What You Should Expect When CSI: Vegas Returns to the Lab This Fall

If there's one thing CBS excels at, it's leaning into formulas that work, so it's no surprise that the wildly successful CSI franchise will be returning to the original scene of the crime this fall when the latest iteration of the show returns to where it all began: Las Vegas. In addition to returning to Sin City, fans will also be happy to know they'll see some of their favorite CSI characters returning to their old stomping grounds. 

The returning CSI veterans include William Petersen as Gus Grissom, Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle, Wallace Langham as David Hodges, and Paul Guilfoyle as Jim Brass. Executive producer Anthony Zuiker revealed that they have more surprises in store as the season progresses and in keeping with the past, they will be doing "some demented stories." Executive producer Jason Tracey previously told TV Guide Magazine, "Someone's targeting the lab. A conspiracy calls into question the integrity of the work we always saw get done. Thousands of prior convictions hang in the balance." 

While there's a new challenge ahead, there will be plenty to remind fans of the series they originally fell in love with.  For starters, diehard CSI fans will be thrilled to see Petersen and Fox as Grissom and Sidle again. 

"It's at once this familiar thing in my mind and also brand new," Fox said during a Television Critics Association summer press tour panel promoting the new series. "The world, weirdly enough, is even more topsy-turvy than it was in 2000. There's much new happening and it's great to be grounded with William Petersen and be back as Sara and Grissom. Boy, what a thrill that is and that's what kept my feet on the ground a little bit." 

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Petersen also shared during the panel that as it's been twenty years since the original version of the show, it was unexpected to get the call to do a new version of it and he jumped at the chance. 

"It's a different world than it was 20 years ago," Petersen said, adding that he's become more like Grissom as he's aged. "The idea of coming back in the land of science, I thought, was really a great opportunity. And it's different because it's 20 years later. It's different because it's all new people too and that's all very exciting."

Grissom and Sidle will be dealing with a lot of new faces both in the lab and in the field. Paula Newsome (Barry) plays Maxine Roby, the head of the Crime Lab who knows what DNA can and can't reveal and the major thing it can do is help the team eliminate potential suspects and help them hone in on the culprit. Matt Lauria (Kingdom) plays Josh Folsom, a Level 3 CSI whose attention to detail is impressive. Mandeep Dhillon (Star Wars: Epiosde IX - The Rise of Skywalker) plays Allie Rajan, a Level 2 CSI. The crew's new medical examiner is Hugo Ramirez, played by Mel Rodriguez (The Last Man on Earth). 

And the newbies have had to hit the ground running. Lauria teased having to pull double duty learning a new character and everything that goes along with working in the CSI lab at the same time. 

"It's a blast. This job, like with most really fun jobs as an actor, is not just playing the role and the heart and soul of who the character is -- and Jason 'Ace of Spades' Tracey definitely has drawn some beautiful dynamic individuals in this cast, in this story -- but the other great part of, I think of being an actor is learning the skill set of your character, too. That has been a sort of a double order. It's definitely fast-paced. It's definitely high-octane," he said. "On top of [that] you're cutting your teeth with all this science stuff and now I got to say man, I'm really damn good at getting some gunshot residue tests done on the fly...It's electrifying and the more we lean into that, I think the more exciting it is on the other side of the screen, too." 

CSI: Vegas premieres Wednesday, October 6 at 10/9c on CBS.