Christopher Meloni's Stabler Fights Newly Developed Tremors in Law & Order: Organized Crime Sneak Peek (Exclusive)

These days, Elliot Stabler is... a little unstable.

In PEOPLE's exclusive sneak peek of the May 22 episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, Stabler (Christopher Meloni) carries out his morning routine while fighting what seems to be a newly developed tremor in his right hand and arm.

After waking up in bed and trying to calm one shaking hand with the other, Stabler moves to his kitchen, where he listens to voicemails while making coffee. One message is from his sergeant, Ayanna Bell, who is calling from Italy

"With Reyes and I both out, please, for God's sake, take some time. And kiss that grandbaby for me!" Bell says over the machine, referring to the newest member of the Stabler family — Eli's newborn son.

The next message that plays while Stabler cleans up the kitchen is from his brother, Randall, reminding him not to skip his weekly therapy appointment. As the message ends and Stabler moves to pour himself a cup of coffee, his hand shakes so violently that he smashes the coffee pot out of frustration.

The physical ailment is a new one for Stabler, who's survived numerous shootings throughout his years on the job and, most recently, a traumatic car accident at the start of this fifth season.

Whether the tremors are a result of an injury he sustained in the car wreck, a physical manifestation of the stress he's under or something else remains to be seen.

For the first time since 2023, Stabler and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) shared the screen in the second episode of OC's season 5 following Stabler's car accident.

More recently, in episode 5, Stabler's SUV was also blown up (though he thankfully wasn't inside).

Benson hasn't been the only familiar face to crop up on the Law & Order spinoff series this season. M.E. Warner (Tamara Tunie) joined Stabler for a scene in the morgue at the end of episode "Lago D'Averno," where she joked he stole her away from a hinge date to examine a body.

Season 5 of Law & Order: Organized Crime airs exclusively on Peacock. New episodes are available on Thursdays.