Christopher Meloni Jokes About Being ‘Freshly Unemployed’ After ‘Organized Crime’ Cancellation, Reunites with Mariska Hargitay

Christopher Meloni reunited with his former “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” co-star Mariska Hargitay following the cancellation of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” after five seasons.

The actor, who portrayed Detective Elliot Stabler for 12 seasons on “SVU” and five seasons on “Organized Crime,” shared photos of their meeting on Instagram, noting the gathering occurred during his free time after the show’s cancellation.

In his Instagram post, Meloni included a series of selfies showing himself and Hargitay smiling over a meal, with an unexpected appearance by Rachel McAdams. He captioned the photos: “What one does on a random Thursday when still in LA and freshly unemployed. Dinner hang with pals.”

The post came over a week after Peacock canceled “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” a decision Meloni addressed in an emotional Instagram video where he thanked fans for their support throughout his tenure on the series.

“I just saw that they announced ‘OC,’ ‘Organized Crime,’ won’t be coming back,” Meloni said in the video. “So, I want to take this moment to say thank you to the fans who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back.”

“Good ride. It was a good ride. I had a great time playing him… it was a great ride,” he added. “But thank you. You helped give me a career that I never dreamed of. Nearly 17, 17 odd years.”

Meloni has portrayed the character of Elliot Stabler across the entire “Law & Order” franchise since the debut of “Special Victims Unit” in 1999. He returned to the role with “Organized Crime” in 2021, which initially aired on NBC for four seasons before moving to Peacock for its final season.

While “Organized Crime” was canceled, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” was renewed for its 28th season by NBC. Both series remain available for streaming on Peacock.