CSI: Vegas Season 2 Brings Back Original Star Eric Szmanda

CSI: Vegas season 2 brings back Eric Szmanda as Greg Sanders, with him reprising his role in upcoming episodes alongside Marg Helgenberger.

Eric Szmanda will be returning to the CSI franchise in upcoming episodes of CSI: Vegas. The crime drama premiered on CBS last year and serves as a sequel to the popular, and long-running, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Season 1 tracked a new team of investigators, along with a few familiar faces, and their efforts to protect the streets of Sin City from an existential threat and ongoing criminal activity. Intended to be a limited series, CSI: Vegas was renewed last December, and its latest episodes are still airing. Szmanda previously appeared in all 15 seasons of CSI as Greg Sanders, a lab technician turned Level III investigator, and is set to return.

As CSI: Vegas season 2 continues, Szmanda is returning to reprise his role as Sanders. The actor will make guest appearances near the end of the season over a stretch of several episodes, as reported by TV Line. News of Szmanda’s return comes after another CSI veteran, Marg Helgenberger, previously joined the cast of season 2.

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Every CSI Star Who Returned For The Sequel

It was announced that Helgenberger would officially be a part of CSI: Vegas back in February, making her debut in the season 2 premiere, titled “She’s Gone.” The actress famously played Catherine Willows, a lab technician who eventually accepted a position with the FBI, though she was last seen becoming Director of the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Having starred in 12 seasons of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Helgenberger received multiple Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations for her work, and was a favorite among audiences. After Catherine rejoined the team in CSI: Vegas, the series revealed what she had been doing in the years since her departure, as well as what led to her desire to return.

Other original stars who appeared in CSI: Vegas include William Petersen and Jorja Fox, who portrayed Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle, respectively. However, following the show’s renewal, it was confirmed that neither would be returning for season 2. Since reprising their roles, audiences got to see parts of Gil and Sara’s professional relationship, and were hoping to explore more of their romance in future episodes, especially after their kiss during “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” Without Petersen and Fox’s characters moving forward, it was unclear what the series would do next, but Helgenberger’s return has created a lot of excitement, and Szmanda’s arrival will likely do the same.

Wallace Langham and Paul Guilfoyle have also appeared in episodes of CSI: Vegas, and could perhaps return down the line should the series continue. The news of yet another original cast member in Szmanda reprising his role for the sequel suggests that any character could be brought back, and there are certainly a lot more who would be welcomed. Details surrounding Szmanda’s role in the new season are being kept under wraps, but along with Helgenberger’s involvement, CSI: Vegas looks to keep the reunions going.

Next: CSI Vegas Season 2 Missed A Major Character Return PossibilitySource: TV Line