The world is a dark and terrifying place right now, but there is at least one vital, life-affirming beacon of light on the horizon. Christopher Meloni, as former Law & Order: SVU lead and daddy extraordinaire Elliot Stabler, will be returning to television in a new TV show on NBC.
As part of a five-year multiplatform deal with Universal Television, crime-TV godfather Dick Wolf is giving Stabler his own series about, what else, an NYPD organized-crime unit. Stabler, a character known for his no-nonsense behavior, his absolute loyalty to his partner, and his immeasurable “protect and serve, if you know what I mean†energy, was written off SVU after season 12 and was said to have retired. His character also had a history of undercover work, though, so maybe that’s where he’s been all these years?
According to Deadline, NBC has already given the series a 13-episode order. This doesn’t seem like enough episodes for a crossover with the SVU mother ship, but like Tinker Bell, if we all clap our hands hard enough and believe, maybe NBC will make our dreams come to life. We all need to hang on as best we can, because if we can just get through the next year, Elliot Stabler will be waiting for us on the other side.