Photo: NBC
The momentLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitfans have been waiting foralmosthappened.
Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska’s Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) shared an emotional moment at the end of Thursday’s episode that nearly led to the pair sharing a kiss.
The two detectives caught up at Benson’s apartment after Stabler helped pick up her son, Noah (Ryan Buggle), who had been staying with his half-brother’s family outside sinceher attack. Stabler questioned why she didn’t call him with the assault happened, and Benson explained that she knew he’d “try to protect” her.
“Is there something wrong with that?” Stabler asked as Benson remained silent.
Then he added, “I care for you.”
His words loaded with years of romantic tension, which was clearly overwhelming for his former partner. Stabler moved closer, saying, “Liv, look at me.”
After the pair touched foreheads, Stabler appearedto lean in to kiss her— but Benson pulled away.
“Elliot I want to — I want to,” she said. “But I can’t.”
Stabler asked, “Why not?”
Zach Dilgard/NBC
“Because what if it doesn’t work out?” Benson asked in response as Stabler said, “And what if things work out?”
Benson was unfortunately still hesitant and eventually fully backed away.
“Elliot, I’m not ready for this,” she said, before repeating several times: “I’m not ready for this.”
Fans watched as Benson and Stabler worked alongside each other in Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit for 12 seasons. But Meloni exited the long-running series, now in its 24th season, in 2011 before returning in 2021 for season 22.
Benson and Stabler have shared smoldering, fraught moments many time since Meloni launched the Stabler-centric spin-offLaw & Order: Organized Crimein 2021. But a recentpromo for the serieshad fans more hopeful than ever for a long-awaited kiss between the two colleagues.
Evans Vestal Ward/NBC/Getty
Hargitay recently revealed how Benson actually feels about Stabler.
“The energy’s there. Olivia’s been in love with him for many a year,” Hargitay said onThe Drew Barrymore Showin January 2022. “And I think that we are slowly finding our way back to it, but I want to give him the amount of time he needs to grieve Kathy Stabler.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
source: people.com
