# William Petersen is leaving CSI:! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504 "2008-07-23T17:12:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/1 "2008-07-23T17:12:19Z")
[Linky](http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/25495729.html) I just found out about this yesterday. I guess we all knew this day would come eventually. Some of the replacements being considered are pretty interesting. Malkovich would have been nice, but either Kurt Russell or Laurence Fishburne would do a credible job. What do you think? Can the show survive without Grissom? I think so, because his role has gotten noticeably smaller over the past couple of seasons (probably in preparation for his departure.) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/2 "2008-07-23T17:29:31Z")
I haven’t watched for a couple of years - will they use the hereditary deafness thing to write him out, or did that story go somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/3 "2008-07-23T17:45:44Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] I haven’t watched for a couple of years - will they use the hereditary deafness thing to write him out, or did that story go somewhere else? [/QUOTE] Grissom had surgery a couple of seasons back to correct the problem, so I don’t think they’ll use that. From what I can glean from the various stories, it’s going to be more of a personal thing rather than physical. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/4 "2008-07-23T18:36:34Z")
I have liked his acting since Manhunter, the first Hannibal Lector flick. Too bad . ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/5 "2008-07-23T19:15:24Z")
I think that whoever takes over will have to go a completely different direction with their character than Peterson did with Grissom, and I think that they should probably let the show die a quiet death rather than trying to force it to limp on. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/6 "2008-07-24T03:47:44Z")
[QUOTE=SisterCoyote] I think that whoever takes over will have to go a completely different direction with their character than Peterson did with Grissom, and I think that they should probably let the show die a quiet death rather than trying to force it to limp on. [/QUOTE] I sort of agree, in that the show will be of no interest to me without him. I think they should just drop the whole show with his departure. Start another CSI in whatever other city, but the original will not survive. I don’t pay much attention to the Miami or NY versions, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/william-petersen-is-leaving-csi/457504/7 "2008-07-24T04:17:53Z")
The lack of a Leader Nerd is what keeps me off _CSI: New York_ and _CSI: Miami_. Sinise and Caruso are too stereotypically TV-cop. I can get that anywhere, I’d rather see a guy who can quote Shakespeare. I’d be okay with Helgenberger taking the lead, or even Mark “Ecklie” Vandt. The second the replacement draws his gun or makes a tough-guy quip, though, that’s it for me. Bye-bye CSI.