Tru Love - Cast and Crew Changes

Cast and Crew Changes

It was announced Jamey Sheridan wanted to depart the cast at the end of the fifth season. Sheridan's Captain Deakins retires from the Major Case Squad starting with the episode "On Fire," rather than battle a conspiracy to frame him instigated by former Chief of Detectives Frank Adair (Michael Rispoli), whom Major Case detectives have arrested for killing a female acquaintance and her husband. Courtney B. Vance who portrayed Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver decided not to renew his contract at the end of the fifth season, which resulted in his character being written out. It was the same with Annabella Sciorra, who portrayed Mike Logan's partner Detective Barek; there were no reasons cited for Sciorra's departure.

Stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, and Chris Noth returned for the sixth season as Eric Bogosian joined the cast as Captain Daniel Ross, Deakins' successor, who is a more by-the-book commanding officer, often getting in conflict with Detectives Goren and Logan. Julianne Nicholson also joined the cast as Detective Megan Wheeler, replacing Carolyn Barek as Logan's partner. Nicholson left the series temporarily to go on maternity leave at the end of the season.

Show runner René Balcer and executive producer Fred Berner left the show at the end of season five, Balcer and Berner returning to the original Law & Order series, it slowly falling in the ratings. CI was handed off to Warren Leight, a longtime Criminal Intent staffer. Under Leight's leadership, the show acquired a new, more melodramatic tone. "This is a different CI this season -- there will be politics and more at stake emotionally and personally for our detectives," says Warren Leight, "We'll see more character-oriented stories, we want to give characters a larger role going forward and see the effect and sense the toll this job takes on the officers. Detective Goren isn't always going to be the smartest guy in the room anymore."

The mystery aspect of the show was simplified in favor of more personal stories involving the detectives. For example, Goren endured his mother's long battle with cancer, culminating with her death in the episode "Endgame." Also, Logan's anger issues often come and go in episodes like "Maltese Cross," "Flipped," and "Renewal." The show's look and editing style also changed in an effort to attract viewers of the newer CSI franchise. Norberto Barba replaced Fred Berner as executive producer. The scene cards and sound effect were not used in this season; they were brought back as of the ninth season.