The weeks are counting down before the three Law & Order shows are back on NBC, possibly with a major crossover early on in the fall. That said, fans don’t have to wait until September to see some fun from the sets of SVU and Organized Crime thanks to OC star Christopher Meloni. The Elliot Stabler actor had hugs to share with the leading ladies of two of the three L&O shows, including longtime screen partner Mariska Hargitay.
The NBC Instagram account posted a pair of pics with Christopher Meloni showing some love to his co-stars, first with a selfie that he seemingly snapped while working with Mariska Hargitay and then a photo with Danielle Moné Truitt, who stars opposite him in Organized Crime. Take a look:
I think it’s probably safe to say that plenty of fans will agree with NBC’s caption asking for a Christopher Meloni hug… or at least to see some of the BTS hugging make it onto the screen! Benson and Stabler could probably both use more hugs in their lives going back to 1999 and the pilot episode, and Truitt’s Bell didn’t exactly get a happy ending in Organized Crime’s Season 2 finale with her wife taking their son and leaving her. Hugs all around?
Even though the three shows of the Law & Order franchise aren’t too likely to be as light on screen as they are behind-the-scenes, the new photo of Meloni and Hargitay follows one that the actress shared back in July of the two working together on the SVU set again.
Whether that means a crossover as soon as the shows return on the same night in September remains to be seen, but it definitely indicates that SVU and OC won’t waste any time sharing characters in their respective Season 24 and Season 3. Changes are also coming to both shows, as SVU has cast a Chicago P.D. and FBI: Most Wanted alum as a new detective, and Organized Crime is adding enough new cops that I have to wonder if that means two members of the task force will be leaving.
At this point, there is no sign that SVU and/or OC will be crossing over with the original Law & Order with its return for Season 22 after successfully being revived earlier in 2021. The franchise is reportedly looking to deliver the first three-show crossover – which have been accomplished already with the three shows of NBC’s One Chicago and CBS’ three FBI shows elsewhere in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe – but few details are available. The Season 21 finale delivered the first crossover of any major characters in the revival, with Mariska Hargitay appearing as a guest star. (You can rewatch that finale streaming with a Peacock subscription.)
The good news is that the wait for the new premieres is nearly over, at least compared to the three L&O finales that aired back in May. They’ll be back on NBC starting on Thursday, September 22 at 8 p.m. ET with Law & Order, 9 p.m. ET with Law & Order: SVU, and 10 p.m. ET with Law & Order: Organized Crime. One thing that fans can be reasonably confident about is that OC won’t be bringing back Richard Wheatley, as Dylan McDermott will be busy over on FBI: Most Wanted.