Benson finally reveals her feelings about Stabler on 'SVU' — with help from boxed wine

In vino veritas, Olivia Benson?

Among everything that went on during Thursday night's "Law & Order: SVU" mid-season finale — which largely focused on the exit of Det. Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), who wed ADA Sonny Carisi and took a job teaching at Fordham University — came a nugget of extreme interest for longtime fans of Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni).

Namely, that we now know at least where Benson (Mariska Hargitay) stands on the whole question of Does She Love Stabler?

And the answer is ... hell yes.

Now, we've known for a long time that Benson and Stabler are the best of friends. They can be honest with each other and get each other furious and still have each other's backs. But what "SVU" has toyed with nearly since it started in 1999 was whether the two of them could be more than friends.

Thursday's episode took several huge steps forward to suggest that it could possibly, maybe, really happen.

Let's go to the tape.

So there they are, Det. Rollins and her boss, Capt. Benson, sharing boxed wine in a motel room (cool your jets; they've just finished up with a perp on the scene and are letting off some steam). Benson tells Rollins that she's thrilled about her new marriage, and hopes she'll let herself be happy now.

Then Rollins opens the door: "When are you going to do the same?"

Benson wonders, "With who?"

"Stabler?" says Rollins. "I used to joke about you two being in a motel room, and now here we are."

We did not know that Rollins was on team Benson/Stabler all this time!

But thanks to the wine, perhaps, Benson is a little more open. (Surely this is not a conversation most employees have with their bosses.)

"I did … feel like Stabler was my 'home,'" she tells Rollins. "But he left me, Amanda, and I’m not over it. And the thing is, is that I didn’t have a right or a claim. He’s somebody else’s husband... I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes I think it would almost be easier...."

And Rollins finishes her sentence: If Stabler's wife Kathy hadn't died. "She was the boundary."

Benson agrees. "With her gone it’s like there’s nothing but possibility, which is paralyzing."

Whoa!

That's a lot of personal insight for "SVU," to say nothing of Benson and Stabler.

Fans clearly had thoughts and feelings; one posted the exchange on Twitter, writing, "Olivia Benson and Amanda Rollins drinking wine together talking about their possibilities with Elliot Stabler’s name in their mouths svu WHAT???"

Another referenced an earlier episode in which Stabler spoke to his roomful of kids with Benson in it and said, "I love you," and suggested this explains much about that loaded sentence: "just wondering how olivia benson felt when elliot stabler said ‘i love you’ now that we know he was her home"

And in case that didn't underscore (or possibly foreshadow) what may still come between Benson and Stabler, bear in mind that Rollins' final scene with Benson, seen in the precinct later on, had Benson telling her, "Don't postpone joy."

"You too," Rollins told her right back.

And we all know what she's referring to!

Whether the show takes this another step forward, though, remains to be seen. Stay tuned for more "SVU" in 2023.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com