The inaugural episode of CSI: Las Vegas, one of the all-time greats and a CBS television staple. The pilot deals with the flaws of Warrick, a fine investigator with a gambling addiction that haunts him thanks to bad decisions while on the job. He has a judge he makes bets with, placing one on the Packers when he was supposed to be shadowing a rookie CSI detective on the job her first shift (Chandra West, in a cameo that seems like the beginning of a starring role). Because Warrick fails to obey his commander's orders (Paul Guilfoyle), she is shot in the line of duty, dusting the prints of a robbery with the man who shoots her the one responsible. West's character seeks advice from Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) about this new job, unsure she wants to do it as a career, motivated by her traffic cop mom to become CSI. Catherine tells her to stick it out, and that she wouldn't regret it
haunting words that loom over the shooting, and indicate to us that harm to a cop could come at any moment. Prior to her being shot, West's Holly Gribbs had a gun pointed towards her while dusting for prints at a store owner's establishment
irony is the owner was the one pointing the gun! So it is kind of foreshadowing. In the pilot, Gill Grissom (William Petersen) is supervisor of the graveyard shift but he answered to Guilfoyle's Jim Brass. He tries to comfort and ease Holly into the job after a shaky interview with Brass and vomit during her first visit of an autopsy. So the tragic aspects of Holly are evident throughout. This is the nature of such a dangerous job. You could be in danger at any time. Anyway, Warrick has a bet with Nick Stokes (George Eads) as the two are competing for CSI Level III position which has the perks of extra pay and vacation time. Warrick's being so involved in his self-improvement jeopardizes his job. Catherine and Warrick were the CSIs on the case of a husband who murdered his wife's brother, and it appears that whether or not it was "protection of family" hinges on a shoe and toe nail. Meanwhile, Catherine has a moment with a little girl that was molested, providing a realization that protecting her own daughter and loving her deeply is important. Meanwhile Nick investigates the odd results of a tourist (character actor Royce Appleton) awakening to find his items stolen (wallet, keys, etc.) thanks in part to a babe (the always-delicious Krista Allen) who seduced him in a casino
waking up to find himself robbed, with Nick believing something was ingested that knocked him out. What that knock-out agent ultimately is quite a stunner
let's just say it isn't eye wash. Brass proves to be a real asshole in this episode, particularly nasty towards Warrick who needs a warrant to search his suspect's toenails for a link to the brother-in-law's murder. This pilot proves that the show has several threads going on during each episode. This ends with Gribbs' shot-in-line-of-duty, with Brass informing Warrick that he must face administrative leave for not shadowing her as he was told. Gribbs is said to be in surgery and possibly dying as the first episode ends.
The storyline thread not yet concluded involves a murder faked as a suicide, and a fingerprint left at the scene was left by a prosthetic hand from a novelty warehouse! The mother of the victim tells Grissom that the voice leaving a "suicide confession" was not her son's voice, too. So the pilot basically sets up the next episode. That dummy being bludgeoned in the head by Grissom has blood that is spattered that came from Holly, told by her supervisor that it was a mandatory part of the first day!
The storyline thread not yet concluded involves a murder faked as a suicide, and a fingerprint left at the scene was left by a prosthetic hand from a novelty warehouse! The mother of the victim tells Grissom that the voice leaving a "suicide confession" was not her son's voice, too. So the pilot basically sets up the next episode. That dummy being bludgeoned in the head by Grissom has blood that is spattered that came from Holly, told by her supervisor that it was a mandatory part of the first day!