The explosive argument happened on Season 7, Episode 20 of Law & Order: SVU.
Longtime Law & Order: Special Victims Unit partners Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) were inseparable for years. Despite their grueling workload, at the end of the day, these two had each other’s backs.
That said, their unyielding allegiance to one another occasionally led to issues on the job and, at times, begged the question: Can two partners be too close?
SVU Season 7, Episode 20 (“Fat”) dared to answer this question, with Benson ultimately deciding she and Stabler needed a breather from one another. Cue the fandom-wide “Bensler” gasp.
Here’s what happened:
Stabler punched his new partner on SVU Season 7, Episode 20
Season 7, Episode 20 contains, hands down, one of the most dramatic moments between Benson and Stabler. And it was fueled by Law & Order star Anthony Anderson, who guest-starred on SVU years before joining the flagship cast as a new character, Detective Kevin Bernard.
On SVU, Anderson played Detective Lucius Blaine, and Stabler was less than thrilled to be working with him in wake of Benson’s surprise absence. The reassignment followed Season 7’s (“Fault”), wherein both partners prioritized the other’s safety over catching their perp, resulting in fatal consequences and a stark wake-up call. Benson and Stabler had become so close, they lost sight of their objective.
“Look, we both chose each other over the job. We can never let that happen again,” Stabler told Benson. “Otherwise, we can’t be partners.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying that,” Benson said.
“You and this job are about the only things I’ve got any more,” Stabler confessed. “I don’t want to wreck that. I couldn’t take it.”
So in the next episode, when Stabler was working with a new partner, fans were concerned. Had Benson done what Stabler couldn’t and broken up their partnership? Where was she?
Stabler and Lucius’ case was intense and led to several disagreements between them. After an interrogation, Stabler and Lucius were at each other’s throats when Lucius decided to throw a verbal dig about Benson, leading Stabler to explode with rage.
“No wonder your partner dumped you,” Lucius snapped, instantly getting Stabler’s attention.
“What’d you just say to me?” Stabler asked icily.
“You screwed her, and now you’re trying to screw me!” Lucius yelled, instantly prompting Stabler to punch him.
Later in the episode, Benson visited Stabler at the precinct to explain her decision.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Stabler asked.
“Elliot, we’ve been partners for seven years, longer than anyone else around here,” Benson said. “We needed a change. I’m sorry, I should have talked to you. It’s just, it was too complicated.”
“Thanks for dropping by,” Stabler said, clearly wrecked by her decision.
Thankfully for fans, Benson and Stabler didn’t separate for too long. After their brief hiatus, they reunited as partners in Season 7, Episode 21 (“Web”).
Watch this episode and every season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on Peacock. And catch the show’s Season 26 premiere on Thursday, October 3 at 9/8c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
