The Creepiest Crime Scene From CSI Season 5

When it comes to zeroing in on the most disturbing moments of the long-running "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" series, fans of the wildly popular police procedural have no shortage of candidate episodes to focus on. Airing on CBS for 15 crime-busting seasons, the show proved so successful with audiences that it spawned a variety of similarly themed series constructed on the successful premise of often shocking crime scenes leading to crafty, hard-core killers and other perps pursued by a relatable cast of diverse, sometimes quirky characters.

In this regard, Season 5 of "CSI" clearly had plenty to offer in the way of gasp-inducing interludes for its loyal fan base. From the deceased stripper and eerie Area 51 "alien" investigation of the "Viva Las Vegas" episode to the bloody case of the brutally murdered family in the "Spark of Life" installment, core characters Gil Grissom (William Petersen), Catherine Willow (Marg Helgenberger), and Nick Stokes (George Eads) had more than a few grisly mysteries to solve. That being said, what stands out as the creepiest crime scene of all in the fifth season of "CSI"?

For the detectives and other law enforcement squad members working the beat on "CSI," the prospect of becoming a killer's target themselves is an ever-present danger. Such was the case in the electrifying two-part Season 5 finale, "Grave Danger," which boasts the directorial talents of the legendary Quentin Tarantino at the helm.

The terror kicks in early on when crime scene investigator Nick Stokes is taken prisoner and wakes up to find himself in the horrific situation of having been buried alive inside a glass coffin. As if that's just not frightful enough, the coffin is also rigged with explosives. The two episodes play out with increasing nerve-shredding tension for the entire "CSI" team after the prime suspect blows himself up, leaving them with almost no clue as to Stokes' whereabouts. For anyone with a fear of being buried while still conscious (which, let's face it, is basically all of us), the nail-biting, breathtaking Stokes-buried-alive interlude in "CSI" has to be the creepiest scene in all of Season 5.