Law & Order: Organized Crime fans were dealt a serious blow this week when Peacock announced it will not heed fans’ desperate cries for a Season 6 renewal. The Season 5 finale of the Christopher Meloni-led series dropped last summer, and as this appears to be the end of Elliot Stabler’s story after “nearly 17 odd years,” Meloni shared some emotional thoughts on the latest big TV cancellation.
Christopher Meloni reflected on his time playing Elliot Stabler, which started on Law & Order: SVU in 1999, and he was on the show until 2011. In 2020, it was announced he would reprise the character for Law & Order: Organized Crime, which streamed with a Peacock subscription. He took to Instagram with a message of thanks to the fans, which you can see below:
That’s really tough to watch and drives home how important this role was for Christopher Meloni. Several times in the video, he had to pause before speaking, and despite keeping a positive tone, his eyes appeared to well up with tears as he said:
Hey everyone, I just saw that they announced OC, Organized Crime, won’t be coming back. So I wanted to take this moment to say thank you to the fans, who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back. Good ride. It was a good ride, I had a great time playing him. It was a great ride, but thank you. You helped give me a career that I never dreamed of. Nearly 17 odd years.
Upon news of the cancellation, many fans immediately called for Christopher Meloni to return to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which received its Season 28 renewal just as the bad news was coming for Organized Crime. Meloni has returned to SVU several times in recent seasons, which is always a delight for fans who want to see a romance between Stabler and Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson.
Law & Order: SVU has teased a Bensler relationship for years, and it’s not hard to see why, given the intense chemistry between the two actors and the years of history their characters share. Things went so far in an episode last year that the two almost kissed.
Only time will tell if this is the end of Elliot Stabler or if there are plans to continue his story on a different series in the Law & Order universe. We only know for sure that it won’t be on Law & Order: Organized Crime.
The spinoff premiered in 2021, airing 75 episodes with Christopher Meloni’s co-stars, including Ainsley Seiger, Danielle Moné Truitt and Rick Gonzalez. There may not be any new episodes coming, but fans can still enjoy Law & Order: Organized Crime’s five seasons, as well as the other franchise offerings, on Peacock.
