Law and order must make up for its mistake Benson and Stabler to save organized crime

Law and Order: Organized Crime'His best chance to save himself is to make up for his past mistakes in Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler's (Christopher Meloni) relationship. The two were originally partners who resolved some of the Law and Order: SVUthe scariest cases; however, Stabler left after season 12 and Benson was not heard from again for another decade. Soon after he returned during a secret pilot for his own show, Stabler's wife, Kathy (Isabel Gillies), was killed, leading to widespread speculation that Stabler and Benson were finally in a romantic relationship.

During the first seasons of Law and Order: Organized CrimeBenson and Stabler's relationship progressed in this direction, only to be abandoned entirely during season 4. Law and Order: Organized Crime season 5 will premiere on Peacock, although no release date has been set yet. The new season must do several things to attract a larger audience and remain viable, and one of the strongest changes it can make is to return to the storyline of the abandoned relationship between Benson and Stabler.

Law & Order Ignored Benson & Stabler's Relationship This Year

Organized crime didn't debut and SVU pretended that the more stable model no longer exists

Until the end of Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 3, Benson and Stabler crossed paths frequently, and there were several signs that their feelings for each other were more than platonic. Stabler let it slip that he loved Benson when she and her family staged 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 the Law and Order crossover ending, in which Stabler gave Benson a compass necklace. Inexplicably, this was the last time the two shared scenes.

While Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 hasn't debuted yet, there was some hope that Law and Order: SVU season 26 would reverse this annoying trend. Unfortunately, this did not materialize. Stabler wasn't mentioned once during the season, despite the fact that Rollins is now working for the Intelligence Unit and the one case she worked on with the SVU could have needed some help from the Organized Crime Bureau. This makes it clear that Law and Order: SVU intends to continue pretending that Stabler and Benson have no personal or professional relationship.

Benson and Stabler's Reunion Needs to Happen on Law and Order: Organized Crime

The scenes they're supposed to share can't be inconsequential

Law and Order: Organized Crime season 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 the scenes include a true reunion. It would be a disappointment if Benson and Stabler only crossed paths briefly, or if Benson only provided Stabler with information related to a case. Audiences want Stabler and Benson to actually talk about where their relationship stands or why they haven't been in touch for so long.

It's hard to trust that the series will adequately handle their reunion after all the false starts and disappointments, but it needs to happen. Law and Order: Organized Crime It will already struggle to attract an adequately large audience after transitioning to 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 huge draw that could help win back audiences. However, if it's not taken seriously, it will be so disappointing that it could drive away the viewers the show needs to survive.

How the Law & Order Franchise Can Continue Benson & Stabler's Growing Romance Without Going Overboard

Law and order: Organized crime needs to combine professional and personal histories appropriately

Law and Order: Organized Crime should remain mostly about the Organized Crime Unit getting close to mob bosses, gang leaders, and terrorists, but that doesn't mean it can't find space for personal stories as well. The best episodes of Law and Order: Organized Crime combined stories of family and crime. This is also what made Stabler such an interesting character when he was in Law and Order: SVU, and there's little reason why it couldn't continue into season 5.

Law and Order: Organized Crime also needs to be careful not to 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're collaborating on, there's no reason why the Stabler spin-off couldn't make Benson and Stabler's romance a compelling subplot that complements Fascinating and dramatic investigations into the criminal underworld.