Jackpot (6 Nov. 2003)

The sheriff of desolate town Jackpot calls in CSI for assistance after a severed head is found. The sheriff proves rather more cynical than helpful towards Grissom, unlike the ... See full summary »

Director:

Danny Cannon

Writers:

Anthony E. Zuiker (creator), Naren Shankar,

Stars:

William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

The sheriff of desolate town Jackpot calls in CSI for assistance after a severed head is found. The sheriff proves rather more cynical than helpful towards Grissom, unlike the veterinarian-coroner. The rest of the corpse is found buried to the shoulders alive, an Native American torture technique. Grissom triumphs over sabotage and works out the local reports and relevant secrets.

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Plot Keywords:

torture | brother brother relationship | gay character | decapitation

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 2003 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Did You Know?

Goofs

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.

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Quotes

[Dr. Robbins has received a decomposed human head in the mail; Grissom walks into the morgue]
Gil Grissom: I heard you got some head.

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Soundtracks

"Caught by the river"
(uncredited)
Written by Jimi Goodwin / Andy Williams / Jez Williams
Performed by Doves

User Reviews

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.