Dickie Stabler

Richard Stabler
Name	Richard Stabler
Family	Elliot Stabler (father) Kathy Stabler (mother; deceased) Maureen Stabler (sister) Kathleen Stabler (sister) Elizabeth Stabler (twin sister) Elliot Stabler, Jr. (brother) Bernadette Stabler (paternal grandmother) Joseph Stabler (paternal grandfather; deceased) Three unnamed aunts Three unnamed uncles Unnamed granduncle
Pathology	Assailant
Status	Alive
Actor	Jeffrey Scaperrotta
First Appearance	SVU: "A Single Life"

Richard "Dickie" Stabler is the third born child of Detective Elliot Stabler and Kathy Stabler. His siblings are Maureen, Kathleen, his twin sister Elizabeth, and Elliot Jr.

History

As a teenager

He and his twin sister were born in 1993. They turned eight during spring 2001 (SVU: "Countdown"), and were sixteen in Season 11.

Unknown to his father, he preferred to be called Richard by his friends, at least according to Mrs. Newsome, the mother of Dickie's best friend Shane Newsome. (SVU: "Turmoil")

Elliot, who had just been handling a case of an eight-year-old boy being murdered while riding a bike, panics when he doesn't find Dickie at their family picnic and when Maureen tells him that Dickie is playing ball. He runs to find Dickie and is immensely relieved to find to find him safe. At one point at the park, Dickie asked his father if he was looking for pedophiles as he knows that it is his job. Elliot told his son that he was making sure that he is safe from any harm.

Elliot also gives a speech to Dickie's first-grade class about his career and ways to protect themselves from being victimized by child molesters. (SVU: "Uncivilized")

In one case, Dickie is the one to point out the similarity between the murder case that was being handled by the SVU and a video game. After the case, Elliot noticed Dickie playing a violent game but asked him to talk and the latter agrees. (SVU: "Game")

It is revealed that Dickie was named after his father's hero, astronaut Dick Finley. Dickie is also exposed to a gun attack when Elliot brings him to meet his namesake. Elliot immediately pushes him to safety under a table. When Elliot apologizes for this later at home, Dickie is cool about it and does not mind the experience. It is Dickie's statement "I'd do anything to get there" about being a famous astronaut that leads Elliot to suspect and catch Finley, the real murderer. Elliot also punch Finley for shaking his son's hand.(SVU: "Lunacy")

When Kathy was severely injured in a car bombing intended for Elliot, both Dickie and Kathleen turned up at the hospital where Kathy was being treated. Both Dickie and Kathleen were surprised to see Benson after ten years. After Kathy died, Elliot hugged Dickie and Kathleen in a chapel and wept for the loss of Kathy. (SVU: "Return Of The Prodigal Son")

Dickie, Elliot, Benson, and his siblings attended Kathy's funeral. (OC: "What Happens in Puglia")

Dickie and his siblings held an intervention for their father and had Benson present. Dickie told his father that he cannot keep going like this and wanted him to get help for his issues regarding the death of Kathy. Elliot appreciated the concern but refused to admit he had a problem and left, telling them that he loved them all. (OC: "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of")

Trivia

• Elliot and Dickie are very close, even though in one episode, they were in a fight about Dickie wanting to join the military and Elliot wouldn't allow it because he was still a minor.
• In the Season 8 episode "Scheherazade", Dickie chooses Michael as his confirmation name, as Michael is the Patron Saint of Cops.
• Dickie is named after his father's former hero, whom Elliot was forced to arrest.
• Dickie has the second highest episode count among his siblings, appearing in 20 episodes. He is surpassed only by his sister Kathleen, who has appeared in 27 episodes. His sisters Maureen and Elizabeth have appeared in 15 and 16 episodes respectively while his brother Eli has appeared in 5 episodes.
• Dickie and his mother were slated to return in the Season 21 finale, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was abruptly cut short, and the last four episodes of the season were shelved and not filmed. As such, the idea was scrapped.

Appearances

• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (8 seasons, 18 episodes):
  • Season 1: "A Single Life" • "...Or Just Look Like One" • "Hysteria" • "Wanderlust" • "Sophomore Jinx" • "Uncivilized" • "Nocturne"
  • Season 2: "Countdown"
  • Season 5: "Home"
  • Season 6: "Birthright" • "Contagious" • "Game"
  • Season 8: "Scheherazade" • "Annihilated" • "Pretend"
  • Season 10: "Lunacy"
  • Season 11: "Turmoil"
  • Season 22: "Return Of The Prodigal Son"
• Law & Order: Organized Crime (1 season, 3 episodes):
  • Season 1: "What Happens in Puglia" • "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" • "Forget It Jake; It's Chinatown"