‘Law & Order: SVU’ could still see Christopher Meloni appearance … eventually
The season 17 finale of “Law & Order: SVU” is going to be airing on NBC Wednesday night, and we certainly know that there will be quite a bit of drama surrounding the fate of some of our current characters, whether it be Dodds (who definitely appears to be in quite a bit of danger) or Barba, who is going to be a target and continue to have a huge role. As a fan of Raul Esparza’s, this is a cause for tremendous excitement … even if we do remain greatly afraid for what could be coming up for him in this episode.
Now that we feel like we’ve adequately set up the story for the finale (other than reminding you that Brad Garrett will likely continue to be a walking nightmare), let’s return to a much-debated question anytime we come to a finale: What about Stabler? Christopher Meloni’s abrupt departure from the series has really never been properly resolved on-camera, and while we would certainly like to see it happen, there is no guarantee that it ever will.
Instead, all we continue to have are quotes from all parties involved, whether it be current producers or cast members, that they would like to see something happen. The latest comes courtesy of Meloni himself, who told Entertainment Weekly the following while promoting “Underground”:
“I just recently was talking about that. [Pause] I always presented that I’d be open to doing the last few episodes, so that’s really all I have to say about that. It’s not up to me, I’ll just say that. I’ve said my peace on it.”
There are two things still standing in the way of this for the time being:
1. The schedule for Meloni – He is, after all, a rather busy man.
2. The show’s plans – Will they even get a chance to know that they are in their final season when they are writing a given finale? There’s never any real assurance of that; just look at how the original “Law & Order” ended without a proper tribute to years on the air.
It goes without saying that we’d like to see Stabler again at least once, so we will have to wait and see what happens.
(Photo: NBC.)