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Fans of Law & Order: SVU have been waiting for years for the long-awaited reunion between Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). The former partners had an undeniable connection together, and fans will soon get to see it again when they reunite this year before the premiere of Stabler’s own spinoff, Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Meloni recently shared an image of himself and Hargitay, and it has numerous fans extremely excited for the on-screen reunion that’s to come.

Christopher Meloni will return as Detective Elliot Stabler 

Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay | Bobby Bank/WireImage

Fans can look forward to seeing Stabler on SVU before his spinoff premieres in 2021. Stabler was Benson’s trusted partner for 12 seasons, and when he left, it was a hard pill to swallow. He didn’t return for season 13 and Stabler didn’t even say goodbye to Benson either, which was hard for fans to deal with. It turns out Meloni left because of a contract dispute, and things really felt unfinished.

Meloni was supposed to return for the season 22 premiere, but with Organized Crime being postponed, Meloni’s return to SVU was also delayed. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new series delay had to do with showrunner Matt Olmstead leaving the project.

Organized Crime was greenlit for 13 episodes and will debut this year. Stabler will come back “after a devastating personal loss,” according to NBC. Here’s the rest of the official description: “However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away, and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Stabler will aim to find absolution and rebuild his life while leading an elite new task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful crime syndicates one by one.”

Mariska Hargitay shared a screenshot of a Zoom call read through that included Meloni

Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni
Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni | Bobby Bank/WireImage

There have been a number of teases of Meloni’s upcoming return to the SVU squad before his own spinoff takes place. One of those occurred six weeks ago when Hargitay posted a photo of a Zoom call script read through that had fans talking. Christopher Meloni was included in the call, and he can be seen in the top right corner wearing a lime green shirt. They were joined by Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder, and Demore Barnes. Warren Leight, the showrunner, also shared an image of the read through, so fans are getting excited for Meloni to return as Stabler.

“Well…that happened…” Hargitay captioned the post on Instagram.

Christopher Meloni shares epic post with Mariska Hargitay 

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On January 15, Meloni posted a photo that fans are going wild over. He shared an image of himself and Hargitay in black and white, with his former partner sitting in the back looking up. Meloni can be seen wearing a tie with half his face cut off from the shot. They appear to be wearing their detective attire, and they’re in what could be a storage container or warehouse. Could they be filming their reunion?

“We are a little bit closer,” Meloni captioned the post on Instagram.

Fans are super excited 

As can be expected, fans can’t stop talking about this new teaser photo. It could mean the return of Stabler is coming sooner rather than later.

Fans are clearly excited for the long-awaited reunion between Benson and Stabler. “I speak for EVERYONE when I say we can’t wait!!!!” a fan said.

One fan tells Stabler to “please hurry,” and we’re right there with them. “Omggg please hurry 😩,” they wrote.

“Omgggggggg yasssssssssssssss pleaseeeeeee,” a fan enthusiastically wrote.

Another fan is “looking forward” to seeing these two together once again. “I’m so looking forward to seeing you together again 😍😍,” they said.

“I’m in tears. ❤️,” one fan admitted in the comments, while another says, “Well this just made my day. ❤️.”

Fans are seriously excited for the future episode. “I literally cannot,” a fan said, while another wrote, “So exciting! I am freaking out! ❤️❤️❤️.”

A fan even said, “Losing my f****** mind.”

“I am getting 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 excited,” another fan wrote in the comments.

One fan thanked Meloni for sharing the post. “THANK YOU for this. ❤️ I’m not sure how I’m supposed to function the rest of the day 🥰,” they expressed.

One thing is certain: fans are more than excited for the return of Stabler to the SVU universe. Hopefully this photo means it’s happening soon.