CSI is incredibly intoxicating. The sense of intrigue and suspense never lets up. Watching the CSI team go to work using all types of techniques and knowledge to catch the perpetrators is a fantastic formula. However, this formula alone doesn’t give the show its cleverness or appeal. First and foremost, the producers and writers really give this show what it needs—story. Not just a story, or some form of story, but intricate and puzzle-like stories that by the end of each episode come to a satisfying and surprising conclusion.

If you don’t yet know this show, here’s the basic idea. Each episode introduces a new case for the CSI team to solve. The cases are far from basic or normal, they are sometimes outrageous and overly complicated, sometimes confusing. Anyway, through various investigative techniques and montages cut to David M. Keane’s cool score, the stories unfold, and the evidence almost always identifies the perpetrators. But when the evidence doesn’t speak volumes, it is Gil Girssom to the rescue. His mind works in mysterious ways, but he always closes a case.

That is, unless something prevents him from doing so. Alter Boys is a great episode, and the last minute is especially haunting. A young man buries two men in the desert, and even though the evidence points to him, he didn't commit the murders. His older brother did, but Grissom can't find the evidence to support the young man's claim. As the brother goes free, Grissom is troubled because he knows the wrong man is behind bars.

Assisting Grissom in his investigations is his team of forensic specialists inside the Las Vegas Crime Lab. They are single mother Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan), Nick Stokes (George Eads), and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox). Well, you’ve probably heard of them before, and if not, you should think about checking into this show. The second season of CSI includes 23 episodes. Each of them are  intriguing and very well written. Some are better than others, but in general you can’t go wrong with any of them.

The writing is once again very good, perhaps even better this time. One year of experience and knowledge, plus research and technical advisement, should be enough for the writers to know terminology and forensics like the inside of their pockets. Okay, it may not be that easy. More knowledge is always better. That side, episodes are full of tech talk, and while such dialogue can be a headache, it’s not the case here. Character interactions are almost always conversational, sometimes even funny or sarcastic. It’s a nice mix. Production values and directing are also top notch here, and each episode looks terrific from all different points of view; locations, cinematography, make-up, special effects, use of flashbacks, etc. Did I mention Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys II) is executive producer on this show?

It’s also a good idea to mention the actors involved. Essentially, they are the stars! William Peterson plays Grissom with many respects. At times cynical, sarcastic, serious, motivated, exhausted, and/or perplexed, Peterson strikes the right cords at all the right times. Marg Helgenberger is great as Catherine Willows, developing her character as a strong-minded woman with enough guts, knowledge, and looks to shatter any barriers of prejudice. She’s the female version of Grissom, if you will. George Eads is charismatic as Nick, while Jorja Fox and Gary Dourdan also do a very good job. These three make very good team members and are believable most of the time, mostly when they’re friendly with each other, during lunch for example. Contributing is Robert David Hall, as examination doctor Al Robbins, Eric Szmanda, as hip lab technician Greg Sanders, and Paul Guilfoyle, as LVPD Capt. Jim Brass. CSI consists of an all-around great cast. That’s always a plus!

This season the writers develop a generally good amount of character subplots, although they are interspersed through all 23 episodes. These subplots add new dimensions to the main characters, although I still feel like there needs to be just a little more emotional investment present. Solving a new case in each episode works perfectly for the show’s formula, and each time the characters face off against new challenges and learn new things. Sometimes they learn more about themselves or techniques as they uncover identity and motif of crime scenes.

Still, I feel like CSI should spend just a little more time with the characters after hours. Yes, we learn early in the season of a traumatizing event in Nick’s past, and Sara looks to date someone nice. There’s also some foreshadowing to a major character twist that ultimately is revealed in the third season. We see Grissom's apartment at the end of Primum Non Nocere. These are subtle subplots and they do a good job, but maybe some more would be nice. Also, the writers do give some small hints at life after work, but show is always better than tell. Perhaps the writers should follow some of the steps of NYPD Blue, a police drama that combines two lives of its characters, the work life and the private life. Then again, NYPD Blue doesn't focus as meticulously on its crimes than CSI.

Additionally, CSI benefits from a somewhat continuous storyline. That is, for example, And Then There Were None reintroduces a getaway couple from an episode last season. Also, Identity Crisis picks up on the investigation of Paul Milander, a man who evaded Grissom and capture last season. He returns in this pretty cool episode, and this time the investigation folds. It's good to know that eventually those who evade capture turn up again to face justice, or an alternate demise.

Here are some of my favorite episodes of the second season. Grissom and the team investigate the mysterious vanishing of a young college student in Chaos Theory. In Scuba Doobie-Do, Catherine and Nick investigate a scuba diver on a tree, and Grissom leads an investigation of an apartment complex. I explained Alter Boys earlier in the review, and again the last minute is haunting. Also making my list is Ellie, a really great episode involving Brass' teenage daughter and Warrick leading night shift. Identity Crisis is another favorite. Then comes Chasing the Bus where the team tries to figure out a terrible bus accident. In Stalker, a mad man stalks Nick, which leads up to a tense climax. Rounding out my favorites is Cross-Jurisdictions, the second-to-last episode of the season. It successfully introduces the Miami CSI team, and the hunt for the killer is pretty gripping. Grissom sends Catherine and Warrick down to Miami where they are greeted by Horatio Cain (David Caruso), the CSI Miami in charge.

Additionally, Anatomy of a Lye offers an interesting spin on lawyers and hit-and-run, while the season finale The Hunger Artist is not overly compelling, mainly in terms of the investigation. Granted, however, it ends on a pretty high note with news about Grissom's developing condition (rest assured, I won't divulge what it is). As a reminder, the general aspect of this season is that every episode is pretty darn good.

Concisely, the second season of CSI remains clever, involving, and enlightening. The quality of the program is essentially the same, but improvements are noticeable this season. The episodes are intriguing and fun to watch. The elements of surprise and even some education in forensics are rewarding. All 23 episodes of the second season are available in a 6-disc set. Below is the episode index. *denotes optional audio commentary

Disc 1: Burked* / Chaos Theory / Overload / Bully for You

Disc 2: Scuba Doobie-Doo / Alter Boys* / Caged / Slaves of Las Vegas

Disc 3: And Then There Were None / Ellie* / Organ Grinder / You’ve Got Male

Disc 4: Identity Crisis / The Finger / Burden of Proof / Primum Non Nocere

Disc 5: Felonius Monk / Chasing the Bus / Stalker / Cats in the Cradle…

Disc 6: Anatomy of a Lye / Cross-Jurisdictions / The Hunger Artists / Special Features

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