Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Cast and Characters

Cast and Characters

Seasons 1 and 2

On September 30, 2001, NBC premiered the show, starring Vincent D'Onofrio as Detective Robert Goren, a junior detective in the Major Case Squad has a degree in Psychology and has a knack for solving difficult crimes. Before joining the NYPD Goren was a Special Agent with the United States Army's Criminal Investigations Division, and Kathryn Erbe as his partner, Detective Alexandra Eames, a veteran detective from a NYPD family who initially resists her partner's eccentric style but grows to understand him as the series progresses. Jamey Sheridan plays Captain James Deakins; although Deakins's first priority is the success of criminal investigations, he is often forced to rein in and protect his more maverick detectives, especially Goren and later Logan, to manage the bad publicity they occasionally attract. While this creates some friction between Deakins and his detectives, for the most part they respect his professional judgment and authority. Courtney B. Vance's Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver is frequently in conflict with all the detectives because they tend to rely on hunches and instinct, when he wants more hard evidence. Despite this conflict, however, he has a strong working relationship with both teams.

Season 3

In the third season, from episodes 5–11, Eames is temporarily replaced by Detective G. Lynn Bishop portrayed by Samantha Buck. Eames is volunteering to serve as a surrogate mother for her sister's baby; in reality, Erbe was pregnant with her second child.

Seasons 4 and 5

In the fifth season, Chris Noth joined the cast, reprising his role as Detective Mike Logan from the original Law & Order. Noth alternates the starring role every other episode with D'Onofrio, and is partnered with Annabella Sciorra as Detective Carolyn Barek. Sciorra left after one season.

Deakins retires from the Major Case Squad at the end of Season 5 rather than battle a conspiracy to frame him instigated by former Chief of Detectives Frank Adair, whom Major Case detectives have arrested for killing a female acquaintance and her husband. Carver leaves as well, though there is no explanation as to why he departed the ADA's office.

Seasons 6-9

Deakins was replaced by Captain Danny Ross (Eric Bogosian). Carver was initially replaced by ADA Patricia Kent (Theresa Randle), although she only appears in two episodes. The ADA's position from this point on is left vacant.

Julianne Nicholson replaced Annabella Sciorra as Detective Megan Wheeler, who remains with the show through the end of the eighth season.

In Season 7, Wheeler temporarily leaves MCS to go to Europe, where she teaches a course on American police procedure. In reality, Julianne Nicholson was pregnant with her first child and was replaced temporarily by Alicia Witt, playing Detective Nola Falacci.

Noth left the series at the end of season seven. He was replaced by Jeff Goldblum as Detective Zack Nichols. The series was renewed for a ninth season, which began in March 2010 and marked the departure of D'Onofrio, Erbe, and Bogosian. Ross is murdered in the first half of the season premiere, while Eames fires Goren in the second half and then quits the NYPD. Goldblum was the head of the series with new partner Detective Serena Stevens, played by Saffron Burrows. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio succeeded Bogosian, portraying Captain Zoe Callas.

Season 10

The final season featured the return of Detectives Alexandra Eames and Robert Goren, replacing outgoing Zack Nichols and Serena Stevens who made their final appearances in the season 9 finale. Eames and Goren are brought back at the request of Joseph Hannah, played by Jay O. Sanders, the new Major Case Captain who replaced Zoe Callas, on the condition he attend mandatory psych sessions with brilliant police doctor Paula Gyson, played by Julia Ormond. The final season consisted of 8 episodes, all featuring D'Onofrio, Erbe, Sanders and Ormond.