

Because both characters have already admitted their feelings in roundabout ways, it seems impossible to continue keeping Benson and Stabler apart for who knows how long. With SVU’s success, we have no idea when the series will come to an end. It could be another 20 years before the final episode airs and we see Hargitay’s vision.

What’s The Best Way To Move Benson & Stabler’s Relationship Forward?

Benson & Stabler’s Relationship Needs To Move Forward Slowly

It might seem counterintuitive to fans, but the best way forward for Benson and Stabler at this point in Law & Order: SVU is in small, slow steps.

The two have known one another for more than 20 years. They were partners first and friends second, which means a lot of their feelings for one another are also tied up in the job. It’s understandable that it can be hard for the writers to get them together at this point.

It actually works in their favor that the two characters lead different arms of the Law & Order franchise right now. That means some of their romantic relationship can develop off-screen. It’s easy enough to offer a throwaway line about Benson meeting Stabler for dinner on SVU or for him to do the same on Organized Crime.

While the audience clearly has an appetite for this particular romantic pairing, easing into the relationship instead of jumping right into one after decades of friendship makes more sense. SVU’s focus is on the cases, while the relationships between the characters simply help to flesh out larger stories. That needs to continue to be the norm.

At some point, the two characters have to have a conversation about even the possibility of being on the same page.

Benson and Stabler should not dance around their feelings for one another anymore, but they should go slow. It’s okay for the series to allude to them spending more time together. It would even be nice if the series could show them spending that time together, but scheduling for two different series might not allow that.

At some point, the two characters have to have a conversation about even the possibility of being on the same page. Stabler dropped the topic after Benson said she was not ready, but that should not be the end of it. The audience should get to understand the growth of their friendship beyond the badge, and allow Benson to get to that point.

Still, SVU has to play it safe. The audience knows that these two characters know one another better than anyone else. We also know they have seen one another at their worst. Benson and Stabler have already hit major relationship milestones without actually being in a relationship. Their relationship does not have to be a dramatic sprint for the finish line.

It is important for the series to remember just how much history there is with the characters and allow them to move at a slower pace. Waiting until the show is ending is not the answer. Law & Order: SVU just has to balance the relationship in smaller moments with the longer story arcs.