greenblatt and leight, along with other "svu" cast and crew members, began calling the "revamped" series, ""svu 2.0"". mariska hargitay took over the series as lead, due to chris meloni's abrupt departure. in an interview with "tv guide" leight noted "i'm aware of how successful and well-liked this show is. i'm just trying to figure out how you rejuvenate it after 12 years." leight joined "svu" over choosing to launch a new show. regarding meloni's character's departure, he noted "the character most affected by his departure is olivia. i think in the old days of "law & order", you'd rip a limb off, attach a new limb, and go back and pitch. rub some dirt in the wound and go out there. we're trying to do that a little. to my mind and to mariska's mind, [stabler's exit] will be playing out over several episodes — sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes in overt ways."