Ted Danson’s CSI character D.B. Russell was a fan favorite, but the franchise mainstay should not return in CSI: Vegas season 2. The CBS series has the tricky task of reinventing the CSI franchise while also bringing back fan-favorite characters. CSI: Vegas is a continuation of the original show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, rather than another location-based spin-off. This means it's reasonable to expect appearances from some returning CSI characters on the sequel series' next season.
CSI: Vegas season 1’s focus on Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) impeded the show’s ability to flesh out its new arrivals. There were some memorable fresh faces added to the CSI team in the first season of CSI: Vegas, yet the show’s main plot centered on its returning characters. New characters were not given much opportunity to establish themselves as replacements for the old guard — an unfortunate issue given that Petersen and Fox are exiting the show after just one season back. Fortunately, Marg Helgenberger’s Catherine Willows is returning to the franchise for CSI: Vegas season 2.
Not every former CSI star is well suited for a CSI: Vegas season 2 reprisal. While Ted Danson’s D.B. Russell was a major player in CSI: Cyber and later seasons of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, there are several reasons why he shouldn’t come back in CSI: Vegas season 2. These following factors should be considered by fans eager to bring back more old faces to the franchise.
Where The CSI Franchise Left D.B. Russell
Despite being shot in the season 2 finale of CSI: Cyber, Ted Danson's D.B. Russell made a full recovery and ended up tendering his resignation in the same episode. He was last seen retired and happy in Paris, and season 2 of the CSI franchise addition even saw him find romantic happiness with Greer Latimore, a former Special Agent. In an ending that fit Russell’s chilled-out persona, Danson’s character ended up moving to after his recovery and quitting the force entirely. As one of the only CSI lead characters who never let the work completely take over his personal life, Russell got the ending viewers expected for him.
D.B. Russell Got A Rare CSI Franchise Happy Ending
Unlike a lot of CSI characters, D.B. Russell ended up with a stable, happy life that would be disrupted by a return to the titular investigation force. Not killed off or traumatized by a loved one’s murder, Danson’s CSI character got out before things got too bleak — and even then, he got shot for his troubles. Undoing Russell's happy CSI ending with his romance with Greer in Paris would be a bad start for his tenure on CSI: Vegas season 2. Gil and Sara's own CSI: Vegas return was plagued by the series constantly reminding viewers that the couple was last seen happy together and seemingly safe. The last thing CSI: Vegas season 2 needs to do is undo another happy ending, particularly when there are so few cheerful outcomes in the CSI franchise.
D.B. Russell Was Great — But CSI: Cyber Wasn’t
Among the original characters in the CSI franchise, D.B. Russell was a breath of fresh air for viewers used to the comparatively stoic Gil and Sara. While the couple had moments of levity, Russell’s “family meetings” among the team and laidback attitude to his serious job made him a memorable addition to CSI’s sometimes dour cast and made the tone of the dark, violent series a little less grim. However, this alone was not enough to save CSI: Cyber season 2. Although Danson’s portrayal of Russell was still great, CSI: Cyber was formulaic and less impactful than earlier iterations of the franchise. CSI: Cyber was also less brutal and intense than CSI, making Russell’s status as a more light-hearted lead into an unexpectedly deleterious element of the character.
Why Catherine Willows’ CSI: Vegas Return Is Different
It may seem similar, but the return of Marg Helgenberger’s Catherine Willows is very different from D.B. Russell’s possible reprisal. After her CSI departure, Catherine worked with the FBI in Quantico, a role that she took on after her life was threatened during her work as part of the Crime Scene Investigation team. Although she did switch jobs, Catherine canonically stayed working in law enforcement, albeit in a new role, and therefore never really got a break from investigating crime scenes in one form or another. Russell, on the other hand, was last seen happily retired, and again, bringing him back would reverse that.
CSI Vegas Season 2 Should Focus On Its Own Characters
The other reason CSI: Vegas season 2 needs to keep D.B. Russell retired is so the series can focus on its new characters. Again, the return of veteran stars makes this difficult, but Catherine’s return to the CSI franchise is perfect precisely because the character was always a ing star and a team player. Catherine addition to CSI: Vegas season 2 won’t overshadow the new CSI: Vegas characters Max, Josh, and Allie. In contrast, due to both his actor’s fame and the character’s larger-than-life attitude, Ted Danson’s character was a leader who would be more likely to pull focus from these fresh faces. Gil and Sara's shared return, for example, sapped the focus of CSI: Vegas season 1, and they were both even more reserved characters than Russell was.
Should CSI: Vegas Season 2 Bring Back Any More CSI Stars
The CSI franchise doesn’t need to bring back any more former stars for CSI: Vegas season 2, unless the show can stand on its own merits. Ultimately, the question should not be whether or not CSI: Vegas season 2 needs to bring back any veteran CSI characters, but why the show wants them back in the first place. If it is to improve the dynamic of the CSI: Vegas team — as Catherine’s return will hopefully do — then the decision makes sense. If it is a transparent attempt to stoke nostalgia in franchise fans, like bringing back Ted Danson’s D.B. Russell would, then CSI: Vegas season 2 should steer clear and attempt to work on its memorable new cast instead.