Law & Order: Organized Crime’s best chance of saving itself is to make up for its earlier mistakes with Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) relationship. The two were originally partners who solved some ofLaw & Order: SVU’s creepiest cases; however, Stabler left after season 12 and Benson did not hear from him again for another decade. Soon after he returned during a backdoor pilot for his own show, Stabler’s wife, Kathy (Isabel Gillies), was killed, leading to widespread speculation that Stabler and Benson would finally have a romantic relationship.
During the early seasons ofLaw & Order: Organized Crime, Benson and Stabler’s relationship progressed in that direction, only for it to be dropped altogether during season 4.Law & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5will eventually premiere on Peacock, though no release date has been set yet. The new season must do several things to attract a larger audience and remain viable, andone of the strongest changes it can make is to pick up the dropped relationship storyline between Benson and Stabler.
Law & Order Has Ignored Benson & Stabler’s Relationship This Year
Organized Crime Has Not Premiered And SVU Has Pretended Stabler No Longer Exists
Up until the end ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimeseason 3, Benson and Stabler crossed paths often, andthere were several signs that their feelings for each other were more than platonic. Stabler let it slip that he loved Benson when she and his family performed an intervention to try to stop his obsessive investigation into his wife’s death, and later, he and Benson almost kissed. The relationship seemed set for season 4 after theLaw & Ordercrossoverfinale, in which Stabler gave Benson a compass necklace. Inexplicably, this was the last time the two ever shared scenes.
10 Things Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Needs To Do To Fix Christopher Meloni’s Spinoff
There are several things Law & Order: Organized Crime must do to fix the serious problems that have plagued the Christopher Meloni spinoff.
WhileLaw & Order: Organized Crime season 5has not yet premiered, there was some hope thatLaw & Order: SVUseason 26would reverse this annoying trend. Unfortunately, that did not materialize. Stabler has not been mentioned once during the season, despite the fact that Rollins is now working for the Intelligence Unit and the one case she worked with SVU on could have used some help from the Organized Crime Bureau. This makes it clear thatLaw & Order: SVUintends to continue pretending that Stabler and Benson do not have either a personal or professional relationship.
Benson & Stabler’s Reunion Needs To Happen In Law & Order: Organized Crime
The Scenes They Are Supposed To Share Can’t Be Inconsequential
Law & Order: Organized Crimeseason 5 will allow Benson and Stabler to share scenes, but there are no details. This is an improvement over the radio silence of the last two seasons, but it’s important that their scenes include a real reunion. It would be a disappointment of Benson and Stabler only cross paths briefly, or if Benson merely provides Stabler with information related to a case.Audiences crave Stabler and Benson actually talking about the status of their relationshipor why they haven’t been in touch for so long.
All of Olivia Benson’s Appearances on Law & Order: Organized Crime
“What Happens in Puglia” (season 1, episode 1)
“Not Your Father’s Organized Crime” (season 1, episode 2)
“The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of” (season 1, episode 4)
“An Inferior Product” (season 1, episode 5)
“Forget It, Jake; It’s Chinatown” (season 1, episode 8)
“The Outlaw Eddie Wagner” (season 2, episode 3)
Jul 28, 2025
“The Good, The Bad, and The Lovely” (season 2, episode 5)
“The Christmas Episode” (season 2, episode 9)
“Takeover” (season 2, episode 15)
“Lost One” (season 2, episode 20)
“Gimme Shelter Part 1” (season 3, episode 1)
“Shadowërk” (season 3, episode 21)
“With Many Names” (season 3, episode 22)
June 13, 2025
It is difficult to trust that the series will handle their reunion properly after all the false starts and disappointments, but it needs to happen.Law & Order: Organized Crimewill already struggle to attract a suitably large audience after transitioning to being a streaming-only service and being off the air for nearly a year. Benson and Stabler’s renewed relationship, if done correctly, would be a big draw that could help win audiences back. However,if it is not taken seriously, that will be so disappointing that it could turn off the viewers the show needs to survive.
How The Law & Order Franchise Can Continue Benson & Stabler’s Burgeoning Romance Without Overdoing It
Law & Order: Organized Crime Needs to Blend Professional And Personal Stories Properly
Law & Order: Organized Crimeshould remain primarily about the Organized Crime Unit closing in on mob bosses, gang leaders, and terrorists, but that does not mean it can’t find room for personal storylines as well. The best episodes ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimecombined family and crime stories. This is also what made Stabler such an interesting character when he was onLaw & Order: SVU,and there is little reason that can’t continue in season 5.
There is no reason that the Stabler spinoff can’t make Benson and Stabler’s romance a compelling subplot.
Law & Order: Organized Crimealsoneeds to be careful to not make Benson and Stabler’s relationship the main storyline throughout season 5. However, there is little danger of this happening, considering how little movement there has been in the past. If Benson becomes a recurring character like she was in the first three seasons, and their relationship is intertwined with cases they are collaborating on, there is no reason that the Stabler spinoff can’t make Benson and Stabler’s romance a compelling subplot that complements fascinating and dramatic investigations into the criminal underworld.
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Cast
Law & Order: Organized Crime follows the detectives of the Organized Crime Control Bureau as they strive to dismantle New York City’s most vicious and violent illegal enterprises, providing a deep dive into the complex and intricate world of organized crime. Released on August 02, 2025, it extends the Law & Order franchise.
