“Tressed to Kill”, beat out the other scripted programming in its timeslot on February 8. The crime drama pulled in 10.88 million viewers according to the final ratings, which were adjusted down significantly from the preliminary ratings (11.44 million)—some local stations preempted the broadcast lineup to air the Duke vs UNC college basketball game, so this may have impacted the viewing numbers. These ratings were way down from Marg Helgenberger’s (Catherine Willows) final episode two weeks ago, but they still put CSI ahead of Revenge (7.70 million) and Law & Order: SVU (6.55 million). In the key 18-49 demographic prized by advertisers, CSI and Revenge tied for the top spot with a 2.5 rating/7 share for the hour. SVU came up short with a 2.0/5.
THE CSI TEAM HUNTS FOR A KILLER WITH A HAIR FETISH, ON “CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION,” WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8
“Tressed to Kill” – When a woman is found dead and her hair is done up ‘70s style complete with vintage clothes, the CSI team discovers clues that point to a killer with a hair fetish, on CSI, Wednesday, Feb. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
SERIES REGULARS:
Ted Danson (D.B. Russell)
George Eads (Nick Stokes)
Paul Guilfoyle (Captain Jim Brass)
Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle)
Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders)
Robert David Hall (Dr. Robbins)
David Berman (David Phillips)
Elisabeth Harnois (Morgan Brody)
Wallace Langham (Hodges)
GUEST CAST:
Larry Mitchell (Officer Mitchell)
Barbara Eve Harris (Sheriff Sherry Liston)
William Ragsdale (Dr. Bill Ryan)
Roger Bart (Jeffrey Fitzgerald)
Jill Larson (Lucinda Kemp)
David Gallagher (Adam Kemp)
Sasha Jackson (Eva Byron)
Rose McIver (Bridget Byron)
Brianna Brown (Paula Bingham)
Brittany Beaudette Dunn (Joyce Debernardi)
Ericka Clevenger (Hooker)
DIRECTED BY: Brad Tannenbaum
WRITTEN BY: Ed Whitmore
RUSSELL ASKS THE ADVICE OF A FORMER COLLEAGUE ON A CASE INVOLVING THE DEATH OF A MAN’S EX-GIRLFRIEND, ON “CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION,” WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15
“Seeing Red” – Russell asks for advice from a former colleague on a case involving the death of a man’s ex-girlfriend, on CSI, Wednesday, Feb. 15 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Elisabeth Shue makes her series debut as new CSI Julie Finlay.
SERIES REGULARS:
Ted Danson (D.B. Russell)
Elisabeth Shue (Julie Finlay)
George Eads (Nick Stokes)
Paul Guilfoyle (Captain Jim Brass)
Elisabeth Harnois (Morgan Brody)
Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle)
Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders)
Robert David Hall (Dr. Robbins)
David Berman (David Phillips)
Wallace Langham (Hodges)
GUEST CAST:
Alex Carter (Detective Vartann)
Jon Wellner (Henry Andrews)
Jessee McCartney (Wes Clyborn)
Nazanin Boniadi (Nurse Lauren)
Michael Bryan French (Dr. Stewart)
Philip Casnoff (Jonah Clyborn)
Mary Page Keller (Leslie Clyborn)
Linc Hand (Laughlin CSI #1)
Kinsey McLean (Laughlin CSI #2)
Rameses Jimenez (Juan Perez)
Sarah Dumont (Vicky Sheldon)
DIRECTED BY: Frank Waldeck
WRITTEN BY: Christopher Barbour and Tom Mularz
Source: CBS
This episode was a well written and acted as a goodbye for a character that has been on CSI since season 1.
The Case: Catherine actually got a two episode plot arch for her farewell, which is pretty impresive. Anyways Willows in the Wind was a continuation of last weeks episode with the case against Mark Gabriel. The episode started with Catherine just having been shot. Most of the episode focuses on how while she is on the run from the professional hit squad hired by Mark Gabriel the CSI team is trying to piece together the case in the lab. Catherine's fake resignation letter is found by the CSI team further increasing the confusion regarding her disappearance with Russell. Both of whom congregated in a strip club while Catherine used her many connections to ultimately keep them safe. In a classic CSI twist the real mastermind though thought to be Mark Gabriel turned out to be his wife laura. Of course that information hit a bit too close to home for Catherine because of the fact that Laura was her old friend from childhood on. If that wasnt enough to make her actually resign than I dont know what was. A close second would be the job offer she got from the young FBI agent to come work for the Bureau. Needless to say the case paled in comparison to the emotional scenes that Catherine shared with her fellow co-workers.
Favorite Parts of the Episode:
Russell: A really interesting and dimensional character on the show
Goldilocks: Such a hilarious name for a stripper.
Laura: She honestly had me and the rest of the world fooled
Kitty the Prostitute: Actual comic relief in an episode this emotionally heavy? I'll take it.
Bodybags: That was some quick thinking on their part
Catherine: The whole episode was another testament to her acting
Marg last episode on CSI earned the top spot on Wednesday, January 25, pulled in 14.03 million viewers, which are the highest numbers in more than a year. This was more than enough to put the crime drama ahead of a repeat of Law & Order: SVU (4.01 million) and a repeat of Revenge (3.12 million). In the key 18-49 demographic prized by advertisers, Helgenberger’s exit earned a season-high 3.3 rating/9 share. The SVU (1.4/4) and Revenge (0.9/2) repeats came in a distant second and third.
TV Guide Magazine: So was your last day like a celebration or a wake?
Helgenberger: [Laughs] To be honest, I didn't sleep well those first couple days afterward. It was a tearful exit from the set, then I went out with a few close friends like Eric [Szmanda], [Robert] David [Hall] and Jorja [Fox]. It's never a good idea to start drinking tequila at 10:30 at night, but it was a perfect way to end things. We closed the bar. But the next day, I couldn't sleep in. I was so wired from the last day and all the adrenaline.
TV Guide Magazine: Do you like the way Catherine is making her exit?
Helgenberger: It's been intense. These episodes were hard. But I'm happy with how it all went. For the past several years we'd mention that Catherine inherited casino land from her father. Going in that direction would have been an easy transition since she is affiliated in that world. An offer to join a federal task force seemed more professional, like a promotion. Also, Carol said that if they were to write an episode to entice me back, it would be easier given that I liked the idea [of Catherine joining the Feds]. And I am open to returning at some point. Just not right away.
TV Guide Magazine: So when did you first start planning how she departs?
Helgenberger: We started back in the summer, and initially, Billy [Petersen] wanted to come back for a couple of episodes. Carol and [exec producer] Don McGill and I had lunch with him to hash it out, but he and his wife had twins who were born prematurely, and that was way too overwhelming for him to deal with. Carol said that ultimately it was a blessing for me that he wasn't able to do it because she didn't want the episodes to be more about Grissom's return. Which it would have been. Now it's really just about Catherine.
TV Guide Magazine: For the past 12 years, you've been knee-deep in rotting corpses and oozing autopsies. What was your grossest moment on CSI?
Helgenberger: It was our 100th episode, about a gender reassignment surgery gone wrong. George [Eads], Gary [Dourdan] and I open up a storage unit and there is a man who had started the process of changing. He looked like a woman but was dead, splayed out on a table, legs in stirrups. It was a bloody mess. Even the crew said, "We gotta get outta here!" There was no acting required. Even now I am looking at it in my head!
TV Guide Magazine: Any favorite episodes?
Helgenberger: I had so much fun with comic episodes, although there were not a whole lot of them. We did a lot of stuff that's a bit off. Plushies and furries — and a diaper episode. I remember I found some poo while looking for evidence, and someone asks me, "What do you have?" And I said, "I got crap!" I remember that was one of those episodes that went way up to the top with the question of how much poo we could actually show. It's funny how people were more freaked out by human excrement than the violent images on the show.
TV Guide Magazine: What was the worst thing about being Catherine Willows?
Helgenberger: Probably the pressure of always having to look good while on the job. There were days when I wanted to come in and do my scenes in sweatpants.
TV Guide Magazine: And the best thing?
Helgenberger: Her commitment to her job, her passion, her dedication. I learned confidence from her. I'm not as shy now as I was, thanks to her, to everything that goes along with a hit show and the amount of attention you get.
TV Guide Magazine: Were you ever freaked out by all the recognition?
Helgenberger: The show became this global sensation, so it was difficult to even go around Paris and Madrid and not get stopped all the time. I do remember being in Musée d'Orsay in Paris, which has some of the most extraordinary art in the world. I was with my family, looking at the Van Goghs, and this crowd surrounded me. It was kind of embarrassing. I remember thinking, "Here's Van Gogh and Matisse and Manet, and you want a picture with me?" Another time, I was recognized while watching a flamenco show in Spain and brought up on stage. And I thought, "I'm going to have to do [flamenco] when I get back home." But have I ever? No. But now I've got the time. Maybe that'll be my next move... professional flamenco dancer.
