Dourdan Says Goodbye

CSI Files · April 15 2008, 03:23 AM

Another CSI takes his leave.

CSI Files recently reported that William Petersen (Gil Grissom) had signed a contract to keep him on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation through the 2008-2009 season. Petersen's costar Gary Dourdan (Warrick Brown), however, has decided to say goodbye to the crime drama. He will be following in the footsteps of former CSI cast member Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle), who left the show earlier this season.

Dourdan's contract runs out next month, and Ausiello reports that the actor chose not to renew it. CBS would not confirm the rumor, and it is not known how much longer Dourdan will appear on CSI. The season eight finale airs May 15, and the episode may be Warrick's last.

Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows) and George Eads (Nick Stokes) are both expected to sign contracts for the upcoming season, but nothing has been confirmed at this point. The producers of CSI, meanwhile, are in the process of casting a replacement for Warrick. The character is said to be named Ray Santoro, a "handsome, smart and athletic" crime scene investigator transferring from Henderson to the Las Vegas crime lab.

For the original scoop, check out Ask Ausiello.

Adzix · April 15 2008, 03:49 AM

oh well. everybody saw it coming, the original cast members do quit and that's what usually happens on TV shows that run for years.

i'm just happy it's not billy, and that jorja is suppossed to be back.

on the other hand it's interesting that when jorja was quitting the buzz over it was going on for over a year, and it was mad. with gary, they mention it a month before the finale which has probably already been or is in a process of filming, and nobody's really sending him balloons to stay.

it's probably b/c the spell of the first quitter belonged to jorja. sara's storylines and personality on the show were more engaging, developed, and complex. she was somebody more people could relate to. besides, jorja is a great actress.

nevertheless, he was the part of the show from its beginning and, no matter what, he will be missed. i wish him all the best

EricaSJ · April 15 2008, 07:01 AM

I, for one, didn't see it coming. I understand why he would choose to leave and definitely can't say I blame him, but I didn't expect to hear about it at this point. CSI could be the biggest thing in his entire career after all. But then maybe he cares about this character more than I had expected and decided to leave when TPTB didn't give Warrick the attention he deserved anymore. If that's the case, good for Gary.

I have to disagree with the Jorja bit, though. Hers and Gary's cases are totally different. I don't think we can compare them. When the rumors about her departure first started, it was said that TPTB was trying to get her off the show, not that she wanted to leave. Then the rumors died for a few months before Jorja's decision went public. It was only natural that it went crazy considering Grissom/Sara had just become canon and it has always been a controversial topic regarding the show. And I sure don't need to mention how "engaged" some of Jorja's fans were, and still are.

Gary, on the other hand, has never talked much about his own contract conditions and I guess people, even TPTB, have always expected that he would stick around for some more time. From the articles I have read, it seems TPTB didn't really expect this.

It's a shame, but it's understandable. All the screentime and attention Warrick deserved have been shoved aside by other stuff. Right now I'm kind of amused that it's the quiet one who is actually leaving instead of the one who's been complaining and saying he wants to leave for years.

Tinkerbell · April 15 2008, 11:09 AM

I figured that the time will soon come for us to say goodbye to a cast member. CSI has had a very long run without losing any of it's original cast. I'm gutted that we've now lost two within a year though.

Since the beginning I've felt that Warrick has been underused. Gary's a great actor and I feel that he has always been in the background of the show and not used to TPTB's full advantage. I really hope they don't kill him off.

nattybatty55 · April 15 2008, 11:20 AM

I don't really watch LV much but when I do I love the part Gary plays. But I agree that Warrick is unused but he needs a good send off but please don't kill him off writers.

I sometimes forget that the original seaons has been showing for double the time of CSINY and I suppose in some way its strange that the team has stayed without minial changes since it began

Elsie · April 15 2008, 11:34 AM

Aww, Gary's leaving? Yeah, I think he's been underused big time considering his potential! Good luck to him in the future.

I'm not hugely surprised that they haven't all just signed on the dotted line again. 8 years is a long time to be on one show, they were bound to lose some of the cast eventually.

It does mean that next season could be very interesting, a new start perhaps? With Billy probably taking time off to do his play, and with Gary and Jorja gone, it could be a very different show...And I'm already unconvinced about 'Ray Santoro'.

TML · April 15 2008, 03:15 PM

Great. CSI will never be the same again...:'-(

Adzix · April 15 2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Gary, on the other hand, has never talked much about his own contract conditions and I guess people, even TPTB, have always expected that he would stick around for some more time

agreed. but i think nobody really asked him about it either. for the same reason.

Quote:

Yeah, I think he's been underused big time considering his potential!

he certainly wasn't getting as much screen time and attention as other characters but we can't forget that in many cases he was busy. look at his IMDB, he's been starring in quite a lot of films playing main roles during his CSI years.

on the other hand many people agree that he is not good enough of an actor to carry an episode or a complex storyline, like jorja for example. maybe that is another reason he just didn't get them, and was mainly the guy who picks up evidence *shrug*

Daquien · April 15 2008, 04:14 PM

Oh, no, another one leaving !!!

Not a big surprise that when one actor leaves the boat others follow, especially in a long run show.

Now is when Keppler would have been handy if they hadn't killed him off.

katpin31791 · April 15 2008, 04:31 PM

I'd rather see Catherine go than Warrick. I adore Gary & also agree they have under used his talent. He's a very talented actor & I wish him lots of luck. I just hope they keep the door open for him to return.

Dragonfly · April 15 2008, 04:44 PM

As most people have said already, not a huge surprise. This is what happens when a show runs for a long time. It's inevitable.

But personally, I'm more sad about this than about Sara/Jorja leaving. I think that Gary/Warrick was terribly under-utalized, and it's a shame. I also don't like what they've been doing the the character the last while. Starting with when he got married

All the best to Gary in the future.

Elsie · April 15 2008, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adzix

on the other hand many people agree that he is not good enough of an actor to carry an episode or a complex storyline, like jorja for example. maybe that is another reason he just didn't get them, and was mainly the guy who picks up evidence *shrug*

I definitely disagree with those people. The fact that has been doing lots of other things suggests that he is in demand and must be doing something right. Given the right storyline he could have undoubtedly carried it in my opinion.

ilovegrissom · April 15 2008, 05:23 PM

It's sad to say "bye" to any character. I would have been sadder if GE was leaving but i'm still gonna miss Warrick. Now i'm wondering how they will write him off. They can't write the whole "he's burning out" storyline 'cause they already did that this season with Sara. I don't want him to be killed off. That would be a terrible injustice to CSI fans who have grown to care for Warrick. I'm thinking he'll probably be fired, he has had many close calls and even though he's a great investigator Grissom might see no other choice than to fire him. If he does leave, and MH and WP both leave next season that will leave Nick, Greg, and Brass as the only original characters left. I don't know if the show can survive such a "mass exodus" (i'm being a bit dramatic). While it is a procedural the show also depends highly on the chemistry between the actors. When half the cast leaves it changes the atmosphere that made this show a hit. I know the show can survive it only if they find other actors who have great chemistry together. Well, there's gonna be a lot of talk about this in the coming weeks, i just want to say that Warrick will be missed. The best is yet to come Gary!

subterraneantwin · April 15 2008, 05:55 PM

It seems as though things are beginning to fall apart. I mean, I know that original cast members leaving the show is an unavoidable thing, but it changes the show so drastically. I love CSI, and I want it to run as long as possible, but part of me wishes that TPTB would just end the series on a high note, with all of the original cast members in tact. Warrick is my favorite male character on the show, and it is extremely depressing to see him leave. But I wish him the best of luck in his future, I know he is a very promising talent.

SA_Kate_937 · April 15 2008, 06:26 PM

This is just sad, sad, sad. But, hey, I wonder what will happen about recent semi Yo!Bling sparks?

I'm going to miss him a lot. He was a great actor and if given the right storyline he carried it pretty well. That latest episode where he got in trouble, I think it was Cockroaches? I felt like it was a same old Warrick storyline mixed in with some storyline from Nick and Kristie from Season 1. Maybe it's just me, but if they had actually allowed his character to continue the development that he had done from Season 1 and 3 (remember his flip out at Grissom and the gambling?) Yeah, he got divorced, and it was painful but I felt like I was stuck in a bad version of Season 1 (partially because Sara wasn't there and Grissom was in his shell) but also because they didn't play out the character development.

Good for Gary if he goes, I think that he had a good run and I hope he will come back and guest star.

I will miss him a lot but us LV fans have made it so far without losing anyone, I just hope they give him a good send off or that this is just a bad, bad joke...

Adzix · April 15 2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

I definitely disagree with those people. The fact that has been doing lots of other things suggests that he is in demand and must be doing something right. Given the right storyline he could have undoubtedly carried it in my opinion.

this is one argument that somebody i talked to recently had a great answer to: a good actor should carry any storyline on a show like CSI, and even if its lacking, should be able to make it good through his acting.

but i don't think he is a bad actor, he's just not extraordinary.

you had a great point though, that there is a demand for him in some places, and that means he's gotta be doing something right. i really like Warrick as a character, and i will miss him but its not like i keep thinking much about it.

anyway, i had a thought that it would be pretty cool if we got some kind of reunion of all those characters that quit along the way with everybody in the end of the series. so it would be a good idea to actually not kill him off but get him fired or make him transfer to another city or something along those lines.

PiperGrissom on GSR thread had a great idea today. she said that Sara came to LV b/c of Warrick and it would be interesting to see her coming back again, also b/c of him. if TPTB went for that, it would show some great continuity.

wlk68 · April 15 2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elsie

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adzix

on the other hand many people agree that he is not good enough of an actor to carry an episode or a complex storyline, like jorja for example. maybe that is another reason he just didn't get them, and was mainly the guy who picks up evidence *shrug*

I definitely disagree with those people. The fact that has been doing lots of other things suggests that he is in demand and must be doing something right. Given the right storyline he could have undoubtedly carried it in my opinion.

GD has been given juicier cases/episodes on a couple of occasions and done just fine...Ellie and Random Acts of Violence.

Caroll.Willows · April 16 2008, 12:20 AM

I am not yet confident that this is possible. Not my Warrick, much less my Yo! Bling Can be finished.
And the visa, in the series. Will come out one at a time.
I will not cope with it. But at least I have my consolation: Catherine.

Desertwind · April 16 2008, 01:47 AM

I was totally shocked because a few months back on the TV Guide channel him and George were laughing and saying "they were in it for the long haul" and I was happy and smiling because that's right after Jorja took her hiautis

I love him and the character he portrays, a deep, brooding intense man, but with such a good heart and so sweet and so good with children, as well as handsome and sexy! what a loss! so something has transpired that we don't know about,

and I was so worried that Mr. Grissom/Billy was the one we'd lose, not Gary

who knows maybe he'll change his mind, stranger things have happened!

Toots · April 16 2008, 04:01 AM

I hope Gary made some good investments and saved his pennies. It's a hard life outside of a regular TV series. He's a very good actor and I'm sure he'll land some movies, but there's nothing like a steady paycheck.

I wish the producers and writers wouldn't be so quick to hire another actor to take Gary's place. I can't understand why they don't just beef up George and Eric's characters, and give them more screentime. I'd be perfectly happy to see them in larger roles, as well as Brass and Grissom, as long as their screentime was evenly divided.

Good luck to Gary. I hope he has a lot of success in the acting world.