Meloni Is Back as Stabler for SVU's 600th Episode
Elliot Stabler is walking back into SVU.
Christopher Meloni will return as Detective Elliot Stabler for Law & Order: SVU's 600th episode, which is scheduled to air on 12 November, Deadline reported. Give Me My Remote first reported the casting for the milestone instalment, with TVLine confirming the news Yahoo.
Mariska Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, teased the reunion on Instagram on Tuesday, 22 September, a day before the reports spread on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. Her first photo showed her pointing at Meloni while his back was turned to the camera, captioned "WHO DAT". Her second photo showed the two co-stars smiling side by side, captioned "Happy 600..." The posts made clear that Benson and Stabler would share the screen again for the landmark episode.
In her 22 September post, Hargitay said she was excited for the new season and to see Benson and Stabler together again Instagram. The message was short and direct, and it quickly drew attention from television press ahead of the Season 28 launch. Variety covered the tease on 22 September as anticipation built for the October return Variety.
Season 28 of SVU premieres on 8 October, with Episode 600 due about halfway through the season. That puts the reunion a few weeks into the new run, rather than in the opener itself. The season is led by showrunner Michele Fazekas, meaning the executive in charge of the series from scripts through to the final cut, TV Insider reported. The dates give the production time to build towards the 600th celebration on screen.
Meloni last played Stabler on SVU in the Season 27 premiere, titled "In the Wind", which aired on 25 September 2025. That appearance came almost exactly a year before the new announcement. His spin-off series, Law & Order: Organized Crime, was cancelled in April after a five-season run.
For viewers, this means a short wait followed by a reunion. Season 28 opens on 8 October and Episode 600 follows on 12 November. Hargitay's own words sum up the pitch. She is excited for the new season and to see Benson and Stabler together again.
