CSI: Vegas star, Jorja Fox, announces she won't be returning for the show's second season and recently explained why. CSI: Vegas was initially billed as an epilogue limited series, before being renewed, to the original CSI, which aired its final episode in 2015 after 15 seasons. Fox and co-star, William Petersen, reprised their roles as Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom from the base show, both actors having long tenures on the original.
CSI: Vegas follows Sidle and Grissom out of retirement as they must contend with a conspiracy that may bring down the Las Vegas crime lab and release many convicted killers. The series blends a more serialized approach with its usual week-by-week murder cases that define procedurals like CSI. The first season of CSI: Vegas also features Paul Guilfoyle and Wallace Langham reprising their roles from the original series.
Now, Fox has tweeted out the news that she won't be returning to the series for the second season. She cites how Petersen's return influences her decision, saying that separating the two characters again would go against how she portrays Sidle, given their marriage in the series. She goes on to give a shout-out to the team behind the show and says she still intends to watch and follow along. Read Fox's tweets below:
CSI: Vegas season 2 will be led by original characters played by Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillion, and The Last Man on Earth star, Mel Rodriguez. Fox's tweet comes about a month after the announcement of CSI: Vegas' second season and Petersen's departure. CSI: Vegas is also notable for being the only entry in the CSI franchise for five years, after the end of the original CSI in 2015 and the cancelation of CSI: Cyber, starring Patricia Arquette, in 2016.
Having played the character on and off since 2000, and with over 250 episodes in that time, it's not a surprise that Fox would want to leave the character behind to avoid repetition. Though job security is uncommon in entertainment, there comes a point where playing the same character can become creatively unfulfilling, and it seems both Fox and Petersen are taking that idea to heart. CSI: Vegas showrunner, Jason Tracey, has teased the storylines being written for the second season, and how they will serve the development of the new characters. In the end, CSI: Vegas will still be the show fans are familiar with, but now, the new cast will have more of a chance to shine.
Source: Jorja Fox