New York Special: All About Stabler’s (Christopher Mellon) Great Return Tonight on TF1

Benson and Stabler. Like Mulder & Scully, Castle & Beckett or Brennan & Booth, the two investigators (producer and creator Dick Wolf’s own children’s names) form the iconic and essential duo of the procedural series, working in tandem for twelve seasons in the special. The New York Police Department’s Victims Unit is responsible for investigating sex crimes.

Since its release in September 1999, New York Special Unit, a series derived from the NYPD, has since become the flagship of the franchise. Law and orderChristopher Meloni camped there as the idealistic and sanguine Elliot Stabler for twelve seasons and 266 episodes alongside Mariska Hargitay/Olivia Benson before abruptly leaving the show.

Thus, her departure was orchestrated off-camera at the beginning of season 13 when a disagreement arose over the renewal (and amount) of her contract with NBC Universal. Stabler’s final appearance in May 2011, episode S12E24, saw the character surrender his marks after being forced to shoot a young gunman inside the unit building.

Without any real explanation to the audience or to his partners, the series ditched Elliott Stabler, offered Olivia Benson to headline the series, and let Christopher Mellon Explore other roles in movies (Man of Steel), TV (Underground, The Handmaid’s Tale, Happy!), animation (Harley Quinn), and even video games (Call of Duty: Black Ops III).

However, over the seasons, the idea of ​​Elliot Stabler’s return has grown stronger. Among fans, of course, but also among new showrunner Warren Leith. In August 2019, he spoke TVLine The need for a character to appear again “Until the filming of the last episode or the end of the series”And Maloney, although previously reluctant, hinted that a return as part of the final storyline would suit him.

for the joy of the devotees New York Special SectionWhich also became the longest-running detective series in primetime, the reunion between Benson and Stabler won’t have to wait until the show’s incredible epilogue, which has been renewed for a 24th season. And this is in episode 9 of season 22. The paths of the teammates cross again, ten years after the last exchange.

Scheduled on TF1 tonight, “Everything Changes” (“Return of the Prodigal Son”) It aired on April 1, 2021 in the United States, the day before its 60th anniversary Christopher Mellon. The comeback was very well received by fans, whose reaction was similar to the many birthday gifts for the actor: “It was pretty impressive. I think Mariska was looking forward to it more than me because she’s been in this world for 20 years straight.”He testified People.com. “I was unprepared. It’s overwhelming and wonderful, I really appreciate it.”

The episode is short, barely 41 minutes. Also unions are direct and efficient. On his way to a ceremony organized in his honor, Benson stops at the scene of a car bomb on “10-13”: he discovers that the victim is none other than Kathy Stabler, who is caught up in criticism of the state with confused eyes. Elliott, addressing his former partner: “They tried to kill him, they tried to kill Katie”.

During the episode (which involves the special unit for no reason, even though the assault is not a sex crime), we learn that since he left, Elliot has been working in private security overseas. NYPD International Liaison from Rome. Which made him a potential target and Kathy, his wife, a collateral victim.

More than filling a void in the character’s journey, this S22E09 primarily allows us to approach with modesty the deep bonds that unite Benson and Stabler. “No One Cares About Me Like He Does” This is how Olivia opens up to Rollins and turns him on “Great Presence” Which Amaro can never fulfill, and Stabler discovers over drinks with Tutuola that his ex-partner is now a mother. First, during a disturbing scene in the hospital waiting room where Cathy is being treated, two members of the team turn bleary-eyed to Stabler’s hasty departure: “You were the most important person in my life. And you just…gone.” / – I was afraid, if I heard your voice, I wouldn’t be able to go.

Therefore, the economy of words, but the real intensity and direct participation, confirmed Christopher Mellon on TVInsider. “When I arrived on the set, for Mariska and for me, it was an instant, almost psychic connection. There is an instant understanding, which is very comfortable. We know these characters and this relationship better than anyone. (…) It was not easy. We asked questions With Zoom, we practiced wearing masks, keeping our distance, but every time I look Mariska in the eye, it’s like, here we go again.”

Beyond the reunion with Benson, Stabler’s return feeds into the first part of the crossover event. New York Special Section and created by a new spin-off Dick Wolf. In Organized Crime New York, the first episode of which also airs tonight on TF1, Christopher Mellon thus joins a team tasked with investigating new forms of organized crime, a modern version of the old-fashioned mafia: “An international and much more high-tech hybrid, the dark web and cybercrime”.

In the nation’s largest city, the most brutal and violent members of the underworld are being hunted down by the detectives of the Organized Crime Bureau. Here are their stories. (Introduction to the series “Law and Order: Organized Crime”)

A far cry from the procedural format he’s used to, the actor investigates the same case for much of the 13-episode first season at the behest of a new superior (Aiyana Bell, played by Daniel Monet Truitt). “I thought he was going to be the boss, but I’m an inspector who takes orders from the boss. Two people dancing and learning each other’s style… (…) I liked the idea of ​​a recognizable character in an unfamiliar landscape. The setting has changed and Stabler’s place has changed. He has to do a lot of problem solving and development”.

To support her in the face of these problems, Stabler can rely on Benson, a regular guest on the new show and essential personal support, while Stabler sinks into post-traumatic stress disorder. in the pilot What is happening in Puglia? Or in episode 4 The stuff dreams are made of, Mariska Hargitay In this way, it is very relevant, especially showing itself during Katie’s funeral, in the tense conversations in the hall of the Stabler building, which causes the two ex-partners not to tell, or during the family intervention, which confronts Elliott with his children, who are concerned about his deteriorating condition and his obsessions. .

Let the fans calm down Law and order So it’s far from over with these two: Benson and Stabler haven’t had an epilogue yet.

Christopher Mellon in 6 featured roles