Stabler's Reaction to Benson Abruptly Changing Partners on SVU Will Devastate You

There's been countless twists, turns, and heartbreak in the Bensler saga over the past two-and-a-half decades, but one moment never fails to punch fans right in the gut.

Let's go back to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 7, Episode 20: "Fat." Dealing with the fallout of "Fault," both Christopher Meloni's Elliot Stabler and Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson struggled to prioritize their jobs over each other, which led to devastating results. 

Fans were stunned when Stabler was working alongside a new partner at the beginning of the episode (Anthony Anderson), and they were shocked when emotions ran high between them, ending in Stabler decking Anderon's character in the face after a sly comment. ("No wonder your partner dumped you," he told Stabler.)

At the end of the episode, fans were finally clued in to why Stabler was assigned a new partner — it was Benson's doing. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stabler asked Benson after realizing the news. 

"Elliot, we've been partners for seven years, longer than anyone else around here," Benson said. "We needed a change. I'm sorry, I should have talked to you. It's just, it was too complicated."

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After a heartbreaking gulp, Stabler offered the only response he could muster as he walked away.

"Thanks for dropping by," he said, a devastating look on his face. 

It was an ice-cold moment between the two — and one that fans will never forget.

Watch this moment from Law & Order: SVU Season 7, Episode 20 on Peacock now. 

Thankfully for fans, Benson and Stabler didn't stay apart for too long. After their brief hiatus, they reunited as partners later in Season 7. 

Fans eagerly await the next chapter in the Bensler SVU saga

Stabler and Benson have interacted through voicemails and phone calls over the past year on L&O, and it's clear that the chemistry between the two characters is still off the charts. But when will the iconic characters reunite in person?

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"I'm actually planning on it," Hargitay told Variety in May 2024. "I just told [Meloni] the other day. We had a party the other night, we saw each other. It was heavenly. I met his showrunner [on L&O: Organized Crime]. They want us together, and Chris and I were talking about it, and it's time. It's time now for us. This was a long time not being in each other's universe. That's why we did the calls and stuff like that. But we're excited to get back in there, get back in the ring."