Hmmm…upon examining the evidence, there appears nothing out of the ordinary here.
But wait, someones moving into the witness box to testify about the case…
Uh, is that Morpheus fromThe Matrixwearing a pinstripe suit and tie?
Credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL MULLER
Yes, something is definitely off with TVs most popular drama.
Whats missing, of course, is William Petersen, a.k.a.
Gil Grissom a character so beloved by his audience thatCSI, nine seasons in, is still the No.
1 scripted show on television, averaging 21.3 million viewers per week.
With his finalCSIepisode set to air ?Jan.
For nine years, hes had it all.
And that was exactly the problem.
The reason Im leaving is because Im afraid Im becoming too comfortable, says Petersen.
ItsCSI they pay me a lot of money, and I dont have to work very hard anymore.
Ive got it all figured out.
And I just realized, God, as an artist, Im going to atrophy.
You do anything for nine years, it becomes somewhat rote.
Just didnt want it.
It was too safe for me at this point.
NEXT PAGE: I wont miss Grissom.
And I hope that the audience wont miss him either.
