Executive producer Carol Mendelsohn said the Dr Jekyll case will not be solved until the end of season ten, but viewers will get some answers soon. “The audience may see Dr Jekyll before the finale, but not in the context of being Dr Jekyll,” Mendelsohn told TVGuide.com. But who will crack the case? Mendelsohn hints that it won’t be a CSI. “It will be someone that will surprise everyone,” she revealed. “It’s someone we know who has been on the show in more than one episode.”

Dr Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) will continue to pursue Dr Jekyll as season ten rolls on. In tonight’s episode, “Neverland”, a familiar name comes up: Nathan Haskell (Bill Irwin), the Dick and Jane serial killer Gil Grissom (William Petersen) was investigating when Langston was first introduced in “19 Down”. “It’s just a little callback to him, which is kind of eerie and could be a sign of things to come,” episode writer Tom Mularz told TVGuide.com. It turns out that Haskell might have a connection to Dr Jekyll.

“Dr Jekyll isn’t done killing people,” executive producer Carol Mendelsohn said. “We will not only see more victims of Dr Jekyll, but we will begin to see and unravel the obsession that Ray Langston has for catching him. He is hot on his trail, and nothing will stop Langston. It will drive the end of our season.”

As Langston continues to chase Dr Jekyll, the pursuit will take on a more literal form. Fans will get a glimpse of Langston’s more physical side in tonight’s episode. “We get to see him run into a burning building and crash through a door,” Mularz said. “It’s nice to see him in that kind of action mode after we’ve seen him do these brilliant mental tasks.”

Langston’s need to track down the serial killer will come to a head before the season ends. “Dr. Jekyll and Langston may be headed for a final confrontation,” Mendelsohn said, “and I do not think Ray Langston will end up unscathed.”

Meanwhile, “Neverland” will find the team investigating the death of a young boy that ties to one of Sara Sidle’s (Jorja Fox) old cases. “Part of the story deals with a case that Sara handled before leaving for Costa Rica,” Mularz explained. “It was one of the things that kind of frustrated her to the point of wanting to leave. Langston, who joined the team after that, has really only known her as Mrs Grissom. So he gets a glimpse of the fire that still lingers around some of these cases in her mind.”

As CSI Files previously reported, the band will perform in “Unshockable”—but something goes terribly wrong, and one member finds himself in the hospital. The other members become suspects as the CSIs try to get to the bottom of what happened. “They are the crime story,” executive producer Carol Mendelsohn told TVGuide.com. “This is not just them playing a concert.”

“This episode is a lot of fun,” added co-producer Phil Conserva. “[The band] approached Carol and I to see if we’d be interested because they are such fans. Their fans will be able to tune in and watch them perform a song they haven’t performed yet. It’s going to be a very fun Thursday night.” He continued, “They are on their 10th year as a band, and we’re on our 10th season. It’s a real nice union between the two forces.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Dr Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) gets an interesting offer from CIA Associate Director Craig Halliday (played by Will Patton). Halliday, it seems, knows something about Langston’s father. The pair will cross paths when Langston and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) investigate the death of a former CIA officer.

According to executive producer Carol Mendelsohn, an upcoming episode of CSI titled “The Panty Sniffer” will find the team helping the LVPD in a stakeout to take down some major Ecstacy pushers. The episode will also feature some personal time between leading lady Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) and another character familiar to CSI fans. “Catherine will spend a good part of the episode in a hotel room with Detective Vartann (Alex Carter),” Mendelsohn told TVGuide.com. “We’ve already established a little flirtation between them in a prior episode, and although it’s not very CSI, yes, there is a kiss.”

Over on New York, romance is an everyday occurrence for Danny Messer (Carmine Giovinazzo) and Lindsay Monroe (Anna Belknap), who got married last season and welcomed a daughter, Lucy, into the world. Lindsay has been absent for several episodes so far this season, but executive producer Pam Veasey assures fans she’s not going anywhere. “She’s a mom. We don’t want to ignore the fact that sometimes mothers take time off,” Veasey explained. “You’ll definitely see her being a mother and trying to juggle the life of being a crime-fighter, forensic scientist and a parent.”

The CSI Producer discusses the big crossover, what’s coming up in the remaining sweeps episodes of CSI and the return of a memorable nemesis. Lights spoilers inside!

November sweeps has already seen the historic first three CSI show crossover, but there’s more excitement to come, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Producer Allen MacDonald promises. In addition to teasing the episode he’s at work on now–which brings back a familiar face–MacDonald discusses the return of Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), the departure of Lauren Lee Smith and Nick Stokes’ (George Eads) promotion.

CSI Files: The three-show crossover scored big in the ratings last week. How did the plans for the trilogy originate?

Allen MacDonald: It all started with [Executive Producer] Carol Mendelsohn.  It’s something she’s been wanting to do for some time now.

CSI Files: Was the crossover tricky to pull off?

MacDonald: It was just a matter of scheduling on the part of all three shows.

CSI Files: How was Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) chosen to be the character to tie it all together?

MacDonald: Laurence and David Caruso (Horatio Caine) have worked together in features and very much wanted to work together again.  After that, it just snowballed. It was quite a kick to watch Langston interact on-screen with Horatio Caine and Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise).

CSI Files: What else can we expect from sweeps?

MacDonald: A Dustin Lee Abraham episode involving the world of professional bowling and a decapitated human head bowling ball. Intrigued?  Believe me, by the time teaser is over, you’ll be hooked.  It’s gross – but in a fun way.

CSI Files: Bringing in a new leading man after eight and a half seasons is obviously a big challenge. What do you feel was the most difficult thing about the transition from Gil Grissom (William Petersen) to Langston?

MacDonald: Just simultaneously having to do two very important things at the same time: giving Grissom the emotionally satisfying send-off he deserves while simultaneously setting up Langston, and making him a unique, compelling character in his own right, instead of trying to simply recreate Grissom.

CSI Files: Langston’s father seems to loom large in his mind. Are there plans to see him at some point?

MacDonald: Not that I know of — the character is dead and there are no plans to depict him in flashbacks.

CSI Files: Sara Sidle sure is spending a lot of time away from her new husband! Are we meant to read anything into that?

MacDonald: I think it’s always been clear Grissom and Sara would have a non-traditional approach to marriage.

CSI Files: What was behind the decision to have Sara and Grissom marry?

MacDonald: We felt it was a natural conclusion to where we left them both at the end of “One to Go” in the rainforest of Costa Rica.

CSI Files: What was behind the decision to promote Nick Stokes?

MacDonald: To recognize his huge contribution to the team and his growth as an emerging leader.  Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) needed somebody to back her up and Nick seemed like the natural choice.

CSI Files: Nick and Langston seem to be developing a friendship. Will we see more of this?

MacDonald: Absolutely.  They’re getting to know and trust each other.

CSI Files: Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) is expressing a little job dissatisfaction this season with regards to the assignments he’s getting. What’s behind Greg’s disgruntled attitude?

MacDonald: It’s like he said to Sara in the premiere, he still feels he’s being treated like the geeky DNA lab tech when, in fact, he’s matured into a seasoned CSI capable of handling anything thrown his way.

CSI Files: We’ve seen a bit more of Catherine in the leadership role this season. Will this continue?

MacDonald: Yes.

CSI Files: Is there any official word on the reason why Lauren Lee Smith (Riley Adams) didn’t return for the tenth season?

MacDonald: From what I understand, it was felt Riley never quite gelled with the rest of the team because she was introduced at a pivotal point in CSI’s history – two episodes after Warrick’s (Gary Dourdan) death and seven episodes before Grissom’s departure.  As a result, the character got a bit lost in the shuffle, which is not a reflection on Lauren, who is a spectacular actress and was much-loved on the set.

CSI Files: Are there any plans for another Lab Rats episode this season?

MacDonald: Yes.  It’s going to be written by Liz Vassey (Wendy Simms) and Wallace Langham (David Hodges), who are working on it with [Executive Producer] Naren Shankar right now.

CSI Files: Are you at work on a new episode now? Can you hint at what it might be about?

MacDonald: I am.  And the only hint I can provide is that it would be the completion of a CSI storyline trilogy involving Sara Sidle and a very, very smart young girl.

As CSI Files previously reported, the news about Langston’s wardrobe change was taken out of context. CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler made the comment in jest, but members of the media reported the information as fact. “It is so unimportant to what the show is and where we’re going that, to me, it demeans the show,” Mendelsohn said. “Not that Nina said it, because she said it as a joke. But for it to be reported that a wardrobe makeover is the most important news coming out of CSI?”

The real news at the time was the continuing transition from former leading man William Petersen (Gil Grissom) to Fishburne. The show went about the switch a little differently—instead of coming in as the new head of the lab, Fishburne’s character started at the bottom of the lab totem pole. “It was what attracted Laurence to the role — to come in as a newbie and to learn,” Mendelsohn explained. “And he will have a very accelerated learning curve. He will blossom this year into the true CSI that Grissom saw in him when they first met. I think Fishburne was integrated so well. He’s an incredible talent. We’re so lucky to have him.”

Having an older character change careers was a realistic choice, Mendelsohn added. “There’s so many people today who aren’t just one-career people,” she said. “Many of us have had a number of careers. And I think he’s very reflective of the working population.”

Although Langston has been around for a while and earned a promotion on the job, the character is still adjusting to his new career. “The one thing that is true is that Fishburne will continue the transition from Professor Langston to CSI Langston,” Mendelsohn said. And the rest of the CSI team will continue to adjust as season ten continues. “Our team, just like a family in real life, is going through a transition. Trying to find their equilibrium,” the executive producer added. “And the theme of the season is really family. It will be about Catherine [Willows, Marg Helgenberger] and Nick [Stokes, George Eads] and Greg [Sanders, Eric Szmanda] and Langston and Sara [Sidle, Jorja Fox] finding the right balance to be Grissom’s team. The team he left behind.”

In “Coup de Grace”, it will be revealed that Sara “just got back from visiting Grissom in Paris,” executive producer Carol Mendelsohn said. However, fans should not expect Grissom to appear on the show any time soon. “We have no plans for Billy to return at the moment,” Mendelsohn said, “but the door’s always open.”

Fox was originally slated to return to CSI for five episodes this season. Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn has now revealed that the actress will be sticking around on an indefinite basis. “We will be seeing a lot more of Jorja,” Mendelsohn explained. “The season is about bringing the [CSI] family back together again, so [this] was just a natural. Jorja has been the glue that has really helped to reform the bond of our team.”

The exact number of episodes that will feature Fox’s character has not been determined, but it will definitely be more than five. “From our point of view, the more the better,” Mendelsohn said. “As many episodes as we can have Jorja for we want her for.”

Current plans do not include a return from Gil Grissom (William Petersen), but upcoming episodes will explore Sara and Grissom’s unconventional marriage and living arrangements. “We will address the fact that Grissom is somewhere else and Sara is living in Vegas,” Mendelsohn explained. “Everyone on the team is a little interested. They’re like, ‘What’s the deal? Grissom’s there, you’re here, how does that work?’”

Sara and Grissom are “a very modern couple and they have a very healthy relationship,” Mendelsohn said. “They have found a balance in their life that allows them to still feel fulfilled in their marriage and their careers. If it works for them, it works for us.”

Executive producer Carol Mendelsohn admitted that CSI stumbled a bit during season nine, which saw the departure of leading man William Petersen (Gil Grissom) and the placement of Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) as the head of the team. “We look at last season in a way not dissimilar from the fans,” she said. “We may have shortchanged a number of our characters in being focused on the transition from Grissom’s team to Catherine’s. We’ll try to make up for that this season.”

“We were out of our rhythm a bit last year,” George Eads (Nick Stokes) explained. “We needed to go back to the garage and find what inspired us, and there’s some good stuff with what’s happening on the show now.” That includes the return of Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), who is scheduled to appear in several episodes this season. “I’m very pleased with what they’ve come up with to bring Sara back,” Fox said. “You do get to learn a little about what she’s been up to. I was pleasantly intrigued.”

With the departure of Riley Adams (Lauren Lee Smith), the return of Sara adds some more estrogen into the mix. Helgenberger said she doesn’t mind working with the guys, “But there needed to be more of a presence of female power. So I was thrilled to have Jorja back. She’s just the coolest chick on the planet.”

CSI won’t waste time telling what happened after Grissom and Sara reunited in the jungle last season. “The audience will know in very short order the status of Grissom and Sara,” Mendelsohn promised. “I can say that between the time they left and now, there are no little Grissoms out there.”

The rest of the team has something in store for season ten as well. Newcomer Dr Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) has a wife, “and we may get to meet her,” Fishburne revealed. The character will also deal with a serial killer who is “doing these strange operations on people, putting something inside them that doesn’t belong there.”

Dr Al Robbins (Robert David Hall) will help Langston with the serial killer, and he might get some help of his own in the morgue. “We have an idea for a new character who may join the coroner’s office,” Mendelsohn shared. Meanwhile, Dr Robbins gets a chance to take part in the action at the start of the season. “Dr Robbins is the defender of the coroner’s office,” Mendelsohn explained.

Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) will be looking for respect as part of the CSI team. “He’s not happy with the way thing have been, and he wants them to change,” Szmanda said. “This is something he’s been holding in all this time, and it’ll be a shock to everyone.”

Season ten will include an episode that centers around the Las Vegas Crime Lab’s technicians. Budget cuts, meanwhile, will force techs like Wendy Simms (Liz Vassey) and David Hodges (Wallace Langham) to spend more time in the field. Mendelsohn revealed that Hodges, who still holds a torch for Wendy, will have a “slight misstep and actually come bearing gifts for Catherine.”

The full article can be found in the September 28-October 4 issue of TV Guide.