Grissom Connects And Petersen Reconnects

See Also: 'Fannysmackin'' Episode Guide

A secret relationship can be both dangerous and dramatic.

William Petersen (Gil Grissom) said that, in his opinion, his character and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) had "been together for quite a while. It's just that nobody knew it." In Grissom's mind, he said, the relationship has been a "secret affair." Petersen pointed out that keeping a secret such as that is "interesting to play", and also that "it's somewhat fraught with danger" because the pair of them are not totally sure what they are doing. "I don't think it would be good for Grissom, who's a supervisor, and I don't think it would be good for Sara, who's a subordinate," Petersen told RTL, "and I think therein lies the conflict of their situation, which makes for some interesting drama."

According to Petersen, the miniature killer fascinated Grissom. While the killer was obviously a criminal that needed to be caught, Grissom also felt that they were dealing with a genius. "So of course, all of his senses are engaged in this and he is, I think, completely stymied to figure out who and how this person is doing this," Petersen said.

Petersen pointed out the fact that, when the show first began, Grissom acted as mentor to the younger CSIs, treating them like students. "Now they've reached a certain level where they don't require his expertise or his leadership in that way," he said. Beyond a strictly professional relationship, Petersen admitted that, "[a]s close as Grissom could feel to being a father, the young men of CSI have been his sons." For this reason, the attack on Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) in "Fannysmackin'" was hard on Grissom as well. "He wants him to succeed and he wants him to do well and he does not want him hurt," Petersen said.

Petersen also discussed his time away from the show during the middle of season seven. "I knew that I needed to get back into the theater," Petersen said. "I hadn't done a play since we started CSI because I haven't had any time." Because of the timing, when Petersen asked to be able to participate in the theater, it turned out in his favor. "Because it was a short run and because it was over Christmas," he said, "we were able to fit it in without having to miss many episodes, and it turned out to be a great thing."

The full video interview can be viewed on the RTL website.

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