Marg Helgenberger's Last 'CSI' Episode (PHOTOS)

After 12 years, Marg Helgenberger is leaving "CSI."

Helgenberger, who has been with the show since the beginning, will say goodbye to the CBS drama and its blood, gunpowder residue and DNA evidence on Wed., Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. EST. However, she's not leaving quietly. "The X Files" actress Annabeth Gish, "The Chicago Code" star Matt Lauria and "Lost's" Man in Black, Titus Welliver, all guest star in Helgenberger's final episode.

CBS's official description:

"Willows In The Wind" -- The CSI team says goodbye to Catherine Willows as she makes a life-changing decision, on CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, Wednesday, Jan. 25 (10:00 - 11:00 p.m., EST/PST) on the CBS Television Network. Guest stars include Matt Lauria as FBI Agent Pratt, Titus Welliver as CEO Mark Gabriel and Annabeth Gish, as his wife, Laura Gabriel.

WATCH: Marg Helgenberger's last day on set.

Comments

[Mary Jayne Westaway]

02:45 PM on 01/19/2012

I am sad that she is leaving BUT I do understand the why. I thought the episode last night was well done and it shows that she does have another side to her. Hopefully the show will not suffer her exit. I do wish her luck and hopefully see her in another show.

[huskerfan1962]

11:35 PM on 01/11/2012

I did not like her character in the first few years of the show. She always had to get the last word in, and it seemed for a couple of years she was a man hater. However, her character seems to have smoothed out and become more human the last few years. I do not blame Marg for this, it is probably just the way the character was written for her. That being said, some of the early episodes in the first few seasons were almost unwatchable as she was such a shewolf. I like the mellower Willows, and she will be missed

[Spark87]

11:56 AM on 01/11/2012

I admit I lost my interest on C.S.I. after Grissom left the show. But wouldn't have made sense for Halenberg's character to be the next boss in the lab (her character has the personality to manage it)? I never get why the producers wanted to insert a new male lead (with always a less important female companion for him). So... can people tell me again why Catherine wasn't the new boss after Grissom's departure? (she was a shift supervisor some time in the show, no?).

Why any C.S.I. show doesn't have a female boss by the way? What's wrong with the USA media? why they show so little women who has real power... when normal female leaders are a very widespread prototype (at least in the european (and spanish) society I'm living in)?

Should I start to think that it's not a coincidence that the USA never had a female president while here in Europe we have had female presidents in our countries since the 70's... there's no Angela Merkel, Margaret Tatcher, Christine Lagarde, Cristina Kischner, Julia Gillard, Esperanza Aguirre or Tarja Halonen types in the USA or what?

[schsijvd]

04:25 PM on 01/08/2012

I am pleasantly suprised at the way Danson has brought back some of the lost, I think we all as fans felt when Grissom left. I really enjoy watching again so good luck to everyone on the show. I have always luv Nick and Greg but I liked Greg better in the lab he was always laughing I think the field work has took a lot of that away from his character.

[Joseph Glackin]

11:21 PM on 01/06/2012

I enjoy the "steel" in her character. Unlike her role in Erin Brockovitch, she was no ones patsy.
She was open, unrepentant, even proud of her past as a "dancer." It was a new attitude for TV.

[kndam72]

10:22 PM on 01/06/2012

let me guess, she leaves the unit to take over the casino she inherited

[cbossi1]

02:48 PM on 01/06/2012

Time for me to get rid of CSI as well... They have lost everyone I liked...

[Elizabeth Mae Barrett]

02:14 PM on 01/06/2012

I'm going to miss Marg so much. If they hadn't finally gotten Lawrence Fishburne out and Ted Danson and the new girl in, I would stop watching. CSI will never be complete without the original Grissom/Catherine/Sara trio. :(

[akawandie]

02:50 PM on 01/06/2012

I agree totally!!

[jusasmile823]

02:10 PM on 01/06/2012

All great characters must come to an end and let another step in to "refresh" the program. CSI has not been the same since William Peterson exited out. But he also knew it was "that time" for him to move forward with his career and hopefully Marg will too! We all know that when the characters start getting stale, the writers/directors has to make a change. Crime will never go away for any of the Crime CSI shows and there are a million stories to be told. I do however like what Ted Danson has brought to the show. Investigators should use their minds and science/technology/heart to get the bad guy. Too bad Grissom make an appearance in the final episode, that would have been great!

[maclad13]

01:44 PM on 01/06/2012

I agree MSBeth0808. I have been a fan of hers since China Beach. I unfortunately also agree with so many others that the show has never recovered from William Peterson's departure, and that with Marg leaving it is reedy for the fork.

[ktano0]

01:40 PM on 01/06/2012

Sorry to see Marg go...always one of my faves....good luck to her.

That being said, I think the current season of CSI has been great. I really am pleasantly surprised how good Danson is, and I love the character. I get the feeling that a lot of nay-sayers against Danson have not really even watched the show..

[mebemommee06]

01:40 PM on 01/06/2012

Grissom was the reason I kept watching, seeing him leave left me no desire to watch anymore..And Now with Marg going, I see the total demise of that show..

[Bill Lange]

01:39 PM on 01/06/2012

It is one of the dumbest shows out there. So hokey. The main investigator already knows whats there before they even get to the scene. He just tells them what to do and what they'll find.

[Adam Dray]

01:31 PM on 01/06/2012

I haven't watched since grissom left...now there's pretty much no reason to watch.......

[mebemommee06]

01:36 PM on 01/06/2012

same here Adam..

[rlpl02]

01:57 PM on 01/06/2012

Ted Danson is actually really good in the part. You should watch it again.

[huskerfan1962]

01:50 AM on 01/12/2012

I completely agree. After the first episode I had a lukewarm feeling about the show, but the episodes since the season premiere have been really good. It will be interesting to see if they inject a season long plot line like the "minature killer", Paul Milander, "The Dick and Jane Killer/Nate Haskell". It would be interesting to see Ted Danson's character get pulled into a case like Nate Haskell reeled in Langston. (By the way, I really miss Dr. Ray. To me he was really good. I thought he did a GREAT job in replacing Grissom, and he really never got the credit he deserved.)

[leftylori]

01:23 PM on 01/06/2012

I wish Grisom would have done a guest episode for her final espsode.