It can be said with some assurance that during its fourth season on the air, Law & Order finally came into its own and assumed the form and texture for which it became famous. For one thing, the producers finally responded to audience demand that there be more of a "female presence" on the series. Thus,
Richard Brooks as Assistant DA Paul Robinette was given his walking papers, as was
Dann Florek as Police Captain Don Cragen. Replacing these two regulars were
Jill Hennessy as new Assistant DA Claire Kincaid and S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren, freshly transferred from the narcotics bureau to homicide. It was explained that Robinette had retired from the DA's office to go into private practice (in fact, the character would return in a later season as counsel for the defense, opposing his former colleagues). As for Cragen, the character returned to Law & Order in a guest-star capacity, and was returned to full "regular" status in 1999 on the spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. (Actor Florek also directed several Law & Order episodes). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide