SVU Fans Excited For This Character's Return

Back in March 2020, the news dropped that a new Law & Order spin-off starring Meloni as Detective Stabler was being launched (via The Hollywood Reporter). You might recognize March 2020 as a mere month into the TV and film industry being rocked by COVID-19, and since that initial announcement, there have been some bumps in the road for the new project. NBC originally announced that the show, eventually titled Law & Order: Organized Crime, would premiere on its fall lineup (via TVLine). However, that premiere window closed without any sight of the series. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, the delay was partially caused by the series' showrunner, Matt Olmstead, exiting over creative issues.

Despite the hiccup, the show — which sees Stabler returning to the force to head up a squad dedicated to taking down organized crime syndicates — is still slated to premiere sometime in 2021. For those who might have been concerned about the delay, the fact that Meloni is making an appearance on SVU should put any fears to rest.

While his reappearance on the series hasn't been officially explained, it seems likely that it's mean to serve as a backdoor pilot for Organized Crime. Whatever the logistics are, Stabler is back, baby!