Facing an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
My mother and I used to watch “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” when it premiered in October 2006. Although it spawned three spinoffs, “CSI: Miami,” “CSI: NY,” and the short-lived “CSI: Cyber,” the original was the best. Audiences loved the technical ingenuity the investigators utilized to work the crime scenes, allowing them to determine who the bad guys were. A considerable part of the show’s success was its diverse and talented cast; William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Robert David Hall, and Paul Guilfoyle made up the majority of the central cast while the show had many recurring guest roles. The cast worked well with each other, and their interactions always felt authentic. Petersen announced that he would be leaving the series after the ninth season, and although he made guest appearances in seasons 9, 11, and 13, the producers scrambled to find a replacement. While Laurence Fishburne came on board for the next two seasons, and Ted Danson took over until the series ended with season 15, the show never regained the same enthusiasm and excitement that Petersen infused into it.
Now, with a rebooted CSI, titled “CSI: Vegas,” Petersen, Jorja Fox, Paul Guilfoyle, and Wallace Langham all return from the original series, albeit in guest-starring roles as a new cast of younger actors have taken over the starring roles, which is to be expected but seeing Petersen and Fox, who play husband and wife onscreen, is well worth it. Both Petersen and Fox agreed to come back for the first season but will not be returning for season 2; as of now, that vacancy will be filled by Marg Helgenberger, although more original cast members could be added.
As the series begins, Jim Brass (Paul Guilfoyle), the former captain of the Las Vegas Police Department, is attacked in his home by an assailant who tells him someone is out to get him. Half-blind, he is put in protective custody for his safety, and his old friends, Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle (William Petersen and Jorja Fox), who used to run the crime lab, are called in to help the overworked lab with the case. Looking into Brass’ past, they are stumped as to who could want him dead as he put away so many perpetrators, but as they continue investigating, they uncover a conspiracy that implies an old colleague of theirs, David Hodges (Wallace Langham), a former lab technician that worked under Grissom, has tampered with evidence from a plethora of old cases that could threaten the integrity of the crime lab and result in the release of thousands of convicted killers. With the District Attorney wanting to prosecute Hodges as quickly as possible, the lab moves fast to try and prove Hodges’ innocence, but when he goes missing, Grissom and Sara must locate the evidence that will prove he is blameless, and track him down, before it’s too late.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Petersen and Fox reprise their roles. They continuously generated legitimate onscreen chemistry, not just as husband and wife but as colleagues who deeply cared for each other. Paul Guilfoyle as Jim Brass was also a welcome return, but with his character almost sightless, there wasn’t much for him to do but lean on Grissom and Sidle for their assistance. Naturally, the main cast had a new case in every episode. Much like the original series, we get to see them analyze the evidence presented so they can work their magic and discover the killer’s identity. While the actors did well in their respective roles, I have to admit, observing the new lab with new technicians took some getting used to. Watching this new season made me long for the original show, so I started binge-watching the first season again and found my happy place. “CSI: Vegas” is enjoyable mainly because of the returning actors from the original show, but honestly, I didn’t find myself warming up to the new characters the way I had hoped to. Maybe season two will change that, and I really hope it does.
Now available on DVD
