CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

by Suzanne Phillips

Thursday, September 21, 2006

9:00-10:00 PM CBS

The 7th season of CSI came in with a whimper instead of a bang. The show opens at a performance of the Cirque de Soleil show "KA", which features colorfully dressed performers doing complicated wire work set to a dramatic soundtrack. During the show, a body is found and the CSI's are called in. Across town, a celebration is in progress for the implosion of Sam Braun's ( Scott Wilson) Rampart casino. After the implosion is completed, a stunned couple stumbles on the apparent suicide of one of the guests.

Producers of CSI have said that this 7th season will show more of the CSI characters lives and they have already established this in the season premiere. We get a further glimpse of Grissom(William Petersen) and Sara's(Jorja Fox) relationship, which was such a point of contention at the end of last season, as we see some tender moments in the workplace between the two as the rest of their coworkers remain oblivious. Captain Jim Brass(Paul Guilfoyle) is honored by the city of Las Vegas with a medal of honor following his shooting in the line of duty at the end of last season. We see Brass getting a tattoo of the date of the shooting under the bullet scar on his chest. Nick Stokes (George Eads) and Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) share a slight flirtation in the office, which leads them to go dancing at a local club, where Nick's reputation as a ladies man is reinforced when he hooks up with a girl and leaves the club with her leaving Catherine on her own. Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) and Greg (Eric Szamanda) are given some dialogue which will set them up for things to come in future episodes. A nice musical performance from John Mayer will also appeal to fans of the singer.

The usual format of CSI has been to have a couple of interesting cases with a highly intensified investigation and building to a dramatic conclusion with only small glimpses into their personal lives. This premiere episode starts out slowly with more emphasis on the criminalists than the actual crimes. The tension and drama builds slowly until the end which is both dramatic and unexpected. I suspect that this season will be groundbreaking for the CSI series and highly enjoyable to watch, if this first episode is any indication.

Part one of a two-part episode, "Built To Kill" will conclude next Thursday at 9:00 PM on CBS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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