CSI Finale to Reunite Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen

The series finale of CSI is going to feel a bit like a gruesome family reunion.

This two-hour broadcast, airing Sept. 27, will bring back cast members long absent from the Las Vegas investigative unit. Original cast members William Petersen (who left in 2009) and Marg Helgenberger (who left in 2012) will be joining recent replacement Ted Danson and longtime supporting players Jorja Fox and Eric Szmanda, among others.

On the basis of casting alone, the finale promises to provide resolution for a fan base that’s shrunk but remained highly devoted, even in spite of the show’s changing its leading players. And it may be more rewarding for longtime fans than latecomers: Danson’s counterpart from recent CSI seasons, Elizabeth Shue, will not be joining the finale, nor will series star George Eads, who’s been with the show since its beginning. The episode’s plot promises to be one that rewards longtime fans, too; Melinda Clarke is to appear as morally ambiguous dominatrix Lady Heather, a fan favorite.