The following article includes mention of a sexual assault.

Captain Olivia Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler's potential romance.

The bond between Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler has endured for a quarter-century, and considering how strong their partnership as fellow detectives has been, their personal relationship has also grown despite Stabler's abrupt exit from SVU in 2011. This was proven in 2021 during Stabler's highly anticipated reunion with Benson in SVU and the introduction to his gritty series, Law & Order: Organized Crime. While their bond has quieted down in the past year, Fazekas can get their relationship rolling with SVU and Organized Crime continuing their respective runs.

Law & Order: SVU's Brings In A Brand New Showrunner Michele Fazekas

This Showrunner Is Familiar With SVU And Benson And Stabler's Relationship

David Graziano has been the showrunner for SVU since he ed the show in 2022. During Graziano's tenure on the series, he has continued SVU's success in establishing Benson as a strong leader of her unit while also depicting the stress and vulnerabilities she goes through in her job. For instance, Benson's determination to find teenager Maddie Flynn after she witnessed her kidnapping and felt guilty for not preventing it was a personal case for the captain. Benson would give Stabler's com necklace to Maddie Flynn's mother, signifying her strength and comion to heal others' pain.

New showrunner Michele Fazekas can continue to establish Benson's meaningful heart towards those who need emotional , along with the captain's personal needs. Ever since Stabler returned to SVU and extended his reputation as a detective on Organized Crime, it's clear that he and Olivia are still a dynamic duo at times when it comes to solving complex cases. They have also made attempts to get even closer to each other on a romantic level, but still need more time to solidify why they should be together. Fazekas could bring back more confrontations between Benson and Stabler in season 27.

Fazekas' History With Law & Order: SVU Could Help Finally Make Benson & Stabler's Romance Happen

The New Showrunner Can Have Benson And Stabler Fall In Love

Given that Fazekas was a writer and producer on SVU back in seasons 4 through 7, she could be the perfect showrunner to finally bring Benson and Stabler together romantically. Fazekas understands the strong relationship between the fellow detectives because it was during her time as a writer that the whole will they/won't they storyline started heating up. Season 6 was particularly telling of Benson and Stabler's strong bond because, during this time, Stabler's wife Kathy became jealous of his relationship with Benson.

Due to Kathy's jealousy, Stabler and his wife nearly divorced, causing him to feel stressed out while working on a rape case and lashing out at Benson. However, Stabler itted his marital problems to Benson were the cause of his anger, while she provided friendly towards her partner. In return, Stabler would also Benson later on in Law & Order: SVU season 6 as she revealed her childhood trauma to him regarding her father's sexual assault towards her mother. Fazekas's tenure as a writer showed how Benson and Stabler are constantly there for each other during difficult times.

Why Benson & Stabler's Romance Needs To Happen Sooner Rather Than Later

Olivia And Elliot Should Develop Their Love Story Before It's Too Late

While they have continued to endure as hard-working detectives, Benson and Stabler's romance needs to happen sooner rather than later. SVU will likely be renewed for season 27, and Organized Crime will currently have its fifth season on Peacock starting on April 17th. However, the future of Organized Crime and Stabler's story will be key in determining whether Benson and Stabler can be together.

Fazekas may just be the person to be able to do it when she helms Law & Order: SVU season 27.

Considering that Benson and Stabler are two of the longest-running characters in the history of television and show no signs of slowing down, their love story deserves to be told. However, it should also be done in a structured, nuanced way. They have both also been through their fair share of personal obstacles and tackled intense cases over the years. Fans have been waiting for a while for a major development in their slow-burning romance. Fazekas may just be the person to be able to do it when she helms Law & Order: SVU season 27.

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Law & Order: SVU season 26 airs on Thursdays at 9pm on NBC.