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Official Details for 'CSI' & 'New York' Finales, 'Whacked'

By Christian
May 16, 2005 - 9:54 AM

A week from now, CSI fans will have to learn to cope again with a summer full of reruns. But before that, CBS is planning to air no less than four hours of new CSI this week.

First up on Monday at 10:00pm is the penultimate episode of CSI: Miami's third season, "Whacked" -- the season finale, "10-7," is scheduled for next Monday. Here's what you can expect from tonight's episode:

A killer on death row is given a stay of execution just moments before it was to take place, on the grounds that there may have been tainted DNA analysis used at his trial. Now, without using any DNA evidence, the team must race against time and reexamine all of the physical evidence in the case, just as they get a call on a new double murder that looks suspiciously like the case they're working on.

"Whacked" was directed by Scott Lautanen, who this season previously worked on Miami episodes such as "Under the Influence," "After the Fall" and "Money Plane," while also taking a detour to direct New York's "Blood, Sweat and Tears." The episode was written by Miami showrunner Ann Donahue, and supervising producer Elizabeth Devine. This is the first episode they have written together since the season opener, "Lost Son."

The following actors will be making a guest appearance in "Whacked:"

  • Rex Linn as Det. Frank Tripp
  • Eric Roberts as Ken Kramer
  • Stephen Tobolowsky as Don Haffman
  • Shelli Bergh as Paula Muro
  • Cindy Pickett as Miranda Lewis
  • Megan Follows as Beth Grand
  • Kent Faulcon as Correctional Officer
  • David Norona as Joshua Greenfield
  • David Lee Smith as Rick Stetler
  • Alex Buck as Raymond Caine Jr.
  • Sam Vance as Uniform MDPD
  • Kimiko Gelman as Dr. Nicole Talcott
  • W. Earl Brown as Jesse Kramer
  • Christopher Shyer as Larry Hargrove
  • Javier Grajeda as Correctional Officer #1
  • Lawrence Lejohn as Correctional Officer #2
  • Jerry Giles as Correctional Officer #3
Rex Linn, Stephen Tobolowsky, Shelli Bergh, David Lee Smith, and Alex Buck will all be playing previously established recurring roles. Of the other actors, only two have previously appeared on CSI before, both on the original series. Megan Follows played Beth Darien in the fourth-season episode "Bad To The Bone," while W. Earl Brown was Thomas Pickens in the first season's "Justice Is Served."

On Wednesday at 10:00pm, CBS will be showing "What You See Is What You See," the final new CSI: New York episode of the season. The network described the episode as follows:

While Mac dines at his local breakfast spot, a gunman opens fire, leaving a waitress critically injured and a man dead, and Mac having to choose whether to chase after the suspect or save the life of the young woman. Meanwhile, before the chaos, Mac was approached by a shy patron who awkwardly engaged him in conversation. After feeling that he saved her life during the shoot out, she asks him to join her for a drink and Mac must decide if he is ready to start dating after his wife's tragic death.

Director Duane Clark makes his CSI: NY debut with this episode, after having helmed Miami episodes such as "Lost Son" and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes such as "Compulsion." Screenwriter Andrew Lipsitz has previously written New York episodes such as "A Man A Mile" and "Tri-Borough," as well as many installments of the original series.

Here's a list of the episode's guest actors:

  • Penelope Ann Miller as Rose Whitley
  • Raphael Sbarge as D. A. Latham
  • Garret Dillahunt as Steve Collins
  • Emily Harrison as Amy Madoff
  • Dave Power as James Madoff
  • Sandy Martin as Mrs. Collins
  • Wil Horneff as Dennis Sporco
  • Ben Bode as Professor Newlin
  • Jesse Colliver as Paramedic
  • Pinky Villasenor as ND Tech
  • Tim Sitarz as Adam Baxter
  • Danny Wynands as Clark Boyd

Four of the above actors have previous CSI credits. Raphael Sbarge appeared as Aaron Laner in the 100th original CSI episode, "Ch-Ch-Changes," while Garret Dillahunt played Luke in that series' third-season episode "Precious Metal." Dave Power was Darryl Morgan in Miami's "Pirated" earlier this season, and Sandy Martin played a female trucker in the original CSI's "I-15 Murders," way back in the first season.

And then on Thursday at the special time of 8:00pm, it's the most-hyped CSI of the entire season: "Grave Danger," the two-hour season finale directed by Quentin Tarantino. Here's the network's extremely sparse description of the episode:

After learning that a member of their team has been kidnapped and buried alive, the two CSI teams come together to try to save one of their own.

This obviously is Tarantino's first CSI episode, and only the second television episode he's ever directed, after a first-season ER installment. The director is best known for films such as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Tarantino also came up with the episode's story, while the screenplay was written by CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker, CSI showrunner Carol Mendelsohn, and Naren Shankar.

Below is the list of guest actors lucky enough to now be able to add a Tarantino production to their resumé:

  • David Berman as David Phillips
  • Wallace Langham as Hodges
  • Aisha Tyler as Mia Dickerson
  • Marc Vann as Conrad Ecklie
  • Tony Curtis as Tony Curtis
  • Frank Gorshin as Frank Gorshin
  • John Saxon as Walter Gordon
  • Christopher Allen Nelson as Officer Michaels
  • Rachel Lillian Goldberg as Dispatch Cop
  • Archie Kao as Archie
  • Michael Bacall as Neil Abraham
  • Clark Middleton as Dick Sloan
  • Peter Story as Fat Guy
  • Andrew Prine as Judge Bill Stokes
  • Lois Chiles as Jillian Stokes
  • Scott Wilson as Sam Braun
  • Wayne Wilderson as Paramedic
  • Aimee Graham as Kelly Gordon
  • Dan Martin as Nursery Employee
  • Shannon Hazlet as Young Woman
  • Kim Cassidy as Showgirl

David Berman, Wallace Langham, Aisha Tyler, Marc Vann, Archie Kao, Scott Wilson, and Wayne Wilderson all return to reprise their previously-established recurring roles -- the latter after a three-year absence, assuming he will be playing the same character. None of the other actors have previously appeared on CSI before, but several of them are still noteworthy. First there are legendary actors and Las Vegas staples Tony Curtis (Some Like It Hot) and Frank Gorshin, making cameo appearances as themselves. Secondly, Christopher Allen Nelson and Rachel Lillian Goldberg aren't primarily actors, but Tarantino associates, having previously worked with him on Kill Bill as makeup artist and editorial production assistant, respectively. And finally, Clark Middleton appeared in both Kill Bill and Sin City, parts of which were also directed by Tarantino.

If the "Grave Danger" gets you in the mood to watch even more CSI, CBS will be providing for that, too, as they'll be showing a repeat of each of the CSIs over the weekend. On Saturday at 9:00pm, they've scheduled a rerun of CSI: New York's "Rain," in which Stella investigates a heist and uncovers a kidnapping plot involving the bank’s manager. Also, the team must find new clues when the kidnappers' ransom drop spot is blocked by an unannounced police terrorist response drill.

On Sunday at 9:00pm, the network will be repeating the third-season original CSI episode "Lucky Strike." In this episode, Grissom and Nick investigate the murder of Alex James, a man who led police on a high-speed chase before exiting his vehicle and dropping dead with a wooden stake in his head. Meanwhile, Catherine and Warrick investigate the kidnapping of the son of professional basketball star, Tavian Tombs.

And finally, on Sunday at 10:00pm a repeat of "Identity" is scheduled, a CSI: Miami episode that originally aired in February. When the CSIs find a woman swallowed whole and killed by a gigantic snake, they uncover a covert drug smuggling operation. Evidence leads Horatio and the team to a drug smuggling operation where large snakes are suspected of be being used to bring illegal drugs into the country to avoid detection by customs. However, when Horatio finds that Clavo Cruz, a nemesis of Horatio's who hides behind his diplomatic immunity, may be behind the operation, the team must find a legal way to put the criminal behind bars. Meanwhile, Wolfe must find the truth when two women each claim that they are the real victim of identity theft and the other is the culprit.

For the original press releases on all six of the above episodes, head over to the Futon Critic.

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