As “CSI” draws to a close on CBS, William Petersen reveals what made him want to do the CBS crime drama in the first place. He got his chance and loved the experience, he says, then moved on in 2008 to pursue theater work.
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Though the show finally had the luminous Helgenberger back as Catherine Willows, it trapped her in a one-dimensional storyline that underlined how the series only knew how to view the character through the fact that she was a mother. “We generally had terrific chemistry”.
And yet, for all the ham-handed story moments – including Ted Danson toiling in the background of the episode, as though in his own universe, before literally packing his bags and shuffling over to join the cast of “CSI: Cyber” – the finale still managed to capture some of that stupid fun of the “CSI” glory days. But as the series marks the end, some viewers thought they’d never see, the inevitable question arises: “Why was ‘CSI” so big, for so long? This all cemented a period of what Petersen calls “postmodern vagueness”, with people doubting themselves and their world and wondering, “What does it mean? Exactly where is the truth?”
“The first year of the show was pretty remarkable in terms of the creative energy that was displayed on a daily basis from everybody that worked on it”, said William Peterson, the show’s original lead star, according to People Magazine. “You can be confused about several factors, but this little piece of lint that we discovered on the floor, you can count on that”.
While Ted Danson has been a focus of the series since he came on as a regular, this episode centered on the old cast and you could see how things were different but still the same, such as when they get together at one point for a meeting to discuss the likely involvement of Lady Heather. “We created science enjoyable and interesting”. What did you think?
As Grissom told his colleagues on an early episode: forget personalities, ambitions and assumptions. “Concentrate on what can not lie: the evidence”, he said. Ever because on “CSI,” tough evidence with its glorious certitude paved the way to enlightenment.
Danson also said that Sunday’s episode is ‘offering the fans who’ve been loyal so long with an opportunity to say goodbye to the people they fell in love with at the start’. For 15 years, fans have watched as the two characters played around each other, with their eventual romance being confirmed in season seven when Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) went missing as a result of a serial killer case. “I feel like, wow, look at this awesome run we were able to have!”
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But perhaps the most egregious misstep the finale makes is in its conclusion when, after finally taking over as CSI director, Sidle leaves the career she’s built to wander around the oceans with Grissom. “That’s a very comforting feeling”.
