"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" Jackpot (2003)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Danny Cannon

Writers:

Anthony E. Zuiker (creator)
Naren Shankar (written by) ...

TV Series:

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000)

Original Air Date:

6 November 2003 (Season 4, Episode 6)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Dr. Robbins receives an embalmed head from Jackpot, Nevada. Working solo, Gil Grissom heads out to this...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Crime Lab | Investigation | Evidence | City

Cast

William Petersen	...	Gil Grissom
Marg Helgenberger	...	Catherine Willows
Gary Dourdan	...	Warrick Brown
George Eads	...	Nick Stokes (credit only)
Jorja Fox	...	Sara Sidle (credit only)
Eric Szmanda	...	Greg Sanders
Robert David Hall	...	Dr. Al Robbins
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Captain Jim Brass
Scott Wilson	...	Sam Braun
Jeffrey Combs	...	Dr. Dale Sterling
Wallace Langham	...	David Hodges
Cameron Dye	...	Leland Brooks
Nathan Wetherington	...	Eric Brooks
Alyson Reed	...	Doris, the Waitress
Michael Bowen	...	Marty Cooperman

Language:

English

Company:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Flipped shot: when Grissom is first driving to Jackpot his car is in the left lane and the 'Curve Ahead' sign is on the left hand side of the road.

Soundtrack:

Caught by the river

Grissom, Grissom and more Grissom

Ohh and the Character Actors Henry Czerny and Jeffrey Combs. Subtle, simple but great acting. Also the scenery is wonderful and the background music goes great with the quirky often eccentric town that bleeds over into the episode. Which, all in all, is a nice change from the often dark, brooding and multi-directional plot scenarios of almost all CSI episodes. Once again William Peterson shows why, over his lengthy career, he has developed into a charismatic lead actor. He carries this episode and does it with ease. Like any long-running and successful drama or comedy TV series, there will be some good episodes and bad episodes. Many times creators will go back to what worked at first, when they are scared of failure or either trying to resurrect a dying show. The writers and creators of CSI were in neither situation, so they had freedom to run with Jackpot, and they succeeded in the chances they took - in spades. This episode is totally unique in many ways for CSI, while providing the distinct CSI flavor, of a forensic mystery. But the experiments(i.e. the chances) the writers took with things such as a different setting, 90% of the acting done by the male lead and non-series, but experienced character actors, and even humor. Yes, humor in a CSI and they pull it off many time in Jackpot. In a strange way it mirrors the David Lynch much hyped but short lived drama, "Twin Peaks". And CSI's Jackpot is delicious episodic television entertainment.