The Funniest Moment In CSI Season 2
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" spent a whopping 15 years at the forefront of the television scene, and in that time, it built an impressive fanbase for itself. Though TV became oversaturated with crime procedurals throughout that decade and a half, "CSI" managed to stay ahead of the competition by approaching the genre in a different way. Sure, it had all the bells and whistles of your typical entry — an ensemble cast, mysterious cases, and the like — but it never shied away from trying different things out in hopes of separating itself from its numerous contemporaries.
One of the most prominent ways that "CSI" kept things fresh and interesting what through the cast. As the years wore on and the season count got progressively higher, folks would leave the Las Vegas Crime Lab for one reason or another, thus presenting the minds behind the show with opportunities to bring in new faces. Additionally, the program wasn't averse to the occasional comedic moment when such scenes presented themselves. After all, dealing with horrific crimes can become quite taxing on the mind after a while, so from the perspective of the characters and the audience, a little levity couldn't hurt.
When discussing the second season of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," specifically, this moment is arguably the funniest.
Gil Grissom delivered Season 2's funniest line
The "CSI" Season 2 episode "Bully for You" sees the Las Vegas Crime Lab investigate the murder of a high school student. The more they learn, the more complicated and suspect-ridden the case becomes, and for a time, they think they can pin the murder on a kid named Dennis Fram (Dublin James). However, it turns out his presence in the school bathroom at the time of the shooting is a mere coincidence, shifting the investigators' focus to another, more plausible perpetrator. "Do you ever smell a fart and end up blaming the wrong guy?" asks Gil Grissom (William Petersen), hilariously encapsulating their entire dilemma with one unexpectedly funny quote.
Throughout his run on "CSI," Petersen delivered some incredibly funny lines as Grissom, whether he meant to or not. This coupled with the fact that he was one of the program's central characters made his goodbye in 2009 difficult for longtime viewers to take, hence the strong reaction to the post-Grissom era. Thankfully, with the emergence of the "CSI: Vegas" spin-off in 2021, Petersen had the chance to return to one of his best-known roles. "It's like riding a bike; you just get right back on. We got a tandem, and we know how to do it," he told TV Insider in 2021 of returning as Grissom and working with Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle.
"CSI" was far from a comedy, and understandably so. It's a crime procedural. Although, there's nothing wrong with some well-placed humor now and again. Case in point: Gil Grissom's unforgettable quote from Season 2's "Bully for You."