On a behind-the-scenes podcast , Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight said that Christopher Meloni will be making his return to the show in the season 22 premiere. Meloni was a member of the show’s original cast, but left the show after 12 seasons. He played Elliot Stabler, the partner of Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson.
“It’s pretty clear that Elliot will be in the SVU season opener. I think that much I know,” Leigh said of Meloni’s return to the show.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Leight said that it’s not currently clear when the new show will start shooting. Meloni’s character was originally supposed to return at the end of season 21, but those plans were eventually scrapped after the coronavirus pandemic cut the season short. Stabler was also supposed to appear alongside his wife and son, but Leight is unsure whether that will still be the case moving forward.
“Whether we’ll get to see his family as well remains to be seen,” he said.
Stabler left the Special Victims Unit at the end of the show’s 12th season and retired, citing the emotional toll that the job had taken on him.
The news of Stabler’s return to the world of SVU shouldn’t come as a shock. It follows the announcement that Meloni would be getting his own spin-off set in the world of the original show, but focused on his character.
The new drama is set to revolve around Stabler leading an organized crime unit in the NYPD. The show has been given an initial 13-episode order, but little else is known about what it will involve. Entertainment Weekly reports that Chicago P.D. ‘s Matt Olmstead is currently being eyed as a potential showrunner for the new series.
Since leaving SVU roughly a decade ago, Meloni has picked up parts in a variety of other projects, largely on TV. He starred in the Syfy series Happy! and also had roles in shows like Underground and Maxxx , as well as a memorable guest arc on The Handmaid’s Tale .
Speculation has already begun as to what Meloni’s new series may be called. It’s possible that the show will be another in the Law & Order series, or it could decide to take its branding in a new direction. Much like the show it has been spun-off from, there is no set premiere date for the new project, in large part because of the COVID-19 crisis.
