Elliot Stabler - Blog Posts

The Squad During the episode "Ghost"

Fin: So, life update. Alex is back, we have an assassin in custody, and Casey..is being Casey.

Elliot: Pretty much.

Munch: Speaking of- where are Alex and Casey? Olivia: They have been 'prepping for trial' for the past 6 hours.

Fin: Why do you say that with air quotes...

Olivia: Use your imagination.

Olivia: Who preps for trial with the door locked when no one bothers to go in anyway? People who are absolutely not planning for trial-

Fin: You are being so dramatic, Liv. They are not getting it on—they are two responsible ADAs.

(the next day in the courtroom)

Fin:...never mind liv you were right. Thats the first time I've seen Alex wear a turtle neck.

Olivia: See? I told you. Now hand me my 5 bucks-

Munch, sing-songy: Friends don't look at friends that wayyyy-

Fin, smacking him in the back of the head: It's bad enough I lost 5 dollars to her- I don't need your boney ass singing too-

...

Fin:...Wait olivia how the hell did you know that--

olivia: I don't kiss and tell.

Fin: SO YOU ADMIT IT???? NOVAK AND CABOT?? REALLY LIV?

Munch: Who's surprised? The leading cause of ADA retirement is falling in love with Liv.

SVU Group Chat:

Casey: You guy's ever have a mental breakdown, then catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and realise you look atrocious and that singlehandedly makes you pull it together and get off the floor? Alex: All the time--also are you okay casey-? Casey: Im great actually, I have Chinese takout.

Elliot: Shes bullshitting you. I bought her that because she was having the mental breakdown. Casey I can see you right now- your literally crying into your fried rice.

Casey: Not you clocking my tea-

Olivia: never say that again. Casey: You guys are so mean to me omg-

elliot: Ill get you coffee if you quit complaining-

casey: And suddenly I love you.

Fin: Has anyone seen munch? Olivia: You finally admit your in love with munch? Fin: NOT WHAT I SAID.

Munch: h o..w-

Olivia: ?

Munch: do ! wo rk - T-..his PHONE???? Alex: JKUDFHIUEBKJENOIE OLD MANNNN Munch: NOt

Munch: FUnnY

*MunchTheMan has removed AlexTheDisapearingActs from 'The Squad' GC* Casey: SO YOU CAN'T TYPE BUT YOU CAN BLOCK PEOPLE???

Munch: Rage is a ve-- ry.. g0od tutor-

Munch: Alex is gonna find me isnt she-

Olivia: yeah she left the room with a vendetta-

Munch: fuck.

Elliot: LANGUAGE.

SVY characters when asked to hold a baby:

——-

Rafael, awkward stance, holding it like it’s dangerous:….If you sit still, I sit still—I hate this just as much as you do-

…

Rafael:…Wanna write a pre trial motion?

Olivia in the other room: HES 1!

Rafael: I DONT KNOW- WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH HIM!

—-

Alex: Hi!! Oh you’re just the cutest thing!

Also Alex:…Also this suit is Prada so I have a strict no drooling poli—NO NO NO CASEY COME BACK- CASEY- CASEY PLEASE HAVE MERCY—

—-

Casey: Alex calm down! Jeeze- They are so uptight—Your just chillin- a chill guy.

Casey: See! I like you, you’re not overly huggy like kids, and annoying like adults, we can chill.

Casey: us gingers have to stick together—these people are either bald or basic- and MEAN-

Happy baby, happy Casey

——-

Eliot: Oh hell no- I TOLD KATHY NO MORE- SERIOUSLY WOMAN WHAT KIND OF SYSTEM DO YOU HAVE!?

Eliot:…Wait- Little man, what are your thoughts on ED Tucker?

Baby: *smile*

Elliot:Nope- nada- NOPE-definitely not my kid- FALSE ALARM- Casey take your twin ba—

—-

Fin, baby talking, 100% grandpa energy: Your the cutest kid, huh? Rafael is just an uptight lawyer— your amazing with uncle fin, huh?

—-

Olivia:awwww! Hi sweetie,

Olivia…Why does it look like Casey-

Casey: JUST BECAUSE ITS A REDHEAD DOSENT MEAN ITS MINE!

Olivia: YOU ARE THE FATHER-

Casey: FATHER??? WHAT GENDER ROLES ARE WE PUSHING HERE?!

—-

Munch: They aren’t teaching the youth about our government anymore, so back in the day after the JFK assassination—-

Casey: OH HELLLL NO- GIVE ME MINI CASEY BACK-

—-

after discussing a plan Elliot : Does anyone have any questions? Casey: Is this legal? Elliot : Does anyone have any relevant questions?

Casey, grabbing elliot by the shirt collar: Get me suspended again and I WILL call Kathy-

Elliot: Not helping the gay allegations, Casey- Calling my wife?

Casey: Off topic-and Im not gay, elliot! Dont assu--

Elliot: Casey. Olivia asked you to flush your case down the toilet and plead a girl out and you did it. And you smiled at her after you did it. A man tried to ask you out and I physically saw you cringe.

Casey:...So what the hell is the situation Munch and fin have going on-?! You cannot sit here and tell me that's straight-

Elliot:...Thats a whole other situation we are to afraid to look at- considering fin is VERY knowledgeable about 'Down Lows', AND THEY ARE BOTH VERY DIVORCED-

fin, from across the room, frantic: I JUST KNOW STUFF-!

Bensler has taken decades- I’m over this- munch and fin are my new endgame-

I feel for the IAB officer that had to look at the absolutely diabolical shit Elliot stabler did- love him but OH. MY. GOD.

That officer just wants to see his family- BUT HE CANT BECAUSE ELLIOT THREW A SUSPECT (probably not even the actual perpetrators) OUT A WINDOW OR INTO A WALL- OR DROVE THEM INTO A PSYCHOTIC BREAK-

I can just imagine Cragen pulling his nonexistent hair out every time it happens-

Cragen:…Novak you do it-

Novak: why me-?! He’s your detective! I just got here! I walked in here 30 minutes ago and I’m already positive I need to watch my back now! Something about Alex Cabot- cabenson- somth-

Cragen, absolutely done with his unruly children : ELLIOT GET YOUR ASS IN MY OFFICE-

Day 2!

Casey x Elliot

(This is platonic, these two are besties)

——-

*this takes place after Casey made her comeback after her Brady violation, that episode^^

Casey, hitting the ball so hard the damn thing almost broke: I can’t believe that happened…

Elliot, catching, and pitching back: I know, but you did everything you could, Cass, don’t beat yourself up about it.

Casey: I know..It’s just..It’s nothing.

Elliot: If it’s bothering you, it’s not nothing, Cass. Put the bat down let’s talk, I got you.

Casey, tossing the bat onto the field, sitting down against the fence with Elliot:…Alright alright.

—

Elliot threw away the bat, and turned to Casey. “so what’s beating you up? Because I know you when you loose…Your upset but your never..dull.” He said, uncharacteristically gentle. He would never dare admit it out loud, but he cared about Casey. A lot. He only grew up with brothers, so Casey was the only thing he had close enough to an annoying little sister. Casey fussed with the ball, fingers running along it. “…I just don’t think I have it anymore, Elliot…The defense attorney was right, my reputation took the worlds biggest nose dive, my first case back was a disaster, I lost my touch, and my confidence…” she sighed, waving her hand in the air. He had never seen Casey so bummed out before, usually she was a sassy, sarcastic, ball of confidence. That sent his worry through the stratosphere.

“Cassandra Novak I’m not gonna listen to you trash talk yourself like that. The only person we drag is munch. Listen.”

Casey’s attention was grabbed at her full name comming out of Elliot’s mouth. No one called her Cassandra, not even herself. Casey was much more fitting, Cassandra just…wasn’t her. But that certainly didn’t stop her old school catholic mother from using it, deeming the name ‘Casey’ to boyish, that she was a lady and needed to behave as such.

No error, no anger, no mess, and no rough edges.

Elliot knew that side all too well.

And weirdly enough, Cassandra sounded right coming from him. Maybe it was what he was gonna say next.

“Casey. You’re a great prosecutor period. Your success rate is almost 30% higher then the standard, you graduated from Harvard law, you worked sex crimes straight out of white collar and saved a little girl on your first day. You.are.phenomenal. And I won’t hear you belittle yourself over a liar, a mistake, an attorney, and a god forsaken case.” Elliot was sure he hadn’t spoken so passionately in months, but for Casey he was willing to break that trend.

“…”

“…”

“you son of a bitch if you make me cry in this field I’ll have your ass a swear-“

Elliot laughed, there she was. He wrapped a brotherly arm around her shoulders, “Crybaby. A very talented crybaby.” He teased, messing up her hair, laughing when she swatted it away.

“It won’t last forever, Casey. It’s just a slump, you’ll be back..and I’ll be waiting for you, promise..I care about you, as long as I’m here you’re not alone in this confidence slump.” His eyes never leaving hers, he meant it. There want a single shred of insecurity in his promise.

And Casey could tell.

“…Thank you, Elliot..Seriously..I needed that..” She said. The two held each other accountable, she talked him down with softball before he went insane over a case, and he was always there to pull her out of a slump or be her partner in crime whenever making a questionable decision that would get them in trouble with Cragen.

“…”

“your hair looks ridiculous-“ Elliot laughed, even if he was the one who messed it up, he always took the opportunity to mess with her.

“says the one who bearly has any! Your hairline is running away from you as we speak!” She shot right back, before they broke out into hysterical laughter.

“is not! You’re the ginger!” Elliot managed, smoothing over his hair while Casey fixed hers, “You—“ she tried, but only more giggles fell out.

“We look like lunatics-“

“Don’t we always?”

“…Fair point, councilor-“ Elliot chuckled, tossing the soft ball bats back in the trunk, before turning to Casey after a bout of comfortable silence.

“Novak?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

A genuine smile graced Casey’s face, probably the most genuine one all day.

“I love you too, stabler.”

…

“..You’re still a ginger though.”

“Oh for fucks sake-“

I’m starting a random daily ship post, because why not?

Day 1: Benovak (my beloved)

—

Olivia, busting into Casey’s office: CASSANDRA NOVAK-

Casey, who was burried in a pile of Chinese take out up until now: I swear to you, I have no idea how Taft felt down his stairs and broke his shins-

*dead silence*

Olivia:…I’m sorry, WHAT HAPPENED TO TAFT???

Casey: WAIT THATS NOT WHY YOUR MAD??

Olivia: No! Babe, I was a BIT MAD WHEN I FOUND OUT YOU STAINED OUR SHOWER WITH THE PURPLE SHAMPOO- WHAT DID YOU DO TO TAFT???

Casey:…Oh that I did do, the shampoo, sorry honey I’m still getting used to the blonde-

Olivia: IS HE ALIVE-?!

Casey, grabbing her briefcase: SUDDENLY I HEAR THE GLORIOUS VOICE OF DONALLEY-

Olivia: CASSANDRA NOVAK SHES BEEN ON VACATION- WHAT DID YOU DO-?!

Meanwhile in the squad room:

Elliot:…

Melinda:…

Huang: They are my Roman Empire.

Elliot: I failed history what does that mean-?

Melinda:…Your a man and it shows, Elliot-

Elliot: RUDE???

The Squad playing ‘pass the phone’

Casey: I’m passing the phone to someone who dated a walking red flag with a receding hairline line on and off since season 1.

Olivia:…OKAY CAS—

Olivia: I’m passing the phone to someone who has IAB fighting for their lives.

Eliot:…I’m not that bad! That’s an exaggeration- anyway, I’m passing the phone to someone who KEEPS DISAPPEARING FOR SOME STRANGE ASS REASON-

Alex: I HAD A REASON! MOST OF THE TIME- Anyway, I’m passing the phone to the bodyguard of the squad, love you fin!

Fin: I’ll take that, anyways I’m passing the phone to the bony ass that refuses to retire-

Munch:…First of all-

Munch: what ever, You know back in the day in the—

(John say the line!!)

Munch: fine! I’m passing the phone to someone whose hair has been left at an AA meeting for the past 30 years-

Cragen: Okay so fuck you-

Cragen: I’m passing the phone to the man who started the sassy man apocalypse-

Rafael: And I stand on business- I’m passing the phone to the person who’s family genuinely needs psychiatric intervention-

Amanda:…OKAY-

Amanda: I’m passing the phone to someone who we can all agree makes the meanest pasta-

Sonny: Period- anyways, I’m passing the phone to someone who almost went gray dealing with Casey Novak trying to charge the military with murder-

Branch: She’s gonna kill me one day- I’m passing the phone to someone who is in desperate need of a vacation-

Olivia: me again- okay, I’m passing the phone to someone who we all randomly hated for months until we randomly stopped, kinda- one day-

(Then I accidentally fell inlove with her)

Casey: I’m still telling my therapist about that- anyways, I’m passing the phone BACK TO THE WOMAN WHO CANT GET OVER ELLIOT-

Olivia: AND IM PASSING THE PHONE TO SOMEONE WHOS HAD MORE HAIR COLORS THAN I CAN COUNT-

Casey: IM PASSING THE PHONE TO SOMEONE WHO CANT KEEP A HAIR STYLE FOR ONE SEASON-

Olivia: IM PASSING THE PHONE TO SOMEONE WHO IS IN SO MUCH DENAIL IT SETS OFF EVERY GAYDAR IN THE AREA-

Casey: HEY THA—

Olivia: I’m passing the phone to someone who defends and is STILL NOT OVER HER EX -

Casey: THATS DIABOLICAL.

What I think some of the ADAs do while waiting for a jury verdict:

Rafael: he’s either A, fighting off a headache and practically downing ibuprofen- or he’s squabbling with Liv- heavy in the last one-

Alex: Skimming though law Text books for absolute funsies (also because she’s over thinking the court cases she mentioned during indictment and she has to double check or Liz will never hear the end of it-) that or she would go chat it up with Cragen over some drinks (only Alex is drinking, cragens AA boys would have his ass if he drank-)

Sonny: Oh my boy is stressing. He’s pacing, biting his nails, loosening his tie because suddenly it’s a million degrees in that room- then he panics even more and the second someone asks if he’s okay, especially Rollins- the nausea hit him-

Casey: To be honest she’s probably just chilling in her office, and this is for simpler cases, I feel like she will just sit in her mess of an office (Seriously it looks like a mad scientist lives in there-) and mess with her soft ball things, that or going to bat with Elliot, that usually ends in her having to book it back to the court house quick enough to get the verdict-

what the squad would do waiting for their shift to start

(im waiting for my class to start)

munch- read about conspiracy theories online/ take buzzfeed quizzes and then scare himself thinking big brother is watching when the answer is accurate

fin- sing to himself in the car and treat it like an american idol audition (i bet he thinks ice t is really good🤔🤔)

elliot- squats (his ass is so round and .. i have to go.)

alex- review the case and actually do her job (she never stops working because she cant be alone with her thoughts)

casey- puzzle games on her phone until she gets too pissed off losing and just goes in early

cragen- he never leaves he actually lives there

I’m convinced the squad is at a constant state of anxiety when Casey gets a passionate streak and goes for a perps throat without regards for the potential damage her career could take- this woman is about justice at any means necessary- if that means screw the rules and do it Alex Cabot made up search warent style- then that’s that-

It’s probably gonna go something like this-

Elliot:..

Olivia:…

Munch:…

Fin:…

*Cragen walking in a noticing the silence.*

Cragen, anxiously;..Who’s Novak trying to indict now..?

Fin, stressed and sarcastic : Munches favorite people.

Elliot, rubbing his temples: She’s indicting the US army for r@pe and murder.

…

Cragen, choking on literal air: I’m sorry, she’s WHAT.

Munch: it’s about time someone took initiative- back in the day there wa—

Fin, stressing: DON’T START JOHN- NOW IS NOT THE TI—

The sibling dynamic with these two- They are chaos twins, whenever they are together shit breaks loose-

Like that one time Liz had to save them from getting sued-

The conversation after that must have been the equivalent of a mother lecturing her unruly kids:

Liz: first the banter- then contempt, yes Elliot I still remember that- now this-?

Casey: in my defense the contempt was Elliot’s fault! He mouthed off Taft to save his ego-

Elliot, whispering to Casey: I thought you said you were over it!

Casey, whispering back: after you tried to talk me out of throwing Taft of the bench? No way! I’m holding your ass on that forever-

Elliot: Casey how is that fair-?! That’s just you being stubborn!

Casey: your one to talk!

Liz, dumbfounded, to branch: did they hear nothing I just said-

Branch: Hey! You two, batting cages- swing until you get your lives together-

Branch, to Liz,: these kids-

Liz: your telling me-

Casey, grabbing her bat,: your ass is mine, stabler-

Elliot: keep dreaming, Novak-

What Did You Think Of The Season Premiere For Both Shows? 💕

💯 This! 🙌🏼

"liv has grown so much without elliot." this keeps coming up in the tags of my edits and in peoples asks and it's driving me a little insane. i have watched every season of this god damn show and i feel like it's such a simplistic way to look at olivia both in the classic episodes and the newer ones.

one, the idea that liv didn't grow at all in the first twelve seasons is absolute horse shit. she says this to nick because the svu writers who took over after s12 actually hate stabler. it is not true and it's unfair to her.

two, yes, she did grow a ton in the last ten seasons. a lot of things have also happened to her. a lot of traumatic and horrible things happen to her and we almost never see her actually get to process them. she just straightens her back and carries on as the strong lieutenant/captain/mother. is this growth? or is it liv repressing her feelings?

elliot, her best friend, abandons her and then liv is abducted by a serial rapist and held hostage for days, assulated, her brother dies of an overdose, her son is abducted by his biological grandmother who she had thought was a friend, barba becomes her best friend and then ALSO leaves her, tucker marries someone else and then kills himself... and when do we have an in depth exploration into any of these things? never. we scratch the surface - like we did on last weeks episode. because we have gone from "liv" to "captain benson" lately.

elliot coming back gives liv a chance to just be a person again instead of just filling a role. she deserves to face and process all of these things starting with elliot leaving her. whether or not you ship them romantically (and i DO think they have always been in love) she literally said elliot was the single most important person in her life, and she absolutely has not healed from him leaving. she could barely talk about it without her voice breaking.

her anger and hurt still exists and are being space to exist, but she knows elliot is in a very fragile state. she can't push him away because if she does and he dies she will regret it forever, like she did with simon and tucker. and elliot wants to be back in her life but he also wants to push her away so she doesn't become a target. this is painfully obvious to me and yet people somehow are missing it and acting like he's just being an asshole for the sake of it and not actually going through a major mental health crisis. elliot has definitely changed as well and become softer and less confrontational in all the ways that matter, but he is also going through something very intense. we are only four episodes into something that is really an exploration into changing this big macho, toxic persona that elliot had. it will take time.

so yes, liv has grown and changed - in a lot of ways for the better. but that doesn't mean that growth will disappear if she is there for elliot or if she lets him back into her life. maybe helping him process his ptsd will finally give is some insight into her own. their reentry into each other's orbits was bound to be rough, and it would be disservice for it not to be - but maybe they can heal and grow together into newer and better versions of themselves and come out stronger in the end. not everything has to turn out negative. let us enjoy this.

Partners 💞👫

Law and Order Organized Crime Season 5 episode 7 thoughts

That was quite some opening. At least I was prepared for the explosion, thanks to promos and trailers. 

Elliot definitely seems to be having some sort of PTSD. He should not be living alone! 

When his gaze rested on the bin/trash can with the doll dressed in a police uniform used to prank/haze Eli felt very symbolic and significant as a metaphor for Eli’s very brief police career ( I really can’t see him continuing in that career whatever the outcome to the investigation following the shooting is, and my gut is telling me it’s going to be bad).

He’s such a good dad, bringing Eli and Becky breakfast and helping out however he can, unlike Eli, who just seems totally out of it and doesn’t seem to be helping with household chores, the baby or anything that is important to Becky. He was also really rude to his dad, barely said hello to him and was dismissive ( « We’re not using that ») regarding all the baby things Bernie used with Elliot and his siblings. There were so many other ways he could have said he didn’t like/want it ( « Say thanks to Grandma, but we already have one/I don’t think it will match the colour scheme or theme for the nursery »). 

Nice little callback to Elliot watching the news of the explosion that nearly killed him a couple of eps ago and Eli standing the exact same way. 

Towards the end of the episode, when Elliot was holding baby Owen, I got flashbacks to S9 of SVU, Paternity, when Elliot holds baby Eli ( who also has a blue hat and a white/cream blanket round him), which was a sweet parallel. 

Also, dude, stop pushing your dad ( that you allegedly love) away. He’s trying to help you! 

Not a fan of the new baby’s name, as it reminds me of a character I really cannot stand on Grey’s Anatomy, especially as he shares a surname with Eli’s FTO, who is equally awful!

He should be recommending therapists/counselors to Eli, not dragging him out to get completely drunk ( also, how is Eli 21? I had him at 20 tops!), Also blowing off dinner with Becky’s parents is just immature and rude. I did love seeing Protectelliot/Papa Bear Elliot chew Hunt out for what he did, though I’m not sure Eli deserved to be defended as he was really bratty to his dad. 

I get that Eli is probably depressed/has PTSD/is traumatised by what he went through, but he has so much love and support to help him get through it. Becky saying she wants her soft and sensitive/kind and gentle boyfriend back was very telling, as those are not words I would use to describe a member of the police force! 

Poor Becky, at least she has Elliot to confide in, but he had so much going on already:worrying about his mum, Randall’s actions ( we have to get that convo next episode, it’s going to be explosive! I think Vargas will get some of the heat too.), his deep concern about Eli and his own health issues are not conducive to s happy, healthy Elliot. 

I did love that he referred to Randall as « his Randall » which felt very protective and big brotherly of him, though he is the younger brother. 

And I think Bernie actually saw Joe Jr, as usually when she has her memory lapses, she seems to ignore the other people’s response but this seemed like a real conversation, 

Elliot had spent so long being the reliable, responsible son and father that I understand why Bernie suggests Joe Jr seek him out, but Elliot really needs a break from fixing everyone’s problems!

I liked seeing more of Vargas, but really missed Bell and Reyes ( did he go to Italy with her?).

The actual crimes are not what I watch the show for, can you tell?

Building a Home, my SVU AU ideas/general plot

Elliot Stabler is an architect with his own firm. Does lots of projects to build schools, hospitals etc for the less well-off/the local community. He was travelling and doing that in other countries before, then decided he could also make a difference at home, wants to meet someone and settle down, have a family snd be an involved/present dad and he really missed his family.

Big, loving Irish family: siblings Shannon and Dee, Randall, Benjamin ( deceased after fighting in the armed forces) then there’s Elliot after a big gap and another big gap before Joe Jr. Dad Joe is a cop and basically parents like Elliot does, and Bernie teaches art at school and to adults/the elderly. Her bipolar is spotted early on and she goes on medicine that works for her and is supported by her kids and husband. His sisters and older brothers all have kids from more or less good relationships. One is  Aisling, she’s a young adult who interns/works for her Uncle El ( answers the phone, makes appointments, opens mail).

Olivia is paired with Munch and they have to investigate a crime, one of Elliot’s former employees/clients is involved/the victim so they talk to him. Aisling calls him Mr Stabler at work, keeps things very professional but later Liv and Munch go through his texts/e-mails and/or see him having dinner with his niece, they see them laughing/hugging/using her first name or an endearment like honey or sweetheart/he kisses her cheek so they think he’s dodgy. After some questioning, he is found innocent and Olivia offers to take him out for a drink as an apology ( they both had major heart eyes for the other when they met), which turns into dinner then dating. 

They get pregnant fairly quickly but Olivia miscarries. They call the baby Aidan Michael. 

They get married as Olivia rises through the ranks, and go on to have Charlotte Olivia, Sophia or Stella Bernadette, twins Matthew Joseph ( Mattie) and Margaret Joy ( Maggie) followed by an anniversary celebration « oops baby » called Elinor Grace. They could also adopt Calvin and/or Noah. 

Olivia makes Captain and Elliot mostly works from home and has some help from his parents/family/a nanny. 

Liv’s partners all stay in touch with her and are honorary aunts and uncles. Elliot becomes great friends with Carisi. 

Fic hunting

Hi,

Does anyone have any links to fics about Law and Order Organized Crime, which follow the feelings/thoughts/relationship between Eli and Elliot after the end of the latest episode?

Or just fics that explore their relationship throughout the series. I’d love to know what Eli’s motivations were for joining the police force, as, since S1, he has been annoyed/upset by his dad always having to leave for work or answer the phone during family events, not seeing him for weeks on end when he is undercover and really not seeming to understand just how much danger his dad is in when he is on the job.

I actually think S1 Eli ( aged about 15-ish) was more patient/understanding about his dad’s job than he was at the end of S4! Also seeing Elliot’s thought process/feelings about the whole thing would be interesting, as he loves his son and wants to support him but does,’t want him to get injured ( or worse) and I think he was pretty hurt that Eli didn’t confide in him about dropping out of college, expecting a baby and signing up to the police force.

There must be some fics out there, I just haven’t found them yet!

SVU Season 10 thoughts

The first few episodes of this Season are just excellent!

Swing is one of those episodes I could rewatch on a loop and not be bored of it and it’s great that it is followed by Lunacy, so we get to see Elliot as worried/concerned/angry dad and then his more fun, playful side with Kathleen and then Dickie. He is still super protective of them both!

We also get some info for the timeline, for those of you that are working on it (@ocstabler). Bernie says she was married to Joe Sr for 27 years, and, in OC, I figured out that Elliot is in his mid 20’s ( about 25) when he makes second detective and says he celebrated by bringing two beers and a sandwich to his father’s grave, so if he’d just died, Elliot was born after his parents had been married for 2 years or so, making him the first or second child, unless Joe and Bernie were forced to get married due to a teen pregnancy ( like Kathy and Elliot did). I think Randall is directly acknowledged as the eldest child/brother, though when he leaves home, aged 16,  he joins Shannon/Sharon and Dee who are already in Florida, which would suggest they are older.

Regarding Swing, I love that Bernie and Elliot’s similarities are showcased , as they both need to go outside to get some air when they get stressed/upset, and they both clearly love each other deeply. Elliot tells her he has always needed her and she tells Olivia that she tried to be a good mother.

Their differences are shown too, especially through wardrobe: she is wearing loose, comfortable clothes in fun colours ( a flowy yellow jacket and matching scarf/wrap and wide legged trousers) whereas he is in a shirt and tie, in plain, dark colours. Obviously, he’s dressed for work, but he could have taken 5 minutes to change into more casual clothes.

It’s also super interesting to see them both recount their version of the same event which differ so wildly. When Bernie is talking about running off to Paris when he was 10 or going to see Georgia O’Keefe, dressed in her nightgown, I think he is reminded of that when Kathleen runs up to him and wants him to swing with her. 

When Bernie is talking to Kathleen, she cups her face, just like Elliot often does when comforting/reassuring his kids. 

Bernie talking about how she was treated in hospital is just heart-breaking, I totally understand why she didn’t want to be on medication, but the fact that she was in a catatonic state for months at a time has definitely caused Elliot pain/resentment and made him go completely the other way with his kids.

Lunacy is such a great episode, as we get to learn some more about Elliot’s past and see his lovely relationship with Dickie. They’re very comfortable with each other and seem to have a very easy, teasing yet affectionate relationship. It’s a shame that Dickie’s namesake turns out to be a total douche canoe, but it’s a good episode with quite a few twists and turns/red herrings. 

Even episode 2 has the photo of Lizzie, so she kind of features in an episode, for once. It would have been lovely to somehow include her in the episode, maybe a scene with Elliot as he is trying to figure out how the guy found a picture of Lizzie online…

SVU Season 9 overview

I am currently rewatching Season 9.

The Season premiere is fantastic, it is up there as one of my favourite episodes regarding the crime committed/the perpetrator. 

Cynthia Nixon is just incredible! All her different personalities are so distinct and she switches between them so seamlessly. 

The car crash in Paternity still makes me gasp every single time and that first hug between Elliot and Olivia just encapsulates their relationship perfectly, how they can communicate everything they need to tell each other without saying a word. I still think Oliver should have been used somewhere in Eli’s name, to honour Olivia’s role in saving both Kathy and Eli’s lives! 

The actual crime investigation in Paternity is also so sad. The non-biological father ( but Tommy’s real dad in terms of care and love provided) breaks my heart. Tommy is such a cute little boy, and it’s adorable to see Elliot with him. 

After Eli is born, Elliot seems to spend even more time at work, if that is possible! Several times it is mentioned that they’ve been working on a case for a couple of days, that it’s the early hours of the morning and they are questioning suspects, looking through footage… 

I also watch OC, so I think this needs to come up in conversation between Elliot and Eli, as Eli wants to become a cop and Elliot is not a fan. 

Eli and his girlfriend are also expecting a baby, and they are no more than 20 ( second year of college, I think). 

I had forgotten how little Elliot sees of his family. I knew he worked hard and occasionally spent a few days on a case without any/many breaks, but this is just constant, and there are probably lots of overlapping cases too. 

I am frankly surprised Kathy stayed married to Elliot, as in Season 10 she is ready to leave him again, when he yet again goes undercover and doesn’t warn her, leaving Olivia to come over and explain things to her. 

The Robin Williams episode is brilliant, another favourite and at first I thought « Oh, that sounds just like Robin Williams, they’ve found an actor who is just as good at mimicking voices… Oh, hang on, it is Robin Williams! ». I love that they left the ending unresolved so he could have come back at some point. 

I love Casey Novak, she is one of my favourite ADA’s. I find her mindset very similar to Elliot’s, and they have this big brother-little sister dynamic that I find very interesting. 

Thoughts on SVU Season 7 finale and Season 9 premiere

Just watched this episode and there are so many parallels to Swing.

We have Jamie, a pretty blonde and blue eyed girl who seems to come from a loving and supportive family start becoming over sexualised, she gets into a car accident and isn’t doing well at school whenever/since she has been off her med for bipolar/schizophrenia, 

It’s also mentioned that she has sudden moodswings ( outbursts of anger that come out of nowhere).

Throughout the past season and the next two and a bit, we’ll see or have seen Kathleen demonstrate all of these traits/sumptoms.

The guru that Jamie is following, who is advocating for no more medication cannot be more than 50, and I think his parents sent him to the psychiatric hospital when he was 14/15, which would mean it took place in the late 70’s or maybe early 80’s. 

We know Bernie went to one of those when Elliot was young, probably when he was 8, when she threatened to shoot Elliot and Joe Sr at the beach and maybe again when Elliot was 10 and she wanted to run away to Paris. So that is what she was most likely subjected to, possibly even worse, as it would have been during the early to mid 70’s. I completely understand both the guru and Bernie’s aversion to drugs. Even Jamie mentions the meds left her feeling like a zombie, and this would be in the early 2000’s!

We also get Casey’s heart-breaking story about her fiançé. Her guilt is so palpable ( and kind of parallels Elliot’s, as neither of them saw it coming). Charlie’s fate could so easily have been Kathleen’s as it is implied that Charlie is probably dead from drug overdose. 

Munch is super critical of mental health medication, saying there is a pill for everything nowadays and whatever happened to just having a bad day, which Elliot basically agrees with. 

There is definitely a comment about sometimes the signs being hard to spot they show up in a loved one ( the exact quote references home, I think). 

Jamie is also forced to stay at the psych hospital to be medicated, just like Kathleen is. 

Even in the Season 9 premiere, we see Elliot really struggle to get his head around multiple personality disorder. 

SVU Season 6 episode thoughts

Since Netflix will be removing Law and Order SVU in a couple of week, I decided to have a rewatch. The only Seasons available are 6,7,9,10 and 11, so I started with S6 and it is still one of my favourites to date!

In one of the episodes, there are a couple of junkies, who I think are married. The husband’s mum lived with them, she is called Jenny, and is seemingly being abused by her son and his wife. 

Stabler is the only one who seems to pick up on this and gets really protective of her, more so than he would normally, at least to my eyes.

We know Joe St was physically and verbally abusive to his kids ( multiple examples in OC and in S7 Ripped) and, in OC, it is revealed that he physically and verbally abused Bernie every single day they were married. This comes as a surprise to Elliot, but I think that this episode shows that he subconsciously knew his mother was being abused by his father, although maybe not the full extent of it .

I think this is one of the main reasons he wants to be a cop: so he can help/save people ( especially women and kids) from abusers like his dad.

Season 6 is so hard-hitting for Elliot, as the brilliant @ocstabler worked out, a lot of the really bad cases this Season have a lot of overlap: the one with Abraham the cult leader, who is marrying pre-teens and getting them pregnant, Contagious with Holly who has been sexually abused by someone in the community, then I think there is a missing child case too. This is when Kathy leaves Elliot too, so I think he is thinking about his family a lot, even more than usual. 

SVU Stabler kids’ schools

For fic purposes, I was trying to find out where some of the Stabler kids go to school.

In Season 1, we can assume Maureen goes to school that doesn’t have a uniform, and that is probably not single sex as she goes to the Homecoming dance in Wanderlust with a boy and see her dad drop her off towards the end of Sophomore Jinx and nobody seems to be wearing anything remotely similar to Maureen’s black top and white jeans.

In Season 6, Elliot goes to talk to Kathleen outside her high school, which is named as Glen Oaks High School. The exterior looks completely different to where Elliot dropped Maureen off in Season 1, and I think there are only girls around, so it could be single sex. There doesn’t seem to be any sort of uniform though, as all Kathleen’s friends are wearing wildly different outfits. 

In Season 3, Kathleen is shown to be struggling with several subjects so maybe Elliot and Kathy deemed a smaller school with fewer distractions might be better ( if there aren’t any boys that will minimise the boy drama) but Elliot mentions Kathleen’s former boyfriend, so I really don’t know, it could be the same school as Maureen’s.

In Season 11, Turmoil, we find out that Dickie goes to Cardinal Catholic Prep School, which has a pretty strict/smart uniform ( shirt, tie and blazer), and seems to be single sex as when the SVU squad come to interview Dickie’s classmates, we only see boys there. 

We know that Dickie got into a fight in Season 8, which would be middle school age. So maybe Elliot and Kathy thought he’d be happier/do better in a smaller school with more support and he’d have some more male friends/guy time as he seems to take Kathy and Elliot’s split very hard and seemingly only lives with his mum, sisters and grandma during their separation and doesn’t see his dad as much as he would like to. 

My head canon is that Lizzie goes to a performing arts school and they put on regular shows ( in Season 10 or 11, Elliot ends up going to one of them and mentions she was in Anne Frank before that). 

And Eli, when they are in Rome, goes to an International School where he has classes in English with other native English speakers and history, geography, science, maths etc are all in Italian, though the American section do focus on US history, geography and literature too, of course. 

When Eli returns to New York, he is several years ahead of his peers so is in all AP classes or joins the older students for their lessons and graduates early, at 16/17, to help with the wonky timeline as he is supposed to be at most 14 when Kathy dies ( and it’s probably closer to 13, really), if my maths is correct. Each Season is 6 months to a year long, with maybe a few “X months later” jumps, He left in Season 12, aged (nearly?)  3, came back in Season 22, so that’s 10 years give or take, plus let’s say 2 time jumps of 6 months each makes him 14. And by Season 3 he is already in college, which would make him 17-ish! 

SVU Season 24 thoughts and OC musings

Not so interested in the actual cases this Season, and find a lot of the new characters indistinguishable/hard to keep track of. Velasco seems to look different every episode, then there is Duarte too…

Churlish has a stupid name, it means petty, moody, rebellious. They could have gone for Furnish or Cornish!

I quite like Muncy. I think she comes from money and was expected to be perfect growing up so is now applying that to the job, and it’s not working!

Fin’s mentoring skills are excellent, I think he really does a great job.

I like that Stabler and Rollins have a close friendship, but would love to see Stabler bond with Carisi, as Carisi is what Stabler could have been with a non-abusive childhood. Those two at a bar having a beer talking about their kids would be fab. 

I only really watch for the Rollins-Carisi relationship, and they had some lovely moments this season. Loved how Carisi told Liv about the pregnancy, he was clearly bursting to tell someone. 

I have been thinking about OC, and how Eli wasn’t in New York for the award ceremony. I think he’s at soccer camp in Italy of staying with a friend, so never got to see his mum in hospital or say goodbye to her properly. That’s got to have screwed him up emotionally, especially as we don’t know how or when he was told, as would Elliot have told him over the phone ( about the accident) or waited until Eli arrived in New York to tell him, as the window of time between the accident and her passing is fairly small, a day or two, I think? However Elliot tells him is going to make him sad and angry. I would have liked to have seen more of the 5 stages of grief from all the Stablers, maybe with Bernie’s Alzheimer’s making her confuse Kathleen or Maureen  with Kathy and Dickie or Eli for Elliot. 

Lots of fanfic ideas of the sad variety are now percolating in my brain!

Marchwhumpness fic challenge

Written for @marchwhumpness ‘s fic challenge: Appendicitis.

Probably more comfort/fluff than whump, but kid in pain causing dad emotional distress counts, right? This is a few missing scenes from a Season 6 Law and Order SVU  episode, where Stabler is off the case as his son has appendicitis. 

“ He’s got a fever of 101, he hardly ate any dinner last night, and you know how Dickie feels about my mom’s mac and cheese! Then he vomited everything up again. I’ve made an emergency appointment with Dr Archer, for tomorrow morning. The patient wants to talk to you, El, I’ll pass you over now.”

Elliot sighed, waiting for his wife to pass the phone to his son. It really sounded like Dickie was sick, as his kid had no energy, was off his food and was complaining of a stomach ache.

“Hi Dad. I don’t feel good at all. Please can you come and see me if I have to stay home from school?” Dickie implored, using his most pitiful tone.

He sounded so young and so sad, and Elliot just wanted to scoop him up in a hug. He swallowed thickly before replying.

 “Yeah, of course I’ll come see you, kiddo. It must be bad if you’re turning down Grandma Ruth’s mac and cheese, it’s the best. Mom’ll give me a call when you’ve seen the doctor. Until then, Dr Dad says rest and make sure you drink lots of water, OK?” 

Elliot hoped his attempt at humour would help his son feel a little brighter. 

Dickie let out a giggle at the idea of his father being a medical professional.

“Yeah, thanks, Dad. Hope you solve the case.” Dickie replied.

“Thanks, buddy. Hope you feel better soon. I love you” 

“Love you too, Dad. Do you want to talk to Mom again?”

Elliot responded in the negative and hung up, before returning to his mountain of case files. 

The next morning, after Kathy’s call to the precinct.

Elliot grabbed his jacket, his wallet, phone and keys before dashing to his car. He hesitated for a fraction of a second, considering taking a police car to St Luke’s hospital, sirens blaring and thus having to avoid all the traffic lights. He was sure Cragen would understand, but the IAB would probably have something to say about it, so it wasn’t worth the headache.

The journey seemed interminable, and why were all the traffic lights red today? Elliot honked impatiently at any driver who paused for a fraction of a second before moving away from the light. 

He finally pulled into the hospital car park, threw some coins into the parking meter, ensuring it was enough to cover a whole day of parking, though the price made him wince.

He ran inside the building, and only stopped when a nurse called out to him with a warning that he couldn’t just barge in without his identity being verified.

“I need to see my son, Dickie Stabler. He has suspected appendicitis!” he barked at the nurse.

She frowned, checking the in-patient list.

“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have a Dickie Stabler here”

Elliot’s heart pounded as if it were going to burst out of his chest. His palms felt moist, his head was spinning, he couldn’t breathe… Where the hell was his kid?

“We have a Richard Matthew Stabler though” she continued, unaware that the man in front of her had nearly become the latest casualty on the ward.

“Yes, that’s him!” Elliot gabbled, having extricated his ID from his jacket pocket.

The nurse carefully and quickly checked it before handing it back to him, then giving him the room number. Elliot thanked her quickly. 

As Elliot made his way down the corridor as fast as his legs could carry him,  untying his tie as he did so , while also listening intently for the sounds of Kathy or his son’s voice. 

A familiar chatter reached his ears as he rounded the corner.

“ Yeah, he’s the coolest! He’s super brave, really smart ‘cause he always solves the case. Olivia, his partner is super cool too, she helps him too. When I was little, he came to my school and showed everyone his badge. He said if kids didn’t have a safe adult to talk to, they should talk to me and I could tell him about it and he’d fix it… He’ll be here soon, you’ll see” Dickie chattered away to the nurse who was taking his temperature.

Kathy was sitting in a chair on the other side of his bed, her hand patting his leg affectionately. 

The nurse finished her ministrations and moved away from the bed, revealing Elliot standing in the doorway.

Kathy offered him a small smile and a hello, followed by thanking him for coming so quickly.

His son’s face lit up, his grin almost splitting his face in half. 

“Dad!” he exclaimed, wriggling so vigorously that he almost dislodged his IV.

“Hey, kiddo, how are you feeling?” he asked, pulling up a chair opposite his wife, before cupping his son’s face with his hands, then pressing a kiss to his still too warm forehead and smoothing his hair off his pale face, soothing and stilling  him. 

“My stomach still hurts, Dad. Like, a lot. I have to have an operation! And I’m starving!” Dickie complained, grabbing hold of his father’s hand, seeking comfort and reassurance. Elliot squeezed it gently. 

“ You’ll feel better once you’ve had your operation, buddy. And once you’re allowed to eat again, you can get whatever you want, I promise.” 

Dickie nodded and tightened his grasp on his dad’s hand. 

Whatever medication Dickie had been given started to take effect, as his boy’s eyelids fluttered closed, his grip slackening as he drifted off.

Once he was asleep, Kathy quickly explained that their son did indeed have appendicitis and would be operated on later that afternoon.

Eventually, the doctor came to explain the procedure to them and Dickie, and gave them a surgery time. 

Then the nurse came in to give Dickie an injection of pain meds. 

“Hey, look at me, Dickie. You can squeeze my hand as hard as you want, if it hurts. Do you remember that summer we went to the beach? You and Lizzie decided to dig to China, we had swimming races and we found the best ice cream stand…” Elliot said, trying to distract his son from what the nurse was doing, knowing how much his son hated having injections. 

“Yeah, and Grandma B and Kitkat made that massive sandcastle! They covered it in seashells and seaweed.”

“Ah yes, the sand palace. We’ll have to look for a picture of it in the photo albums when we get home.” Elliot continued, as the nurse caught his eye, letting him know the procedure she had been performing on Dickie had been completed. 

Kathy then came back with  coffee and some lunch for herself and Elliot, as Dickie had been  most insistent that his father not leave his side even for an instant. 

Elliot promised him he’d be there when he woke up from his operation.

After the operation

“Hey buddy, it’s OK, everything went fine” Elliot told Dickie, whose eyelids were fluttering open as the effects of the anaesthetic wore off. 

Dickie eventually got the all clear to go home, where he would have to stay for a few days to fully recuperate before returning to school.

At Dickie’s insistence, Elliot was going to be staying with him for that period.

“I’ll swing by my place and pick up what I need while you get settled with your movie and ice-cream, OK, buddy?” Elliot told his son, who was clinging to him like a limpet to a rock.

Dickie nodded, still reluctant to be apart from his father. 

Elliot pressed a kiss to the top of his son’s head, gave him a final gentle hug as Dickie squeezed him hard before letting go and heading off with Kathy to her car.

Elliot quickly returned to the family home and packed a suitcase for himself with everything he would need for his stay at his mother-in-law’s house. Sleeping on the couch was going to suck, but his little boy needed him, so that’s what he had to do.

He swung by the supermarket to stock up on cookie dough ice cream for his recovering child, as that is what he wanted to eat. 

He hated having to ring the doorbell to see his kids, but his mother-in-law opened the door for him and took the bag full of tubs of ice cream from him. He abandoned his suitcase by the coat rack and made his way into the lounge, after removing his jacket and hanging it up.

Dickie was sitting on the couch, a blanket draped over himself, and his hands full with a gigantic tub of ice cream and a spoon. He was so focused on the movie playing on the TV screen that he didn’t notice Elliot settling down next to him.

Elliot slid his arm around his son, tugging him closer and smoothing his hair.

Dickie leaned his head against his shoulder, tucking himself into his father’s side.

“What are we watching, kiddo?” he questioned.

“It’s called Jackass, Dad. It’s the best!” Dickie replied.

For the next few days, if Dickie wasn’t sleeping, he was eating cookie dough ice cream and watching the seriously overrated so-called comedy. Even Lizzie had begun complaining about it. 

Final thoughts on SVU Season 23

Yay, the first “I love you” exchange between Rollins and Carisi. I adore that she said it first, that’s a big step for her. Carisi, on the other hand, has been wanting to tell her probably since she was in the hospital when pregnant with Jesse. It was sweet how he told Velasco that that is when he realised she was the one. I like how close they are, Carisi really does get on with everyone. He is a regular Mr Congeniality! 

Both of them have spoken to friends and family about the other/their new relationship, as Amanda told her mom about Carisi and Carisi has told his middle school buddies who are now priests. Them asking Carisi if he was at the church to book it for his wedding to Amanda was funny but sweet, as it shows how well they know him, that getting married has always been a major goal of his. 

Olivia’s therapist is great, but Amanda got straight to the point, telling her to take Stabler to a hotel and get it out of their systems. That would definitely be an option! 

I wish Olivia could reconcile with Barba, but I understand why she can’t, as I don’t think I would be able to either. 

Burton Lowe could go to prison forever and it wouldn’t be long enough, frankly. He did so much damage to Olivia and that has impacted her future relationships/expectations a lot. I wonder what would have happened to her if she had married him, and whether she’d h1ve had a different career. Maybe an English teacher or a counsellor at high school?

More SVU Season 23 thoughts

The disclosure episode for Rollins and Carisi was amazing. Both their fears/viewpoints were valid, and they are both invested in the relationship and clearly love each other a lot. It was cool to have them have the conversations in the same place, and I love that Amanda puts her hand on his chest before kissing him, mirroring their first kiss. Yay! Squee! I love them together, Your Honour! 

Her calling him Counsellor is already becoming a thing, it’s sooooo cute!

Jesse was adorable, asking him if he’s Billie’s daddy. Maybe she was asking  a little bit for herself too, as we know that Declan has had no contact with her since before she was born, so Carisi is her main male father figure, as he is for Billie. 

When they go undercover as a married couple, I wanted so much more of that, they were so cute!

Very weird to hear Mia calling Carisi Uncle Dom and not Uncle Sonny. Her “Finally!” when Amanda came for dinner at the Carisi household was lovely, and Amanda’s jubilation that Mrs Carisi likes her ( obviously she does, she makes her beloved son extremely happy and is awesome) was so sweet. 

I’d have loved to have seen Dominick Carisi Sr, but I think what we hear from Carisi’s phone call with him is that he is a pretty great guy/dad as he tells his son he loves him as Carisi says “I love you too” at the end of their chat, is patient when Carisi has to field another call, goes to fix stuff that isn’t working at his daughter’s place, and he raised Carisi to be a great guy. 

Is it just me or does the actor playing Velasco look wildly different, maybe even unrecognisable from episode to episode? Sometimes he’s clean shaven, the next he has a beard, then he has stubble. That might just be because episodes are filmed out of order.  He’s not bad, but I am not very invested in him as a character. 

It was nice to get a bonus episode, which was the crossover with OC where Eli steals his grandmother’s medication and runs away to Jersey. It was great to finally be able to watch it in English. It’s definitely an emotional one! 

The trial for Richard Wheatley was so tense! I am sure I saw Eli there at first, but he was absent by the time his dad took the stand. Eli looked very uncomfortable, covering his ears and looking down, so maybe he went home after a bit, when he realised he couldn’t cope with it emotionally. 

It was great to see Carisi in action, I thought he did a fantastic job .

I was prepared to hate the new judge/chief legal person but then realised she wasn’t all bad, and she’s really helped Carisi come into his own. 

The episodes are pretty good, I am enjoying them a lot.

The one with Burton Lowe was incredible! I could tell from the Season 1 episode ( Wanderlust)  that she’d been groomed ( and I thought her retelling of the relationship didn’t mesh with what we knew about her character so far). When Liv realises that he is a serial groomer and she was one of his victims, then left his hotel room, I cheered. I loved seeing all the flashbacks with Elliot, that was so nostalgic. It was a really powerful episode. It was also an interesting choice to have Nick Amaro come back, he was 100% correct in what he said to Olivia, it shows just how much he cares about her. 

I like that the show is moving with the times, regarding technology and the jobs involved with that. 

SVU Season 23 thoughts

Yay, I finally have Season 23 and have started watching!

Loved seeing Rollins and Carisi making out and both being somewhat in disbelief that this is actually happening! And he asked her out to dinner, as that is what he believes she deserves and it’s what you do when you date.

Their episode 2 conversation in the courtroom ( with matching colours in their outfits, yay!) was adorable with the “I am taking this seriously” “So am I” exchange, showing that they are on the same page,  and the comment about Amanda loving Sonny’s guilty Catholic side. Squee to the max! 

Oh Kat, no! I loved Fin staying with her in the ambulance, he was really fatherly towards her and kept so calm in spite of internally freaking out. 

I can see why she would be want to quit, and loved that she’d talked to Carisi about her fears/doubts. He gives good advice and seems to be a good friend to everyone. 

Fin trying to set Stabler up with Phoebe’s relative but nothing happening surprises precisely nobody, I believe. 

Tut tut, Olivia lying to her therapist. But it’s good that she’s going, unlike some people *cough*Stabler*cough*.

Velasco I am intrigued by, but can we please have a cop without an absolutely crappy home life/childhood/parents? It was so refreshing to have Carisi with his slightly complicated but ultimately loving and supportive family. 

Currently looking into finding Season 24 and 25 for a non-ridiculous sum of money, but I am invested and need to keep watching!

Thoughts on Law and Order Organised Crime, Seasons 3 and 4

I thought Season 3 was extremely boring, as I watch for the Stabler family interactions and Elliot and Olivia moments.

The scene between Eli and Elliot at the end of the episode with the Asian father searching for his son was sweet. Elliot teasing him about his clothes being all over the floor as well as providing a good home-cooked meal felt very true to the characters and their father-son dynamic, as well as Eli not being forthcoming about his girlfriend without some prodding. How is Eli old enough to be in college? The only explanation I can come up with is that Eli was so far ahead in his studies, having studied in Italy ( European curriculum is allegedly a couple of years ahead of the equivalent grade in the US, so US uni courses are equivalent to Junior or Senior Year courses in the UK). There were several other instances where I was very confused by the timeline, like Elliot’s dad being dead by 1993 as Elliot says he went to his dad’s grave with a sandwich and two beers when he made detective, aged about 25, yet had also been able to serve in the Marines on several missions... Honestly, I’ve given up trying to understand it! Also still trying to figure out the age order and age gap between the older Stabler siblings, which is also very confusing. Joe Jr’s year of birth is 1980-something ( based on the safe code in his hotel suite that Elliot and Randall figure out), which would mean Elliot was in his late teens/early. 20’s ( so already married with at least one kid) by the time Joe Jr came along. 

 The Season 3 episode ending establishes a pattern as Eli doesn't tell his dad he’s split from Rachel, but tells Randall. It kind of mirrors the Season 4 finale, with Elliot teasing Eli about being up early at first, then asking the probing/deeper questions. I wish Eli had just told him, but seeing as how his dad reacted to him joining the police force, I can understand why he didn’t want to. I love that he and Bernie both figured it out, albeit in very different ways that felt very true to their characters. 

The family dinner episode in Season 4 was very dramatic and the revelations were pretty shocking. I knew the truth about Joe Sr but to actually hear it and see all the characters deal with the aftermath was so impactful. Again, everyone reacting, talking over each other and wanting to leave both then and when Eli tells them he’s going to be a police officer. I really get why Elliot doesn’t want him to join up, with all the dangers he has faced and faces in the Season. 

The casting continues to be excellent, as Joe Jr looks just like the actor who played Joe Sr as they have a similar build, face/nose shape and colouring. Randall looks like a stockier version of Elliot. 

I think it’s sad that the Stabler kids have cousins they have never met/hung out with as Randall has been in Florida for about 40 years, and got married and had kids at some point. 

I enjoyed the little moments with Carisi and Rollins. It seems like Rollins and  Stabler have quite a close bond/an established friendship, so I would like to see Stabler have that bond with Carisi. They could have had a beer together after one of the cases and talked about their kids/families/whatever was going on. I think Carisi’s empathy and desire to look after people would be good for Stabler. 

I was much more interested in the Season 4 episode arc, I thought they packed a lot into 13 episodes.