Over 14 seasons and 300 episodes, “CSI” has concocted some wild plots and brought in memorable guest stars to keep the body-bagging business fresh and fun. We asked the cast - including Marg Helgenberger, who reprises her role as Catherine Willows for Wednesday’s landmark 300th episode, which flashes back to a case the team failed to crack in 2000 - to reflect on the show’s best installments, selected by longtime executive producer Carol Mendelsohn.

“‘1. Blood Drops (Season 1, Episode 7)”’ A 6-year-old Dakota Fanning plays the surviving daughter of a family that’s been butchered in their home. “I’ve had nightmares frm time to time about this one,” admits Jorja Fox (Sara). “Grissom [William Petersen] and Sara arrived so quickly after the murders that you could still feel the horrible events. I had one line - ‘Her soul’s still in the room’ - which has stayed with me as [emblematic] of the entire series.”

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“‘7. Law of Gravity (Season 7, Episode 15)”’ A cop threatens to expose the dark past of fill-in boss Keppler (Liev Schreiber) if he doesn’t make the evidence in a case go away. “What a joy it was to have Liev with us for four episodes when Billy [Petersen] went to Chicago to do a play,” says Fox. “But we all knew it wasn’t going to end well for Keppler.”

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“‘10. CSI on Fire (Season 13, Episode 8)”’ A mass grave in the desert is linked to an accused serial killer whom Finlay (Elisabeth Shue) pursued when she worked in Seattle. “Once in a while, the case is so close to your character that you get emotionally connected, which makes for deeper, richer scenes,” says Shue, who adds that she enjoyed making out with Finlay’s ex-husband (Cougar Town’s Brian Van Holt) at the end of the episode. According to Fox, “This storyline will come back later this season, when Fin will have to confront her past in Seattle so she can bravely help out Greg.”

CSI airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.

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