If X Files made an entire series based on the assumption that the truth is out there, CSI goes through week by week with the determination to find the truth.
CSI has a slight Sherlockian premise with the main lead, Gil Grissom, carrying the detective’s brilliance and stoicism. He is helped by his graveyard shift team whose differing personalities form interesting conflict points throughout the seasons. The huge success of CSI spawned a whole new trend in crime shows, some well done and some not. But none came close to recreating the effect that CSI had on TV viewers.
Despite the fact that the show has eight main characters and several other secondary characters, we do not get to dwell upon their personal lives. Sometimes we see a romance springing up, or an odd family crisis, or a heated argument between the members. But those are kept within one or two episodes and rarely do the effects linger. This very reluctance to dig into the characters’ lives has been both appreciated and criticized. While it makes way for emphasis on the actual crimes and crime-solving, it also brings in some discontinuity. In addition, other than Catherine Willows, there’s hardly a character of whom we know a lot about. It omits unnecessary soap opera elements, but it can become frustrating to the audience.
The cases, themselves, range from boring to average to good to downright thrilling. Unlike most crime shows, where serial killers comprise much of the casefiles, CSI actually shows homicides that have been committed for a variety of reasons, all having to do with elements of basic human nature. Jealousy, infidelity, greed, ambition, hatred and anger are the main causes of these homicides. The whodunnit aspect of the show isn’t all that important as after a couple of episodes you can guess the perp quite easily. It is the why and the how that holds your attention.
Technical work, the bluish green hue, the state-of-the-art forensics and the teleplay is top quality. The performances are highly efficient, notable being William Petersen, Paul Guilfoyle and Marg Helgenberger.
CSI is a stylish thriller. The drama, when present, is overwhelmingly powerful. There is a reason why CSI has been consistently ranked as the top American show. Be sure to find it out.