After 15 seasons on the air, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation has proven to be one of the best crime dramas of all time. Winning everything from Emmy’s to People’s Choice Awards with its all-star cast that has included Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, and Elizabeth Shue, just to name a few.
The CSI franchise has garnered high ratings for CBS over its time on-air and has produced spin-offs that continue to this day. While the show might not live up to real-life standards in the field of crime scene investigation, that has not stopped many fans from watching. So, out of all the seasons of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation just who are the smartest crime scene investigators on the show?
Nick Stokes
While talented in his line of work, Nick is a man who wears his emotions on his sleeves. Which can sometimes prove detrimental in his ability to get the job done. His sympathetic and caring nature towards victims makes him passionate about solving crimes. A skilled, crime scene investigator, he specializes in hair and fiber analysis.
Thanks to his ability in his line of work, Nick rose to assistant CSI Supervisor in the Las Vegas Crime Lab only to later take a higher position in San Diego as the Director of the San Diego PD Crime Lab.
Julie Finlay
Julie is one of the top blood spatter experts in the United States. So good that D.B. Russell gave her the nickname “blood whisperer”. While she is an expert in the field, she has a record of breaking protocols, which in one instance allowed the Seattle Police Department to be sued by a guilty man that was released due to her illegally obtaining an incriminating blood sample, resulting in her firing by D.B. Russell.
She proved to be such a valuable asset to the team, she was promoted to Assistant Night Shift Supervisor in the Las Vegas Crime Lab.
Horatio Caine
Horatio Caine is the day shift supervisor and the head of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. His specialty training includes a degree in chemistry and experience as an explosive expert. Horatio has shown to be fluent in Spanish and knowledgeable in French, along with being an expert marksman.
While he can be a little rough around the edges, Horatio is passionate about his line of work. He understands victims’ pain, as he also was a victim of domestic violence as a child. His communication skills are superb, allowing him to get the most information out of victims.
Greg Sanders
Greg Sanders is one of the more accomplished crime scene investigators, as he was considered a child prodigy, later obtaining a degree in chemistry from Stanford University, graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors.
He is a man passionate about his job. He doesn’t seek accolades or monetary gains, as solving crimes and helping victims find peace is his only reward. While Sanders is calm seeing dead bodies, when it comes to the high pressure involved in trying to save someone he cares about, his emotions can get the best of him.
Eric Delko
Eric is a kind and outgoing individual who is a gentleman through and through. An athlete, he played right field for his college baseball team. While he isn’t above losing his temper at times, his intentions are always pure and come from a place of deep concern.
He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Miami. After graduation he obtained a position with the Miami-Dade Crime Lab, eventually becoming an expert in the field of fingerprints, tires and drug identification. Eric is somewhat of a linguist of sorts, being fluent in Spanish and proficient in Russian.
Jo Danville
Jo is a very optimistic person and investigator who tends to follow the rule book no matter the consequences. An example of this would be when she was working as an FBI agent in Washington D.C., she learned that her friend Frank Waters was covering up his tracks when it came to mishandling evidence during a serial rape case.
She reported him to the defense attorneys handling the case, causing the case to be acquitted. This act of honest behavior ended up costing her, her job with the FBI. She now works mainly with DNA evidence.
Sara Sidle
While in high school, Sarah displayed an intelligence level far superior to that of her peers and by seventeen, graduated as valedictorian of her high school class. After first being admitted to Harvard University, Sarah transferred to UC Berkley, partly because she grew homesick and wanted to attend a university closer to home.
She ended up graduating at the top of her class, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Theoretical Physics. While attending graduate school, she accepted a work-study position in the San Francisco Coroner’s office before working her way up to CSI Level 2.
D.B. Russell
D.B. Russell is a family man first and foremost. While he loves his family, he, also, has found his passion as a crime scene investigator, before working his way up to heading the crime lab in Seattle and then working as a night shift supervisor at the Las Vegas Crime Lab.
Russell won a certain level of fame back in Washington for catching the Gig Harbor killer. His years of experience have proven valuable as he understands the value of knowing not to let his emotions get in the way of his job performance.
Raymond Langston
As the son of a soldier, Raymond understood a sense of duty from a very early on. While he didn’t have the best home life and as an adult, has struggled with his demons. Raymond managed to become a medical doctor that specialized in Forensic Pathology.
Beginning his medical career at Delaware General Hospital. Langston has a take-charge personality and holds himself accountable if and when he feels his performance is sub-par. Langston’s exceptional abilities go beyond that of an ordinary doctor, as he also, is a published author and a fan of the Greek playwright Aischylos.
Gil Grissom
From an early age, Gil exhibited a high level of intelligence compared to that of his peers but this came with a catch, as it made him anti-social, preferring his ant farm to playing with friends.
He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Biology from UCLA at the young age of twenty-two and shortly afterward, took up an apprenticeship with criminologist Dr. Philip Gerard. Grissom a self-described “science nerd” excelled in his role as a crime scene investigator, eventually working his way up to night shift supervisor at the Las Vegas Crime Lab.
