‘CSI:NY’ Searches For A Deadly Arsonist In ‘Reignited’

A firefighter is killed in the line of duty, and the CSIs must turn to an unlikely source for help in the first episode of CSI: New York’s upcoming ninth season. (Major spoilers after the jump!)

According to CSI Files sources, “Reignited” finds several members of the team taking to the ice as part of a hockey game against the firefighters of the FDNY. There’s a rivalry between the teams, and things get heated as it comes down to the final few minutes of the game. The firefighters have won for the past four years, and the NYPD, led by Don Flack, is keen to break their winning streak. Flack clashes with one of the firefighters in particular, Tony, who tosses insults to get under Flack’s skin. When Tony makes the game-winning goal, he offers up one last insult—causing Flack to throw a punch.

The other members of the rival teams pile into the rink to start a brawl, much to the amusement of Mac Taylor. He is sitting in the stands with his longtime friend, FDNY Captain Smith, and they seem to be getting along much better than the boys on the ice. Since the NYPD lost the game yet again, Mac will be forced to buy dinner for the captain as part of their yearly bet. However, he doesn’t seem too bothered; after all, Smith visited him in the hospital every week while he recovered from the gunshot wound that nearly took his life in the season eight finale, “Near Death”.

Captain Smith’s radio alerts him to a fire raging just down the block, so it’s back to business for everyone in the game. They all head down the street to deal with the emergency; a laundromat is up in flames, and the firefighters start putting on their gear as the cops help keep order on the street. Captain Smith heads inside with Tony and a couple other men, splitting into pairs in order to check for anyone stuck on the upper floors of the building. Once on the third floor, Tony heads down to one end of the hall to check for victims, and Captain Smith busts down a door before heading inside. The firefighters, police officers and bystanders on the street watch with horror as an explosion rocks the building. Tony makes it out alive, but Captain Smith is killed.

An investigation reveals that Captain Smith stumbled across a booby trap, proving that the fire was deliberately set. Mac must put aside his grief to look for the person responsible for taking his friend’s life. Elements of the fire match the signature of a convicted arsonist, Leonard Brooks (guest star Rob Morrow), who was recently released from prison. It seems like Leonard might be behind the blaze, but Mac isn’t convinced. Instead of bringing Leonard in for questioning, he decides to bring the man in to help them catch the person who is copying his technique.

Please note that the above plot details have not been confirmed by CBS, Alliance Atlantis or Bruckheimer Films, and until such time you should treat this information as you would any other rumour. The above information comes from early script drafts and the details of the episodes are liable to change before the episodes are shown.

“Reignited” will air Friday, September 28 at 8:00pm ET/PT (new timeslot) on CBS.