‘Law & Order’ creator Dick Wolf is hoping the upcoming season of ‘Criminal Intent’ won’t actually be its last, TVLine is reporting. When the tenth season premiere of the hit police legal drama airs on USA on May 1 at 8/7 c, he has hope the network will change its mind and bring it back for another season.

Wolf believes the show’s fans are going to be “very happy, relieved and welcoming” to the two original series leads, Vincent D’Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, who are both returning. Wolf added that when the two actors’ characters, Detectives Robert Goren and Alexandra Eames, left last season, “It was never a decision to have them disappear into the wilderness.” The two were replaced by Jeff Goldblum, who portrayed Detective Zach Nichols, and Saffron Burrows, who played Serena Stevens.

“I don’t think (Vincent) and (Katie) have been any better ever in the series. (‘Criminal Intent’) is back to the power of the first two seasons,” Wolf has also sad. He added that Goren, who was fired from the Major Case Squad for insubordination in the beginning of the ninth season, will be brought back in by the new captain, Joseph Hannah. Goren knows the captain, who will be played by Jay O. Sanders, from the police academy.

Written by: Karen Benardello