Sara Sidle leaves CSI

This is already old news to those in the know, but being that our current season of CSI: Las Vegas on AXN is a couple of months delayed, it was only last week that we saw Sara Sidle’s (Jorja Fox) haunting exit—one that ends inconclusively with a heartfelt letter to fiancé and supervisor Gil Grissom.

Sara is perhaps the most emotionally troubled among all the Las Vegas CSIs. A backgrounder: she had a traumatic childhood, grew up in the foster care system, almost became an alcoholic as she had to deal with resurfacing childhood memories, and, to top it all off, was abducted by The Miniature Killer at the end of Season 7 and had a close brush with death before the other CSIs could save her in Season 8’s premiere.

No matter how I initially felt at the romantic developments between Sara and Grissom, it was just sad that she had to leave after she accepted Grissom’s wedding proposal, which he just happened to spring on her while they were checking out bees. The scene ends with Sara getting stung by a bee—a portent of things to come. What’s unfortunate is that the romance took a long time to blossom. If I’m not mistaken, hints of it were dropped as early as Season 4). Grissom isn’t one to do things fast, so it would be correct to think that he’d carefully thought this over. Then again, I couldn’t see that particular storyline going anywhere, really. I mean, what’s next?

The writers haven’t killed off her character, so a comeback is still a possibility. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because I can’t imagine CSI without tough yet vulnerable Sara Sidle. She complements Catherine Willows’ soft yet strong character perfectly. It’s also to her benefit that she’s not a looker at first glance—you only get to see her beauty in certain moments when she lets her guard down. I’m partial to female cops and the like who actually look like cops and the like. Perfect-haired, lip-glossed beauties in the force should only be in Charlie’s Angels-type shows.

Now, why would Jorja Fox quit the No. 1 show on TV? Seasons back, Fox and George Eads, who plays CSI Nick Stokes, were supposedly fired then rehired following a contract dispute. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, however, Fox explained that while this could be the most stupid decision ever, she wanted to take a break from the daily grind of being in a weekly show.  She wanted to do other things, some personal, and some professional. She mentioned that she forgot to have kids. “If I thought this show was on its last legs,” she said, “I would have tried harder to stay the course. But I feel like it’s going to be around for a while, so if I don’t want some of those dreams to pass me by, I have to get off the ride.” She added, though, that if there’s an opportunity to guest star, she would be thrilled to do it. Again, I keep my fingers crossed.

In honor of the first major departure of this groundbreaking show, here’s Sara’s letter: “You know I love you. I feel I’ve loved you forever. Lately, I haven’t been feeling very well. Truth be told, I’m tired. Out in the dessert under that car that night, I realized something and I haven’t been able to shake it. Since my father died, I’ve spent almost my entire life with ghosts. We’ve been like close friends and out there in the dessert it occurred to me that it was time for me to bury them. I can’t do that here. I’m so sorry. No matter how hard I try to fight it off, I’m left with the feeling that I have to go. I have no idea where I’m going, but I know I have to do this. If I don’t, I’m afraid I’ll self destruct and worse, you’ll be there to see it happen. Be safe. Know that I tried very hard to stay. Know that you were my one and only. I’ll miss you with every beat of my heart. Our life together was the only home I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love you. I always will. Goodbye.”

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