After appearing in 15 seasons of SVU, Stabler is the star of many nail-biting scenes.
Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) will always be one of
the best detectives in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit history.
And while he hasn’t been an official member of the SVU since Season 12,
he’s been a player in many investigations since his return in Season 22 for Law & Order: Organized Crime. Between Stabler’s badass nature and his tight
connection with Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), fans can’t get enough of Law & Order’s resident “Zaddy.” Stabler is the detective everyone should want on their case because you can always rely on him to get the job done, even if he needs to get his hands dirty sometimes.
Read on to re-live some of Stabler’s most intense scenes across all seasons of Law & Order: SVU.
Stabler’s grim take on working in the SVU
“Pandora” (Season 4, Episode 15)
Elliot Stabler’s Most Intense Moments on Law & Order: SVU | NBC Insider
Stabler has seen many disturbing cases throughout his time as an SVU detective, and he eventually adopted a philosophy to help him handle the heat. Back in Season 4, Stabler shared his outlook with a friend that the only way he could be a good SVU detective was by hating his work instead of loving it.
Any time Stabler disagrees with Benson
“Doubt” (Season 6, Episode 8)
Some of the most intense moments in the early days of SVU were when Benson and Stabler disagreed on a case. No one likes it when mom and dad fight, but in Season 6’s “Doubt,” that’s what happened. After a heated investigation turned into a “he said, she said” case, Stabler and Benson took opposing sides, and the argument turned pretty ugly. Stabler and Benson fight rarely, but when they do, it’s rough.
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 6, Episode 8: Doubt | Peacock
That time Stabler was seriously injured
“Blinded” (Season 9, Episode 7)
It can sometimes feel like the SVU detectives are invincible, especially considering how many bad guys they successfully put behind bars. In Season 9, Stabler was seriously wounded after being attacked by a perpetrator, which led to temporary blindness. After the suspect took Stabler down, Benson immediately rushed to her partner’s side, supporting his head as they waited for authorities. Stabler was better by the episode’s end, but every SVU fan was stressed watching that one.
When Stabler became a father
Season 9, Episode 9 (“Paternity”)
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 9, Episode 7: Blinded | Peacock
Is there any moment more intense than becoming a parent for the first time? Of course, Stabler’s mini-me didn’t come into the world without a hitch: Benson had to swoop in and save the day when she and Stabler’s wife, Kathy, got into a car accident on the way to the hospital. After Benson successfully helped deliver the baby, Stabler rushed to the hospital to express his gratitude. And just like that, SVU gave us the first Benson and Stabler hug.
That time a guest star took advantage of Stabler’s emotions
Season 9, Episode 17 (“Authority”)
Season 9, Episode 17: “Authority” | Dun Dun! The 10 Best Law & Order: SVU Episodes to Watch ASAP | POPSUGAR Entertainment Photo 7
SVU has some of the best guest stars in television, with Robin Williams’ Merritt Rook becoming one of the scariest villains in show history. Rook was an audio engineer that hated authority and managed to kidnap Benson and Stabler. After, he placed Stabler inside a real-life Milgram experiment and tricked him into believing he was torturing Benson by playing horrific recordings of her screams.
When Stabler went undercover as an animal smuggler
Season 9, Episode 17 (“Authority”)
SVU has some of the best guest stars in television, with Robin Williams’ Merritt Rook becoming one of the scariest villains in show history. Rook was an audio engineer that hated authority and managed to kidnap Benson and Stabler. After, he placed Stabler inside a real-life Milgram experiment and tricked him into believing he was torturing Benson by playing horrific recordings of her screams.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” Authority (TV Episode 2008) – IMDb
When Stabler went undercover as an animal smuggler
Season 10, Episode 7 (“Wildlife”)
Fans rooting for Benson and Stabler to romantically link had a fun time when Stabler went undercover to expose an animal smuggling ring. After Stabler loses connection to the squad, Benson rushed to his rescue, but at the worst time possible. When the mobsters unexpectedly arrived, Benson and Stabler were forced to strip down to convince them they were sleeping together rather than working together, and it was tense.
That time Stabler entered himself into solitary confinement
Season 10, Episode 7: “Wildlife” | Dun Dun! The 10 Best Law & Order: SVU Episodes to Watch ASAP | POPSUGAR Entertainment Photo 8
Season 11, Episode 3 (“Solitary”)
Stabler is no stranger to getting emotional about former cases, and after being haunted by a past case gone wrong, he seeks retribution by entering himself into solitary confinement. Stabler wished to understand the damage that solitary confinement could do to inmates, and after just a few days in the box, he begins to lose his grip. Once Stabler began hallucinating, he panicked and attempted to escape, only to be reminded that the sudden mental anguish was what many inmates experience.