Law & Order: SVU season 20 is the right time for Christopher Meloni return
With that, we present the subject of a possible Meloni return with even more seriousness than we have in the past. Is this really the right time to — finally — make it happen? We do think that there is a good case to be made for getting the actor back on the show once and for all.
For starters, it’s just been so long since he was last around! Meloni has had a chance to do many other things — Happy! is wonderfully weird and spectacular — and he will still get a chance to do other things. This would just be a chance for him to circle back and pay homage to a show that made him into a household name for a number of different people out there.
Beyond just that, but we do also think that with this being the 20th season of the show, there is a tremendous sort of history present here. This is an opportunity to celebrate and honor SVU for everything that it has given us over time; we’ve had nineteen stellar seasons to date and we’re getting a chance to see the series make a little bit of history. Are we hoping for more beyond this? Sure, but season 21 is the only other one that could have this same sort of milestone feel to it, mostly in that this is the season that would officially topple the 20-season record for the longest-running hour-long primetime drama.
As for whether or not this could actually happen, that’s long been up in the air with SVU. There’s been interest on some level for a while and we feel like it’s probably going to come down to finding the right idea as well as the right timing, both in terms of scheduling and in terms of promotion. If Meloni wants to do it down the road, we would understand if he wants to save an appearance for a potential final season. We’ve always felt that there is a chance Stabler could come back someday and we still do — him not turning up in season 20 holds little bearing on the future. It just makes some sense that the gig happens now, especially since there could be more eyeballs on the series than usual with this being such an important year.
Do you think that Law & Order: SVU season 20 is the right time to bring back Christopher Meloni? Be sure to share in the comments!
(Photo: NBC.)