The “CSI” franchise that ruled TV back in the early 2000s came roaring back to primetime when “CSI: Vegas” premiered on CBS for the fall 2021 season. The new show, the fifth “CSI” series, ended a five-year drought that saw the airwaves “CSI”-less for the first time since the dawn of the century, following the cancellation of “CSI: Cyber” in 2016. To mark the momentous occasion, original “CSI” star William Petersen, who plays the grizzled Gil Grissom, returned to his iconic role, bringing along his fellow old-school “CSI” stars Jorja Fox (as scientist Sara Sidle, now married to Grissom), Wallace Langham (as CSI tech David Hodges), and Paul Guilfoyle (as police captain Jim Brass).

But of course, there were also some new faces to interact with the old crew, with actors Matt Lauria (“Friday Night Lights”), Mandeep Dhillon (“Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker”), and Mel Rodriguez (“Last Man on Earth”) among the new recruits. At the helm of the Las Vegas Crime Lab is Paula Newsome as Maxine “Max” Roby, who shares the same passion for uncovering the truth as Grissom and Sidle. Newsome is most recognizable from her stints on “Barry” and “Chicago Med,” and will soon be featured in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

Leading the crime lab is a tough assignment no matter what, but trying to rein in headstrong Grissom and the indefatigable Sidle would test any leader’s mettle. Yet Max has so far shown a willingness to do whatever it takes to help the veteran duo uncover the facts. “She is willing to bend the rules in order to make sure that the lab is protected,” Newsome told Parade. “It’s about protecting her lab. That is her life’s work. That is Sara and Grissom’s life work.”

Jorja Fox says Max and Sara’s shared background and values make them a good team

Now, Jorja Fox — who was once fired from “CSI” only to triumphantly return later that same season — has analyzed the Sara-Maxine relationship for TV Insider, and revealed her relief that Max was not a stereotypical hard-nosed chief looking to reign in the investigators. “Thank God for Maxine Roby,” Fox said. “There was something really beautiful about the relationship out of the gate between Sara and Maxine. I think they were both women that had been in the trenches for a long time. And even though they hadn’t met, sometimes in your life, you can look somebody in the eye and you’re just like, ‘OK, this person understands.’”

Clearly, Fox has relished the relationship. “It’s really fun that Maxine is the boss,” she continued. “Sara has to work under the confines of somebody else’s rules really for the very first time. Yet the importance of the truth to Maxine and Sara is more important than anything else. … I think so many of us in the world want to do the right thing and when we think about how much we might have to lose, it becomes a really, really, really difficult decision. But I think for Sara and for Max, it’s kind of like, ‘OK, I’m going to do the right thing, come what may. They share that, and that’s really fun to watch and fun to play.”

But will the good times continue? With the “CSI: Vegas” team hot on the heels of whoever it was that framed Hodges and then killed main suspect Martin Kline, the season is getting more and more intense. Good thing Max has Sara’s back … for now, at least.