CSI: Where's Ray?

Morpheus must be fuming down in Zion ...

USA Today ran a commentary by Robert Bianco titled Fishburne and 'CSI': The Evidence is weak, which, cute title aside, perfectly summed up the situation faced by the actor and the show. Bianco rightly noted the horribleness of the recent CSI trilogy, which featured Fishburne's character, Ray Langston, but in the worst possible way. The article ended by nicely summing up the problem: Fishburne has lead billing but his character is in a subordinate role. How do you solve that dilemma? Bianco didn't tell us. He lamented the situation and hinted it was time for Fishburne and CSI to part ways.

Nice article, but he's wrong. Fisburne's Langston is a likable character, and the shows (trilogy excepted) have been entertaining. But CSI does need to move Ray up in the ranks and soon, to finish a journey which was obviously planned from his first appearance on the series, but has stalled for some unfathomable reason.

Ray Langston was a doctor. That gives him empathy with the pathologist. He was a professor and author on the behavior of psychopathic serial killers, which qualifies him as a profiler like the folks in Criminal Minds. In short, he has the qualities of a 'super-CSI'. And most of us who understood these strengths expected a rapid rise from learning the ropes to taking over the lead. That hasn't happened, and, as Robert Bianco noted, it makes for an awkward situation on the show.

The conundrum can easily be overcome. The writers need to complete the transformation of Langston from intellectual professor to intellectual CSI leader, and forego attempts to make him 'one of the gang'. Stop attempting to make him warm and fuzzy with the victims too. A 'heart on sleeve' approach won't work for the head of a CSI unit, so drop the attempt to humanize Langston - and soon.

I can foresee an upcoming series of episodes where Dr. Ray rises up to lead the hunt for an 'unsub' ala Grissom's search for the 'Miniature Killer', perhaps doing a guest shot on a Criminal Minds in the process. The hunt will end with Langston a different man - and appointed the leader of the Las Vegas CSI team. Sure, there will be friction, since the other CSI's have been there longer, and in real life they'd be angered. But that can be managed through plot. The other actors might be a tad resistant to the move too, but that can be managed with contracts.

To save the show, Langston must move up, or as Bianco hinted, move out. If the latter, I would suggest an episode that begins with Dr. Ray picking up a phone and dissolving before our eyes, out of the 'Matrix' and back to his 'reality'. The remaining CSI team could lead the search for the missing Langston, but ultimately call for help from the FBI, which arrives just before the credits in the form of Keanu Reeves. (Cue closing music from The Matrix).