Elliot makes Law & Order fans giddy over 'Stenson' tease

On September 20, 1999, Law & Order: SVU premiered on NBC, debuting the illustrious partnership of Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). For over two decades, the chemistry between these two has been undeniable and yet the pair have never been involved romantically, admittedly for a number of good reasons. Elliot after all was married with kids. Then there’s the fact that he ran off to Italy for a decade. 

After Elliot finally returned to the Law & Order universe and branched out into Organized Crime and Kathy Stabler (Isabel Boyer Gillies) suffered an untimely death, fans assumed it would only be a matter of time before #Stenson (or #Bensler, if you prefer) finally became a thing. That the NYPD cops would confess their love for one another and be the super couple viewers had always imagined. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened yet.

In an Organized Crime episode titled "Whipping Post" that aired on November 17, the super couple dream came a little closer to being a reality when a hungover Elliot started having a conversation with a hungover Pearl Serrano (Camilla Belle), his former work colleague who clearly has romantic feelings for him. 

Elliot tries to see what she remembers from the night before. Pearl claims to remember the important parts, "except her name." A caught-off-guard Elliot asks, "Whose name?" That's when Pearl drops the bombshell: "You said there was a woman you were in love with." 

Almost immediately, fans took to Twitter to practically squeal with glee as they were certain the woman in question is Olivia. Although, Elliot himself never actually mentions her name or even confesses to saying that he was in love. He just plays coy. 

Seeing his reaction, Pearl informs him she booked a flight to leave New York and asks, "No reason for me to stay, is there?" His silence was all the answer she needed to know that he had someone else on his mind. 

We're not sure what it will take for Elliot to make his drunken confession a sober one and tell Olivia herself, but the Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime audiences hope whatever it is, it happens soon.  

Law & Order fans excited about Elliot's admission of love

Check out for yourself what viewers have been saying about the detective's big love reveal. 

New episodes of Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime continue to air on Thursdays on NBC. Episodes become available the next day on Peacock.