Spoilers ahead for the October 20 episode of CSI: Vegas on CBS.
CSI: Vegas is only a few episodes into its first season on CBS, but the show has already delivered no shortage of twists when it comes to the characters from the original show. With Hodges in hot water for crimes he may or may not have committed and Sara determined to prove him innocent, Gil Grissom has been dealing with an extra problem all his own: an illness from leaving his boat. Gil is land sick, and CSI: Vegas’ boss broke down what it means for the show moving forward.
And for fans who didn’t know that a person could be land sick in the same way that they could be seasick, it truly is a real thing! Called “mal de debarquement,” it has messed up Gil's balance. As he told Sara at the end of the latest episode, he feels like he never left the boat. Sara of course told him to hold onto her if he needs to hold onto something, but Gil’s land sickness can’t be resolved with just some supportive words. CSI: Vegas executive producer Anthony Zuiker explained what fans should expect moving forward, telling TV Insider:
The land sickness is a metaphor for the relationship between Gil and Sara. One character wants to be on the water where he’s comfortable, and one person is getting her feet back on the land, which is Sara. So the sudden land sickness for Grissom is more metaphorical, which is where do I truly belong — back in my comfortable place on the sea where I have a compass of what tomorrow is or do I belong back on land where we’ve built this monument of truth? The sickness does come and go as his opinions of where he belongs comes and goes.
The good news is that Gil’s health isn’t in too much jeopardy from the land sickness; the bad news is that it’s not going to get better if he can’t resolve some of his turmoil about the return to land. After all, he’s all about following the evidence, so if the evidence suggests there’s no case at some point, it wouldn’t be surprising if he starts pushing to head back to the boat. Sara is arguably thriving back on land, so how can their relationship survive potentially being pulled in different directions?
According to Anthony Zuiker regarding Gil’s sickness as Season 1 progresses, there is some freedom in the story since it’s just a matter of time and place for when it might ail him, and no predicting it. The executive producer elaborated on what’s on the way:
There are times [Gil’s] keeping it from [Sara], there are times they have to address it. There are times it comes and goes.
There’s also the point that Gil doesn’t actually have credentials to officially work on cases like Sara does. He’s still able to consult, but the dynamic is certainly different than during the original run of CSI. Who can blame him for feeling off-balance? A lot depends on how he continues to handle his land sickness, and whether or not either of them will realize that the sickness comes and goes depending on his feelings about staying on land vs. returning to the boat.
Find out what happens next for Gil and Sara now that they have an additional hurdle on top of the Hodges situation with new episodes of CSI: Vegas on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. That’s a competitive time slot thanks to Chicago P.D. airing over on NBC, so it’s crime drama vs. crime drama between the two networks. P.D. has come out on top in the ratings so far, but will that last? Keep tuning in to your crime drama of choice to find out!
