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When we asked Hargitay if Meloni would be putting on his badge once more to play Stabler, she told us, "You'd have to ask him!"

So that's just what we did! "That's a question that's above my pay grade," Meloni simply said. OK, but would he want to return for a few guest spots in the future? After a long pause, he answered, "Things would have to be specific and right."

And while Meloni didn't give us a straight answer, showrunner Warren Leight told TODAY that his return doesn't seem likely, thanks to the actor's new midseason sitcom Surviving Jack for Fox. "I don't know how it could work logistically, economically or given the network politics of it," he said. "I think we just have to accept the fact that the closure we got was somewhat half a--ed because these guys couldn't work out a way to arc [Meloni's story] out, and it's unfortunate."