Office Romance Ahead On Original 'CSI'

After five years of sweeping for fingerprints and processing DNA samples, the characters on the original CSI will soon be focusing their investigations on an unfamiliar area: their own private lives.

"Catherine needs to explore her sexuality and have some intimacy in her life," Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows) told Craig Tomashoff at TV Guide, for the cover story in the February 27 edition of TV Guide. "[Showrunner Carol Mendelsohn] has told me she can't see Catherine kissing just anyone. It has to be the right guy."

According to TV Guide, that guy will probably be Warrick Brown, although Catherine will first be seen later this season romancing a man she meets in a Vegas bar. But when this nightclub becomes the focal point of a murder investigation, this puts such a strain on the relationship that Catherine may find herself going back to Warrick for good. "There is something between Catherine and Warrick that will come to a head," Carol Mendelsohn said. "In May, there will be an opportunity for them to get closer, when they are away from the office. But this time the person that wanted to [hook up] before may not be the one who wants to this time."

The Warrick-Catherine romance won't be the only glimpse into the characters' personal lives the show will be offering. After Sara recently had a scene in "Nesting Dolls" in which she confessed to Grissom that her mother had killed her father, it will be Catherine's turn for emotional turmoil in an upcoming episode in which her mother shows up and questions Catherine's parenting skills. All this is part of an effort to freshen up the show this season, according to Mendelsohn: "We always hear die-hard fans saying the show isn't as good as the first season, so we said, 'Let's go back to Season 1 and reintroduce the characters.'"

While fans may not recall the first season as being very character-focused, TV Guide revealed the producers had originally planned to introduce an office romance as early as in the original "Pilot" for the show. In a scene that was filmed but never shown, Catherine was apparently making out with Nick Stokes. This lost plot line will likely never be picked up again, but fans will finally be able to watch this deleted scene later this year. The magazine reported Paramount is currently planning to release a new version of the first-season DVD box set that will come with all-new bonus features not included on the original release.

But before that, fans still have several episodes to look forward to of the show's fifth season, which so far has already brought a split of the original CSI team into a night and a swing swift, and the introduction of new characters such as Sofia Curtis and Mia Dickerson. According to Marg Helgenberger, these characters were brought in to send the message "you're replacable" to the original CSI actors, following the much-publicised firing and subsequent re-hiring of Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) and George Eads (Nick Stokes). But according to Mendelsohn, the CSI cast has now accepted the new format: "One of the actors said later, 'You were right! I've never enjoyed what I'm playing so much!'"

One actor who seems to be enjoying himself is Gary Dourdan (Warrick Brown). "I'm excited to see what happens with [Catherine and Warrick]," he said. "I'd love to see that [sex] scene on the kitchen table. Or maybe on the desk. And then the break room. Not in the morgue, though." So is there an actual chance of that happening? "Before this show is over," Carol Mendelsohn teased, "some CSI will have sex."

For much more on the original CSI, including more quotes from Mendelsohn, all the above actors and Aisha Tyler (Mia Dickerson), pick up the February 27 issue of TV Guide, featuring Gary Dourdan, Marg Helgenberger and George Eads on the cover. Major thanks go out to Al Forno for this!

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