The “love you” moment between Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler on “Law & Order: SVU” was supposed to play out differently, according to Mariska Hargitay.

She portrays a captain of the Special Victims Unit, but Mariska Hargitay is also captain of the Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler ship.

The “Law & Order: SVU” characters have been in a partnership turned will-they/won’t-they situationship for years. Now, the woman who portrays one-half of that beloved duo is weighing in on their relationship after the characters shared an emotional scene in the Sept. 25 season premiere.

In the Season 27 premiere of the NBC drama, Benson and Stabler reunited following the death of their friend and former boss, Capt. Donald Cragen (Dann Florek).

Hargitay shared her thoughts on Stabler’s feelings for Benson during an interview with Peter Alexander and Laura Jarrett that aired Oct. 11 on Saturday TODAY. (More on that later. )

The pair hugged after commiserating next to Benson’s car, and once Stabler opened the door for Benson to get inside, he looked at her and said, “Love you. Night.”