CSI Files: 2011 has in many ways been a year of change for you. How are you approaching this next chapter of your career?

Anthony E. Zuiker: Well, we’ve had a dream run at CBS with all the success of CSI, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY. For the first TV script I wrote to be CSI and turn into this kind of franchise is just an unbelievable blessing. And, after twelve seasons and arguably doing thirty years of television—season twelve, season ten, and season eight—I’m looking at the future for ABC to bring them the next hit and try my creative luck somewhere else. CBS is just so successful with hits it was just time for me to try something else in the second half of my career and ABC seemed to be the most passionate to allow me to do that.

CSI Files: Now, your production company [Dare to Pass] shifted from CBS to ABC. What does this mean for the CSI franchise over at CBS?

Zuiker: Nothing really changes over at CBS. Everybody over there that run the shows are incredibly talented and I think Ted Danson [DB Russell] is an amazing choice. I think he’s going to do a wonderful job over there. So, I’m still involved loosely in the day to day but nothing really changes. The focus is to keep doing great television.

CSI Files: So, hypothetically, say you were to launch another CSI show: would that air on CBS or ABC?

Zuiker: Well, I’m definitely not launching another CSI show.

CSI Files: Okay. Now on that topic, there have been several comments over the past few years about a CSI film. Is this something that you’re pursuing?

Zuiker: No. To my knowledge there’s no plans to do a CSI film in the future. There have been some loose talks about it, but I think the main focus of the franchise is to keep the franchise healthy for all three shows.

CSI Files: Season Eleven marked your return to CSI after working on other projects for the past several seasons. Did it feel like you were back at home, so to speak?

Zuiker: Well yeah, returning to CSI after taking a couple of years to do other things was really refreshing. I think when you step away [and] come back you have a whole new perspective and appreciation for the franchise that was built from scratch by the same people: Carol [Mendelsohn], Ann [Donahue], and Pam [Veasey]. I really had a great time connecting with some of the new writers and some of the crew members; I was welcomed back with open arms. We had a lot of fun launching the first half of the season and also working on “Sqweegel.”

CSI Files: Was it hard juggling show-running duties while also promoting your latest novel Dark Prophecy?

Zuiker: Well, I wasn’t show-running. I was there as an executive producer and to help out with the writing. But yeah, it was a little challenging to be working on CSI full-time and launching a major book. It was a challenge, but it was all doable.

CSI Files: You just mentioned Sqweegel from last season. Are you going to be writing another episode for him this year?

Zuiker: [Long Pause] I’m not sure if that’s going to happen this season in terms of my involvement. I hope the character makes an appearance. I’m not sure I’d make an appearance just because our focus is television for ABC. I think the audience would be excited if Sqweegel made a return.

CSI Files: The original show is airing on a new night and time. How do you think CSI will fare Wednesdays at 10pm?

Zuiker: I think Wednesdays at ten is a great opportunity for us to compete. I think Ted Danson is such an amazing choice for us there and we don’t have the necessary pressure of Thursday, which is a very competitive timeslot. I feel the franchise of CSI… the shows are incredibly strong, still. I think CBS is incredibly smart to move the shows around probably where they can really compete and win.

CSI Files: You just mentioned Ted Danson again. How involved were you with casting him on the show?

Zuiker: Well, we all talked about it. We knew there was a level of interest. He had my endorsement from the very beginning. I think it’s just a smart choice. The one thing about our boss Les Moonves [President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS] is he just knows how to win and just knows how to pick ‘em. And Ted Danson is a TV icon and is really just the perfect fit for where the show is season twelve.

CSI Files: Marg Helgenberger, meanwhile, is leaving. Catherine Willows has been with the show since the very beginning; are you consulting on how to write the character off the show?

Zuiker: Well, I haven’t heard yet. We talked a little bit about her departure but I think that will eventually show itself as we begin to arc out the character. I think it’s too premature to have those discussions as of yet.

CSI Files: Looking back at season eleven was there anything that disappointed you or felt could have been done differently?

Zuiker: No. I think that we approach every season the same way. We call ‘em like we see them and we try to surprise an audience. I felt we had a really great season last season and again season eleven of any show is challenging, especially when you have two other shows competing against it, you know Miami and NY in terms of story lines and murders.

CSI Files: Prior to working on season eleven of CSI did you consider working on NY or Miami?

Zuiker: No. No, it really was CSI. I felt like it was time to get back to the roots and felt like the opportunity to put Sqweegel on CSI was pretty great. It was a forensic-proof killer being chased by a team of experts.

CSI Files: How are you feeling about the direction Miami and NY have taken? Are you happy with the more personal story lines those two seem to have?

Zuiker: Absolutely. I think that Miami and NY have really come up as one of the outstanding TV shows and our audience is at a place where they want to know more about our people. Miami and NY are delivering great story lines.

CSI Files: Speaking of NY, Sela Ward [Jo Danville] filled the void left by Melina Kanakaredes [Stella Bonasera]. What’s your take on Sela’s involvement with the show?

Zuiker: As sad as it was to have Melina go Sela Ward has seamlessly assumed that position. She has been a great breath of fresh air for that show in particular and really brings out the best in Gary Sinise.

CSI Files: Your production company has three new shows in development. Are there any guest stars or recurring actors from the CSI franchise that you’d like to bring over to your new projects?

Zuiker: Oh, it’s too early. We’re still in the development phase; I haven’t even pitched ABC anything yet. So it’s really too early to talk about casting. Again, once everything is gelled and pitched and written, if any role fits a particular former CSI actor it’d make sense. Of course we’ll talk to that particular actor, but it’s really in the early stages of that right now.

CSI Files: Level 26: there’s a new book out later this year, correct?

Zuiker: Yes.

CSI Files: Are you planning on filming cyber-bridges for this novel as well?

Zuiker: Yeah, we definitely are. We’re doing about seven or eight bridges this season. Joshua Caldwell, he works for our company, he’ll be writing and directing those this season for us. It’ll be the third and last of the installment of the Dark series. That’s been a very interesting experience. We’ve broken some great new ground for the next story and we think fans of Level 26 will enjoy the ending of a great three book series.

CSI Files: My final question for you Anthony is about Mr. CSI, which is also coming out this year. I’m assuming it’s a must read for CSI fans?

Zuiker: I think so. [laughs] I think if you’re curious about the personal journey of an only kid from Las Vegas who had a dream to one day do something extraordinary in entertainment, I think that you’ll enjoy sort of the man behind the idea of CSI. And then really understand that success is built by those around you and that the greatest success isn’t CSI in particular, but me being a father to my children and all the trials and tribulations that go on of becoming a success story and really a metaphor for how something great can happen to someone in the country. It’s not a tell-all, it’s not a gossip book; it really is an inspirational memoir which really documents somebody who came from nothing and did something extraordinary.

The CSI: NY cast is back to work this week as production for the upcoming eighth season starts  up. Taking time out of his busy filming schedule AJ Buckley, who plays geeky lab tech Adam Ross, spoke with CSI Files’ Shane Saunders about the odds of season eight being the series’ last, details surrounding the upcoming season premiere, and… actors from Twilight guest starring. Spoilers inside!

CSI Files: You just started back at work for the new season on Wednesday! How did you spend your hiatus?

AJ Buckley: This break was a lot different than most breaks were, you know I was acting and doing stuff in front of the camera. This break I spent a lot of time sort of doing stuff that had to deal with behind the camera. I’m one of the partners of a magazine that’s based in Louisiana, Scene Magazine, and I was dealing with that. Trying to put a couple projects together and I was doing a web series that I was producing with L.A. Entertainment, so it was interesting. It was just a lot of stuff that was behind the camera. I have a project that I want to film right now that I want to direct. So… it’s not so much changing gears, but trying to open up more doors for myself. I’m really enjoying this part of the business.

CSI Files: For a while it seemed like you would have an especially long hiatus, since there was a possibility CSI: NY would not be returning this fall.

Buckley: Yeah, it was a little scary there. Look, when any show gets this far along I think every season after that is a gift. We’ve been fortunate enough to say that we’ve been part of the CSI franchise for such a long time and to have seven seasons— let alone, eight—is such a rarity. The biggest thing that would have been a bummer is the ability of not having the proper closure and being able to say goodbye, so if this is the last season, and I think a lot of people sort of feel this may be the last season, I mean, you just never know. It would be great to get to ten seasons, but I think it’s a blessing either way. You can’t really be too bummed about it. I mean, of course you’d be sad because the people you’ve basically grown up with and spent so much time and shared so many memories with, that would be a real big bummer. But I think when it gets this far along, there’s nothing wrong with change.

CSI Files: When did you find out the show was coming back?

Buckley: I found out the show was picked up, but then I hadn’t heard if I was coming back, you never know. You find out the show is [picked up] and go, “yay, the show is coming back!” and then you’re waiting for your agent or manager or lawyer to call you and saying you got your official pick up letter.

I was actually up in Canada just before Game Five, the Boston/Vancouver Canuck game and I think I was heading to the game when I found out.

CSI Files: “Exit Strategy” planted some interesting little seeds for the upcoming season: Mac contemplating leaving the lab and Danny being promoted to sergeant. Where do you see things going with Adam this season?

Buckley: I don’t know. I mean last year for me I don’t think really a lot happened. I got that one episode at the beginning [“Unfriendly Chat”], but it was a really quiet season for Adam. He kind of just came in and gave information; nothing really happened. It wasn’t per se my favorite season for the character because there just wasn’t a hell of a lot going on, but I’m hoping this year—if it is the curtain call—that something crazy happens. We’ve touched upon his past—the stuff with his dad, the stuff with him growing up, and all these sort of bullying issues that he had growing up—but never really got into that. I think out of all the characters other than Sela’s new character, there’s a lot they can do with Adam. There really hasn’t been a lot going on with him, so I’m kind of hoping there’s some exploration with the demons in his closet.

CSI Files: You’re currently filming the season premiere; can you share a bit of what you’ve been working on?

Buckley: All I can tell you is that I got choked up reading the script. Zach [Reiter] and John [Dove] wrote this and it’s the most truthful dialogue that I think I’ve read for all the characters. It deals with New York and some 9/11 stuff and every character had really great moments in this. And I think each episode if there’s a moment that you can sort of hang your hat on, then you’re like, “okay, that was cool.” There’s a couple moments in that I felt that for Adam, and just stuff that goes on with Mac in this episode. When I finished the script I was like, “wow, this is a really special episode.” I really think people around the world are gonna relate to this because what happened on 9/11 affected everybody in the world. This is gonna be an episode that I think will go down for sure in the books as one of the best episodes. One of the most powerful, emotionally charged episodes.

CSI Files: Would you compare the tone of the episode as similar to episodes from the first two seasons?

Buckley: Yeah, it definitely brings it full circle. I definitely think there’s a real full circle in that timeframe. The people that have been with the show for that long are maybe going to have that feeling, the fans that have been watching for that long. New fans I think will fall deeper in love with the show. I think on so many levels people are going to be affected by this. Whether they’re a fan of CSI: NY or not they’ll feel something for this.

CSI Files: Now, there’s some speculation on the Web that Gary Sinise will be back for only a few episodes. Do you know if he’s planning on leaving this season?

Buckley: I have no idea. Let’s keep ‘em guessing. [laughs]

CSI Files: Do you know how many episodes you’re filming this season?

Buckley: We’re picked up for eighteen. We’ll be done filming February 6th, which is gonna be pretty crazy when it’s done. Usually it starts and we go until the end of April, but this year we’ll be done three days before my birthday. I wonder if I’ll get a gift still from CBS since they always give awesome gifts. I think I’m getting shafted. [laughs] They give the best birthday gifts.

CSI Files: You’re probably just hoping the season gets extended to nineteen episodes just so you can get your birthday gift!

Buckley: [laughs] C’mon! Honestly, this has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve learned so much on so many different levels. Just the opportunity that Pam Veasey gave me and she’s really kind of stood behind me and given this character and myself so much opportunity to have a moment and get excited about my career. The show has been a big stepping stone in my career, it’s been an incredible journey and I’m forever grateful to everyone at CSI.

CSI Files: On the other CSI shows there’s multiple lab techs put into rotation, but with CSI: NY—with the exception of past techies such as Kendall Novak and Haylenn Bacall—it seems Adam is doing most of the work!

Buckley: I think Adam’s been in there for a long time and it seems he’s the man for the job. It would be great to see him get the hell out of the lab. He comes out every once in a while if something crazy happens, but I’d love to see him really kind of get away from this man-child in the lab to kind of actually step out into the world and have confidence and being able to handle situations as a man should.

CSI Files: Do you know if the writers plan on introducing any reoccurring lab technicians for Adam to interact with?

Buckley: I have not heard. Every girl that’s shown up either gets killed or they have to deal with me or something like that. [laughs] I haven’t heard, but it’s always fun to have new actors on the show. We’ve had some really great guest stars, so that’s been awesome.

CSI Files: Speaking of stars coming to the show, it seems Adam has fallen victim to a bit of hazing by his newest co-worker Jo Danville. What’s it like playing those moments with Sela Ward?

Buckley: She’s a sweetheart, man. I was a big fan of hers before and she’s just cool, man. She’s just a real Southern sweetheart. She brings a lot of laughter and a real breeze to the set. I hope we’ll become longtime friends after this; she’s just a really cool person. I think the writers did a good job of introducing her character. It could have gone horribly wrong, but I think she showed up and really hit this character out of the park. The writers did a good job of making the character interesting and all the motives of her character make sense.

CSI Files: Were you caught off-guard last summer when it was announced Sela was joining the show and Melina Kanakaraedes would not be returning?

Buckley: Yeah, I was a little caught off-guard. But again, at this point in the game and you’re this far along it shouldn’t really surprise you anymore. If it was like season three or four you’d be like, “huh?” It was sad to see Melina go but we got Sela out of it and it’s been awesome. Not that any of them are better than each other, but it’s just been a different take on a character. It’s been a fresh sort of start.

CSI Files: Talk CSI visitors continue to voice interest in Melina returning. Do you think that could ever come to fruition?

Buckley: She might come back because she misses the love from Adam, what?! [laughs] She wants Round Two. [laughs] I don’t know, I don’t know. It could be interesting. Again, if this is the last season I’m excited to see where these episodes go. I think it’s gonna ramp up everything and push the envelope a little more because we can.

CSI Files: You expressed a while back to former CSI Files writer Kristine Huntley the desire to possibly write or direct an episode of the show. Gary, Melina, and Carmine Giovinazzo have all stepped behind the camera; do you still have the itch to work on something behind the scenes?

Buckley: Yeah, man, I really want to direct. I got my DGA points and all that sort of stuff. I’ve directed before like The Ghostfacers for Warner Bros. and a couple other things. I would want to direct more than anything. It’d be amazing to get my feet wet in such a safe environment where I really feel like you’re working with your family and it’s a really supportive group there. I know Adam Rodriguez directed an episode of CSI: Miami, so when I saw that I thought there’s got to be an opportunity for me to direct. It’s not like I want to direct just to say I directed an episode. I really, truly want to go that way with my career. This is something that’s a real passion of mine—storytelling—and it would be amazing to get the opportunity. I would probably freak out, I’d be so excited.

CSI Files: You also have some other projects in development. What are you currently working on?

Buckley: I have a script right now that Anthony Burns, who is the writer-director of Skateland, he and I have partnered together on a project that is phenomenal. I’m so proud of this project and we’ve just gone out with it this week so hopefully in the next month or so we’ll get good news on it. So far the response on the script and the property has been through the roof.

CSI Files: One of your other big projects is Ghostfacers! Do you know if there are plans for you to film any more episodes of the web series or Supernatural?

Buckley: Man, I gotta tell you working on Supernatural and playing these characters is the best way to get a six-pack because you laugh all day. It’s just so not what you think because of Supernatural it’s so dark and scary, but man the group I’ve been working with Jared [Padalecki] and Jensen [Ackles] are truly the greatest cast and just cool guys. I would jump at the opportunity to go back to Vancouver and make more episodes with them.

CSI Files: Do fans come up to you and recognize you most for your role on CSI: NY or Supernatural?

Buckley: It’s down the middle, man. I think what’s been great is the fans that I have from Supernatural started watching CSI and then the fans I have from CSI started watching Supernatural. I think those two characters are for sure the ones I get noticed for.

CSI Files: Last season’s finale seemed like a great potential series finale. When NY does eventually end, what do you think the writers could possibly do to top “Exit Strategy”?

Buckley: There’s writing television episodics and then there’s writing CSI episodes. It’s completely different, because I have actually tried to sit down and it’s so hard. When our writers come up with these stories, they’re compelling and solving crime and the twists and turns they take week after week after week, I am blown away. They’re such a talented group of people. No doubt it will be topped. If the season is starting off the way that it is starting off, which I think is the best season opener and one of the best written scripts we’ve ever had on the show. This is the best start to a season we’ve ever had so I can only assume our season finale will be ridiculous.

CSI Files: One final question: can you give a tease about some of the guest stars for this season?

Buckley: Yeah, what’s his name from Twilight. Taylor.

CSI Files: Really?

Buckley: Oh, yeah, Taylor and the other guy, Edward. Yeah, there’s gonna be a Team Edward and Team Taylor and Team Adam and they’re gonna be in the lab with me. They’re new CSI techs. [laughs]

CSI Files: I have to admit I actually fell for that at first.

Buckley: [laughs] Yeah, a lot of Twilight cast is gonna be guest starring and we’re—[laughs]. That’ll get the fan girls going. Is it Team Jacob, I don’t even know. Edward and Jacob, whatever their names are, they are going to be in the lab for sure. [laughs]

Shane Saunders is a freelance writer and reviewer. His work can be seen on EDGE Network and ShaneSSaunders.com.

Source: TheInsider.com

Mac and Jo work to find out who killed a department store manager during the holiday season.

Synopsis:

Mac and Jo are watching the unveiling of Stonefield’s department store holiday window when Mac catches sight of a pickpocket. Mac and Jo apprehend the man, but their attention is diverted when the holiday window display reveals the body of a man. He’s identified as Richard Grossman, the store’s general manager, and Hawkes determines he was killed less than an hour ago by a blow to the head. Jo and Danny follow a trail of bloody footprints to a makeup counter in the store. The woman working at the counter, Tracy Parker, says the counter was so busy that she didn’t see anything, and Jo notes that her shoes don’t match the prints on the floor. Jo notices blood on the cotton ball dispenser, and, positing the killer was wounded, she and Danny go into the women’s bathroom, where they find bloody cotton balls in the trash. Mac and Flack question the pickpocket, Howie, who had blood on the arm of his jacket that matched the victim. Howie denies any part in the murder, claiming that he bumped into a woman in the store. Jo and Danny view surveillance footage from the store and Jo recognizes the woman Howie bumped into as a woman she saw just before she and Mac went to Stonefield’s. Jo goes back to the park and is surprised to find the woman still there.

The woman turns out to be Alena Maybrook, an assistant manager at Stonefield’s. Jo questions Alena, but the young woman doesn’t speak at all. Flack pulls Jo out of the interrogation to tell her that Alena cleared out her bank account several weeks ago and bought a ticket to Aruba. Coupled with the fact that Alena’s blood was found at the scene, the evidence makes it look like Alena murdered Grossman—and that it was premeditated. Adam determines that a white model tree branch was the murder weapon, while Danny matches skin cells on broken blue glass to a the window designer, Pascal Denton, who also happened to be engaged to Alena. When Danny and Flack track Pascal down, the man tells them that Alena ended their engagement six months ago—and that Grossman and he fought over the window design. Pascal insists he didn’t kill Grossman, and the evidence backs him up. What’s more, Sid finds scratches and bite marks on Grossman that indicates he attacked a woman shortly before his death. Jo uncovers multiple harassment charges against Grossman, and tries to get Alena to admit she was attacked by Grossman. Alena continues to be incommunicative, and without further evidence, the CSIs are forced to release her. Lindsay finds Alena’s hours went from forty to seventy recently, and Jo speaks to Tracy, who was one of the people who complained about Grossman. Tracy tells her that Alena was nothing but supportive, even offering to close up and balance the register so she could leave early to put her kids to bed.

Adam shows Mac that a USB drive recovered from the scene belonged to a high definition camera, and Mac and Flack return to the area outside the store to find Howie’s bag after Mac recalls Howie holding the camera. They recover the bag, but find it completely waterlogged. Adam is able to recover footage from the memory card, which reveals Alena stealing cash from multiple registers. Jo notes that because Alena stole less than $10 from each register, the store would have assumed it was a miscalculation and declared it an acceptable loss. Lindsay shares some surprising news with Mac and Jo: an analysis of Alena’s blood revealed that she has a fatal type of lymphoma. Jo meets with Alena at the playground where she first saw her and learns that Alena discovered her diagnosis and started stealing from the registers to help out employees laid off by the store. Grossman caught her and blackmailed her for sex; when she decided to cut him off, he tried to force the issue and she fought back, killing him. Jo turns the case over to the robbery division, but Mac notes that Alena might be dead by the time they decide to take a look at it.

Analysis:

CSI: NY gets into the holiday spirit by having Mac Taylor doing the last thing viewers ever thought they’d see him doing: going shopping. Jo has somehow managed the impossible, and even Mac seems surprised, grumbling, “I can’t believe you talked me into shopping.” Indeed, Mac seems an unlikely shopping companion, but naturally he manages to turn the excursion to something more to his liking when he spots a pickpocket working the crowd in front of Stonefield’s, and, much to Jo’s dismay, takes off after him. Jo helps Mac corner the pickpocket, and hopes that will be the end of it. As she and Mac watch the window unveiling, Jo murmurs, “Isn’t it impressive?” but it’s the pickpocket, rather than Mac, who answers with a breathy, “Yeah.” Jo snaps, “I wasn’t talking to you,” but when the window display is revealed, she’s as distracted as Mac, who proves his point about shopping when the body of Richard Grossman is revealed. “See why I hate shopping?” Mac asks, clearly feeling vindicated.

The scene is indicative of how Sela Ward‘s sassy, sharp Jo has helped reinvigorate the series in its seventh season. Not all new cast additions are good—Lindsay was a woefully poor replacement for the lively, vibrant Aiden in season two—but Ward has stepped into the second-in-command role deftly, bringing a very different element to the show than Melina Kanakaredes did, but one that is welcome rather than awkward. Ward’s Jo sparkles—she clearly has a passion for what she does, and she’s a nice contrast to the dour Mac, who more often than not doesn’t know how to let loose and have a little fun. Mac is probably the type who either does all his Christmas shopping online, or in one fell swoop a few days before the holidays. Jo seems to be adding a little more joy to Mac’s life, and consequently, the show.

The episode highlights Jo’s compassion; she clearly feels for Alena at every stage of the case, even before she has the whole picture of what was going on at Stonefield’s. She recognizes that Alena acted in self-defense, and doesn’t condemn the young woman for her altruistic acts, however misguided they may have been. What would be the point? Alena is dying, and throwing her in jail for the last few months of her life for a theft that she didn’t even benefit from seems a bit… miserly, for lack of a better word. While Jo—and the show—don’t outright condone Alena’s actions, it’s clear where the writers’ sympathies lie.

Danny gets a few humorous moments in the episode, a welcome change from the recent underutilization of the character. Since being married to Lindsay, Danny’s outlandish, humorous behavior has been cut down to a minimum, but here he snatches a free “body beauty” gift away from Jo, claiming he wants it for “the girls,” meaning Lindsay and his daughter Lucy. But even funnier is the bet Danny and Flack have going—they apparently owe each other a hundred bucks every time a suspect insists he “didn’t do anything.” The two bump fists over Pascal, telling the designer that they’re up to 2.5 million. Obviously—and not very surprisingly—Danny and Flack run into plenty of people who proclaim their innocence.

Howie the pickpocket also provides some humor when Mac and Flack question him. That both detectives disdain the repeat offender isn’t exactly a shocker, but Howie offers up a defense based on the law, much to Mac and Flack’s amusement. When Howie points out that Mac didn’t recover the goods he apparently stole and therefore can’t hold him, Mac points out that he witnessed Howie’s thefts firsthand, and going up against Howie is a chance he’s willing to take. Flack, as he so often is when confronted by absurd criminals, is completely amused.

This episode marks a milestone for CSI: NY: 150 episodes. The show has certainly been through a lot of changes this season: not only has it weathered a move to Friday, but it’s also replaced a major character. The show’s ratings are strong for Friday nights, and Sela Ward has proved to be a great addition to the cast. CSI: NY is still going strong, and the show feels fresher in its seventh season than it has in quite a while. Now paired with Blue Bloods, another cop drama set in New York City, the show will hopefully live on for quite some time on its new night.

CSI: NY provides a challenging role for Ward that doesn’t put too much pressure on her as an actress. “Here’s a show that’s been on the air for six years,” she explained to Zap2It, “and it’s not on my shoulders, so I think I’ll be able to have a life and at the same time be challenged. I didn’t realize until I got back on the set how much I missed what I do. I’d done (the movies) The Stepfather and The Day After Tomorrow, but nothing to really sink my teeth into, so this has been fun.”

Members of the cast recently travelled to the Big Apple to shoot on location for several upcoming episodes. The first episode featuring authentic New York scenes revolves around a killer who gets his victims’ parents to tamper with the crime scene. It has been a while since Ward filmed on the streets of NYC. “I think it was 1987 when I did (the movie) Hello Again and last shot on the streets there,” the actress revealed. “I love New York so much.”

Ward was a welcome addition to the New York cast. “Sela is such a nice and warm person,” Sinise shared, “and we have such a relaxed and fun and easygoing vibe on our set; we welcomed her in, and she wanted us to help her through all this CSI stuff … because it doesn’t come naturally to most people. It’s a new world, and she just grabbed hold of it. It was all very cordial and perfect, I thought.” He added that the series was fortunate to have Ward come on board in the wake of Melina Kanaredes’ (Stella Bonasera) departure: “We wanted it to be a smooth transition for both us and the audience, and I think it very much is.”

The full interview is available on Zap2It.

New CSI Jo Danville arrives at the lab to find the body of a woman on the floor in CSI: NY‘s seventh season opener.

Synopsis:

Picking up where “Vacation Getaway” left off, Lindsay wakes to find serial killer Shane Casey holding her daughter and pointing a gun at her husband. Lindsay raises her gun and fires at Shane when he turns his weapon on Lucy. The shot kills him. Five months later, Lindsay is awarded the Combat Cross for her actions. When the team returns to work, they find new CSI Jo Danville, sent in to replace Stella, standing over the body of a woman in the lab. Mac is perplexed and tells Jo that the woman doesn’t work in the lab. Danny and Hawkes start working on the elevator, which has several bloody prints in it. While the team works the case, Lindsay visits Dr. Morgan Jefferson, the department psychologist, who is concerned about Lindsay’s reaction to the shooting and the subsequent medal. The session ends with Lindsay storming out and throwing the medal in the trash. The team identifies the dead woman as Sarah Nelson, a junior associate at Westwick & Associates, the company on the 34th floor, just beneath the crime lab. Danny and Hawkes find a face print on a window and gravitational blood drops in a conference room, while Flack discovers the security cameras were malfunctioning from 12:04am to 1:24am—just around the time the ME put the time of death. In the morgue, Sid finds fibers in one of Sarah’s eyes, and determines she was killed with a double bladed instrument—likely a pair of scissors. He also tells Mac she was in the early stages of pregnancy.

Hawkes and Jo go over Sarah’s clothes, and Jo observes that Sarah was dressing beyond her means, suggesting she may have had a wealthy lover. Hawkes also finds blood splatter on Sarah’s shirt, most likely from her attacker. A package from Stella containing a framed quote, “Bravery means being the only one who knows you’re afraid,” upsets Lindsay, who runs to the roof and is consoled first by Mac, who tells her she’s starting to come to terms with the shooting, and then by Danny, who retrieved her medal from the psychologist’s office. Adam goes over Sarah’s phone records and find she used a program to avoid certain other people, based on the tracking of their cell phones. One of those people, Rudy Aronika, left messages begging to see her—which stopped abruptly two days ago. Jo questions Rudy, who admits he was seeing Sarah. Sarah picked Rudy out precisely because he was married; she wasn’t looking for a commitment. She broke it off when he tried to get serious, and he begged her to come back—until he learned she was pregnant. He had a vasectomy two years ago, so Sarah’s child couldn’t be his. He insists he didn’t kill her, and Mac, watching from behind the glass, believes him.

The blood on Sarah’s shirt matches a mugging from two nights ago. Mac and Flack question the victim, none other than Teddy Westwick, the owner of Westwick & Associates. He tells them he was mugged coming out of a restaurant and that the mugger slashed him with scissors. He managed to get the scissors away from the mugger and stabbed him in the back. When asked about Sarah, Westwick claims he barely knew her. Lindsay goes over the scissors and finds 12 hits in CODIS to high end burglaries, but doesn’t get any matches in AFIS, so she decides to expand her search. Hawkes confirms the scissors were the murder weapon, and Lindsay finally get a name to go with the prints: Alex Brodevesky. Flack and Danny track Alex down and capture him after a spirited chase. Alex tells Danny and Flack that he came to rob Westwick and found the man murdering Sarah. Alex ran when Westwick came after him, but Westwick stabbed him in the back. Alex fled down to the street and managed to get the scissors from Westwick and slashed him on the arm. Jo and Mac think his story makes sense, and Jo sets out to prove that Westwick was the aggressor with the help of Adam and Hawkes. Using two dummies, the three prove based on the location of the blood drops and splatter on the cuff of Westwick’s shirt that he was the aggressor—and Sarah’s killer. Mac and Flack chase Westwick to the roof of the Chrysler Building, but Mac is forced to shoot him when he draws a gun on them.

Analysis:

The seventh season premiere of CSI: NY starts strong and peters out storywise as it goes along, but it seems wrong to judge it too harshly given all that the hour has to accomplish. Between wrapping up the season six ender’s cliffhanger, dealing with the fallout from that resolution, introducing a new lead character, explaining another character’s departure and fitting in a mystery, there’s a lot to be serviced during the course of the episode. The case is woefully predictable—as soon as Jo noted that Sarah Nelson’s clothes were designer, I knew she had an older married lover who had killed her to keep their affair secret—but perhaps a more showy case would have distracted from the introduction of Jo Danville, who needs to (and does) make an impression in her first outing. Certainly Jo’s entrance is a memorable one: she arrives at the empty lab to find a dead body. This is by far the most interesting part of the case; even the red herring burglar isn’t enough to shed any real doubt on who the actual killer is.

Jo herself is far more interesting than the first case she works with the New York CSIs. Played with aplomb by the always appealing Sela Ward, Jo brings a much-needed energy to the show. It’s hard to keep things fresh in the seventh season of any show, and while Melina Kanakaredes will certainly be missed, adding a new face to the cast in a prominent position should definitely help add some spark to CSI: NY. Sharp and observant, Jo immediately distinguishes herself by looking at evidence that can paint a picture of the victim: scuffs on her shoes, how expensive her clothing is, how much makeup she wears. Jo is something of a profiler, able to come to conclusions about people based on physical observations, and it’s no surprise that in her first case, she’s dead on about the people she’s analyzing. First, she immediately deduces that Sarah has an older, wealthy, married lover and then when interrogating another of Sarah’s lovers, Rudy Aronika, she puts a box of tissues on the table and correctly bets the ploy will get him to open up.

Jo also has a bit of fun with the team, particularly poor befuddled Adam, who is thrown when she rattles off his parents’ names and claims to have read a thick FBI file on him. She goes on to make a crack about the websites Adam visits, causing the lab tech to get even more flustered. Jo certainly reads Adam—who has a propensity for having crushes on attractive female co-workers (think Kendall and Stella)—like a book, and clearly enjoys having a little fun with him. Later, Adam gripes to Danny about Jo being “evil,” but I have a feeling in time he’ll definitely come to appreciate her. There also seemed to be a spark between Jo and Flack when they first met, though I wonder if CSI: NY would ever opt for a relationship where the woman was significantly older than the man. Flack seems more laid back than he has in a while, and much of the anger he felt after the death of his girlfriend at the end of season five seems to have dissipated. Jo and Flack certainly share a similar sharp wit.

CSI: NY‘s leading man can be a little dour at times, making his bantering exchanges with Jo all the more fun. Mac and Stella had a friendship and working relationship that pre-dated the show, so right off the bat his relationship with Jo is bound to be different and it is, more like the banter he’s had with his love interests without the undercurrent of romance. Gary Sinise is an understated and gifted performer, but sometimes Mac comes off as low energy, so it’s nice to have someone opposite him who can bring out his lighter side. Unfortunately, Jo’s opening line of “I didn’t do it!”, which was featured in the previews for the episode was cut, perhaps because it was feared it would come off as too flippant, but she and Mac do exchange some funny banter as Jo reacts to the oddity of finding a body in the lab on her first day as a New York CSI. It’s definitely a memorable introduction to a character that promises to be a big asset to the show.

Stella’s departure is referenced more or less in passing, when Lindsay receives a package with a framed quote from her. Stella, now heading up the New Orleans CSI lab, tells Lindsay she’s getting used to being the boss and to stay strong. Given the abrupt way Kanakaredes’ departure unfolded, it’s understandable that the obligatory reference to her whereabouts feels a little awkward. Would it really take Stella five months to acknowledge that Lindsay shot and killed a homicidal maniac in her apartment? Probably not. But the decision to not kill Stella off was a sound one, and the mention of her new job is shoehorned into the episode about as well as it most likely could be. It will be interesting to see if Mac will address her departure and his feelings about it in a future episode.

The resolution to the cliffhanger is almost as predictable as the case—did anyone really think Shane would kill Lucy or Danny?—but gratifying: even though one has to wonder how on earth Shane Casey survived the fall from that lighthouse, it’s refreshing to see Lindsay is the one who takes him out. Aside from being Danny’s girlfriend and then wife, Lindsay has had little development on her own since season three. While Anna Belknap lacks the range of her co-stars, she does a good job with the material she’s given here. I especially liked that Lindsay defended her feelings about her actions, saying that she wouldn’t have done anything differently. There is clearly supposed to be a parallel between Lindsay shooting Shane and Mac shooting Westwick at the end of the episode; taking a life, even when necessary, is never an easy thing. Somehow, I doubt we’ll see Mac in counseling, and I wonder if we’d have seen Danny in counseling if he had been the one to shoot Shane. There’s a strong undercurrent of sexism in the way the shooting is dealt with: because Lindsay is a woman, surely she must be having issues with killing someone—even though he was threatening both her husband and child at the time. Has there ever been a more justified shooting on the show?

It’s baffling as to why Danny isn’t also in counseling, given that he was the one the serial killer was actually stalking, and that he survived not one but two (or four, if you count the earlier episodes, “Hung Out to Dry” and “Raising Shane”) encounters with Shane Casey. While Lindsay is getting her blood pressure checked after the shooting, Danny is huddled up on the curb, holding Lucy and looking pretty traumatized. My biggest complaint about the storyline is that it has shuffled Danny’s emotional response off to the side, when in fact he was the object of Shane’s obsession. I did like that it was Lindsay and not Danny who actually shot Shane; Danny does have a history of needing to be saved, so it’s nice to see continuity there. But Danny is also the show’s most emotional character, and while seeing him support his wife is sweet, it feels wrong to not see more of the fallout for him from what happened with Shane in the apartment.

When Melina Kanakaredes (Stella Bonasera) decided to leave the crime drama, the writers had to scrap six scripts and start over. They didn’t have much time to develop Jo as a character before filming started, but everything seems to be working out. “You definitely want more time to develop a character, but Sela has helped to bring so much to it in the first episode,” Veasey told TV Guide. “But it did revive us a little bit. It’s fun to create a new character that stays with us week after week.”

Ward’s character is a divorced mother who moved from Virginia to the Big Apple to be close to her college-aged son. Jo is very different than her New York counterparts. “She’s a little gentler, slower. The South doesn’t move as fast as New York City, and we’re not trying to change her,” Veasey explained. “She’s a little messy. She thinks about the people first. She understands the science, but she’s also a very clever assumption-maker.”

“Jo’s bringing a new approach to the work,” said leading man Gary Sinise (Mac Taylor). “She’s coming from the FBI and she has worked on a lot of psychological cases. It’s fun to see what they’re doing with her character in terms of the kind of mind games she plays, not only with the perpetrators that she goes to interrogate, but with her own peers.”

Ward’s addition to the cast gives the show a chance to reintroduce the fans to characters they’ve known for six years. “Once you get to add a new character, the fun of that is to let that person learn who our people are,” Veasey said. “That reintroduces them to audiences or those people who may not have watched the show.”

In addition to reintroducing the characters, different members of the team will get focus in early episodes of season seven. Mac will face off with guest stars Edward James Olmos and John Larroquette. Resident lab rat Adam Ross (AJ Buckley) will get out of the crime lab. The team will encounter Danny Messer’s (Carmine Giovinazzo) former partner. An episode that deals with a haunting in Central Park will feature Dr Sheldon Hawkes (Hill Harper). “We really landed on our characters having some personal pull in the crime story this season,” Veasey revealed. “Whether they know the person or not, the character leads us through it rather than the events of the crime.”

The original interview is from TVGuide.com. Thanks to perlnoir from TalkCSI for the link.

Kanakaredes left New York prior to the start of season seven, and she was replaced by Sela Ward (Jo Danville). Combined with the show’s new Friday night timeslot, a major cast change could spell trouble for the series. “Well, the franchise is strong,” Sinise told Pop Eater. “It’s a very solid formula on our show. People loved Melina on the show, and I think they’re going to love Sela. It’s going to be a very seamless transition. I’ve seen the first episode, and while it’s different, it’s really, really good. Sela comes into the show as if she’s been doing it for a long time.”

Unlike new lead-out series Blue Bloods, New York doesn’t film in the Big Apple. Most scenes are shot in Los Angeles, California. However, the crew does visit New York City to film certain scenes. “We only come once a year,” Sinise explained. “We used to come twice a year, but then they started cutting the budgets down, so now we come once a year. We love coming to New York and shooting there. I wish we could do it more, but we are based here in Los Angeles and it’s expensive to come.”

Sinise doesn’t have a shtick like fellow franchise leading man David Caruso (CSI: Miami’s Horatio Caine)—and he probably won’t come up with his own version of Caruso’s iconic sunglasses. “Look, he made that into a thing and God bless him,” Sinise said. “He’s turned it into an Internet sensation. No, I’m not jealous of him or anything. We’ve got a good show going, and people seem to enjoy the characters on our show. Who knows? If our show stays on the air long enough, I might have some funny little thing I come up with.”

The full interview is available on PopEater.com.

The writers knew where season seven was going, but losing a major cast member forced them to change directions. “Our last-minute cast change kind of uprooted some things we were going to carry over with Danny [Messer, Carmine Giovinazzo] and Lindsay [Monroe, Anna Belknap], and some interesting things with Mac [Taylor, Gary Sinise] and relationships,” executive producer Pam Veasey told Fancast. “But once we got Sela [Ward, Jo Danville], we decided that with a new person coming in, let’s get to know our people again, through her eyes. So that is sort of our theme.”

Kanakaredes decided not to return to the series after season six was over, and she didn’t come back to film a final scene. The show will explain her absence in the season premiere by saying she left to run a lab in New Orleans, Louisiana. The situation is not ideal, but it does provide some closure. “We as writers and producers don’t think [it provides enough closure], but we sort of don’t have a choice,” Veasey admitted. “We’d love Melina to come back at some point, but I don’t think that’s possible. It’s not impossible, but I don’t think it will happen.”

At the end of season six, Mac was torn between new love interest Aubrey Hunter (Mädchen Amick) and old flame Peyton Driscoll (Claire Forlani). It was originally reported that Mac would be forced to choose between them, and fans were supposed to find out who he picked when the new season got underway. However, that arc had to be changed for several reasons. Ward’s addition to the cast changed the focus of the early part of the season, but actress availability also played a role. “Mädchen may still recur, but Claire ended up getting a show,” Veasey explained. Forlani will play Queen Igraine in Starz’s upcoming 10-episode drama series Camelot.

Mac’s love life might not get a lot of focus during season seven, but relationships will definitely play a role for other characters. Danny and Lindsay will be forced to deal with the aftermath of Shane Casey’s (Edward Furlong) targeted attack against their family at the end of season six. “Initially it speaks more to Lindsay and who she’s become, what she feels, and how valuable family is to her,” Veasey revealed. “After that, we wrap it up. Edward Furlong was great for us for two years, but after Lindsay finds herself, we move on.” She added that Lindsay is “a tad” off her game after what happened. “Not so much with her job but in trying to deal with what occurred [in the season finale/opening scene of season seven],” Veasey explained. “But Danny helps her through it.”

Meanwhile, Don Flack (Eddie Cahill) is ready to move on after the death of his girlfriend Jessica Angell (Emmanuelle Vaugier) a year ago. “Yeah, he’s over it,” Veasey said. “We’ve got to get him back to being fun, and maybe find him somebody. Everybody wants a relationship, but we’re going to start with Hill Harper.” Harper’s character, Dr Sheldon Hawkes, is next in line for a love interest—but not just yet. “It wont be in the first 10 [episodes], but it will be in the back of the season,” Veasey explained. “Were gonna find him some love!”

The full interview can be found on Fancast. The season seven premiere of CSI: NY, “The 34th Floor”, will air in its new timeslot this Friday, September 24 at 9:00pm ET/PT.