Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler's relationship is complicated, and the 600th episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" put that complexity front and centre. On the November 12 episode, Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, is forced to reopen a case she worked with Stabler, played by Christopher Meloni, many years ago after realising they likely put the wrong man behind bars. After convincing him to help her, Benson learns that Stabler had shut her out of the case and taken control, something she had allowed him to do.

This time, Benson is the captain, and she is not willing to let their old patterns return. Hargitay says the storyline was built on the feelings between the two characters, describing what could have been, what was, and what they have shared as a "ride or die" partnership. She credits their fans' loyalty to the duo's dedication and trust in each other, and notes that Stabler was formative in Benson's development as a detective. The episode, she says, is also about a woman finding her voice, something she believes many women identify with.S1S2

Hargitay said the production wanted to tell a truthful, complex story about the dynamics of such relationships and that bringing Meloni back was essential to the story at this point. The team felt that fans would be happy to see the pair together again, and that Stabler was a major part of the narrative.S1S2

The episode closes with Stabler inviting Benson to take some time off and get away for a few days, even though the audience knows she has days available. Hargitay makes clear that saying yes was never an option, citing a number of reasons and adding that neither character is in that place right now.S1S2