Stabler Says 'I Love You'... But to Who? - Law & Order: Organized Crime

During the intervention with his kids, Stabler (Christopher Meloni) blurts out three powerful words. But were they to Benson (Mariska Hargitay)?

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Stabler Says "I Love You"... But to Who? - Law & Order: Organized Crime

Law & Order

[laurenr]

It’s Olivia it’s always been Olivia. He knows and she knows.

[mckayleem]

The kids are all just sittin there like “Liv, fix him.” 😂

[Shadow_]

Elliott: I love you
Olivia:(shocked)
Me: finally I can die in peace

[mckayleem]

I love how the only person that really seemed surprised by that statement was Liv and Elliot😂

[sylviaadams]

Damn, Olivia was shocked! Did anyone notice Elliot's eyebrows shoot up?! Like 'Damn, I let that slip (and in front of the kids)'. OMG. The acting is superb!

[chloe_]

You can tell Olivia cares so deeply about Elliot’s kids. She’s known them since they were tiny; she helped deliver Eli. And I think it’s quite obvious that she remembers they just lost their mom.

[smoakqueenfam]

That pause in between the I love you and the rest of his dialogue was 26 seconds. He had an internal freak out for 26 seconds after he finally told the love of his life that he loved her. Whether or not that was Chris’ choice or it was written in the script, it was a beautiful representation of someone who’d been holding in his feelings for someone for 22 years. Real. Authentic. I loved every moment of it. 🥺♥️

[mckayleem]

Did anyone else kind of interpret the “I love you” as a response to the “tell us what you need.”? Like what he needs is her?

[MaryWhite]

I don’t think he realized he said it in front of his kids.

[smileyfan]

Olivia is so taken back by Elliot telling her that he loves her after decades. Olivia probably felt like she was not hearing him correctly. HE SAID IT. STABLER LOVES BENSON

[maria]

"I love all of you" yeah, he meant all of OLIVIA 😂

[Caroline]

I know this is supposed to be serious but I can't stop laughing at "No one thinks you're an addict" "Thank you, Eli. I appreciate it." Like Elliot just sounds so done.

[jessicarainesart]

The way it just SPILLED OUT like he had no conscious control. My soul left my body

[itachistan]

Notice how he said it and didn’t realize he said it until a few seconds later. It was like he couldn’t keep it in any longer and how he started crying it was too much for him to acknowledge he just confessed he loves liv

[misst]

You can really see in this scene how phenomenal Liv is at talking to vulnerable people and trying to get them to engage. The gentle but never patronising tone of voice, the "do you think you could sit down and listen to us?" and especially the "Eliot, tell us what you need." Twenty something successful years in the job and you see it right here in this scene.

[newyorkshottestclub]

Finding out Chris apparently wrote this scene is the icing on the massive cake y'all

[luvdistrini]

Christopher Meloni is an incredible actor!!!! So powerful and expressive with almost no words

[agmorgan]

It doesn't matter how messy this is and how the writers are flying by the seat of their pants... WE ARE HERE FOR IT.

[plansforus]

Poor Elliot is unraveling, so when Liv says “what do you need” he responds the only way he can: He needs HER. He needs his children. He is at an emotional breaking point and the already complicated dynamic between him and Liv he just literally can’t process among his grief. You can see the guilt and the shame not just from how much he needs Liv but from Kathy’s death. He feels completely responsible. And the fact that in the wake of it the person he needs is also the person he’s loved for decades, and feeling like he failed his kids... it’s just all compounding. Incredibly powerful scene from all parties here.

[jld]

It's the way Olivia didn't see his kids for 10 years and still they look so comfortable to have her around, it's just so lovely to me. And no one truly got too shocked to hear his dad say i love you to her, its like somehow they knew it all along. I love his kids tbh, Eli is my favorite.