George Eads Opts Out of CSI Finale, Forcing Last-Minute Script Revision

Turns out not everyone will be returning for this fall’s big CSI farewell, as star Marg Helgenberger declared at Comic-Con last weekend.

TVLine has learned exclusively that George Eads has decided not to participate in the two-hour swan song, forcing series creator Anthony E. Zuiker to excise Nick Stokes from the already-completed script.

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While Eads never officially signed on to the project, I’m told Zuiker and his fellow producers were hopeful that the actor would reprise his role alongside fellow CSI vets Helgenberger and William Peterson (with more names expected to be announced soon).

It’s not clear why Eads opted out — production starts on July 29 in Los Angeles — or whether his absence will be addressed on screen. (I’m told the script did not have to undergo a major revamp since Nick — whose storyline was wrapped up in February’s Season 15 finale, Eads’ last episode as a regular — wasn’t critical to the central plot.)

Eads’ representative declined to comment for this story. CBS similarly had no comment.

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“I’m excited… that all of us are going to be back,” Helgenberger told TVLine at Comic-Con (see video, below). “I think it’s going to be a really fun time.”

CSI‘s two-hour goodbye — tentatively titled “Immortality” — is set to air Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS.

Launch Gallery: <em>CSI</em> Series Finale: Who's In? Who's Out?

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