CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

    Quite a lot has happened in three seasons of CSI. Cast changes. Deaths. Cliff hangers. The best thing for me to do is start at the beginning. Or, more accurately, the end.

    At the end of season seven, CSI Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) is kidnapped and trapped under a car. In the first episode of season eight, the CSI lab is doing whatever they can to find her. Only, Sara is not relying on them to save her. She manages to free herself and walks through the desert trying to find someone or someplace that can help her. Sara travels a long way, and almost doesn’t make it out of the desert alive. Except the rearview mirror she is carrying reflects the light and is seen. Sara is found just in time.

    This experience makes Sara want to leave CSI. After being surrounded by death for so long with her career, she wants to experience some life. To do that, she sets off for parts unknown.

Light at the End of the Tunnel/Artwork by Kate Dorsey

    With Sara gone, the remaining members of the lab go about their business. The person with the biggest storyline is CSI Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan). Warrick knows a powerful man is responsible for a murder, but he is warned off the case. Warrick refuses to let it go. This leads to consequences from those who want to keep him silent. A woman Warrick meets is killed; and he is framed for another person’s murder. Warrick’s name is eventually cleared, but not long after, he, himself, is killed.

    The start of season nine finds the CSI team trying to solve Warrick’s murder. They do, but nothing in the lab is the same. A new person joins the team to take Warrick’s place. CSI Riley Adams (Lauren Lee Smith) is not very respectful of the fact everyone is grieving for a dear friend. Starting off this way, it should not come as too much of a surprise this character only lasts a season.

    During the season, Supervisor Gil Grissom (William Petersen) will leave. He has learned Sara is in Costa Rica and is going to join her. Off-screen, they marry. A fact we’re informed about in season ten.

    Before Grissom leaves, he makes sure the lab is taken care of. His assistant supervisor, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), is promoted to Supervisor. He also brings in a professor, Dr. Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne), to be part of the team.

    Grissom and Ray Langston met because of a serial killer. Nate Haskell (Bill Irwin) was invited to have a video call from prison with one of Ray’s classes. Grissom heard about this, and sat in on the session. Grissom and Ray then work together on a case. Afterwards, Grissom invites Ray to become a CSI.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season 10
Photo of DVD back cover taken by Kate Dorsey

    In season ten, Sara returns to the CSI because it is short-handed after the abrupt departure of Riley. Riley left, criticizing Catherine along the way. Hearing this, Catherine begins to question her leadership. She asks Sara for advice. After their talk, Catherine promotes CSI Nick Stokes (George Eads) to Assistant Supervisor.

    The lab runs more smoothly once Nick becomes Assistant Supervisor. Something he can’t control, though, is the love triangle happening in the lab. Or more accurately, an unrequited love story, with, unfortunately, a third person caught in the middle.

    Trace Specialist David Hodges (Wallace Langham) is crazy about DNA Specialist Wendy Simms (Liz Vassey). He would like to make a move, but that would mean one of them changing their job or shift in the lab. This does not stop Toxicology Specialist Henry Andrews (Jon Wellner) from asking her out, though. Wendy says yes to the date, but she does everything she can to keep it from happening. She really wants Hodges.

    Why Wendy couldn’t simply be straight with Henry when she realized she shouldn’t have agreed to the date, I don’t know. Henry is a good man, and didn’t deserve the pranks played on him. He eventually figures out what is going on between Wendy and Hodges anyways. I think he would have understood.

    Other characters we see through these three seasons are Dr. Albert Robbins (Robert David Hall) and his assistant David Phillips (David Berman). Dr. Robbins spends most of his time in autopsy, often with Ray once Ray joins the team. David is the one to go out into the field to retrieve the bodies and do a preliminary examination.

    Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) is a CSI. His main job is in the field, but he also spends a great deal of time in the lab. He has a huge bank of knowledge on Las Vegas history. This knowledge is used more and more as the series goes on.

    Other lab techs are Archie Johnson (Archie Kao) in Technology, Mandy Webster (Sheeri Rappaport) in Fingerprints, and Bobby Dawson (Gerald McCullouch) in Ballistics. These three characters are not on the show as much as the others, but they are all important.

    As are the police, such as Detective Jim Brass (Paul Guilfoyle). Although, the police are seen less and less as the series goes on. Many of their duties seem to be taken over by the CSIs.

    Season ten is left on a cliffhanger. Ever since the video phone call, Nate Haskell as been obsessed with Ray. He will do anything and everything to get Ray’s attention. Even try to kill him.