The Real Reason William Petersen Isn't Returning For CSI: Vegas Season 2
"CSI: Vegas" is the highly-anticipated spin-off of its predecessor "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." The mother series wrapped up in 2015 after 15 very successful seasons on the CBS network. It starred Paul Guilfoyle, Eric Szmanda, Jorja Fox, and even had a brief stint with Laurence Fishburne. But one of the most popular characters by far was William Petersen, who played Dr. Gil Grissom on the show.
Many of the original actors did return for Season 1 of the Las Vegas spin-off, which premiered earlier this year, including Petersen and Fox as an on-screen married couple. As with many popular TV shows these days, the network almost immediately announced that fans would be getting a Season 2 (via Deadline) shortly after the Season 1 finale aired on TV. Unfortunately, Petersen will not be reprising his role as Grissom next season. And apart from being devastated, many fans are still confused as to why he's not returning.
He only ever agreed to be in the first 10 episodes
According to many sources, including Variety, William Petersen only committed to showing up as a regular character in Season 1. He was contracted for all 10 episodes, with no intention of taking it forward. The good news is he will be around for Season 2 and beyond as an executive producer. But we don't know much about how involved he will be behind the scenes, or if it will just be an honorary title that he will hold onto while he moves on with his career.
Fans are having a bittersweet reaction to the news on social media, with many of them being sympathetic and understanding about the actor's departure from the show. According to TMZ, Petersen was suffering from exhaustion to the point where he had to be hospitalized back in August for essentially working too much. This likely had something to do with his decision not to return for Season 2. Regardless of his reasons, he will clearly be missed. The show's Twitter account published a short clip of him and Fox — who played husband and wife on the show — and their journey through love as a tribute to his time on the series. Fox also retweeted it with an emoji of a man and a woman and a heart between them.