Wishful Thinking

 1996; Susan

Elizabeth was getting ready in the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. Her roommate, Susan, answered it. It was Max (who Elizabeth met earlier while he was trying to unsuccessfully avoid a fight) picking her up for a date. While he was waiting, Susan noticed his little injury on his head and they had a brief chat until Elizabeth was ready.

Cast:

Max...James Le Gros

Elizabeth...Jennifer Beals

The City: Parade of Dreams

 Manhattan; November 2012

Balloon handlers steer 1st ever Mickey Mouse - designed by Walt Disney - during Macy's Parade, 1934 

Actress and author Isabel Gillies reflects on the magical Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade.

As a little girl in the 1970s, I lived on 88th Street and Central Park West—just a smidge too far north for Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade to pass by our windows. To see Mickey Mouse floating southbound above the bare trees of Central park, we could either tune in to NBC’s coverage or squeeze with the masses, hoping to get a glimpse of the show from the sidewalk on dad’s shoulders.

There was one other way to get in on the inflatable fun. On the Wednesday evening before the big day, my father would stroll us down to the north end of the American museum of natural history, where the iconic balloons inflated.

I remember those nights bursting with holiday excitement as other Upper West Siders joined in the pilgrimage. We would smile at each other knowingly, feeling like cool insiders. Today this event is promoted and televised, but back then it felt undiscovered— something you would only know about if you lived nearby.

We gathered together with the other onlookers behind blue barricades, the roar of helium machines drowning out our conversation. Workers yelled instructions as Kermit the Frog came to life. The slight element of risk you felt was real. It was dark, and a few feet away cords the size of tree trunks kept the mammoth characters from rising into the ether. Those nights held so much of what there was to be thankful for the next day: The blessing of family, tradition and the magic of New York City.

The Magic of Oils

 Cosmopolitan; December 2013

Contributors: Isabel Gillies

Law & Order: SVU actress-turned-writer Gillies found a new beauty stable in her essay "The Magic of Oils"

How I got my start: "I wanted to be a painter, so I went to the Rhode Island School of Design. But halfway through my freshman year, I got a part in the movie Metropolitan. After that experience, I transferred to NYU to study film. I thought being an actress was going to be easy, but it took me 10 years to make a living at it. Then after 22 years of acting, I started writing. Writing is similiar to acting because it's about getting out what's inside. Now, I'm writing my third book, Starry Night, a young-adult novel due next fall." Twitter: @IsabelGillies (note: as of November 20, 2022, Isabel deleted Twitter).

Photographed by Jon Paterson

Writer and actress Isabel Gillies has a glow about her. The secret, she says, is something simple, ancient, and powerful. Have you tried the sexiest product in history?

I never thought oil would change my life. Falling in love? Life changing. Being pregnant? Certainly. Writing a book? Yup. A beauty product? No. Really, no. But one did.

It started a year ago, when I gathered on my bathroom shelf a few glass bottles filled with oils, like grape-seed, sea-buckthorn, black-currant, argan, camellia-seed, and almond. They looked enchanting, old-fashioned, and sexy in front of the white tiles. While now there seems to be a trend of mainstream beauty companies offering cleansing and moisturizing oils, when I began to use them, I felt like I had found an old, rusty key to a beauty secret of ages past. But at the same time, when I unscrewed that first bottle, mixed in with its ancient scent was a brand-new spark of excitement.

First, you have to forget what you've been taught: that you need bubbles in order to clean your skin. You don't need foam. I promise. I haven't had bubbles on my face for almost a year. The ritual of washing and moisturizing your face and body with oil is counterintuitive, but the act is almost as beguiling as the results. It's not easy to slather your face with oil. It requires a little bit of work to smooth it on and rub it in. You become more familiar with the feel of your own skin and face.

The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil ($28, dhccare.com) that I use to wash my face is made with olive and rosemary oils—it looks and feels the same as what I pour into my pasta water and cleans my skin of grub better than anything else. As the months passed, I saw a difference. There was a lightening of fine lines and a general luminosity. The clogged pores on my nose—there since I was a teenager—magically disappeared.

This was not an illusion. I was not under an essential-oil spell. There are scientific reasons behind the miracle work of oil, explained Diane C. Madfes, MD, an assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai Medical Center, in NYC.

As cleansers, oils dissolve the denser sebum that collects in our pores (aka blackheads). As moisturizers, oils rapidly penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, protecting against the breakdown of proteins in the cell wall with fatty and linoleic acids, mimicking what our bodies produce naturally. The oils also function as humectants, which help our skin retain moisture.

After I clean my face, I use combinations of sweet-almond, meadowfoam, grape-seed, coconut, black-currant, and argan oils to hydrate. Argan is probably my favorite for my face. Ironically, the lush oil comes from trees that grow in the dry and sometimes harsh conditions of North Africa. The use of oils in beauty is ancient and universal—Cleopatra used them more than 2,000 years ago. I like to think I'm summoning all that history when I squeeze drops of the elixirs into my palm.

Some of the oils are light, fine fairy mists that disappear instantly into the layers of your skin. Others have a thicker consistency. They feel rich and oily in the best, most luxurious way. The viscosity means you need to spend a few minutes circling the oil into your skin.

Usually, I carry out this process in front of the mirror. At first, I see only what is happening to my skin—does it look softer, healthier?—but soon my thoughts drift to deeper reflections about my life. What was the day like? Did I make good decisions? Do I feel happy? Distraught? Is there a way to make a change, or should things stay the same? Daily musings that I can get lost in as I smooth oils under my eyes, into my temples, up and down my neck, and onto my shoulders. While the oils do their work mending, softening, and improving, you are given a brief respite in your day to consider everything.

I love watching my 10-year-old stepdaughter crack open vials filled with sepia-colored hot oil for her locks. Her smile widens as she feels the warmth in her palms increase. "It's hot!" she announces and then plunges her hands into her hair, mashing it all in. Then she sinks deep into the tub, relaxing as the oil works its magic. Just watching her do the treatment feels soothing to me.

I was not the first to discover this beauty treasure. Recently, I was walking in New York with my friend, the great Czech beauty (and former Cosmo cover girl) Paulina Porizkova, and told her of my newfound love affair with oil. She looked at me—her skin actually glows—and said, "I have been using oil to wash my face since I was a child." Proof is in the pudding, no?

Oils are economical. You can invest in a bottle from a high-end brand (one of my favorites: Josie Maran 100 percent Argan Oil, $48,sephora.com), and it will last. I also love clear, pure coconut oil (pressed from non-GMO coconut), which I get at Whole Foods on the cheap and use copiously on my body. My husband is attracted to its faint, sweet smell. And this particular coconut oil happens to be fun to use in the bedroom after the kids are asleep.

While some oils smell neutral, others smell so good, they set off a primal reaction. It rocks my world that I get to use something so fragrant and beautiful in my daily life. Sprinkling drops of lavender and clary-sage oil into a bath is a totally simple yet complex pleasure.

But it's more than the aromatic indulgence and softened water. It's more than just a luxurious diversion or chance to unwind. I am taking care of myself, and once that is done, I'm better able to take care of others. Those oil-infused baths transform me into a gentler, more understanding person…and possibly a quieter, more confident one too.

Apply oils before your regular moisturizer.

Beauty brands are flooding the shelves with oils for every complexion and concern. With their incredible textures, they'll turn your daily beauty routine into a full-on ritual.

1. Algenist Anti-Aging Repairing Oil, $79, sephora.com

Microalgae oil helps improve skin's texture, quickly drying to a matte finish.

2. MUN No. 1 Aknari, $95, munskin.com

Massage this on before bed. It's blended with brightening prickly-pear-seed oil.

3. Origins Plantscription Youth-Renewing face oil, $49.50, origins.com

Breakout-prone? You'll appreciate this lush yet non-acnegenic formula.

4. Nuxe limited edition Huile Prodigieuse, $45, nuxe.com

A cult classic, this scented multitasker turns your face, body, and hair into silk.

5. Estée Lauder Radiant Vitality Essence Oil, $45, esteelauder.com

Its pomegranate infusion fights free radicals and imparts radiance.

Little House on the Prairie Cooking

 Saveur; February 7, 2013 

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series is a national treasure, beloved by generations. But what I love most is the peek it provides into the planting, harvesting, hunting, and preparing of the foods that America's settler families ate in the late 1800s. There are lavish descriptions of Ma using grated carrots to dye winter cream yellow, and Laura's husband, Almanzo, devouring birds' nest pudding (a baked apple dessert). Accounts of eating Christmas sweet potatoes baked in ashes and jackrabbit stewed with white flour dumplings are testaments to pioneer resilience and pleasure—and they help inspire my own best scratch cooking.

Table For One

 Saveur; May 2014 

Photographed by Shannon Sturgis

New York City; 12:10 PM

When you work alone at home, time can become shapeless. There are no eleven o'clock meetings or afternoon coffee breaks. The light outside may clue me in to what part of the day it is, but if all is going well, the hours bleed together. But each day there is one distinct moment that never fails to come: the moment when I realize that it's time for lunch.

Lunch feels necessary. It also reminds me of my mother. When I was growing up, my mother worked, and in the evenings, the whole family would sit around the dinner table and recount the day. Sometimes my mother would tell us about a proper meal at a restaurant, but most days she would matter-of-factly describe eating a yogurt at her desk. My mother has always been a worker bee, but she's also a serious foodie. So as a teenager, I was taken aback to hear about the unceremonious way she ate lunch. I might have even judged her. A yogurt, Mom? Really?

Two decades later, when I started writing at home, I too found myself eating lunch at my desk. And now, every day, when the hands of the clock meet at the top of the dial, and my hunger kicks in like, well, clockwork, I appreciate the efficiency of something quick and sustaining to get me through the rest of my writing day, before the kids get home from school.

My version of my mother's yogurt is something I invented out of the fridge, with staples we always have on hand. I have a notion that if our kids eat wild rice they will grow up to be successful people, so we keep a Tupperware container filled with it. We have prewashed spinach because it's the one green thing our older son will eat. There is usually some kind of herb—tarragon is my favorite—and then there's the ubiquitous egg, which I fry in olive oil, along with the greens, draping both over a bed of warmed rice. This meal takes minutes to construct. There is room to be inventive, but if you make it exactly the same way every day—which I do—a deeply satisfying regularity develops. It's cooked in one pan and I always eat it out of a beautiful robin's-egg-blue bowl from Ikea that, somehow, is as important as the ingredients.

Isabel Gillies is an actress and the author of Starry Night (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2014).

FACT: A study by the American Dietetic Association showed that 62 percent of Americans eat lunch at their desks. The rise of the desk lunch was greatly facilitated by the introduction of the desktop computer in the 1980s.

A Gift from the Sea

Saveur; June 2014

Credit: Oliver Winward

Summers on the Maine coast provide one writer with the delicious tokens of a special friendship.

I'm not a person who likes secrets, but I do have one.

On the island in Maine's Penobscot Bay where my parents own a house and I have spent summers since I was a child, the morning fog burns slowly off the milky gray sea. Kids run down the dock in bright red-and-blue life preservers on their way to sailing class, and some other parent invariably asks, “What did you have for dinner last night?” On an island that has no restaurants, people cook, and they pride themselves on the meals they make for their families. My answer varies. If I've grilled pork tenderloin or made pesto for spaghetti, I recount every detail. But if we had crab, steamers, or lobster, I find a way to change the subject. “Did you happen to see the moon last night?” I ask.

You see, I am friends with a lobsterman. Because we are friends, which feels lucky anyway, I get access to the most amazing fish. It's like having a backstage pass—a culinary jackpot that feels almost undeserved. A decade ago, during my first marriage, my then-husband and I took a break from our steep Manhattan rent and lived on the island from late May through Christmas while he worked on his dissertation. My parents' primary residence was a New York apartment as well, but they had winterized part of their Maine summer house in anticipation of their retirement, and they invited us to stay there. All I had ever known was summertime. People leave their doors open, welcome a neighbor over to pick herbs from the garden. But during that autumn, I grew attuned to a different rhythm on the island. In early October, when the wind turned to the northwest, the sea changed from a patchy blue-jean color to a brighter, deeper indigo. Once all the boat traffic of the summer community eased up, the sea otters, seals, and bald eagles came out in the open to frolic and fish.

In the evenings, I took a rug hooking class at the Baptist church. The New England islander gals and I would titter as we made the joke, over and over again, about how we were going down to “hook” at the church. “Here we are, a bunch of hook-ahs!” It's a small community even in the summer, but once the vacationers depart, the numbers drop by more than half. And although people try to mind their own business, everyone knows almost everything: who's got a new puppy, whose teenager is being naughty. It was one afternoon around Halloween, when I was buying a meatball sub to split with my one-year-old, Hugh, at the only market on the island when I made an unlikely friend. I'll call him Mike. I don't know why we started talking at the register or what the conversation was about. The kid? The change of the leaves? Our interaction was not long or involved, but I got him and he got me. Had we grown up as neighbors, he might have taught me how to hunt fish-bait worms, and I might have shared my Marlboro Lights with him and listened to mix tapes of Duran Duran on the dock. But we didn't know each other as teenagers, and we didn't live next door. Since that first chat, we haven't seen each other much. We hardly know a thing about each other, but know he is my friend as much as I know there is salt in the sea.

The man is a giant; his hands are the size of frying pans. He was probably a looker as a teenager. Weather and time have taken some toll, but not much. He has a wide lopsided smile and shiny intelligent eyes. But for this city girl, the most exciting thing about him is that he is a lobsterman with a 32-foot wooden-hulled boat named after his daughter. Traps, pots, lines, bait—the real deal. He is in the brotherhood, part of an enduring group of capable men (and some women) who go out on the erratic ocean alone. Skeptical of strangers, lobstermen are keepers of secrets, working in the howling wind and hot sun, the icy snows, and bewildering fog. When I was growing up, the lore was that they had the right to shoot anyone who messed with their traps.

Eventually, my first marriage ended and I remarried. I returned to living in New York City and spending summers in Maine. I would buy seafood from Mike, but over time our relationship evolved. He became my teacher. We had talked now and again about his job, what he saw out there, how the business was. At some point I said, “I'll take anything you find!” Or something like that, so he started leaving me surprises—challenges, really.

When we order something from Mike, he leaves it in a plastic basket cleated at the end of our dock, closing the lid as a signal that something has been delivered. One July day the basket was shut, though I hadn't ordered anything. I pulled on the prickly fiberglass rope and hauled it up, water streaming through the holes on its sides like a colander. A massive cod was flopping around inside. I shouted to the kids, “Look at this thing!” My three kids, who were eight, nine, and ten, stood with me, bent over, gaping at a fish bigger, glossier, and more thrashingly alive than anything we had seen in an ice bed at a fishmonger's counter. “How are ya gonna kill it, Mama?” asked Thomas, the eight-year-old. Although we live steps from the sea, we are gardening people; we do not fish. I had no idea what to do with this creature, so I called the Island Market to beg the owner to clean and fillet the cod for me. No luck—too busy in high-season. I googled “fish butchering” on my laptop in the kitchen, but the graphic videos I found were more intimidating than helpful. Leaving the kids watching videos of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, I walked back down to the dock and pathetically scanned the waters in hopes that I could wave down Mike's boat. It was an improbable notion. Fishermen are notoriously tight-lipped about their whereabouts. I certainly didn't know where he was. I would have to handle this myself. Like a lot of well-meaning New Yorkers, I've always talked the big talk about farm-to-table food. Now, with a cod taking its last breaths on my dock, I had to put my money where my mouth was. I got the biggest knife I could find from the house. The kids watched from nearby as I knelt and looked into the creature's eye, putting my hand on its cool, taut skin. “I don't think I can do it,” I said, my voice quavering. “Just do it quickly,” Hugh, now nine, said. And I did. Taking deep breaths and telling myself not to be such a wimp, I cut off the fish's head. It was not a clean blow; bone and gills do not give way easily to a home cook's dull blade. I could feel the quivering life inside the fish, even though it would soon be gone. With the point of the knife, I drew a line down its belly so the guts could fall out. I felt nauseated. Is this how you do it, friend? I thought. What was he thinking, leaving me with such a job? Still, I cooked the fish, pan-searing it with fresh rosemary and thyme from the garden. Mike probably didn't think I knew how to clean a fish, but he was giving me the opportunity to learn—one I may not have had otherwise.

Not all of his deliveries are as daunting. Sometimes late at night we return from a dinner at a neighbor's house, and there is a wooden basket of clams in the kitchen sink. I laugh out loud knowing I'll have to make a chowder the next day or host an impromptu steamer night, when we'll eat them from bowls and drink lots of beer. In my fantasy of him, Mike is encouraging me to gather people to feast on what he's found, with no expectation of an invitation.

Once, digging in the freezer for ice cream, I discovered two bags of December Maine shrimp. Oh, dude! How the heck do I cook these? I wondered. The next day, it would be my duty to get to work, reading cookbooks, browsing food blogs—researching the tiny orange-pink shell-less gems so that I didn't ruin them. We don't talk money. Every once in a while I write him a check that I hope is well in excess of what he has given me—if you can put a price on it. I worry about him during the winter, when the lobster-hungry summer folks like me have gone home. In recent years, warmer waters have caused lobster populations to explode, and prices have plummeted. Mike has told me they are as cheap as hot dogs. I would write him a check for a million dollars if I could. Some late afternoons when we've returned home, I open the fridge to start the supper I planned, and on the shelf is a pound of crab so fresh it would be a crime to freeze it. He's already boiled and picked it from the shell by hand. So, a change of plan: What is in the garden or freezer that could possibly complement something that, alone, tastes god-sent?

My mother came up with the only recipe I know that honors such beautifully hand-picked crab. She warmed it in thick cream and served it over rice with peas on the side—no salt needed, just a grind of black pepper, and maybe butter. Now, any time a visitor arrives, we make it as a welcome dinner; the family calls it First Night Crab. It's very simple, but it's what I'd want for my last meal. It tastes like Maine and the sea and summer's lazy days. And, secretly, for me, it tastes like friendship.

Isabel Gillies' most recent article for SAVEUR was "Table For One" (May 2014).

Recipes for First Night Crab and Pan Seared Cod with Spring Vegetables.

First Night Crab

Saveur; June 2014

Recipe by Linda Gillies (Isabel’s mother)

Credit: Ingalls Photography 

 This amazingly simple recipe for boiled handpicked crab, from writer Isabel Gillies' mother, welcomes visitors on their first night at the family’s Maine summerhouse. Warmed in thick cream and served over rice with peas on the side—no salt needed, just a grind of black pepper, and maybe butter—it lets the fresh flavor of summer crab really shine. This recipe first appeared in the tablet edition of our June/July 2014 issue with Gillies' story "A Gift from the Sea."

INGREDIENTS

4 slices bacon, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small shallot, minced

1 lb. jumbo lump or backfin crabmeat

2 cups whipping cream

1½ cups fresh or frozen peas

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2½ tsp. minced dill

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooked white rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat bacon in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until bacon is crisp, 4–6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add garlic and shallot to pan; cook until soft, 2–3 minutes. Add crab and cream; bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and add peas; cook until warmed through, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter, 2 tsp. dill, salt, and pepper. Serve with rice; garnish with reserved bacon and remaining dill. Serves 4.

Pan-Seared Cod with Spring Vegetables

 Writer Isabel Gillies tosses together this summery dish with cod fresh from the Maine shoreline and seasonal garden greens. Rainbow chard, bibb lettuce, spring peas, and fresh herbs contrast with the richness of butter-basted pan-seared cod. This recipe first appeared in the tablet edition of our June/July 2014 issue with Gillies' story "A Gift from the Sea." [From Saveur, June 2014]

Credit: Ingalls Photography

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup olive oil

4 (8-oz.) skinless cod fillets, pin bones removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tsp. minced rosemary

1 tsp. minced thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch rainbow chard, stems minced, leaves roughly chopped

½ cup fresh or frozen peas

½ head bibb lettuce, roughly chopped

2 tbsp. chive batons

Grated lemon zest, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat half the oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Season cod with salt and pepper; cook until golden on one side, 3–4 minutes. Flip fillets; add butter, rosemary, and thyme. Continue to cook while basting continuously until fillets are cooked through, 2–3 minutes. Transfer fillets to a plate; keep warm. Wipe pan clean and add remaining oil; heat over medium-high heat. Cook garlic until soft, 1–2 minutes. Add chard stems; cook until soft, 4–5 minutes. Stir in chard leaves, peas, salt, and pepper; cook until leaves are wilted, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lettuce; divide mixture between 4 plates. Top with cod; garnish with chives and lemon zest. Serves 4.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

 1999 - present NBC

Isabel portrayed a recurring role as Kathy Stabler, wife of Detective Elliot Stabler from Manhattan's Special Victims Unit. Mother of five children, Maureen, Kathleen, Dickie, Elizabeth, and Eli; lived in Queens, New York. After Elliot's retirement from Special Victims Unit, he did a walkabout for a few years while moving to Rome, Italy with Kathy and Eli. Elliot worked in Private Security before working with the terrorism task force. Elliot and Kathy were grandparents of Kieran and Seamus, by Maureen. Elliot and Kathy returned to New York for a business trip and to attend an award ceremony honoring Captain Olivia Benson when a car bombing orchestrated by Richard and Angela Wheatley killed Kathy.

Kathleen Marie Stabler ~ October 29, 1966 - March 8, 2021

Cast (only those who Isabel worked with):

Detective Elliot Stabler ... Christopher Meloni

Maureen Stabler (1-8) Erin Broderick

Kathleen Stabler (1) Holiday Segal

Kathleen Stabler (3- present) Allison Siko

Richard "Dickie" Stabler ... Jeffrey Scaperrotta

Elizabeth Stabler (1-8) Patricia Cook

Elliot "Eli" Stabler (9-12) ?

Elliot "Eli" Stabler (21-present) Nicky Torchia

Detective Olivia Benson ... Mariska Hargitay

Detective John Munch (1-15) Richard Belzer

Detective Odafin Tutuola (2- present) Ice-T

Captain Don Cragen (1-15) Dann Florek

Season 1 1999 - 2000

Payback #1

Elliot and Kathy were at a Parent-Teacher conference for their youngest daughter

A Single Life #2

Elliot was cleaning out the garbage disposal with Kathy straightening the house while Maureen talked on the phone, Kathleen was doing homework, Elizabeth was practicing piano, and Dickie was looking for his turtle

Elliot and Kathy were getting ready for bed with Elliot discussing the case of a murdered woman while Kathy updated him about their children

...Or Just Look Like One #3

Elliot notice Maureen's eating habits and Kathy tells him about her anorexic-training that's been going on for weeks.

Kathy sat with Maureen, waiting for her to eat when Elliot came home and told her that she looks healthy. He invited Kathy out for an Italian dinner and told Maureen that she's not invited.

Hysteria #4

The family having dinner- Maureen wants to have her navel pierced but Kathy says no. Kathleen was sad because her older friend quit school because she was pregnant. Later, Elliot couldn't sleep before being called in for work.

Wanderlust #5

The family was getting ready to go out for dinner before Elliot was called in. After kissing Elizabeth, Dickie, and Kathleen, Maureen refused to be kissed, leaving Elliot wonders what happened- she grew up while he was at work.

Elliot and Kathy share a romantic moment while watching television until Elliot figured out that Maureen has a boyfriend. Kathy filled him in all about Jim Dimonico; Elliot wondered if Maureen has had sex yet.

Maureen was ready for her homecoming dance with Jim waiting while Kathy took pictures and Elliot watched.

Sophomore Jinx #6

Elliot was helping Kathy, Kathleen, Elizabeth, and Dickie with dinner when Maureen came downstairs, not knowing that her father was home (she was grounded for sneaking in late without any explanation). Kathy thinks Elliot is handling this wrong and asks him what if her parents treated her that way- Elliot pointed out that they wouldn't have had Maureen

Uncivilized #7

Elliot met up with Kathy and the children at the park for a lunch picnic; he didn't see Dickie and raced to find him who was playing with other children

Chat Room #18

Elliot filled Kathy in about pedophiles online

Nocturne #21

Kathy found Elliot downstairs and asked how it is going with work; Elliot didn't say much. She asked him if he discusses Olivia Benson about it and he said that she's his partner.

Season 2 2000 - 2001

Wrong is Right #23

Maureen and Kathy were getting dinner ready when Cragen called Elliot to inform him that his job is safe.

(deleted scene) Kathy finds Elliot in the shower and undress to join him while discussing Maureen and Elliot's job in danger by the Morris Commission for being stressed (Maureen was with Elliot when they encountered a fire to find a dead man under and she realized what Elliot deals with in his job)

Count Down #37

Elliot worked for three days straight trying to find a kidnapped girl during the twins' birthday so Kathy took Dickie and Elizabeth to see Elliot at the squad. Elliot sent the twins off to get pudding from John Munch, to spend some quick alone time with Kathy. The twins returned with a bag with pudding that was bad and presented Elliot with a toothbrush and a new shirt before being called in with a new lead.

Season 3 2001 - 2002

Popular #59

Elliot and Kathy were leaving the school after a Parent-Teacher conference about Kathleen's grades. At home, Elliot grounded Kathleen and told Kathy that it's clear to him that she's the parent and he's the paycheck. Kathy started to tell him about a girl that her friend Carol, who's a nurse, treated for rape. Elliot pumped as much information as he could from Kathy and started to investigate

Kathy visited Elliot at the squad to confront him using her to investigate a case that the young girl didn't report and hoped he knows about the consequences. As Kathy leaves, Olivia told them that the girl was back in the hospital after being pushed down the stairs.

Season 4 2002 - 2003

Risk #78

Kathy visits Elliot at the squad to talk to him into coming home to get some rest but Elliot said that he can't. Kathy brought over some dinner for him to eat. A new lead came in to which Elliot needed to go- he told her to hug the kids, he loves her and thanking her for dinner.

Season 5 2003 - 2004

Home #107

Elliot and Dickie played a board game with Kathy looking on until Dickie accuses Elliot of cheating and they playfully rough-house. Elliot's cell phone rang from Jacob Nesbit with no response; Kathy told him to go check up on him.

Season 6 2004 - 2005

Blood #137

Kathleen was arrested for Driving Under Influence after partying at a friend';s house; Elliot bailed Kathleen out of jail and Kathy picked her up. She told Elliot that she allowed Kathleen to attend to this party of a friend's and Elliot said they will deal with it the next day and he will take care of Kathleen

Season 8 2006 - 2007

Clock #163

Kathy visited Elliot at the squad about Kathleen and the situation about her boyfriend. Then, after hesitating, Kathy asked Elliot why he hadn't signed the divorce papers as it had been for months; the kids have been asking her if they were getting back together and she ran out of excuses. Elliot doesn't know why and as Kathy was leaving, she told him to call his daughter.

Cage #169

Kathy and Kathleen visit Elliot at the hospital after he was stabbed by a pen, saying that Don Cragen called her. Kathy and Kathleen were introduced to Dani Beck who left to investigate their case.

Cast:

Detective Dani Beck ... Connie Nielsen

Scheherazade #171

The family attended Dickie and Elizabeth's confirmation ceremony

Cast:

Bishop ... John LaGiola

Father Denis ... Karl Kenzler

Burned #172

Kathy and Olivia met at the park- Kathy asked about Dani and how Elliot was doing; she wanted Olivia to talk to Elliot about signing the divorce papers.

Elliot went to Kathy's house, leaving the papers in the mailbox and rang the doorbell. As Elliot was leaving, he watched Kathy come out to find the papers and she saw him, watching him drive away.

Dependent #175

After being cleared for alleging killing a suspect, Elliot went over to Kathy's, telling her that he loves his job and his family- nearly lost them both. Elliot wants to come home.

Annihilated #181

Elliot went to Kathy's bedroom after checking in on his children to thank her for letting him come by. Kathy asked him to stay; Elliot shut the door and got undressed, joining Kathy in bed.

Screwed #183

Kathy visited Elliot at the squad, telling him that she needed to talk to him and Elliot knew from the look of her face that something is wrong. In the crib, Kathy told Elliot that she wants him to come home- she's pregnant.

Season 9 2007 - 2008

Alternate #184

Kathy asked Kathleen to leave Elliot alone so he can sleep; Kathleen doesn't want to pick up trash on the road wearing an orange vest- she wants her community service indoors where no one would see her. Elliot noticed that Kathy was preparing to do laundry, telling her that she shouldn't be lifting heavy things and to leave it so he can do it, but Kathy continues to do laundry.

Kathy called Elliot to tell him that Janis Donovan is at their house with a knife. Elliot told her to get out of there and rushed there with Olivia- he found that Kathy was still inside and that Janis, being Dori, wants to talk to both of them.

Janis, posing as Dori, told Kathy of how she and Elliot fell in love. Elliot came in and Kathy explained that Dori was in their house, upset to see Kathy when she came home. Elliot told Kathy that she doesn't need to be there and got her out of the house.

Cast:

Janis 'Dori' Donovan ... Cynthia Nixon

Blinded #190

Elliot woke up in the hospital with Kathy at his side, who alerted Olivia and a nurse that he was awake. Elliot realized that something was wrong: he could't see anything, calling for Kathy.

While Olivia and Don spoke to his nurse about his condition, Kathy sat with Elliot , holding his hand while he slept.

Cast:

Dr. Jane Larom ... Anne James

Paternity #192

Kathy watched Elliot bathe Tommy Keegan whose parents were unknown whereabouts- talking about their unborn baby.

Kathy informed Elliot about her OB/GYN appointment, her car was in the shop- Elliot was thinking about the case but said he'll take her. He asked if Kathy saw anyone while separated; Kathy asked if he did, Elliot said yes but his phone rang. He hung up without answering, asking Kathy again- she had went out on a couple of dates with someone Elliot doesn't know. Elliot asked if she had slept with him but Kathy wants to know why, if Elliot was wondering if he's the father of the baby. Elliot's phone rang again and he answered.

Kathy was sleeping while Elliot laid awake, looking at her belly, and thinking.

Olivia called Elliot about Jake Keegan's arrest and that she has Kathy, picked her up right on time. Elliot told Kathy to call him after the appointment for an update before hanging up. A car ran into Olivia's, knocking them unconscious.

Olivia woke up and called for help, realizing that Kathy was pinned. Firemen and paramedics arrived, Olivia was refusing help and wanted them to focus on Kathy. She got into the backseat to help the paramedic to stabilize Kathy who woke up with her water broke and contractions. Kathy lost conscious again, needing fluids- Olivia inserted an IV to which Kathy woke up again. The Fireman gave Olivia and Kathy coats to protect them from the debris from them taking off the car's roof. Don arrived at the scene with Elliot on the phone to talk to Kathy- letting her know that he's on his way and that he loves her. The Firemen used the jaws of life to get the dashboard off of Kathy's legs while the contractions got stronger. Kathy was then loaded to the ambulance, saying that the baby was coming now and she couldn't wait any longer. With Olivia coaching and the paramedic delivering, Kathy gave birth to a baby boy. Kathy held her son while lying back down before losing conscious, her BP crashing. Olivia took the baby while the paramedic worked on Kathy, whose machine flat lines.

Elliot quickly went into Kathy's room, relieved to see Kathy and the baby all right. Kathy put the baby in his arms who welcomed the little man into the world, introducing himself as his Daddy. Kathy told Elliot that he is the father- which he knows.

Cast:

Tommy Keegan ... Thomas Langston

Paramedic Jackson ... Lawrence Saint-Victor

Paramedic ... Aisha De Haas

FDNY Captain ... Tony Cucci

Firefighter #1 ... Hisham Tawfig

Season 10 2008 - 2009

Swing #205

Kathy enters Kathleen's room with hot cocoa; Elliot leaves to find out who's been giving Kathleen pills at Hudson University (Kathleen was caught breaking and entering the Fursts'; home while taking a shower)

Kathy, with Eli, went to the squad to inform Elliot that Kathleen's gone after she snuck out while Kathy was making her a sandwich.

At the hospital, Kathy and Elliot were in Kathleen's room from an overdose, talking to Dr. Parnell who revealed that she's sick with Bipolar Disorder. Elliot had enough and left against Kathy's objection.

Elliot and Kathy meet with Kathleen's attorney, Carolyn Maddox, about the game plan for Kathleen’s court appearance. Kathy doesn't like the idea lying to the Judge to go on the offense to put the victims, Andy and Ronda Furst, on trial. Another way out is to reveal family history with Bipolar Disorder

Elliot and Kathy attend Kathleen's arraignment where Kathleen was charged with Larceny from stealing a diamond necklace given to the Defense by Elliot. Neither Carolyn, Kathy, or Kathleen knew about it as he believes that putting Kathleen in jail would help her be on medication. Kathleen attempted to go after her father but was held back, going back to her cell. Kathy slapped Elliot, calling him a bastard.

Olivia and Kathy were sitting behind Carolyn and Kathleen for her sentencing while Elliot was in the back of the room, watching the proceedings. He was surprised at the new deal that was reached between Kathleen and the Fursts, with her agreeing to get treatment and take medication. Kathy hugged Kathleen afterwards and they headed out towards Elliot.

Cast:

Mikki Braithwaite/Detective Nikki Breslin ... Fiona Dourif

Dr. Parnall ... Deep Katdare

Carolyn Maddox ... CCH Pounder

Judge Alan Ridenour ... Harvey Atkin

Wildlife #208

Kathy was holding Eli while trying to call Elliot, asking his voicemail to call her. She saw headlights coming in the driveway and looked out the window, telling Eli that Daddy's finally home. She opened the door to greet him, but Olivia was there instead. Kathy got worried and asked what happened. Olivia explained to Kathy that Elliot is undercover and knows that she's worried. Kathy was angry that Olivia lied to her over the phone earlier; Olivia apologized, saying that the case was going down quickly- but not quick enough to call his family. Kathy then packed up to leave while Olivia tried to stop her, asking her sleep on it before making such a huge decision but Kathy couldn't take it anymore. Olivia asked her where she and Eli were going but Kathy didn't know but it wouldn't matter since Elliot won't call. Olivia promised to tell Elliot to call Kathy when he could. Kathy gave in.

Kathy woke up from hearing Eli crying past midnight. She turned on the light and went to get him but Elliot reached over to stop her, telling Kathy that he will get him despite after being shot twice in the arm and chest. Elliot picked up Eli to console him with Kathy watching and turning off the light.

Season 11 2009 - 2010

Turmoil #232

Elliot comes into the kitchen with Kathy, Eli, and Dickie who was waiting for Shame Newsome to come to pick him up for school, who Elliot doesn't like. He was looking for a folder of Nikki Sherman's rape case for court which Dickie found. Dickie has heard about her, seeing photos of Nikki partying on Shane's cell phone, a photo that was passed around the internet.

(Dickie goes missing) Elliot comes home to a worried Kathy who was talking to Detective Anita Gomez to file a missing person report on Dickie who left school after lunch after a fight with a classmate. Elliot and Kathy gave permission to allow the Detective to call up the cell phone provider for access of towers to narrow the blocks down for his whereabouts. Elliot thinks Kathy is overreacting, thinking that he's out playing hooky with Shane. He got a call from the bank about Dickie's credit card being used and told Kathy to call their cell phone company to track Dickie's calls to pick him up while he left to talk to Shane's mother.

Elliot shoved Dickie against the wall when their conversation got heated at the squad room. Kathy comes in, calming Elliot down and to take Dickie home.

Cast:

Shane Newsome ... Joshua Page

Detective Anita Gomez ... Sheila Tapia

Season 12 2010 - 2011

Gray #257

Kathy poured two glasses of wine for her and Elliot, who was remembering the first night they met at a party wondering if they hadn't gotten drunk what would've happened or not. Kathy remembered that she wanted to kiss Elliot but was scared while Elliot drank three beers to work up the nerve to say hello before they got really drunk. Elliot and Kathy were kissing until Kathleen came home unexpectanted to drop off a file for Elliot's rape case against Chuck Mills

Pop #259

Kathy checked in on Eli and Elliot; Elliot was staring at Eli, who was in bed about to go to sleep. Kathy smiled and left them alone.

Delinquent #271

Elliot and Kathy were sleeping when the phone rang; Elliot did not want to answer it but Kathy answered instead- it was Olivia. Olivia filled Kathy in about the trumped-up molestation charge on Elliot that has been dropped and he doesn't have to go to court. Kathy passed on the message and snuggled up to Elliot.

In May of 2011, Christopher Meloni announced that he was leaving Law & Order: Special Victims Unit after 12 seasons. He will not be returning for season 13. In 2020, NBC announced that Christopher will return as Elliot Stabler on a new spin-off, Law & Order: Organized Crime in April of 2021 and appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to help launch his series.

Season 22 2020 - 2021

Return of Prodigal Son #487

Elliot and Kathy were running late to attend Olivia's award ceremony event. Elliot took a call (that was spoofed), giving Kathy the keys. As Kathy opened their rental car, it exploded! The blast threw Kathy out to the street and Elliot called for help, asking for Olivia. Olivia arrived in time to see Kathy being loaded in the ambulance while unconscious.

Olivia went to Mercy Hospital the following day after Kathy regained conscious to question her. Kathy apologized for ruining her big award ceremony, yet Olivia wasn't worried as she hates making speeches. Kathy didn't remember starting the car other than Elliot being on the phone, it was dark, and she didn't see anything suspicious. Elliot was next to Kathy, comforting her. Kathy was feeling nostalgic and couldn't believe Elliot and Olivia hadn't kept in touch for 10 years yet they were still in sync. Kathy was feeling tired so Elliot and Olivia let her go to sleep.

While Olivia updated Fin and Elliot with the car explosion investigation outside of Kathy's hospital room, an alarm went off. Elliot noticed hospital nurses rushing into her room and got worried. Kathy was in cardiac arrest and was coding. She survived and her heart rate was stabilized.

But, Kathy's spleen ruptured and was rushed to surgery but it was too late. Kathy died while on the operating table, leaving Elliot, Kathleen, and Dickie devastated.