Law & Order: I Love You?

That's what fans of Law & Order: SVU might've had on their minds after watching the season 27 premiere, which marked the return of Detective Elliot Stabler played by Christopher Meloni , who unexpectedly said "love you" to his ex-partner of 12 seasons Detective Olivia Benson ( Mariska Hargitay ) during the Sept. 25 episode.

While the line certainly caught a lot of viewers off guard—especially given the characters’ decades-long will they, won’t they dynamic—the Law & Order: Organized Crime actor's explanation for it might prove to be even more of a surprise.

"Ad lib," the 64-year-old tweeted Sept. 26, of how the line came to fruition. "Made the cut. Ur welcome."

The moment in question happened during the characters' brief run-in

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