I Really Wish We Could Have Seen The Bigger Plan Christopher Meloni Had For Mariska Hargitay’s Law And Order: Organized Crime Appearance

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Since Law & Order: Organized Crime moved to Peacock and began airing in the 2025 TV season, viewers have been eager to see more of Benson and Stabler together, and they’ve gotten their wish several times. It first happened when Benson visited Stabler in the hospital during the second episode of OC’s fifth season, and they collaborated on a case. More recently, SVU wrapped up that storyline in its latest episode. However, there were potentially additional scenes between them filmed for Organized Crime that ultimately didn’t make it into the show.

It’s always enjoyable when Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni get to collaborate, and it’s not simply due to the gradual development of their characters’ connection. Seeing them work and spend time together is a pleasure, so when the chance arose for Hargitay to guest star on the newest season of Organized Crime, Meloni enthusiastically supported the idea and even volunteered to write, as he explained to TVLine when discussing the details of her appearance:

Here’s what happened. Someone told us, ‘They’re interested in having Mariska on your show for an episode.’ I thought that was fantastic. So I said, ‘I’d really like to write the episode, because I’m confident I can do a good job.’ And they said, ‘OK, great. You’ve got it.’

Meloni shared that he had included her throughout the entire script, and though he didn’t want to reveal the specifics of what he’d written, it was considerably more than what made it into the final version. He explained that when it was time to get Hargitay’s approval, her availability was limited, and they received some very disappointing news:

They assess the situation and estimate she’ll be needed for five days. However, SVU tells us we only have her for three.

It’s understandable why securing Hargitay for more than three days proved difficult, as she was simultaneously filming SVU. Coordinating schedules is challenging, even when the shows are filmed nearby. Therefore, he quickly needed to devise an alternative strategy, and he stated:

So I go back to the drawing board, going, ‘She’s out of that!’

He needed to remove her from many scenes and revise the plots, which is understandably frustrating. However, it’s not entirely unexpected given how packed Hargitay’s schedule was. It’s actually quite amazing they managed to secure her for even three days.

So, Meloni finally got into the details, and honestly, as a big fan, I was hooked! He explained that towards the end of the episode – you know, when Stabler and Jet were on that hunt – the scene wasn’t originally how we saw it. It was actually different initially. It’s always fascinating to hear about how these things evolve, right? Especially when it involves a good chase scene! He revealed that the original plan wasn’t what made it to the final cut. It’s cool to know the creative process behind it all.

It was going to be me and Benson on the hunt.

When asked about working together on future episodes, Meloni jokingly replied, “She has a regular job.” I really hope we see more of Organized Crime, and I’d love for them to share more scenes on SVU, particularly after that sweet “I love you” exchange in the Season 27 premiere.

Even though it’s tough to schedule and coordinate filming, I really appreciate the Bensler scenes we’ve gotten so far. Organized Crime hasn’t been officially renewed for a sixth season yet, but you can watch Season 27 of SVU on NBC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET, immediately followed by Season 5 of Organized Crime. Season 5 is also available to stream completely with a Peacock subscription.

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2025-10-03 21:39