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« Roush Dispatch
Tonight's Preview: CSI vs. CSI?
Earlier this week, I heard someone in the office remark that Liev Schreiber, the temporary new guy on the CSI block, looks more like a skeevy killer than a crime-scene technician. Maybe so, but his inscrutable demeanor, his oddly fussy mannerisms (watch him at breakfast in tonight’s episode) and his unorthodox work practices make his character of Michael Keppler a fascinating new addition to the first and best show in the CSI franchise, as long as he lasts. (Won’t be for long, as William Petersen will return next month from his theatrical sabbatical.)
Last week the empathetic, enigmatic Keppler seemed as much profiler as CSI, and in tonight’s episode, he continues to reveal psychological shadings unusual for this show-telling a colleague that he prefers to think like the killer rather than identify with the victim, which only clouds his judgment.
Keppler’s judgment comes under scrutiny in this first-rate episode, co-written by series executive producer Carol Mendelsohn, in which Keppler proposes using a controversial ploy called “reverse forensics” to smoke out a suspected murderer. This entails faking a crime scene and pulling the wool over fellow CSIs' eyes (including a very suspicious Nick, Warrick and Sara). Catherine goes along only reluctantly: “I hate lying to my guys,” she says. And when she protests, “I’m not used to faking,” the just-plain-weird Keppler responds with an eerie grin, “When’s the last time you had to?”
Will Keppler’s plan work? Can he and Catherine actually fool their co-workers, and how will they respond if and when they realize they’ve been kept out of the loop? Watch to find out—and to appreciate how, even seven years into its run, and while accommodating the absence of its leading man, the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation still can shake things up and tell original, compelling crime stories that stand well above the pack.
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Jan 25, 2007 9:37 AM
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Enterainment Weekly said Liev Schreiber was given A LOT of creative input into the show. I guess maybe sometimes it is better when the "inmates run the aslym." This certainly sounds a lot more interesting than the romance with Sophia the writers supposedly had originally planned to do.
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Jan 25, 2007 10:31 AM
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It's funny that Keppler's behavior is reminiscent of William Peterson's character in Manhunter.
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Jan 25, 2007 12:54 PM
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Too bad Supernatural and Grey's Anatomy are on at the same time. This sounds interesting, but there are only so many things a girl can tape in one night!
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Jan 25, 2007 3:13 PM
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That's why god made BitTorrent!
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Jan 25, 2007 4:25 PM
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I never thought all that much of Liev Schreiber (though I had nothing against him, either) until I saw a film he starred in called "Spring Forward" (costarring Ned Beatty). I had never heard of it, and the description didn't sound like much, but I ended up watching the entire film--and it was absolutely amazing. Since then, I've had a lot more respect (not to mention like) for a very talented actor.
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Jan 26, 2007 9:42 AM
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Matt, I have to agree with your co-worker. The fussiness at breakfast and his general demeanor, combined with his talking about the perp in first person, make me wonder if he's a serial killer with faked credentials. I mean, what better coup than for a serial killer to take over Grissom's job? And don't we have another model crime scene that's in a box sitting on Grissom's desk, unopened?
Last but not least, we have Wallace Langham's Hodges. He was on the phone with someone checking up on Keppler. My bet is that Keppler's not the good guy that he purports to be.
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Jan 27, 2007 4:16 PM
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 Matt, I can so believe Keppler is either a copycat serial killer or...he was the real "model" killer! Ugh!
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Feb 1, 2007 10:54 AM
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You may have a point there, JTBWriter. The one guy before who said he was the model killer killed himself, then, right before Keppler showed up, a box showed up that OBVIOUSLY contains another miniature. But what about when Keppler was looking in Grissom's office at the miniatures in the glass cases? Then he thought Grissom made them. Either he's playing dumb or he's got a pretty good poker face.
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Feb 3, 2007 7:19 AM
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