Farewell, Captain! (and) Hello, Strangers!

As viewers of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" may have noticed last night, Jamey Sheridan's character, Captain James Deakins, left the building. For those who were wondering:

1) Is this permanent?
2) Why did he go?

The answers are:

1) Yes, he's gone for good.
2) The commuting schedule (Sheridan, like Courtney Vance, shuttles between coasts) became too wearing, and he decided to move on. (At least, that seems to be the official version.)

And yes, apocrypha didn't see diddly in the press, either. We don't believe an official announcement was ever made, or if it was, nobody reported it.

As for the unasked:

3) Who's replacing him?

That remains to be seen.

Elsewhere: Apparently new cast members are on their way to the original "Law & Order." Obviously, one will replace the exiting Annie Parisse, but apparently there's more than just the one ....