It’s official: Lauren Lee Smith is out on CSI, and Jorja Fox is back in! The prodigal star spoke exclusively to TVGuideMagazine.com about her return for at least five episodes.

So what prompted your return to CSI? Right around March, I felt really rested and was itching to work–I was ready and going to meetings and auditioning. When I was in Atlanta [filming a guest shot on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva], I got the call about CSI–it was completely out of the blue! I never thought I’d be going back to work with people that I knew, I thought I’d be starting new things. That was a surprise, so I’m going back to work and it’s with the same people who I’ve worked with for eight years in the past. [Laughs] I was thrilled! For me it was a huge compliment!

When do you begin filming? I was there all week–they started shooting July 20. I think I’m about knee-deep back in the water. It has just been a ball and a half. I think CSI’s premiere episode is one of the best that I’ve ever read. It’s a pleasant surprise. You think, “They’re starting Season 10–how is it going to be as good as it was last year or four years ago?” And they blew me away.

Do you know yet what brings Sara back to Vegas? I think all I can really say is [pause] the team has had a rough year–there has been a lot going on–and so Sara comes back mostly just to see if she can help for a while, because she loves those guys and she misses them.

And if Sara is back in the lab, where does that leave Gil? Ah! That will hopefully be a reveal in the premiere. They’ve prevented me from discussing Grissom at all. [Laughs]

**It’s got to be the burning question for fans of the show… ** Thank you. We hope we’ve picked the right stuff to be a surprise.