There are spoilers ahead for the 11th episode of the TV series “Law and Order: IED“, the 24th season called “Soldier Up”, as well as promos for the 12th series.
There are only a couple of weeks left until the new year, but it’s already safe to say that 2023 does not add up for Olivia Benson in the TV series “Law and Order: IED”. Sure, she and Duarte worked well enough together on “Soldier Up” to gather evidence to close over a hundred rape cases in the Bronx in one fell swoop, but she still has a black eye left from the attack outside. her own house with her little son to watch. Could Stabler, who dropped in from the TV series “Law and Order: Organized Crime” in the next episode, be what she needs?
Well, judging by the preview, it will be difficult, but they will be more intimate and personal than we usually see from them! And I’m not sure I’m ready for what’s going to happen. First things first: If you watched “Soldier Up” but had the misfortune to turn off the TV before the next episode was advertised, take a look at what undoubtedly made Benson/Stabler fans everywhere be ready for a time trip to the next “Law and Order”. Thursday on NBC:
As someone who watched SVU long enough to check out DVD sets from the library in the days before streaming, of course my attention was captured by this advertisement. After all, it’s not like Benson is just relying on Stabler as his old platonic friend! In fact, despite all the close calls and fakes Benson and Stabler may have become more than friends, their upcoming SVU reunion has obviously brought them close enough that it seems neither show can just get past that.
Of course, I really think she gets a free pass for one awkward conversation with Stabler after he showed up at her apartment on drugs and was ready to talk about the letter! However, even if Benson changes her mind at the last second after what she said in the fall finale, or Stabler pulls back because he thinks she’s too vulnerable after her attack, or—knowing the L&O franchise’s ability to separate them for 24 years or more—an earthquake shakes New York at the very the wrong moment, can they really ignore the presence of intent? Can IEDs and organized crime find common ground in relation to Benson and Stabler?
Considering that I wrote about this very topic just a week ago, I would have predicted that I would be all in after seeing how the plot for the duet is about to thicken. But I’m not sure about that at the moment! Firstly, at the beginning of the promo, Stabler asks his ex-partner why she called him, which seems to indicate that he somehow did not hear about what happened to her, which does not reflect well on him.
The footage is also cut in such a way that it really looks like she’s waging a vendetta against Oscar’s dad and wants Stabler to help with this, which… is not a very healthy reason to turn to someone. If so, will Elliot “Not write a letter, but drunkenly declare his love” Stabler help her, or will he try to dissuade her from revenge?
It would be silly to call the kettle black if he tried to lecture her about revenge. On the other hand, when hasn’t their relationship been a little messy since his return? Overall, I’m just not sure if I’m ready for SVU to dive right into the complexities of their relationship, unless it happens due to what she went through after the attack. However, I can spend the next two weeks crossing my fingers from time to time in the hope of seeing a scene between Duarte and Stabler, and not just because of Duarte’s “attraction” to Benson.
Unfortunately, I say “two weeks” because fans have a short break to see what happens when Stabler finally appears on SVU for the first time after a crossover of three shows at the beginning of the 2022-2023 TV season. You can return to streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription). You can see the return of Law and Order: IED on NBC on Thursday, January 26, at 21:00. ET with a new episode titled “Blood Out.”
Interestingly, the episode description does not even mention the appearance of Christopher Meloni, but simply reports that Benson and Carisi are putting a criminal authority on trial while Fin is trying to help the victim, and Velasco is taking decisive steps to get information. Therefore, it is difficult to say how much Stabler to expect in this episode. However, there will be a lot of it at night, with a new episode of “Organized Crime” at 10 p.m. ET follows SVU.
