The Best Bensler Moment Ever On Law & Order: SVU
"Law & Order: SVU" is one of the most popular police procedural dramas on television. That popularity may have something to do with the fascinating, yet disturbing, episode plots, but what keeps fans coming back for more season after season is the show's cast of memorable characters. And while the entire "Law & Order" franchise has produced many great character pairings, few are quite as beloved as that of Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni).
For the first 12 seasons of "SVU," fans loved seeing the partners together so much that it resulted in the fan-ship name "Bensler." The two have such chemistry that despite never romantically coming together in "SVU," their deep friendship and welcome professional rapport with each other has still made them one of the franchise's most dynamic duos. Seriously, with the two separated on different "Law & Order" series, the mere mention of a Bensler crossover special is enough to get fans into a delightful tizzy. Any future crossovers will only add to the staggering list of incredible moments between the two characters, but on "SVU," there's one Bensler moment that easily stands out among the rest.
Fans think Fault is probably the best Bensler episode
If we're looking at the cream of the crop of Bensler moments, then the Season 7 episode "Fault" has to take the blue ribbon. As Redditor u/justice4juicy2020 wrote in a thread about favorite Bensler moments, we could make an entire Bensler moment list just using "Fault." In the episode, the two partners deal with a criminal who has kidnapped two children. When they plan to catch him, it suddenly goes wrong when he cuts Benson's neck with a knife, and Stabler rushes to check on her instead of rescuing one of the children. This causes the two partners to fight as the child winds up dead as a result. Fast forward to the thrilling conclusion of the episode, aka the best Bensler moment, as Stabler is held hostage by the kidnapper and asks Benson to shoot even if it means Stabler's death.
The Stabler hostage scene is both an intense and intimate peer into the deep bond between the two partners. Teary-eyed stares are shared between the two as their argument diminishes into heartbreaking whispers. At one point during the scene, Benson even says, "I'm sorry," which, as Redditor u/ButterscotchPast4812 points out, holds much more weight than we initially think. They wrote, "Olivia says I'm sorry. It sounds like she's saying: I'm sorry I have to shoot you. But then during 'the conversation,' when she tells him she could have never done that. It's clear she's saying: I'm sorry I can't do what you're asking me to do."
Ultimately, it's a bittersweet moment, but one that fully captures just what the two mean to each other.