Fall TV preview: “CSI” - How the crime procedural will solve murders without its “King,” William Peterson

[…]

Lauren Lee Smith (“The L Word”) will also join the cast in episode 3 as a young and sarcastic “CSI” named Riley Adams. But perhaps the most noteworthy season 9 addition is a blast from the past. Jorja Fox – whose character, Sara Sidle, walked out on both her job and her engagement to Gil – will return, just 11 months after quitting the show, to help solve the murder of Dourdan’s Warrick Brown. “Even though I agreed to make myself available in the future, I was surprised to be coming back so soon,”’ admits Fox, 40, who was vacationing in Costa Rica last March when she received the call to return to “CSI”. Fox knew that Petersen was negotiating his exit but had no idea that Dourdan was leaving too. “It was definitely an ‘Are you sitting down?’ phone call. Like, ‘How many rum punches have you had?’” Since the show was trying to make up for lost time due to the 100-day writers’ strike, Fox headed to set last May to film this season’s first two episodes. Though excited to be back (she’ll appear in another episode this fall), Fox admits that things are way different from how she left Sara in November. “This is probably the most in the dark I’ve been in the history of my character, even when I did season 1 and there was just a paragraph description,” says Fox. “We’re very much in uncharted territory.”

That’s because the show has never had to account for the departures of three major characters. Warrick’s tragic arc is wrapped up in the premiere (Dourdan is back for the episode), but Sara still has some personal business to attend to – namely, that Dear John letter she left for Gil before fleeing the lab. As far as Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) and Nick Stokes (George Eads) are concerned, Sara left to visit her mom in San Francisco. Fox is loath to spoil it for fans, but suggests Sara’s relationship with Gil is about to take an unexpected turn. “There’s definitely more to say about this,” teases Fox. “When you see the premiere, all bets are off. By the end, everyone’s going to be rethinking their idea of the characters.”

Which brings us back to the million-dollar question facing “CSI” this season: How will Gil be leaving Las Vegas? Fortunately, death is not an option. “I didn’t want to get the four-episode brain tumor, the countdown to Grissom’s death,” says Petersen. Unfortunately for Gil/Sara fans, a wedding is unlikely. “CSI” has never been one to play up the soapy aspects of its characters – the most romantic moment to date was when Sara rubbed goop off Gil’s face in season 2 – so it’s doubtful the show will start now (though we’d gladly settle for more sexual tension between Gil and Melinda Clarke’s Lady Heather, who’ll return in episode 5). “You cannot try to create what you think the audience wants,” explains Petersen. “If you try to appease them, it’s gonna feel hollow and false. All we want to do is the right things for the character.” Which are? “There are important changes happening in Grissom,” Petersen continues. “He’s solving crimes, he’s trying to deal with losing Sara and Warrick. He’s not someone who’s used to dealing with anything personal. That goes to the heart of what we’re doing right now. Where does he end up?”

Just as important is where exactly “CSI” ends up once Petersen is gone. Fox, for one, is not so sure she wants to know. “For me, it’s not going to be the same show,” she says. “It’ll never be the same again with the loss of Billy. He’s the protagonist, he’s the eyes of the show, all roads start and end with him.”

[…]