CSI: Vegas - Season 3

After an incredibly disappointing second season, the series manages to regain some (not too much) of its former glory in the third season. But: too little, too late. In my previous review, I wrote that CSI: Vegas season two was ‘just kind of boring’. Luckily, in this third, and (it was recently announced) final season, the series manages to conjure up some more interesting and gripping cases of the week. Compared to the previous season, that at least made the whole thing kind of watchable enough to give it a sufficient grade.

Every AI/cyber/robotics trope or cliché is thrown at the wall, in the hopes that any would stick. They did not

Yet, many of the problems remain. The red thread cases are bad. The wrap-up of the previous season is completely unbelievable and the new storyline is implausible, makes little sense, and is yet also often highly predictable. I also do not know how it is possible to be both implausible and predictable, but CSI: Vegas manages to pull it off. Every AI/cyber/robotics trope or cliché is thrown at the wall, in the hopes that any would stick. They did not. With the amount of technological stupidity that is demonstrated in this season, my suspension of disbelief is seriously challenged: if these supposedly highly skilled and incredibly smart scientists are unaware of even the basics of cybersecurity, it seems highly unlikely that they would be able to perform any of the more complicated computer tasks they are shown to be doing in the show.

At least the individual characters show some improvement. While Helgenberger (who plays Catherine Willows) still looks like she would rather be anywhere else than in this show, some of the other characters have come to life a bit more. That is not to say that I am suddenly insanely attached to them, but at least I feel something, which is infinitely better than the nothing I felt after last season. Greg is gone, though. And I do not remember if it was always this bad, but Newsome is also not giving the performance of a lifetime as crime lab head; she also seems to have lost the will to do this show at some point during the last three seasons. But overall, there is something to like here, even if we have to dig a bit deeper than we would like to.



I have written before that these types of generic American crime shows need three things. Originality is not one of those three things. They need likable characters, good cases-of-the-week, and a good red thread (although this last thing is optional; there can also be no red thread). The first point is half met in this season of CSI: Vegas, as I didn’t hate the characters. I’d say that we can check off good cases-of-the-week; they were actually mostly fine. The good red thread case throughout the season, however.... Let’s not waste any more words on that. Better have no red-thread than this. Overall, that’s a generous 1.5 checked boxes out of 3.

So overall, meh. Improvement, but too little, too late

So overall, meh. Improvement, but too little, too late. CBS canceled the show; although the ratings were not bad, they were not good enough either. I’d say little is lost. The over-saturated field of generic American crime shows has much better content, which is much more worthy of your time.

That brings me to the final question of this review: why did I watch season three after such a disappointing season two? I don’t know. Maybe the CSIs can figure out that mystery next. Off-screen of course, because it seems like there will be no more CSIs on screen.