Marg Helgenberger Reveals What's Ahead for Catherine Willows on Season 2 of 'CSI: Vegas'
Catherine Willows returns to the Las Vegas crime lab tonight!
CSI: Vegas may have lost Gil Grisson (William Petersen) and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) when it returns for its second season tonight, but it’s gaining Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), who will persuade Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome) to let her rejoin the Las Vegas lab, thus continuing the newly formed tradition of having an original cast member onboard.
Helgenberger wasn’t available for season 1. At that time, she was a series regular on the CBS series All Rise, but by the time season 2 of Vegas was filming, All Rise had moved from CBS to OWN, and Helgenberger had gone from series regular to recurring. Now, she’s happy the stars aligned, allowing her to do both series—and even happier that Jason Tracy, the CSI: Vegas showrunner, let her have input into Catherine’s storyline.
As fans of the show will remember, Catherine inherited a hotel casino from her father (the late Scott Wilson), and Tracy had the idea of running with a story that involved the unsavory characters found in the gambling world. And while that would have been of interest to Helgenberger, she had an idea of her own.
“I really wanted to lay into what I’m most proud of about the show, which is the impact that it’s had on young women to go into this field,” Helgenberger told Parade.com in an exclusive interview. “Without giving too much away, perhaps she's a mentor to a couple of young women or has a scholarship program for these girls and marry that into Jason’s idea of the current Vegas casino world. We had a few conversations about it, and he was able to marry the two. I was very happy and satisfied with how it was written.”
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS
Catherine initially left the Las Vegas crime lab when she was offered a position by the FBI, which she accepted, especially because she hadn’t been having an easy time of it in Sin City at that point in time and was looking forward to a fresh start. But then she quit the FBI, and according to the new storyline, focused on casino work, but as we learn tonight, that isn’t going as well as she had hoped. Hence, her decision to return to crime scene investigation.
“I think she’s remained the same in her conviction and her relentless pursuit of the truth,” said Helgenberger, who added that in playing this role for 11-1/2 seasons that whatever was going on in her real life resonated in the character. “That has not changed. I think that's something the character missed. I think she realized that it’s something that’s in her blood that she does it better than anybody—in her mind—and she thought it would be a great opportunity to see if she's still got it.”
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Season 2 of CSI: Vegas, Including the Return of Marg Helgenberger
We're sure she does. In fact, we have no doubt she will also be able to easily adapt to the new technology that will be featured each week, and according to Helgenberger, she also took like a duck to water to another new aspect of the series. Unlike the original CSI, which mainly featured a case of the week, CSI: Vegas features a season-long arc with a serial killer.
“I think it's fascinating,” Helgenberger says of the new format. “I like having a focus that takes you all the way through to the end of the season. I focus more as a person and as an actor. I think most actors would probably say the same thing. It gives you more drive and more passion.”
During our chat, Helgenberger also talked about the new technology, including working with honey for the first time; how Catherine and she are both new grandmothers; why people are still tuning in; and whether she might be back for season 3.
How is it working with the new cast?
To work with a bunch of new actors, it's been a joy. They've just been so gracious towards me and respectful and the feeling is mutual, so I love it. I love working with people that are younger than my son's age. What I learn from them, what they learn from me, it’s such an amazing give and take.
How much new technology have you had to learn? There's been so many improvements since you departed the first time. Has it been hard to catch up with everything that's going on in the lab?
Not really. We did a processing scene the other day involving honey with a Q-tip and running it through this spectrometer thingy. It was the first time I'd actually worked with honey and with honey everything moves slower as you can imagine, like cutting the cube and everything in the cell is sticky, but I love the fact that we were extracting volatile organic compounds from honey to detect the presence of humans. That led cadaver dogs to find these bodies. The writers just continue to astound me with how they come up with unique science and technology to uncover the evidence and discover the facts. It’s incredible.
Why doesn’t this get old for audiences? Why are we still fascinated by the science that we find on the show?
Honestly, I think people are fascinated by crime solving. I think they always have. Obviously, Sherlock Holmes. People love mysteries. How many murders podcasts are there right now? There's even the spoof of murder podcasts, Only Murders in the Building. There's no end to people's interest. My makeup artist at work is addicted to these true crime stories, like there’s the Dahmer miniseries now. She binged it over the weekend. People can’t get enough of it. There’s always going to be stories to tell and there’s always going to be an audience for these stories. People are always drawn to the science and technology as you mentioned.
As much as I like the science, I also love the why human beings do what they do aspect of it. As an actress are human foibles an attraction for you?
Right, which is why I like interrogation scenes, too, because obviously it's not science at all but we’re using the science to explain … especially if—I don't want to give anything away—but if there's a personal connection to the suspect, or a personal connection to a crime that hits you in the gut, where the science is your brain, and it's good to be objective, but sometimes to nail the suspect, you’ve really got to go from your gut.
Is your son working on the show? He did toward the end of CSI.
Your memory! Yes, my son Hugh actually did work the season I left the show, season 12. My son ended up going to Georgetown Law School and he’s a public defender in Miami and he and his wife Micki just had a baby boy on Aug. 1.
You’re a grandma?
And so is Catherine. This episode we’re about to start shooting, my granddaughter, who’s slightly older than my grandson Leon, who is 2 months old … Catherine’s granddaughter is a little older because it’s easier. Starting the show with a little girl and now having a little girl granddaughter, so few actors have that opportunity to revisit a show that they loved and that the fans seemed to gravitate towards, too.
Photo: Sonja Flemming/CBS
Your son is a public defender. What does he say about the CSI effect where juries all want DNA.
He has not had a had a trial with a jury because of the COVID stuff that goes on in courtrooms and he's just a first-year public defender, so that will be interesting as he progresses in his career.
You mentioned All Rise, will you be able to do both if they both continue?
I hope so. There was a couple of times when I was shooting both at the same time on opposite days …. First of all, it was a matter of learning the dialogue going back and forth, but then just driving. Early in the morning, I’m like, "I’m on the 405 now, but do I go to the 5 or the 118?" It was intense at times, but I love that show. I love All Rise. I love the cast and the group of people there. We have such a good time. We laugh. I love this group of folks, too. I’m blessed. Honestly.
You didn’t come back for a specific case like Billy and Jorja did, so could your return be open-ended? Could you come back for season 3 if it gets picked up?
I think so. I don’t know. I will have to ask the producers, but I think so.
CSI: Vegas airs Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and is available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Next, CSI: Vegas Showrunner Jason Tracey Wraps Up Season 1 and Teases What's Ahead for Season 2