Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: law and order: organized crime, law and order: svu

SVU: Hargitay Was "In Tears" Hearing "Organized Crime" Was Canceled

Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay shared her reaction to learning that Christopher Meloni-starring "Organized Crime" had been canceled.

At the risk of sounding like beating a dead horse, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni have history together, like 27 years of history, off and on as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit stars, originally as detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler. After Meloni left after season 12 in 2011 to pursue other opportunities, paving the way for Hargitay to take top billing, he returned 10 years later in season 22 in a recurring role. Season 23 saw the actor segue to his leading role in Law & Order: Organized Crime in 2021. After season 24, the actor focused on his own show, but that didn't stop him from guest-starring in single episodes of seasons 26 and 27 to help the now-Captain Benson. His Law & Order future is now in question again with Peacock's cancellation of Organized Crime after five seasons. Despite the 16th precinct always having a spot for Stabler, it seems like the end of an era for him appearing in any regular capacity in the franchise, and his former TV partner is also mourning the loss of his show.

SVU Star Mariska Hargitay Reacts to Former Co-Star Christopher Meloni's Loss with Organized Crime's Cancellation

"I saw it and burst out in tears, first of all," Hargitay told Extra at NBCUniversal's Emmy Luncheon in L.A on April 22nd. "I immediately burst out in tears because it has, just like [Meloni] said, and he was so beautiful and open – because it has been a great ride. And it has been so beautiful and intimate and such a huge part of his life and was life-changing for him." Adding that the Dick Wolf, Ilene Chalken, and Matt Olmstead-created series cancellation took her by surprise, "Chris is working and in demand and such a magnificent actor," she said. "But it's, in a way, closing a chapter. So when that happens, one needs to take inventory. It's a real marker in your life."

Organized Crime is the sixth spin-off of the Wolf Law & Order franchise, with Meloni playing Stabler across 25 seasons, 17 with SVU, five under OC, two under the original L&O in seasons 10 and 22, and one under Trial by Jury. The actor shared his gratitude to his fans on his Instagram, "I wanted to take this moment to say thank you to the fans who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back. It was a good ride. I had a great time playing him. It was a great ride. Thank you. You helped give me a career that I never dreamed of, nearly 17 odd years." No one will ever take away his SVU contributions since Meloni is the fifth most tenured cast member, appearing in 286 of the 595 episodes across 28 seasons and counting behind Hargitay (595), Ice-T (569), Dann Florek (333), and the late Richard Belzer (326), though Kelli Giddish (283) will soon catch up.

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