CSI Fans Take Note Of An Odd Detail When Re-Watching The Later Seasons

For over two decades, Las Vegas, Nevada, has been, for many, synonymous with criminal investigation television shows. This is because in 2000, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" first premiered and quickly gained traction with viewers. The series is set in the glitzy city of Las Vegas and utilizes the upbeat atmosphere and nightlife of the famous Las Vegas Strip to its advantage when curating creative crimes that draw audiences in while also occasionally making them want to look away. A team of forensic investigators is tasked with uncovering the criminal and usually the motive behind these truly stomach-churning events.

The show's popularity can be attributed to many things, including the creativity of the crimes that the investigators are faced with. Some of the creepiest crime scenes from "CSI" have stuck in the minds of fans for years after seeing them, and even when rewatching old episodes, the memory of seeing them for the first time remains. However, not everything comes across the same when bingeing an old favorite show, as some fans have been realizing recently. Whilst visiting episodes of "CSI" past, there's a specific yet odd detail that fans are noticing.

In a Reddit thread that u/lutheresque kicked off by stating, "Rewatching CSI original....forgot how poor some of the acting is," a plethora of commenters began recalling times on the series that have been slightly campy and criticized the acting skills of the long-time cast members. One Reddit user noted that the quality of the show seemed to sway, particularly during Season 8. "The season 8 episodes with the lab rats doing 99 percent of the episode (Hodges developing a board game; the techs "helping" with the killer who made miniature crime scenes). It's like they wanted to give the CSIs the week off." With the actual crime scene investigators in a show called "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" doing less in each episode, audiences started to wonder if there was a deeper cause for the show's change.

One user, u/unusualblacksmith13, noted that the acting may have been a side effect of the cast simply being jaded. "I think they were tired of playing those parts at that point." Over the years, fans have made it abundantly clear who their least favorite main character is, whether it be because of the actor's performance or the character's part on the team. Still, a lot of the "CSI" cast members have been a part of the series since the beginning, and playing the same character on the same show for over a decade could be enough to tire anyone out— possibly enough to the point where it shows onscreen.

Many of the longtime cast members of "CSI" have came and went as the show has gone on, and they've mentioned before in interviews that their departures don't usually come from a negative place. These include William Petersen, who played Gil Grissom, and told Entertainment Weekly, "It's CSI — they pay me a lot of money, and I don't have to work very hard anymore. I've got it all figured out. And I just realized, God, as an artist, I'm going to atrophy. You do anything for nine years, it becomes somewhat rote." Petersen's desire for more challenging work as an actor could be something that comes across during his performance in his later work on "CSI."

Jorja Fox, who played Sara Sidle, had a similar desire to pursue different things in her life that led her away from the series, as she mentioned in a different interview with Entertainment Weekly. "There are so many things I want to do!" she said. "Some are personal. Some are professional. And I really need to do some of them before I get too old." While some of the cast members found a new fondness for their characters, others have moved on from the show, and regardless of what the cast of "CSI" is doing today, rewatching even the most cringe-worthy episodes of "CSI" bring a certain amount of joy and nostalgia that fans won't ever get enough of.