Howdy, partner.
During the 23 seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the cast has played a game of musical chairs when it comes to partners. Add in a smattering of celebrity guest stars and revolving door of district attorneys, and SVU has seen as many different couplings as it has hairstyles on it beloved star, Capt. Olivia Benson.
Series lead Benson (Mariska Hargitay) moved up the ranks to Captain, while longtime partner (and, let's be real, rumored love interest) Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) left the series in 2011 after 12 seasons by Benson's side. Yet, Benson and Stabler weren't each others' sole partners during the series, despite always having each others' back...and potentially being soul mates.
And, as season 23 lost a fan-favorite officer after Katriona "Kat" Tamin (Jamie Gray Hyder) announced she was leaving the force after being shot, it's the perfect time to take a look back at all the SVU partner pairings over the last two decades. Besides, who will join Sergeant Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) as his new back-up?
Thankfully, we ranked every Law & Order: SVU partnership so you don't have to. Let's pull back the caution tape and dive in.
Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)