Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes at CSI: Will You Watch Marg Helgenberger’s Final Episode?

Marg Helgenberger
Marg Helgenberger gets emotional her last day on the set. / Monty Brinton, CBS
Tonight marks the end of Marg Helgenberger’s twelve-year run as Catherine Willows on CSI. The cast has changed before, with the loss of Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) and the addition of new team members, but it’s arguable that Catherine has been the center of the cast since the beginning, even when Gil was the leader, and that this change will make a more fundamental difference than any other.

So, will you be watching? I don’t watch any of the spin-off versions, neither Miami nor New York, but I’ve followed the original since the beginning.  I wasn’t sure about Ted Danson, but I’ve come to appreciate him.  Still, I am not at all sure I’ll continue to watch without Catherine. The new character they are bringing on will be played by Elizabeth Shue, who’s a fine actress, so I will give it a shot, but I have my doubts.

What about you? Will you be watching? Do you think you’ll stick around after Marg Helgenberger is gone?

Comments

  1. Heather Waters (redline_)

    I haven’t watched this show in years, but I’m glad it’s giving Marg Helgenberger a nice sendoff. Isn’t she one of the last of the original cast members?

  2. Carmen Pinzon

    I’ll be watching tonight. I want to give the show time to settle into it’s new direction, but I get the sense that this will be the beginning of the end for me and CSI.

  3. Laura K. Curtis

    @redline – yep. She’s not the absolute last, but she’s close.

    @bungluna – that’s just how I feel.

  4. Leigh Neely

    Catherine was never one of my favorites so I’m not too sad to see her go, but I have to say, I wonder how Elizabeth Shue will fit in. I like Ted Danson, but it’ll be tough to have another new member of the team so soon.

    We’ll see . . .

  5. Carmen Pinzon

    After seen last night’s episode, Catherine’s departure seemed too abrupt to me. I wonder if having her go off to the FBI means there’s a chance of some visits further down the road?

  6. CarolK

    Yes, I wanted to see the send off and did. I’m not certain about the direction but am starting to like Danson, miss Gary Dourdan and wish they’d give “Nick” better air time.

  7. Clare 2e

    I got the feeling from an interview that the door is always open for her to guest star, so I think that’s exactly what they were setting up, @bungluna.

    @CarolK That whole Warrick ending storyline was a huge bummer, wasn’t it? I feel like Nick’s become kind of the main character, no?

    I like Elizabeth Shue, but wonder if they’ll have her “play against type” like Ted Danson.

  8. Chuk

    I don’t watch every single week, but I watched the last couple because I knew she’d be leaving. I think the episodes worked pretty well and I’m curious to see how the show is without her.
    (I was leery of Ted Danson coming on to the show too, but he’s been great.)

  9. Mary Saputo

    I watch this show every week. I also watch CSI NY but NEVER CSI Miami. I liked David Caruso before this but really can’t stand him in this part. Why doesn’t he ever look at anyone? Another question I have is the difference in the duties of the CSI’s in LV, Miami and NY. All CSI’s carry guns but LV always sends in the police first to clear the space and then they go in. Miami and NY seem to go in guns blazing. Why the difference? You bring up a good point, also, about Gary Dourdan. What the heck happened? Why did they get rid of his character? When Gil left, this program floundered a bit. Absolutely didn’t like Laurence Fishburn’s character but have grown to really like Ted Danson’s. I’ll keep watching with a “wait and see” attitude. It’s still the best of the three.

  10. Omalone1

    Gwiz it was a great run

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