Nearly 8 million fans tuned into Christopher Meloni's return to the Law & Order franchise last week — a turnout the actor said he was "not prepared" for. 

Meloni, 60, has recently reprised his role as Elliot Stabler for his new spinoff, Organized Crime. He previously played Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alongside Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson for 12 seasons until his departure in 2011.