It was an excellent episode saying goodbye to Detective John Kelly. I don't know if the public was aware of his departure at the time so it may have been quite a shock to the fans. He was a good character, but he was nothing extra hot like he apparently thought he was! I mean Caruso is an ok looking guy, but I guess him playing the role with a sexy woman like Amy Brenneman helped give him the idea, along with the popularity of the series, that he was hot stuff. To me, he is quite the homely guy. The series certainly proved to be excellent without him in it. It was the quality of writing that held up over 12 seasons, plus great acting. Hey, the public thought Dennis Franz's Andy Sipowicz was sexy, so maybe they thought Caruso was too. It was a nice very low-key exit for Caruso. Replacing him with Jimmy Smits was one sexy dude, no question. Plus he was already a seasoned proven actor. I am watching the entire series and enjoy every single episode.
Review of Dead and Gone
