NBC Sets Up The End Of Network TV’s Longest Era

Virginia Sherwood / ©NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection Published Nov 7, 2026, 7:30 AM EST Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. Sign in to your ScreenRant account With its milestone 600th episode coming soon, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is setting itself up for milestone after milestone, as well as the end of network TV's longest era yet. Having been on the air since 1999, Law & Order: SVU has become a cornerstone of NBC's slate of procedurals, stretching across decades and bringing even the most intense cases to life. From stories that are ripped from the headlines to intense character-driven cases, the series has become one of the most well-known and in-depth procedurals throughout its time on the air, building its own characters into the narrative. With Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson becoming a fixture on the series quickly, the current Captain wasn't alone in the fight against New York's most heinous crimes. Throughout the earliest seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Benson was partnered with detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), who spent years on the series working alongside her. While Stabler left SVU in 2011, Meloni has returned to the series several times over the past 15 years, even anchoring his own series in the past few seasons, the now defunct Law & Order: Organized Crime. As one of SVU's defining characters, Stabler's one of Benson's closest connections. With Organized Crime having come to an end on the heels of Special Victims Unit reaching a major milestone, Stabler's return to the series felt like kismet. It's also possible that his next reunion with Benson, during Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's 600th episode, could mark the end of one of NBC's longest and most agonizing eras. Elliot Stabler Is Confirmed To Appear In Law & Order: SVU's 600th Episode While Stabler has returned to Law & Order: SVU in the past, seeing him in the upcoming 600th episode will be different for viewers, especially with this being his first appearance in the franchise post-Organized Crime. Stabler will be joining Benson in an investigation during Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 28 episode 6, "Obedience," which will see the pair being tasked with revisiting one of their first cases together. As new leads come to light, Benson and Stabler will have to confront the mistakes and subsequent consequences of the choices they made in the past, which may change their present, too. The premise of Law & Order: SVU's 600th episode calls into question the expertise of Benson and Stabler, and at the same time tasks them with an interesting new lens to look at their relationship from. While the professional aspect of having to retrace their steps from over 25 years prior is fascinating, bringing Stabler back into the mix to revisit a case is hardly the only thing that viewers will be anticipating from the episode. After years of slow-burning potential from Benson and Stabler, the chance to look at their past from a new perspective could give the pair a significant push forward. While the episode doesn't necessarily have to turn romantic for Benson and Stabler, revisiting their past in a meticulous way could make for an interesting avenue for the characters to explore how things have changed. With their relationship consistently shifting and bending, the connection between the pair could find a new path during SVU's milestone hour. SVU's 600th Episode Is The Perfect Time To Pay Off Benson & Stabler's Slow Burn Image via Virginia Sherwood / ©Peacock / Courtesy Everett Collection For over a decade of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Benson and Stabler's partnership was close and personal, but never romantically charged despite some viewers hoping it would turn. Though Benson was typically single, Law & Order: SVU quickly established that Stabler was married with a family, and the series chose not to shift that dynamic to incorporate Benson into the mix. While Stabler's relationship wasn't always stable, it was clear that his partnership with Benson was a close connection that SVU wasn't going to complicate by putting romantic feelings on the table. Later, however, the series began to push a different agenda. When Stabler's wife, Kathy, died prior to the launch of Law & Order: Organized Crime, a completely different path forward opened up for the Benson and Stabler connection. Now, long harbored respect and slow simmering romance was bubbling up to the surface, and it became clear that though there were never moments where the pair were going to act on those feelings prior, Benson and Stabler's chemistry was vastly different. Their relationship continued to grow more complicated as Benson and Stabler went through their own moments of hardship, but found one another there as support despite their professional tether all but snapping. With Law & Order: SVU consistently bringing Benson and Stabler close to the brink of something more, even seeing the pair nearly kiss in a recent season, the former partners have never actually crossed that line. The 600th episode could be the perfect time for the former partners to try something new, especially with the show opening up their past to a completely different interpretation. Will SVU Actually Give Stabler & Benson A Happy Ending? Image via NBC Though anything is possible in the world of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, it doesn't necessarily feel like the show will ever truly feature Benson and Stabler in a supportive, happy romance, at least not in the way viewers might expect. While there's a compelling reason to push through and see Benson and Stabler finally pursue a relationship, the idea of putting the characters together only to have the bulk of their romance be off-screen doesn't offer the level of pay off that viewers would want. The tension between the characters, however, is still something that can keep the hope of a romance alive and well. While there may not be a happy ending on the horizon for Benson and Stabler any time soon, the idea that something may shift between the characters in the Law & Order: SVU 600th episode isn't impossible. With a near-kiss already having happened on screen, there's a clear desire between the characters, and that points to something further taking place in the future, whether that's a near future or a far one. Hargitay has always spoken highly of Meloni and their work together, and bringing Stabler back into the mix almost always promises some great moments for the pair. With a happy ending far from guaranteed, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has always been in the habit of surprising its viewers, which could mean the Benson and Stabler story may well find itself changing for the better. Though it's not necessarily likely, it's definitely possible that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's milestone episode could end the will they/won't they era for Benson and Stabler. Release Date September 20, 1999 Network NBC Showrunner Michael S. Chernuchin, David Graziano Cast Mariska Hargitay Olivia Benson Ice-T Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola Directors Jean de Segonzac, David Platt, Peter Leto, Alex Chapple, Juan José Campanella, Norberto Barba, Constantine Makris, Martha Mitchell, Arthur W. Forney, Michael Slovis, Steve Shill, Alex Zakrzewski, Michael Pressman, Helen Shaver, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Smith, Ted Kotcheff, Fred Berner, Jonathan Kaplan, Holly Dale, Jonathan Herron, Jud Taylor, Adam Bernstein, Jim McKay Writers Judith McCreary, David Graziano, Michael S. Chernuchin, Daniel Truly, Jonathan Greene, Amanda Green, Lisa Marie Petersen, Allison Intrieri, Lawrence Kaplow, Jose Molina, Matt Klypka, Michael R. Perry, Samantha Corbin-Miller, Barbie Kligman, Robert F. Campbell, Candice Sanchez McFarlane, Gwendolyn M. Parker, René Balcer, Robert Nathan, Wendy West, Speed Weed, Ryan Causey, Chris Brancato, Christos N. Gage Franchise(s) Law and Order Creator(s) Dick Wolf