For fans not in the know, Christopher Meloni was part of the original Law and Order: SVU cast and starred in every episode until Season 12. His departure was somewhat sudden and after Stabler leaves the squad, his character never shows up again, which is strange given the recurrence of so many other more minor characters.

Reportedly, Stabler was only written off the show because of a contract dispute with actor Christopher Meloni, so there was no build-up to the departure, and fans were left in shock when the Season 13 opener simply announced that Detective Stabler had left the police force after the intense Season 12 finale in which he sort-of-accidentally opened fire on a young girl.

Given the nature of his departure, fans have always held on to the hope that Stabler would one day come back to the show. 

In an interview with E! News, showrunner Warren Leight expressed hope about Stabler coming back to the show.

"I don't know how, I don't know when, but yeah ... I think the fans and Benson and Stabler are owed that," he said at the time, adding that he "would hope to see [Stabler] again."

Christopher Meloni even appeared in a Paley Center tribute to honor his character and time on the show. "There's a sense of reverence now," he said, "which I think there should be because we were a show that served a greater purpose than just being entertainment."

Christopher seemed very open to return to the show, too.

"I was just recently talking about that," he said to Entertainment Weekly about a possible comeback. "I always presented that I'd be open to doing the last few episodes, so that's really all I have to say about that. It's not up to me."