‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 16 finale: Series boss on Elliot Stabler controversy
The season finale of “Law & Order: SVU” threw many diehard fans through loops, but for a pretty wide array of reasons. For example, we know that many fans are still sad about the idea of Danny Pino not being on the show anymore. Also, we had a lot of strong opinions that came out after a certain part of the show where Christopher Meloni’s character of Elliot Stabler was discussed.
Specifically, we are talking about how some felt like the show was trashing the memory of Stabler by acting as though Benson did not take anything away from working with him, and appreciated so much more the time that she spent on Pino’s Nick Amaro. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Warren Leight explained that many of the interpretations that some are taking away from that part of the show are being misunderstood:
“I think some of these fans are always going to misinterpret everything as casting shade on Stabler and that’s what they’ve done here. She was talking about how her relationship with Stabler didn’t allow for other things. That’s not casting shade on Stabler. That’s a statement of fact about the first 12 years. There are some fans who have still not gotten over the fact that Elliot left, so I think unfortunately they will look for any excuse to feel offended. I believe they have absolutely misinterpreted that scene. It is a statement that [says], ‘My relationship with Amaro allowed me to evolve.’ Also, the guy’s telling her he’s leaving her and he’s saying, “I know I wasn’t what Stabler was,” so she’s trying to make him feel valued in that moment.”
We admit that to a certain extent, we’ll always miss Stabler on the show. At the same time, though, you do have to move forward, and we do understand just what the show was trying to say there.
For the record, Leight also made it clear that it is possible that Pino could return to the show at some point, and the same can be said for the majority of the other former cast members on the series.
(Photo: NBC.)