One of the most heart-wrenching moments of the Elliot Stabler and Olivia Bensonrelationship throughout Law & Order: Special Victim Unit was a particularly powerful scene from the Season 22 episode, “Return of the Prodigal Son.”

After seeing Stabler for the first time in 10 years, Benson found herself in one of the most critical conversations in her life — hearing a tearful apology from Stabler that was long overdue. Because of events that transpired in the Season 12 finale, “Smoked,” which saw Stabler getting caught up in a dramatic courtroom shooting that left a teenager dead, it was revealed in the Season 13 premiere that Stabler had left the SVU squad that he called home for so many years.

He moved his family to Italy and essentially vanished without a trace — and Stabler never told Benson he was leaving. Benson had to be told the news

This scene from “Prodigal Son,” below, is as emotional as it gets, and even though not many words are spoken — as it always is with these two characters — it’s what’s not said that is most impactful.