NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider Law & Order Franchise

Mariska Hargitay Was 8 Months Pregnant in Chris Meloni's Favorite SVU Scene

It's a moment from an unforgettable episode!

By Chris Phelan
Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni Re-create the Moment They First Met
Video thumbnail
Now Playing
7:03
Highlight
Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni Re-create the Moment They First Met
Video thumbnail
12:14
Web Exclusive
Trump Tariffs Causes Market Turmoil, Cory Booker Breaks Speech Record: Late Night's News of the Week
Video thumbnail
10:14
Highlight
Bill Burr Confronted Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder at the SNL50 Anniversary Special
Video thumbnail
9:19
Highlight
Aimee Lou Wood Talks Keeping The White Lotus Finale a Secret and Interprets Seth's Birth Chart
Video thumbnail
2:48
Highlight
Trump Calls Groceries "Old Fashioned," Says Income Tax Was Imposed for "Reasons Unknown to Mankind"
Video thumbnail
11:18
Web Exclusive
CORRECTIONS Episode 133: Week of Monday, March 31
Video thumbnail
15:27
Highlight
Trump's Insane Tariff Plan Tanks Stock Market, Risks Economic Collapse as Prices Rise: A Closer Look
Video thumbnail
13:29
Highlight
Rachel Maddow Talks Elon Musk's Wisconsin Loss and the White House's Signal Chat Investigation
Video thumbnail
0:24
Highlight
Seth Celebrates Webby Award Nominations for Late Night and The Lonely Island
Video thumbnail
3:39
Highlight
Trump Expects Elon Musk to Leave White House Role Soon
Video thumbnail
8:18
Highlight
Rob Delaney Had to Make Awkward Noises His First Day on Dying for Sex with Michelle Williams
Video thumbnail
11:52
Highlight
Musk and Trump Lose Big in Wisconsin After Spending Millions to Buy Votes: A Closer Look
Video thumbnail
7:10
Highlight
Michael Longfellow Shares His Worst SNL Sketch Fail, Reveals Which Impression He Wants on the Show
Video thumbnail
3:02
Highlight
Elon Musk Urges People to Have Children During Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Rally
Video thumbnail
8:54
Highlight
Ike Barinholtz Fell in Love with Martin Scorsese While Filming The Studio
Video thumbnail
18:58
Highlight
Seth and Paul Rudd Go Day Drinking
Video thumbnail
3:05
Highlight
Trump Won't Fire Anyone Over Signal Group Chat Scandal
Video thumbnail
10:28
Highlight
Nathan Lane Had an Awkward Encounter with Kevin Costner, Helped Bill Burr Land His Broadway Role

It's no surprise that actors themselves have their own favorite scenes from their shows. What is surprising, however, is that Christopher Meloni's favorite Law & Order: Special Victims Unit scene ever just happens to be one that includes an 8 months pregnant Mariska Hargitay.

How to Watch

Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

In an October 2024 interview with Us Weekly, Meloni revealed out of all the scenes he and Hargitay filmed over the years as Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, one stands out the most.

"My favorite SVU scene featuring myself and Mariska Hargitay was when Lou Diamond Phillips had a gun to my head, and Stabler told Benson to take the shot," he revealed. "We were bound to each other in that moment as people and characters. And I think Mariska was 8 months pregnant at the time, so it's a moment I find particularly special."

RELATED: Did You Spot Richard Belzer in the First Episode of Saturday Night Live?

The scene in question took place in the Season 7, Episode 19 "Fault," and it's just as high-pressure and intense as Meloni remembers. And yes, Hargitay was only a short while away from welcoming her son, August, at the time of filming in 2006.

What was significant about Chris Meloni's favorite SVU scene?

Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler, Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson in Season 7 Episode 19 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

That pivotal scene —- and "Fault" in general — exists as a significant turning point in Stabler and Benson's relationship. Most fans agree that it was the first time both characters realized that they cared more about the other person's well-being than they did their jobs.

After a sex offender is released from prison and abducts two children, Stabler and Benson quickly jump into action, getting into a standoff with the culprit. However, after Benson is stabbed, Stabler tends to his partner instead of taking chase, leading to a poignant moment between the two.

Later in the episode, Stabler is held at gunpoint by the same person, and Benson refuses to shoot the perp (despite Stabler's pleas to do so) out of fear she'd hurt Stabler. This particular scene is the one Meloni specifically pointed out as his favorite scene he ever filmed alongside Hargitay. 

Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler in Seaosn 7 Episode 19 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Although the sex offender is eventually caught at the end of the episode, the episode's fallout nevertheless raises a vital question: can Stabler and Benson do their jobs effectively if they prioritize their bond over their duties? It's a question that loomed over their heads for a long time.

For these reasons, this landmark episode made NBC Insider's list of the "23 Heart-Pounding Law & Order: SVU Episodes Fans Will Never Forget" in 2023!

Sponsored Stories
Recommended by Zergnet