It is often for television shows to start with a mix of the actual story, but then the writers focus more on the characters personal problems rather than the bigger picture. The only genre this doesn’t seem to affect too much are crime dramas; well most of them. One of the shows this seems to ring true is the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, perhaps better known to outside fans as CSI: Las Vegas. It was one of the longest running crime dramas and television shows of all time; airing for 15 seasons from 2000 until 2015 including three mildly to pretty successful spin offs (one I’ve already reviewed) and television movie serving as the series finale. I had heard of CSI for years but never really got into the franchise until high school when I took a forensic class and we would watch an episode of the show every few weeks; took me a few years to catch up on the whole series, but it was definitely an interesting ride seeing how the crime lab of Las Vegas solved some of the strangest, disgusting and borderline psychotic cases to hit the Vegas strip. I will give just a little glimpse into what happened season by season and why this TV show became one of the most successful franchises of all time.
Season 1. Right from the start we meet several characters audiences will come to know and love. CSI 3 Supervisor Gil Grissom (William Peterson) who often has an odd fact at the ready, knows about every species of bug out there and believes in letting the evidence speak for itself (kinda like Sherlock Holmes if I were to compare him with anyone). His team consists of the grave shift of the Las Vegas Crime Lab: assistant CSI Level 3 supervisor Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) a former showgirl and single mother who got her degree to better her life, Nick Stokes (George Eads) a recent CSI Level 3 from Texas who often builds a trust with victims of the crime despite other CSI’s keeping their distance (it has often proven to be useful), Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan), another CSI Level 3 who throughout the series seems to have one problem after another (gambling and drugs mostly), Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), an old friend of Grissom he met at a work study he calls in when the team is short before deciding to stick around, Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) a lab tech specializing in DNA but desires to be in the field, Dr. Al Robbins (Robert David Hall), the coroner who lost his legs when he was a kid and has seen just about everything on his slab, Dr. David Phillips aka Super Dave (David Berman), another medical examiner and Captain Jim Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) a detective who trusts Grissom’s team and if often the legal muscle of the team. We do have other characters audiences will see throughout the series begin on the first season; mostly Conrad Ecklie (Marc Vann) a day shift supervisor before moving up in the police department; he comes off a strict, spiteful and a pain to Grissom’s team before eventually growing up a little, several detectives and lab techs. The first season has the team coming together after the death of one of their own and solving unusual crimes. Grissom also comes across a serial killer (which only happens a handful of times on the show) staging suicides, and when by the time he realizes he has met the killer it is too late.
Season 2. Once again the team solves some of the most bizarre crimes such as how a woman drowned in a desert, a scuba driver in a tree to the murder of the son of one of Vegas’s crime bosses, who Catherine has a past with (more on that later). Nick also has a stalker at one point, Grissom comes face to face with a past enemy and the first of three spin-offs takes place as Catherine and Warrick travel to Miami to find a missing girl and meet the head of the Miami crime lab Horatio Crane (David Caruso). We are also introduced to Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke) a dominatrix later sex therapist Grissom becomes fascinated with. The two would have a rather interesting relationship throughout the series and Ellie Brass (Nicki Aycox) Jim’s estranged daughter, later revealed to not be biologically his but he still cares about her (and she is MESSED UP.)
Season 3. With Szmanda and Hall becoming regulars the team has more interesting cases: bodies with fire-ants, a cheerleader left destroyed to a body appear dead before waking up in autopsy (that’s terrifying). Meanwhile Grissom fears his hearing is going away much like his deaf mother’s, Catherine might lose custody of her daughter, Greg is injured in a lab explosion and one of the detectives that works with the team is killed during a bank heist. We are introduced to David Hodges (Wallace Langham) a lab tech who tries too hard to impress Grissom. We also discover Catherine’s true connection to the crime boss from the previous season. We are also introduced to another serial killer known as The Blue Paint Killer as they paint the railings of the houses of their victims.
Season 4. Some of the series more disgusting and more memorable cases show up in this season including a murder involving the furry lifestyle, a victim Grissom thinks looks like Sara (it is obvious the two’s relationship is becoming more) and a woman who accuses a man of rape but DNA evidence seems to exclude him despite her objections.
Season 5. Greg begins the process of lab tech to being in the field as the team once again dives into some weird cases, but thanks to Ecklie the team becomes separated in different shifts for a few episodes. We are also introduced to Sofia Curtis (Louise Lombard) who would be a CSI then detective. The Blue Paint Killer returns and, in arguably the series most popular episode, Nick is captured by a psychopath and is buried alive. We are also introduced to Henry Andrews (Jon Wellner) who starts off in toxicology before moving to other fields. He and Hodges start off as rivals before having a somewhat friendship.
Season 6. With the team reunited cases begin to pile up, and things turn ugly. A police shoot out in a Latino community leaves many dead, including a police officer with the bullet saying one of their own killed him, a TV crew follows the team on a case, a little girl says she killed one of her brother’s classmates when he is on trial for the same murder (Sara becomes personally involved in the case) and Brass nearly dies after getting shot in the finale. We are also introduced to Wendy Simms (Liz Vassey) who has a bit of a rivalry with Hodges (although later episodes show the two are attracted to each other.)
Season 7. Grissom and Sara’s relationship is now romantic, but they have to keep it hidden. One of the show’s most prolific serial killers makes their debut: The Miniature Killer who kills, cleans up with bleach and leaves behind a minature replica of the crime scene; the case soon turns personal for Grissom when the killer is revealed to be Natalie Davis who blames Grissom for the death of her father figure (killed himself taking credit for her crimes) and she has kidnaps Sara. Catherine’s father dies and Greg is attacked at a crime scene saving a man’s life but kills one of the people responsible. Liev Schreiber also temporarily joins the cast as Michael Keppler when Grissom goes on sabbatical, a man with an interesting past.
Season 8. With limited episodes due to the writers’ strike of 2008 stories had to get wrapped up. Sara must make some tough decisions regarding her career as she becomes burned out. Many celebs make cameos in the show and Warrick is accused of murder.
Season 9. With one of their own dead and Grissom leaving, the team changes up a little. Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) joins the team after helping Grissom with a serial killer case and is quick to get caught up in cases; including one where he and a colleague are held hostage. Taylor Swift also guest stars at one point, Hodges and Wendy grow closer and so much more.
Season 10. Catherine’s skills as a leader are questioned after a team member leaves but Sara returns. Rascal Flatts make a cameo while Langston makes appearances on the Miami and New York spin-offs to find a missing girl. Finally (among the weird cases) another serial killer identified as Dr. Jekyll makes the team’s life hell as he leaves bodies with odd medical questions. We also get a visit from a killer from the previous season that Ray has a history with.
Season 11. With Ray almost dying at the hands of serial killer Nate Haskell more bizarre cases come to the Vegas, including when Haskell escapes to try and torture Ray; going after Ray’s ex-wife and others sending Ray over the edge. Justin Bieber also appears in the season as a teenaged bomber and we get the debut of Morgan Brody (Elisabeth Harnois) Ecklie’s daughter who helps the team when Haskell arrives in L.A.
Season 12. After the debacle involving Ray and Haskell ends with Ray leaving, and Catherine’s demotion, new team leader D.B. Russell (Ted Danson) ties to keep the team’s emotions in check. However when a case from the past comes back to haunt the team emotions reach an all-time high. Catherine also leaves to join the FBI after a case gets personal and is replaced by an old friend of D.B’s Julie Finlay (Elisabeth Shue) who is a blood expert.
Season 13. The issues in the previous finale come to a head and the nature of Sara and Grissom’s marriage comes to light. In addition to their cases a killer using Dante’s inferno puts members of the team in danger.
Season 14. Tracking down the people responsible for the Dante inferno killings (in a big shocking twist) the team regroups, but no rest for the wicked as they deal with hostage situations, cases from the past, one of their own may leave the force and the final spin-off CSI: Cyber makes its debut.
Season 15. In the shows final season a serial killer from Russel and Finn’s past comes back for revenge; as if their current cases weren’t complicated enough. Nick must also decide where his career is going when he gets a great opportunity.
In the finale movie titled Immortality a bombing brings back many fan favorite characters, Catherine’s daughter joins the team and the love triangle between Sara, Grissom and Lady Heather comes to fruition.
Obviously some episodes are not that hard to figure out, some even feel like repeats but what I truly loved about the show was that besides focusing on the personal lives of the characters they actually put a lot into the crime itself. Every episode I saw left me fascinated with how the team figures out everything: who, what, where and why. It probably inspired many to become criminologists, and other television show with the same M.O, counting the spin-offs. The characters were wonderful, each adding something unique to the show: Grissom’s weird facts, Nick’s optimism, Sara and Warrick’s problems to Russel’s oddball ways; it is hard to imagine the show without many of the characters. I would highly recommend checking out the original CSI as soon as possible.
In 2021 the original series returned called CSI: Vegas. William Peterson, Jorja Fox, Wallace Langham and Paul Guilfoyle reprising their roles along with new characters. It was renewed for a second season with Peterson and Fox exiting, but Marg Helgenberger returning.
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