Michael Ausiello: You’re back this season

Jorja Fox: Maybe. Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.

Ausiello: I’ve already seen the first episode, and you were there.

Fox: Yeah, yeah. I’m definitely there for that.

Ausiello: And a couple more there.

Fox: Yeah, I’m visiting for a little bit. I’ll be in and out, so that’s kind of fun. I knew that might happen, I didn’t know it was gonna happen so soon. But, uh, so it was a surprise. It’s always a surprise, really. And it’s been really great, it’s great.

Ausiello: Now Grissom/Sara might … ride off into the sunset together? In his final episode?

Fox: Well. I guess there’s kind of two options, right? Either they end up together or they don’t. So - and I don’t know either!

Ausiello: You don’t know yet!?

Fox: No, no I don’t. I haven’t started that episode yet. And I really believe it’s going to be one of those shows that, until it’s all shot, anything could happen. I wouldn’t even be surprised - We almost - We never do more than one ending, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we did on this one.

Ausiello: What was it like coming back? Like after being away for a year?

Fox: Uh. In some ways if felt like I had been gone just for the weekend. Like I had never left. Strangely so normal. And then, on the other hand, it was just crazy. Cause I had had this big, dramatic, goodbye, and the hugs and the cake and “I love you” and you know, a couple months pass and there I was. It felt, sort of, really very dramatic about my exit. Not knowing, you know what I mean, three months would pass and I’d be all “Hey, hi, everyone! Yeah, here I am.'

Ausiello: What are you going to do after you wrap your “CSI” run?

Fox: I don’t know. I really don’t know, you know what I mean? There’s a few options and I’m looking at some TV stuff now, I’m looking at some feature stuff. Mostly I’ve been goofing off. You probably know that. I’ve been having - I don’t know whether it’s a mid-life crisis or what, but … some remote beach, or I’ve visited Alaska this year. I’ve had jet engines for legs, which, really, I feel blessed and so fortunate. So now I’m starting to get the itch to work, so. Yeah. I’m looking at a few different things.

Ausiello: Do people ever come up to you and say “God, you left the number one series on TV, what’s wrong with you?'

Fox: Yeah, that happens. And I actually agree with them, sort of, half the time. Me, you know it was my twelfth season in a row, and everybody else on the show it was their eighth or ninth. And I just - I needed a break. I hadn’t had this part of my life mapped out at all. I kind of felt like I needed to take some air and figure out what I want that to look like. You know, do I want to stay in TV, if I’m lucky enough to do so? Do I want to go get a degree in, like, economics? What do- I- It’s uncharted territory for me.

Ausiello: Why do you think “CSI” hasn’t gotten more Emmy love, or doesn’t get it?

Fox: That’s so nice of you to say. You know, I feel like I was lucky enough to be on “[[ER]]” for three years, and they didn’t get a lot of Emmy love either. I’d like to think that we’ve the honor of being the most popular and so, the world sort of spreads these honors around, those gifts around. So we get to be that, we’re “still” number one. We rarely brag, but it’s like, how’s that even possible? We’re still number one? But we are. So maybe that’s enough and we should be really happy. I would have loved to see Billy get nominated this year, I feel he really deserves it. After nine solid years of being the heart and soul of that show. If anybody should take one home, I think he should.