CSI: Vegas Season 2, Episode 7 Draws Heartbreaking Parallels Between Maxime And Sara

Maxime Roby (Paula Newsome) is one of the toughest characters on "CSI: Vegas." She's strong, intelligent, and boasts an understated dry wit that's made her a favorite among fans of the popular CBS police procedural. However, even the strongest characters have moments that leave them vulnerable, and the head of the Las Vegas Crime Lab is no different.

In Season 2's third episode, "Story of a Gun," Maxime is attacked by a mysterious figure and ends up in the hospital afterward. Fortunately, she recovers from the attack relatively unscathed — or at least that's what the viewer was led to believe at first.

The latest episode of "CSI: Vegas" reveals that Maxime has been struggling to cope with the aftermath of the traumatic event, causing her to lose sleep and feel apprehensive about going to work and being alone at home. The storyline also echoes the most heartbreaking moment from "CSI," which involved Maxime's friend and former colleague Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) dealing with her own struggles following a horrific experience.

Maxime's trauma is similar to Sara's experience on CSI

"CSI" Season 8's "Goodbye and Good Luck" episode follows Sara Sidle after she escapes the clutches of a serial killer. She eventually gets found and heals from her physical wounds, but the mental scars take their toll on the investigator, causing her to temporarily quit her job and say goodbye to the love of her life, Gil Grissom (William Petersen).

Of course, Sara's trauma existed long before she was abducted by a murderer. "CSI" established that she had a turbulent childhood and some cases were known to get the better of her. However, her inability to cope with the job in "Goodbye and Good Luck" was similar to the trauma Maxime experiences in "CSI: Vegas" Season 2, Episode 7.

It remains to be seen how Maxime will adjust to her own heartbreaking situation moving forward, but if this franchise has told viewers anything throughout the years, it's that there's always a way back from one's personal struggles. Furthermore, Maxime's current predicament is the ideal scenario for bringing Sara back into the fold for one a one-off appearance, as she'd be able to offer some advice to her old colleague. Still, that might be wishful thinking as Jorja Fox appears to be done with "CSI: Vegas" for the foreseeable future.