The Heart-Stopping Law & Order: SVU Crossover Moments Fans Will Never Forget
Benson has crossed paths with several other franchises throughout SVU's many decades on air.
Between its dynamite cast and endless rotation of goosebump-inducing guest stars, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has become a cultural phenomenon for a myriad of reasons. One of those reasons? The nail-biting crossover episodes.
Over the years, Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has crossed paths with many other characters within the Law & Order and One Chicago universes. Whether she's helping out her friends in the Windy City or teaming up with her former partner, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), the crossover episodes are some of the most exciting for SVU fans as Benson's reach grows wider.
The most memorable Law & Order: SVU crossover episodes
Fans never tire of watching these SVU badasses kick criminal butt, leading to dozens of must-watch crossover episodes across Dick Wolf's sprawling TV franchise. Check out some of the most unforgettable SVU crossover episodes, below:
A Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order Trial by Jury crossover
Law & Order: SVU Season 6, Episode 20 (“Night”)
Law & Order: Trial by Jury Season 1, Episode 11 (“Day”)
An early yet unforgettable SVU crossover moment occurred when Benson and Stabler got roped into an intense serial rapist case alongside the attorneys of Law & Order: Trial by Jury. The episode was star-studded with powerhouse A-listers; Bradley Cooper guest starred as Jason Whitaker, a defense attorney tasked with representing a wealthy client accused of sexually assaulting illegal immigrants.
Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Law & Order: SVU's power team
Law & Order: SVU Season 16, Episode 7 (“Chicago Crossover”)
Chicago Fire Season 3, Episode 7 (“Nobody Touches Anything”)
Chicago P.D. Season 2, Episode 7 (“They’ll Have to Go Through Me”)
One of the most thrilling crossover moments for fans of Wolf's equally-renowned One Chicago franchise was when three different shows combined to bust down a decades-old child pornography ring case. Benson helped the Chicago P.D. team after the Chicago Fire heroes turned in incriminating evidence found during a house fire call.
An unfortunate Chicago P.D. and SVU reunion
Chicago P.D. Season 2, Episode 20 (“The Number of Rats”)
Law & Order: SVU Season 16, Episode 20 (“Daydream Believer”)
A sad and nail-biting crossover occurs during Season 16 of SVU and Season 2 of Chicago P.D. after the Ted Bundy-inspired serial rapist Greg Yates kidnaps Chicago's P.D.'s Nadia (Stella Maeve). He kidnaps Nadia and tortures her as he drives to NYC, right into Benson's territory. Voight (Jason Beghe) travels to New York alongside Fin (Ice T) and Amaro (Danny Pino) to track down Nadia's location, but it's unfortunately too late.
Benson and Stabler were so back with Organized Crime
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 1, Episode 4 ("The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of")
Law & Order: Organized Crime was born from a deep-seated love of SVU fan-favorite partners Benson and Stabler. After Stabler left NYC for some time, his return brought an emotional reunion between the two former partners. There are many great crossover moments during OC's first season, but one of the most intense episodes is when Benson led an intervention for Stabler after the death of his wife. Benson is Stabler's most loyal friend, and Stabler's gratitude for her was palpable in this extremely well-acted episode.
Stabler got real with Benson in Organized Crime
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2, Episode 3 ("The Outlaw Eddie Wagner")
Shortly following the death of Stabler's wife during Organized Crime, Stabler gave Benson a letter that left SVU fans reeling. The letter's contents were not revealed, but Benson was upset after reading it. A season later, after Stabler was drugged during a chaotic undercover case, he arrived at Benson's apartment to finally talk about the infamous letter. The scene was a heavy one, proving that Stabler and Benson's relationship is just as complex now as it was during Stabler's original tenure on SVU. Maybe even more?
Stabler confessed his feelings for Benson on SVU
SVU Season 24, Episode 12 ("Blood Out")
Stabler may be busy with the OCCB, but he's made time to get closer to Benson now that they're back in the same city. While both partners have kept their relationship "platonic," their explosive chemistry reached a boiling point after Stabler tried to kiss Benson in SVU's "Blood Out." Benson turned away at the last moment, but it's clear that there are some complex feelings between the friends as they grow closer with time.
The OCCB and SVU teamed up to take down a massive murder-for-hire website
Law & Order: SVU Season 24, Episode 21 ("Bad Things")
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3, Episode 21 ("Shadowerk")
Law & Order: SVU Season 24, Episode 22 ("All Pain is One Malady")
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3, Episode 22 ("With Many Names")
Season 24 of SVU and Season 3 of Organized Crime ended with a gripping four-part crossover finale that saw the OCCB and SVU tracking down the perp responsible for creating a massive murder-for-hire website. Benson was shot during the chaotic turmoil, but with Stabler's help and her swift recovery, the powerhouse dup soon got their villain. Along the way, viewers got some long-awaited time between Benson and Stabler as the former partners reconnected over takeout amid their stakeout.
Benson's SVU and the Law & Order squad join forces
Law & Order Season 24, Episode 19 ("Playing With Fire I")
Law & Order: SVU Season 26, Episode 19 ("Playing With Fire II")
Benson is set to reunite with the O.G. Law & Order squad in a thrilling two-part crossover. Based on the episode logline, Benson gets a mysterious call that leads her to a brutal murder. After the SVU teams up with Lt. Jessica Brady's (Maura Tierney) detectives, they unveil a series of assaults and murders, leading ADAs Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and Price (Hugh Dancy) to join forces in hopes of taking the suspect down for multiple charges.
Don't miss Benson's epic team-up by tuning in on Thursday, April 17, at 8/7c on NBC. Following the two-hour crossover, Law & Order: Organized Crime will also air its Season 5 premiere on NBC at 10/9c, with the rest of the season's episodes available to stream weekly on Peacock.
