‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Star Christopher Meloni Teases a ‘Riot’ When Stabler’s Letter to Benson Gets Revealed

Law & Order: Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni has teased that there will be a “riot” when the letter his character, Elliott Stabler, wrote to Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson is finally revealed. TV Line reports that Meloni was speaking during a Q&A at New York’s 92nd Street Y over the weekend, and when asked about the potentially plot-shattering correspondence, he replied, “The letter is addressed this season and I think [fans are] going to set [their] heads on fire when it happens.” He added, “I think there’s going to be a riot.”

Meloni went on to address the letter further, sharing that only “parts” of the elusive message will be “doled out to the audience.” he elaborated, “You’re going to hear what’s in the letter. Maybe not the full and total [letter], but you’re going to get an earful.” The beloved actor also revealed that he did some script work this season, helping the writers with elements of “the Benson and Stabler” scenes. He explained that this was in order to add more “specificity” to his character, which he’s played for more than a decade, total. “I have an advantage,” he said, “because I know instinctively what Stabler would say.”

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Organized Crime is the newest Law & Order series, spinning out of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and featuring the return of Meloni as Elliot Stabler, former SVU detective. In Season 1 of the new series, Stabler aimed to take down figures involved in large-scale crime, while also searching for his wife’s killer. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Meloni discussed his return to the role and explained that he was not sorry for leaving SVU years earlier.

“I would have no problem admitting to it. But I was pleasantly surprised it played out as well as it did,” he said. “Because, you know, that’s not how life shakes out, right? You can have all the dreams you want, all the preconceived notions of how it’s going to be. But I must say, the intervening decade was everything I could have hoped for.”

Wolf also addressed Meloni’s exit from the iconic series, saying that “since the day [Meloni] left” he wanted the actor back. Wolf continued, “Elliot Stabler is tough as nails, he has an infallible moral compass, and he is the cop we wish shows up if you ever need one.” Wolf also very confidently insisted on Organized Crime, “This could really work.”

Finally, Meloni admitted that — even though he has no regrets about exiting SVU — he loves wearing the badge again. “It felt great, a surprising sense of freedom,” he said. “It was a very interesting feeling because I rarely get it. It was just kind of a weird sign that everything’s right, and I was where I belonged.” Law and Order: SVU and Organized Crime both return to NBC on Sept. 23.