Ice-T WantsSVU's Benson and Stabler to 'Hit a Motel' Already — and Mariska Hargitay Agrees: 'God Yes'

Mar. 15, 2025

From left: Ice-T, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni on ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Photo:getty (3)Law & Order: SVUfans aren’t the only ones who wait with baited breath for Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler to take their relationship out of the friend zone!Mariska Hargitay, who portrays the role of Benson, revealed that she can’t wait for her character to finally make things official with Stabler (Christopher Meloni) after they’ve formed an undeniable bond that has spanned over 25 seasons.“God, yes,” she toldEntertainment Tonight. “There is no show in the history of television when characters have been together so long that the relationships are truly earned, are truly organic. So, Chris and I can go to places that no one else can because we lived it. Everything is so much deeper.“Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Zach Dilgard/NBCIce-T, who plays Finn Tutuola on the series, agreed with his costar but admitted that he’s “given up” on Benson and Stabler getting together over the years.“Ice doesn’t care. I’ve given up on them. I’m a viewer. So, I’m watching them like, ‘Get to it! Get to the business! Stop playing around,'” he joked. “‘If you love her, Elliot, let’s get it going now!’ Finn, he just wants Olivia to be happy. So, he’s gonna hold it down. He knows Elliot. Elliot’s his man, too.“He added, “But as a viewer, I’m like, ‘Ya’ll need to just hit a motel or something and make it happen.'“Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Virginia Sherwood/NBCFans watched as Benson and Stabler worked alongside each other in Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit for 12 seasons. The two have shared many smoldering, fraught moments over the years — especially since Meloni launched the Stabler-centric spinoffLaw & Order: Organized Crimein 2021.During a February 2023 appearance on theTodayshow, Hargitay teased that fans may finally see the crime fighting duo finally get their happily ever after in future episodes ofSVU.“Benson and Stabler love each other deeply. It’s so deep,” she told hostSavannah Guthrie. “The show is probably only going to go another 23 years, so I think we should just wait and see.“In season 24, fans went wild after Benson and Stabler hadan emotional momentthat led the pair toalmost kiss.“I think both of us, it was such a long time coming, we just want to make sure and get it right,” Hargitay said of filming the scene withMeloni. “The good news is we are socomfortable around each other, it was effortless and fun and we trust each other, it was beautiful that way. We just focused on the work.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Season 25 ofLaw & Order: SVUpremieres Thursday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

From left: Ice-T, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni on ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Photo:getty (3)

getty (3)

Law & Order: SVUfans aren’t the only ones who wait with baited breath for Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler to take their relationship out of the friend zone!Mariska Hargitay, who portrays the role of Benson, revealed that she can’t wait for her character to finally make things official with Stabler (Christopher Meloni) after they’ve formed an undeniable bond that has spanned over 25 seasons.“God, yes,” she toldEntertainment Tonight. “There is no show in the history of television when characters have been together so long that the relationships are truly earned, are truly organic. So, Chris and I can go to places that no one else can because we lived it. Everything is so much deeper.“Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Zach Dilgard/NBCIce-T, who plays Finn Tutuola on the series, agreed with his costar but admitted that he’s “given up” on Benson and Stabler getting together over the years.“Ice doesn’t care. I’ve given up on them. I’m a viewer. So, I’m watching them like, ‘Get to it! Get to the business! Stop playing around,'” he joked. “‘If you love her, Elliot, let’s get it going now!’ Finn, he just wants Olivia to be happy. So, he’s gonna hold it down. He knows Elliot. Elliot’s his man, too.“He added, “But as a viewer, I’m like, ‘Ya’ll need to just hit a motel or something and make it happen.'“Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Virginia Sherwood/NBCFans watched as Benson and Stabler worked alongside each other in Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit for 12 seasons. The two have shared many smoldering, fraught moments over the years — especially since Meloni launched the Stabler-centric spinoffLaw & Order: Organized Crimein 2021.During a February 2023 appearance on theTodayshow, Hargitay teased that fans may finally see the crime fighting duo finally get their happily ever after in future episodes ofSVU.“Benson and Stabler love each other deeply. It’s so deep,” she told hostSavannah Guthrie. “The show is probably only going to go another 23 years, so I think we should just wait and see.“In season 24, fans went wild after Benson and Stabler hadan emotional momentthat led the pair toalmost kiss.“I think both of us, it was such a long time coming, we just want to make sure and get it right,” Hargitay said of filming the scene withMeloni. “The good news is we are socomfortable around each other, it was effortless and fun and we trust each other, it was beautiful that way. We just focused on the work.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Season 25 ofLaw & Order: SVUpremieres Thursday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Law & Order: SVUfans aren’t the only ones who wait with baited breath for Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler to take their relationship out of the friend zone!

Mariska Hargitay, who portrays the role of Benson, revealed that she can’t wait for her character to finally make things official with Stabler (Christopher Meloni) after they’ve formed an undeniable bond that has spanned over 25 seasons.

“God, yes,” she toldEntertainment Tonight. “There is no show in the history of television when characters have been together so long that the relationships are truly earned, are truly organic. So, Chris and I can go to places that no one else can because we lived it. Everything is so much deeper.”

Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Zach Dilgard/NBC

Ice-T, who plays Finn Tutuola on the series, agreed with his costar but admitted that he’s “given up” on Benson and Stabler getting together over the years.

“Ice doesn’t care. I’ve given up on them. I’m a viewer. So, I’m watching them like, ‘Get to it! Get to the business! Stop playing around,'” he joked. “‘If you love her, Elliot, let’s get it going now!’ Finn, he just wants Olivia to be happy. So, he’s gonna hold it down. He knows Elliot. Elliot’s his man, too.”

He added, “But as a viewer, I’m like, ‘Ya’ll need to just hit a motel or something and make it happen.'”

Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson in ‘Law & Order: SVU’.Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Fans watched as Benson and Stabler worked alongside each other in Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit for 12 seasons. The two have shared many smoldering, fraught moments over the years — especially since Meloni launched the Stabler-centric spinoffLaw & Order: Organized Crimein 2021.

During a February 2023 appearance on theTodayshow, Hargitay teased that fans may finally see the crime fighting duo finally get their happily ever after in future episodes ofSVU.

“Benson and Stabler love each other deeply. It’s so deep,” she told hostSavannah Guthrie. “The show is probably only going to go another 23 years, so I think we should just wait and see.”

In season 24, fans went wild after Benson and Stabler hadan emotional momentthat led the pair toalmost kiss.

“I think both of us, it was such a long time coming, we just want to make sure and get it right,” Hargitay said of filming the scene withMeloni. “The good news is we are socomfortable around each other, it was effortless and fun and we trust each other, it was beautiful that way. We just focused on the work.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Season 25 ofLaw & Order: SVUpremieres Thursday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

source: people.com