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She would know. Helgenberger has done enough crime scenes to haunt her for a lifetime, which explains why she's leaving in January. Of course, she said she was quitting last season too. "A day doesn't go by without someone saying, 'What can we do to change your mind>'" she says. "It worked last year. They convinced me to stay. But i really feel like it's time for Catherine, and for me, to open a new chapter.
Helgenberger wants to keep the option open to return for future episodes, which means "there are no plans to kill Catherine off" she says. In the meantime, she hopes to see a few loose ends tied up with her character. "I have a daughter on the show, and I'd like to see what's become of her." References have also been made to a casino Catherine inherited from her late father. "I don't see her running off to become a casino mogul, but a resolution would be nice."
Catherine's resolving her feelings about Russell too. Although she was demoted when he arrived, she's now learning from him. "Russell was a threat to her career, but he is opening her eyes to what's missing in her private life." says exec producer Don McGill. "She sees it might be possible to balance between work and family the way Russell does."
In the October 12 episode, the team investigates whether a history of mob ties may have played a role in the shooting of a former Las Vegas mayor. Real life former Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman guests. And things get complicated this winter when an old friend of Catherine's goes missing and Catherine's safety is jeopardized as she investigates the powerful man her friend is dating.
Back on set, Danson slips off his gloves and makes a courtly hand gesture to thank Helgenberger for her patience. "I gotta keep this woman happy," he says, and they both laugh. "If Marg leaves, they're going to say I'm the guy who brought this show to its knees. 'Biggest TV show on Earth! Ted Danson brought it down.' No way do I want to be the guy who killed CSI."
