Where’s the “dun dun” sound when you need it?
In an in-depth chat with Men’s Health posted on Aug. 4, Christopher Meloni discussed rejoining the beloved franchise with Law & Order Organized Crime and revealed what really went down before his unexpected departure from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. For those who need a refresher, Meloni played Detective Elliot Stabler on SVU for 12 seasons between 1999 and 2011.
When fans last saw the quick-to-anger detective in season 12, Stabler was dealing with the aftermath of fatally shooting a young woman who’d opened fire on the precinct. Then, in the season 13 premiere, his longtime partner, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), was blindsided with the news that Stabler had retired.
So, we know what happened with Stabler, but what happened with Meloni? At the time, it was reported that Meloni had left the franchise over a contract dispute. The 60-year-old actor has now confirmed this to be true, revealing that he tried to find a creative compromise with NBC.