Unplanned CSI: Vegas Series Finale Leaves Fans With Some Cliffhangers — Though a Killer Tease Got Edited Out

Matt Webb Mitovich
·4 min read
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The following contains spoilers from the May 19 episode of CBS’ CSI: Vegas aka the Season 3 finale aka unplanned series finale.

In its unplanned series finale, CBS’ cancelled CSI: Vegas featured a final, brilliant bit of bravado for lab boss Maxine Roby.

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Abducted at gunpoint last week by, it turns out, the true mastermind of the AI robot-manned operation — a Saudi spy (played by Faran Tahir) whose people had infiltrated Truman Thomas’ operation, and recently offed the tech titan — Maxine bought herself some time by pointing out that the DNA hacking method was “sloppy.” After all, the text encoded within the DNA revealed itself to Maxine and her team, after which they were able to locate the hidden lab.

Before being dragged off to a subterranean lab to prove she could refine the DNA encryption, Max dropped/broke a vial of the atropine that’d offered her to abate her exposure to the gas that KO’d Chris. That would prove instrumental in Josh & Co. following a “trail” through the tunnels the team had found hidden behind a fake wall.

After Max completed most of her work for the Big Bad, he led her to a hotel room containing the piece of tech she needed to complete the encryption. Meanwhile, the CSIs had gleaned that their crime lab had been “bugged” this whole time by Ocho, the robot in Max’s office — and that its old-school microwave receiver must be in the line of sight of those eavesdropping on them. That led them to the hotel across town where Max now was.

Once Max completed the encryption, the Big Bad went to dispose of her, but she quickly jabbed herself with the hacked DNA, which she had cleverly encoded with every single clue she’d gathered about him and his goons. Max plunged a syringe into the guy’s neck and a chase out of the hotel room ensued, leading to a face-off between the gun-wielding Big Bad and Josh. A shot rang out… which we came to realize came from Chavez’s gun, saving Josh’s life and felling the Big Bad.

CSI: Vegas lead Paula Newsome, reflecting on Max’s “gotcha!” encryption tactic, told TVLine, “I absolutely loved it, because it was hard for me to see Max so vulnerable. It felt like she was in a really bad spot, so when she so cockily [revealed her handiwork] I just loved it. The tables turned so quickly.”

The CSI: Vegas finale left more than a couple teases and cliffhangers for a Season 4 that would not be meant to be. For one, the Big Bad in boasting of his abundant intel on the CSI team revealed that Max had a new love in her life, named Dean.

“I loved it that Max has somebody in her life, and that nobody knew,” Newsome said. “She’s always there for other people, she’s there for her job, and now you find out there’s somebody that’s there for her, and that’s beautiful.”

Asked to “dream cast” the Dean we now will never see, Newsome hedged, “Oh, my gosh…. I’m going to have to think about that,” noting that Rob Morgan (as Max’s ex-husband Daniel) had been a “really, really nice” bit of casting.

(When we suggested her NCIS widower, Rocky Carroll, Newsome excitedly shared, “You know what’s so funny? I wanted Rocky to be her ex-husband, before I wanted Rob, and Rocky was like, ‘Paula, don’t even ask them. Don’t even ask, because they’re not going to say yes to that.’ But I would have loved that.”)

Elsewhere as the unplanned series finale drew to a close, Max restored Josh’s Level 3 CSI status; Chavez witnessed a cozy moment between Josh and Allie; and Chris’ near-fatal medical scare wound up affirming Penny’s desire to marry Jack, but sooner versus later.

A final, haunting scene — one that appeared in press screeners but was edited out of CBS’ Sunday-night broadcast — teased a new killer who preys on the unhoused with a hand scythe/sickle….

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