--- ---  # _CSI_ Finale to Reunite Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen ## Video: 5 Reasons TV's Top Shows Are So Addictive [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Reasons TV's Top Shows Are So Addictive](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/2RqNgPrk.m3u8) (2:16)  _Published 2014-01-16. Here's a look at how our favorite TV shows—from "Game of Thrones" to "Scandal" and "Breaking Bad"—keep us coming back for more._  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Jul 18, 2015 4:01 PM UTC  William Petersen stars as Gil Grissom on "If These Walls Could Talk." William Petersen stars as Gil Grissom on "If These Walls Could Talk."CBS/Getty Images  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Jul 18, 2015 4:01 PM UTC 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](http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/17/check-out-cast-csi-goodbye-special) 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. 'CSI' Finale to Reunite Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3963577/csi-finale-marg-helgenberger-william-petersen/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3963577/csi-finale-marg-helgenberger-william-petersen/"},"headline":"CSI Finale to Reunite Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen","datePublished":"2015-07-18T16:01:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T09:22:38.683Z","description":"Former stars of longtime crime favorite to return","url":"https://time.com/3963577/csi-finale-marg-helgenberger-william-petersen/","keywords":["Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf780fade5ea3c6c0/69885b82428a9e6d29cce3b0/csi-gil-grissom.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel D'Addario","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf780fade5ea3c6c0/69885b82428a9e6d29cce3b0/csi-gil-grissom.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"CSI Gil Grissom","caption":"CSI Gil Grissom","creditText":"CBS/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3963577/csi-finale-marg-helgenberger-william-petersen/","name":"CSI Finale to Reunite Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"5 Reasons TV's Top Shows Are So Addictive","description":"Here's a look at how our favorite TV shows—from \"Game of Thrones\" to \"Scandal\" and \"Breaking Bad\"—keep us coming back for more.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/2RqNgPrk/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-01-16T20:47:22.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/2RqNgPrk.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3963577/csi-finale-marg-helgenberger-william-petersen/","duration":"PT2M16S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3963577/csi-finale-marg-helgenberger-william-petersen/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```