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Season 5 is perhaps the shows most successful year to date. It’s always been a ratings winner - ever since the “Pilot” - but it’s clear from watching the fifth series that the producers have grown supremely confident. The budget seems even higher than before, helping CSI to match (or, in some cases, exceed) your average crime movie. The formula has become routine, and audiences know exactly what to expect. It’s a phenomenon in television terms, and a fully-fledged franchise (no matter how good Miami and NY are, I still rate the original higher). Therefore, you’d expect the writers to sit back and take it easy - they aren’t inventing the wheel anymore. But they didn’t. Safe from cancellation, and revelling in the joys of syndication, they decided to rock the boat. Season 5 concentrates much-more on the team dynamic than previous series; effectively playing with the group we’ve come to love, and even developing characters. CSI is largely about collecting the evidence, and rarely gives the characters room to evolve. Fortunately, there are several episodes here that buck the trend, and the finale in particular promises to change one of the character’s forever.

Such risks with an ageing formula made some fans uneasy; proclaiming that CSI was about to “jump the shark.” Pish-posh! Solving crimes is still the main focus, and the increase in character development merely helps to give the series extra allure. As it hit the mighty 100th episode, the show took a U-turn; executing a sub-plot that had been building for some time. That villainous day-shift manager Conrad Ecklie (Marc Vann) got his promotion as assistant head of the lab, and proceeded to split-up Grissom.s team. One of the highlights of a busy season, “Mea Culpa” sees the team questioned at every turn by the goon, who is taking great relish in screwing with Grissom. Ooh, that Ecklie! Boo, hiss! The result mixes up the team; Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) gets Nick (George Eads) and Warrick (Gary Dourdan), who end up working the swing shift. At least Grissom still has Sara (Jorja Fox), although their romantic sub-plot has disappeared.

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