Throughout the CSI In the franchise's 39 seasons and 838 episodes, there were many memorable moments, but the one that stands out most happens over the course of three episodes. THE CSI franchise debuted in October 2000, when CSI: Crime Scene Investigation debuted and quickly became a hit. Millions of people watched the CSI show, inspiring CBS to expand its universe. Its success resulted in the network ordering the first spinoff CSI:Miamiin 2002, and the second, CSI: NYin 2004. CSI It was a cultural phenomenon that forever changed the course of TV (in several aspects).
At the time of writing this article, the CSI franchise has no shows currently airing, such as the most recent, CSI:Vegasended with the Season 3 finale in May 2024.
Each series in the franchise revolved around a CSI team, made up of forensic scientists, detectives and medical examiners who work together to solve murders. However, as you can see from the titles, each show took place in a different city. THE CSI the franchise began in Las Vegas before moving to Miami and then New York. Given the series' diverse locations, crossovers were difficult, but the producers made it work for a revolutionary event that occurred during three episodes, one each CSI show.
The CSI “trilogy” crossover is when the crime procedural franchise peaked
'Trilogy' was the first time all three shows crossed over
Although “Trilogy” was not the first time that some characters from the CSI universe interacted, it was the first time all three TV shows crossed over. CSI:MiamiThe backdoor pilot aired during CSI 4th season, bringing together the two series. A few years later, CSI:Miami hosted CSI: NYThe backdoor pilot. CSI:Miami and CSI: NY another crossover debuted soon after as well. However, everything was different in “Trilogy”, as it was the first (and only) crossover between the three shows, and nothing has been the same in the franchise since.
|
CSI Show |
Season #, episode # of “Trilogy” |
Episode title |
Director |
Writer |
Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
CSI:Miami |
Season 8, Episode 7 |
“Journey of Bones” |
Sam Hill |
Barry O'Brien |
November 9, 2009 |
|
CSI: NY |
Season 6, Episode 7 |
“Hammer Down” |
Scott Lautanen |
Peter M. Lenkov and Pam Veasey |
November 11, 2009 |
|
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |
Season 10, Episode 7 |
“The Lost Girls” |
Alec Smight |
David Weddle and Bradley Thompson |
November 12, 2009 |
“Trilogy” began in CSI:Miami before continuing CSI: NY and ending in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Laurence Fishburne's Ray Langston was at the center of the crossover story. Ray searched for a lost girl who was drawn into a human trafficking ring, and the case took him to Miami and New York before returning to Las Vegas. It was very exciting for the audience to see characters from three of their favorite shows interacting with each other in the “Trilogy”. Given the success and popularity of the franchise at the time, no other crossover event could come close to this.
“Trilogy” confirmed CSI as the best shared universe on TV at the time
CSI had no competition after the crossover
Since “Trilogy” aired in 2009, major crossover events between TV series and their spinoffs have become increasingly common. Beforehand, Something as big as a three-show crossover was unheard of. Years later, however, the Arrowverse and the A Chicago frequently followed/followed universe CSImodel. However, nothing could top the original, and “Trilogy” only confirmed why the CSI the franchise is and always will be one of the best shared universes on TV.