This is Christopher Meloni’s story.
The Law & Order: Organized Crime star teared up while addressing the show’s cancellation on April 16.
“I just saw that they announced OC, Organized Crime, won’t be coming back,” Meloni said in an Instagram Reel. “So I wanted to take this moment to thank the fans who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back.”
He continued: “I had a great time playing him. It was a great ride, but thank you, you helped give me a career that I never dreamed of, you know, nearly 17 odd years.”
This isn’t the first time Meloni has bid farewell to the Law & Order universe. After playing Detective Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alongside Mariska Hargitay’s Detective Olivia Benson for 12 years, he left that show in 2011.
A decade later, he reprised his role in Law & Order: Organized Crime, the newest spin-off from the franchise. The series ran for five seasons, spending four seasons on NBC from 2021 to 2024 before moving to Peacock last year.