'Law & Order: SVU' Stars Christopher Meloni & Mariska Hargitay Hint at Reunion in New Photos

Actor Christoper Meloni and Mariska Hargitay are here teasing "Law & Order: SVU" fans. On Friday, Meloni posted a black and white picture of himself and Hargitay on Instagram. He captioned his post:

"We are a little bit closer."

The photo, taken from the set of "Law & Order: SVU," captured half of Meloni's face and a seated Hargitay in the background, with both parties looking directly at the camera poker-faced.

Hargitay also posted a different picture of herself and Meloni in the same location on her Instagram page. Unlike Meloni's post, the image captured both actors smiling at the camera. Hargitay wrote teasingly, "Now even closer."

Meloni and Hargitay's posts have garnered over four hundred thousand likes on Instagram. Fans were clearly excited about the "Law & Order" duo's anticipated reunion.

In the final episode of season 12 of "Law & Order: SVU," Meloni's character Stabler retired from the police force.

The news of a reunion between Meloni's Elliot Stabler and Hargitay's Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU" broke in March 2020. Thanks to Hargitay's Instagram shot of a virtual table, fans had substantial evidence on the alleged reunion.

Meloni's appearance on season 22 of "Law & Order: SVU" will lead into the spinoff "Law & Order: Organized Crime," set to debut sometime in 2021. According to the producer of "Law & Order: SVU" Dicke Wolf, Meloni's character Stabler is at the spinoff center.

Stabler heads a crime unit in the New York Police department in the spinoff, leading to crossovers between Benson and her team.

Meloni was one of the original cast members of "Law & Order." He was partnered with Hargitay in the crime procedural, and this move is regarded as one of the best duo pairings in television history.

In the final episode of season 12 of "Law & Order: SVU," Meloni's character Stabler retired from the police force. His sudden departure raised many eyebrows and left fans with a lot of questions.

It was rumored that Meloni had left the franchise based on some disagreement in his contract. The actor confirmed the rumor later that year in an interview.

He also used the opportunity to deny the allegation that he left the show due to conflict with his cast members and the producer. After Meloni left "Law & Order: SVU," he went on to star in other shows, notably "True Blood," "Surviving Jack," and "The Handmaid's Tale."

However, he returns to the show in a new spinoff called "Law & Order: Organized Crime." The "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" series airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.