Elliot Stabler’s son drops two bombshells on him in ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ season finale

Elliot Stabler’s youngest child is following in his father’s footsteps — in more ways than one.

In the May 16 season finale of “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” “Stabler’s Lament,” viewers finally learned the “big news” Eli Stabler (Nicky Torchia) has been wanting to share with dad Elliot (Chris Meloni).

Two episodes prior, Eli called his uncle Randall Stabler (Dean Norris) and explained he was trying to get in touch with his dad. Randall told him Elliot was “unreachable” as he was heavily involved in a case at work for the Organized Crime team. That case continued into the following episode and the finale and involves Elliot’s team working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate a group distributing drugs and, more recently, transporting chemical weapons. Oh, and one of the members of that group? Elliot and Randall’s younger brother, Joe Stabler Jr. (Michael Trotter).

Eli wouldn’t share the news he wanted to tell his dad while talking on the phone to his uncle. In the Season Four penultimate episode, Elliot returned home to find Eli and his girlfriend, Becky (Kiaya Scott), who was introduced earlier in the season during a Stabler family dinner gone wrong. Eli informed his dad that he and Becky were leaving college and moving back to New York — together. Their conversation ended there when Elliot received a call from work, a recurring theme during his conversations with Eli.

Finally, in the last episode of the season, which is also the final one airing on NBC before the show moves to Peacock for Season Five, another family member picks up on the couple’s news they’ve been harboring.

Eli’s grandmother, Bernadette “Bernie” Stabler (Ellen Burstyn), greets Eli and Becky as Randall welcomes them for a visit.

“Oh! You’re pregnant?” Bernie says to Becky.

“I told you. She always knows,” Eli says, as a shocked Randall stares at the two.

Longtime “Law & Order” fans will recognize how this pregnancy parallels some of the actions of Elliot and his wife, Kathy Stabler (Isabel Gillies), who’s now deceased.

Elliot was introduced on “Law & Order: SVU” in 1999 during the show’s first season, and viewers learned he and Kathy got pregnant with their first child while they were teenagers and ended up getting married. After spending a few years in the Marines, Elliot became a cop.

Flash forward to Season Eight and Eli’s unexpected conception. That season was filled with the ups and downs of Elliot and Kathy’s relationship, and the two were headed for divorce. Both also consulted Stabler’s SVU partner, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), during their marital woes. It came as a surprise in the Season Eight finale (“Screwed”) when Elliot dropped the bombshell on Olivia that Kathy was pregnant. Elliot had previously gone home to Kathy one night after a rough case, despite their separation, and the end result of that? Eli, whom Olivia later helped deliver in the Season Nine episode “Paternity” after she and Kathy got into a car accident while going to a doctor's appointment.

Back in the present day on “Organized Crime,” Eli tells Randall he and Becky are “super excited” about the baby, but Randall won’t budge when Eli asks him to tell his dad about the pregnancy news. Bernie calls for another family dinner. At the last gathering, Elliot learned of a devastating family secret: His father, Joe Stabler Sr., abused his mother.

At this dinner, which begins without Elliot present, Eli makes another confession — that he signed up for the police academy. Just like his dad, Eli plans to become a cop and welcome his first child at a young age.

Then Elliot walks in, and Bernie spills the beans about Eli’s career choice. Elliot, who isn’t thrilled by this news, talks to Eli outside and tells him about how much more “dangerous” the job has become since he started on the force.

“Statistically, it’s a lot safer,” Eli responds.

“I don’t think it’s for you,” Elliot says.

Randall walks outside and tells his brother not to “transfer” his fears onto his son.

“I don’t want to see him get himself killed,” Elliot says.

Once again, Elliot gets a call from work and has to leave the dinner early, like last time, which irks Eli.

“You want to be a cop? This is what it looks like,” Elliot says.

Elliot returns home at the end of the episode and finds Eli alone in the kitchen making tea.

“I’m a little stressed,” Eli says.

“How many weeks?” Elliot responds. “Becky, how far along is she?”

“Uncle Randall tell you?” Eli asks.

“No, when you guys first got here, you were both acting a little squirrelly,” Elliot says.

He also notes the ginger tea Eli is making is “a dead giveaway,” as it’s what Elliot used to make for Kathy when she was pregnant.

Eli walks away as Elliot asks why he told his uncle about the pregnancy news but not him.

Eli just stares at his father before he finally turns to bring the tea to Becky.

Elliot hears from the kitchen when Becky asks Eli if he shared their news with him.

“He guessed,” Eli tells her.

“What does he think?” Becky asks.

“I don’t know yet,” Eli says.

The episode concludes with Elliot at Kathy’s grave, telling her the news about their son’s baby.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com