Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) may be firmly established as a member of the Organized Crime Task Force on Law & Order: Organized Crime, but longtime fans first fell in love with the character on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Chris starred alongside Mariska Hargitay, who portrays Captain Olivia Benson, on Law & Order: SVU from 1999 until his exit in 2011. His return to the Law & Order universe for Law & Order: OC in 2020 meant renewed hope for "Bensler" shippers, as Benson and Stabler were once again in each other's orbits.
Mariska's recent appearance on Law & Order: OC season 5, episode 2 — which Chris wrote — saw her helping him "deal with traumas," as he told Good Housekeeping ahead of the premiere. And while there was a cheeky comment from Stabler warning Benson to "either help me out [of the hospital] and start your car, or just stand there and watch me get naked," for now the pair's "will they, won't they" dynamic still falls squarely under "they won't."
During our interview, Chris shared the shocking opinion that Stabler and Benson don't actually belong together. (For the record, we vehemently disagree, but appreciate him revealing his extremely hot take nonetheless.) In less controversial news, Chris also opened up about his real-life friendship with Mariska and how it differs from their characters' often fraught onscreen dynamic.
"We're far more touchy-feely in real life. We laugh way more often and are always looking for the humor in ourselves, how we behave, the world. And I think we have a little better handle on our lives and our personal lives than Benson and Stabler do," Chris said.
Outside of their busy filming schedules, the pair finds any opportunity they can to reconnect. Fans love seeing them hanging out off-duty, and Chris and Mariska know how to give the people what they want. Sharing photos of the two captured at a New York Knicks game in April, Mariska teased that she "didn't mind the company," tagging Chris in her Instagram caption.
"You and Chris breaking the Internet and a fandom with a simple picture every time," one Instagram commenter aptly pointed out.
As for whether or not we'll see Mariska make another cameo on the show, we'll have to wait to find out. Until then, we know we can at least count on seeing these two out in public, you know, breaking the Internet again.
Jamie (she/her) is the news and SEO editor at Good Housekeeping. She oversees GH's digital news strategy, assigning and editing celebrity and entertainment news content. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she was the digital editor at Woman's Day. She has over 7 years of professional experience writing and editing lifestyle content for the Rachael Ray Show, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Insider, Elite Daily and more. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature and Publishing from Emerson College and lives in Brooklyn with her cats Lumos, Linus and Milo.
