‘CSI’ cast shakeups leave shows a little paler

Dourdan also shared a brotherly rapport with co-star George Eads. When Eads' character, Nick, was buried alive, Warrick fought hardest to find him. Whenever Warrick divulged some new piece of personal information, Nick was usually the first to hear it.

Part of the joy of "CSI" is anticipating which characters will be paired up to investigate crimes each week. A Catherine/Sara pairing, for example, was never as fun as a Catherine/Greg pairing. But Warrick somehow fit well into any combination. Yes, he was at his best betting on theories with Nick or flirting with Catherine, but he was also a professional confidante to Sara, a student still hoping for approval from Grissom, and a mentor in forensics and Vegas living to Greg.

In this week's finale, Warrick's relationships with the team was tested when he was accused of murdering a gangster. Like Alexander, Dourdan got one last spotlight episode before presumably departing.

Dourdan's contract is up this month, and the actor's recent arrest for narcotics possession might provide insight into why he might not return next season, though reports that he was leaving the show came before his arrest. If Dourdan does leave as expected, he'll be the second original cast member to depart this year. Jorja Fox, who played Sara, left midseason. Both could return as guest stars (assuming Warrick survives the May 15 finale).

Still, as much as the departure of Dourdan and Alexander might shape the future of the "CSI" franchise, their replacements could be just as telling about the current TV landscape.

Whiter shade of pale
"CSI" and its "Miami" spin-off are both Top 10 shows with sizable regular and recurring casts. And the fact that neither show's cast could include a black actor come fall is lamentable.

These departures are magnified this year by other exits. "Girlfriends," one of the few remaining sitcoms with a predominantly black cast, was dumped by The CW. And "The Unit" killed off one of its black characters earlier this year, though star Dennis Haysbert still has the distinction being one of TV's few black leading men.

But should producers purposefully seek out black actors to replace Dourdan and Alexander? "Law & Order" smoothly replaced Jesse L. Martin's Detective Green this season with another black character, played by Anthony Anderson, but few other than the casting director would know if race was a factor.

While confronting rumors that she might replace "Grey's Anatomy" co-star Isaiah Washington with "ER" vet Eriq La Salle, creator Shonda Rhimes rightfully said how disturbing she found the notion that one black actor was interchangeable with another. Her comments were specifically about recasting a character, not adding a different one after an old character departs. But even she faced criticism for later recasting Merrin Dungey's "Private Practice" role with Audra McDonald, although recasting pilots is a typical practice.

Can you address an obvious issue with representation while still being color-blind in your casting? There seems to be no easy answer.

So far, "CSI" has managed to avoid this issue. It's kept its original cast intact for eight years — a rare feat for any show, much less a procedural. And for fans not accustomed to a revolving door, farewells can be tough.


Jeff Hidek also covers television for the Star-News in Wilmington, NC. Read his blog at tv.starnewsonline.com.

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