CSI: Crime Scene Investigation premiered 25 years ago, on October 6, 2000, and ran for 15 seasons, comprising over 300 episodes.
It differed from other procedurals in that the episodes often featured a murder mystery format. At the same time, we speculated about the suspects and watched the CSIs in the field and in the lab as they analyzed the evidence.
We appreciate many of the episodes and characters.
Still, most of the memorable episodes include stand-out performances by Gil Grissom (William Peterson), Catherine Willows (Marg Hegenberger), Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), or Nick Stokes (George Eads).
There were so many fantastic episodes in CSI that we narrowed it down to the 15 most memorable ones.
CSI Season 1 Episode 7 – Blood Drops
“Blood Drops” was CSI’s first single-plot episode and the first that involved a violent crime against a child. The sinister plot seemed to belong on an episode of Law & Order: SVU.
After the team investigated a home invasion and homicide, they’re confused why the two daughters survived. They learn that the older daughter, Tina, and her boyfriend killed their parents.
It’ll make you sick when you realize why. She had been a victim of sexual assault for years, and she had had enough when her father started abusing the daughter she’d had as a product of rape.
She felt no remorse because her daughter/sister, played by a young Dakota Fanning, was safe and free. This was one of the most painful episodes, where you cheered for Tina, instead of wanting her to be arrested.
CSI Season 3 Episode 15 – Lady Heather’s Box
Whenever Lady Heather appeared on CSI, I always enjoyed the cat-and-mouse chemistry between her and Grissom.
This episode studied the complexity of dom/sub relationships, and one of Lady Heather’s workers died of an insulin overdose.
Grissom struggled because he did not want to believe Lady Heather could kill someone, since part of him was attracted to her.
Luckily, in the end, Grissom learned that Lady Heather had diabetes, and knowing what kind of syringe she used excluded her from the suspect pool. The real culprit was an angry sub who grew tired of feeling like second best.
CSI Season 4 Episode 23 – Bloodlines
“Bloodlines” was another unique case that reminded me of the Law & Order Universe. After a Las Vegas casino worker was raped and beaten on her way home, the CSI lab had to compare the DNA evidence of the victim with that of her attacker.
When it didn’t match, they were forced to let him go, and he escalated and killed the woman. This was a unique case because he had a rare condition, Chimera, a person who has two different sets of DNA. This defense was later televised again on All Rise.
One disappeared when his identical twin died at birth. It saved his case and harmed his victim.
This case crushed Sara, who was a survivor of domestic abuse. It was one of the times we saw her react, drink, and drink again due to frustration. Instead of judging her, Grissom only comforted her in understanding.
CSI Season 5 Episode 6 – What’s Eating Gilbert Grissom
Every agent has a serial killer that grates at them. For Gil Grissom, that was the Blue Paint Killer. They thought they put the murderer, John Mathers, away, but on the night of his execution, a new murder happened, and they realized he was a copycat killer.
The killer was back at it, and Grissom lost it. Grissom usually kept his cool, but this killer kept outsmarting him and the team.
Grissom prided himself on being intelligent and solving crimes, and he felt like the Blue Paint Killer enjoyed taunting him, taking his fate out of Grissom’s control.
CSI Season 5 Episodes 24 and 25 – Grave Danger
Poor Nick never has it easy, and George Eads shone in this episode. Nick was kidnapped and buried alive in a glass casket.
The CSIs received a ransom of $1 million, which Catherine attempted to persuade her wealthy father to pay.
Unfortunately, once they secured the money, the kidnapper blew himself up, leaving Nick underground and needing to be rescued ASAP.
It remains one of the most intense episodes as the team worked frantically to rescue him. You saw the deep bonds they shared as Warrick refused to leave and Grissom continued to encourage him.
CSI Season 6 Episode 5 – Gum Drops
George Eads excelled in emotionally charged cases, especially those involving children. Even though CSIs were supposed to remain objective, Nick was convinced that the little girl of a murdered family was out there still alive.
It’s haunting that Nick heard whispering throughout the episode, which he later realized was her trying to feed him clues.
This was one of the most complicated cases for them to solve because they only had blood evidence until Nick found some gumdrops every time they hunted for clues. It was like a creepy version of Hansel and Gretel, but it worked.
It had some of the best cinematography as Nick followed the clues. It even won a Primetime Emmy for cinematography.
CSI Season 6 Episode 18 – The Unusual Suspect
Almost every procedural has dealt with a teen sociopath, but CSI featured a brother-sister pair, Marlon and Hannah West.
While Marlon was creepy and violent, his 12-year-old sister, Hannah, was obsessed with him and gave the CSIs, especially Sara, a run for their money.
When Marlon was arrested for killing a high school girl, Hannah messes with the system by confessing to the crime. While Sara was convinced Hannah was guilty, having two confessions and inconclusive evidence led to a mistrial, and both siblings went free.
This was one of my favorite Sara-centric episodes, and these sociopathic siblings returned to torment her again later in the series.
CSI Season 6 Episode 21 – Rashomama
This episode remains a fan favorite because it’s light-hearted and presented in a unique format.
A wealthy lawyer (Veronica Cartwright) was killed at her son’s wedding, and the body was tied to the back of a car with beer cans. It looked almost like the celebratory “Just Married” car, but creepier.
When Nick’s truck was stolen and the evidence inside was taken, the team had to begin again to avoid contaminating the crime scene.
“Rashomama” was presented through flashbacks of each team member’s perspective, and it was interesting to see the similarities and differences in each flashback.
CSI Season 7 Episode 1 and 2 – Built to Kill
This was one of the most memorable season premieres since it featured a murder at a Cirque du Soleil Show. The infamous Miniature Killer made their first move, which kept the CSIs perplexed all season long.
It also gave Catherine an emotional storyline as she was raped, and then a perpetrator slammed into her car and kidnapped her daughter, Lindsey.
The CSIs caught a break but discovered that the perpetrator knew her father. When she confronted Sam, she saw his murder.
I miss the time when Catherine and Lindsey were actually close, like this, instead of estranged on CSI: Vegas.
CSI Season 7 Episode 9 – Living Legend
Catherine Willows demonstrated her skills as both a skilled investigator and the daughter of a mob boss when she took on the infamous mob boss, Mickey Dunn, played by lead singer Roger Daltey.
Mickey Dunn and his car are found years after he supposedly disappeared, and then more murders occur, but all the victims were people who carried a grudge against Mickey.
Mickey murdered more people, thinking he would be dying soon, but Catherine managed to coax a confession out of him and find a way to save his life, knowing he would spend many years in prison now.
She’s that good!
CSI Season 7 Episode 20 – Lab Rats
We didn’t see much of the lab techs in the episodes. They were in the background, though David Hodges became a bigger character in later seasons.
Naturally, it was his idea to gather his lab tech friends and see if a fresh pair of eyes could help solve the Miniature Killer case and de-stress Grissom.
It was a nice change of pace to see them at the forefront, and Hodges realized a vital clue. There was bleach at all the crime scenes.
CSI Season 7 Episode 24 – Living Doll
CSI Season 7 is one of the series’ best, primarily because of the Miniature Killer.
The finale revealed that Natalie Davis (Jessica Collins) was the mastermind, but not before she left Grissom a final miniature of Sara as the target.
She knew his heart even before anyone else did. While the finale ended with Sara in danger, watching the team frantically rush to save one of their own always made for action-packed entertainment.
CSI’s team always seemed more like a family, and this episode showed that in spades.
CSI Season 9 Episode 1 – For Warrick
This was one of the most brutal deaths in the CSI universe. Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) was such a part of the team.
The team assumed the cop who recently framed Warrick for a previous murder killed him, but as they investigated, they learned the true culprit was higher up in the ranks.
While this episode examined the darker side of law enforcement, it gutted viewers that Warrick was the sacrificial lamb. He was a beloved character by the fans and the cast.
Jorja Fox even returned in this episode so that Sara could grieve alongside the team.
CSI Season 9 Episode 16 – Turn, Turn, Turn
Taylor Swift guest-starred as a teen whose body was found in a motel parking lot, and the kicker was that CSI Nick Stokes knew her.
We quickly learned from flashbacks that the teenager named Haley appeared at crime scenes at the same hotel on the same date each year, Nick’s birthday. She always wore a different wig and portrayed a distinct persona, either angry and rebellious or perky and sweet.
Nick grew fond of the girl since Haley’s adoptive parents treated her like trash and only adopted her to replace their biological daughter, who had died.
He was crushed when he identified Haley’s killer, and Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne), who had just joined the team, urged Nick to tell him what the job meant to him while comforting him. It was a pivotal scene.
CSI Season 14 Episode 5 – Frame by Frame
We didn’t list many of the newer episodes, but the 300th episode combined a cold case and memorable flashbacks. It was fun seeing Catherine as part of this milestone, even if it was only in flashbacks.
A young woman is found murdered in a wealthy recluse’s mansion, but he maintains he never saw her. The case sparks a nerve with Sara, who remembers he was the main suspect in a nearly identical case 14 years ago.
“Frame by Frame” utilized memorable flashbacks to the original case and presented new evidence, culminating in a surprising conclusion.
Over to you, CSI Fanatics. What were your favorite episodes? Please share both the popular and the underrated ones. We’d love to hear from you.
And if you’re looking for newer procedurals to binge, Matlock and Watson should be on your list!
-
Celebrating CSI’s 25th Anniversary With Its Most Memorable Episodes
25 Years is a serious milestone, and we’re celebrating CSI’s Anniversary by listing 15 of the series most memorable episodes,
-
Nine Procedurals That Focused as Much on Characters as Cracking Cases
In the past, crime procedurals combined quirky investigations, important relationships between the cast, and witty banter to create a fun, light-hearted …
-
The Best Shows to Watch If You Like Solving Mysteries
The best mystery shows walk a fine line between cases that keep us guessing but also feel somewhat solvable. Sometimes, we …
TV Fanatic is searching for passionate contributors to share their voices across various article types. Think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.
The post Celebrating CSI’s 25th Anniversary With Its Most Memorable Episodes appeared first on TV Fanatic.